V-Twin News p.26

V-Twin-Innovator- News page 26

24 Jun 2021

GRINDLAY BEAMFIELD

Wayne Leighton's special that I previously called a JAPFIELD seems to deserve a more comprehensive name, since he has revealed that it is mostly a Grindlay Peerless, in particular these parts: "Seat, wheels, engine bottom end, girders (castle)." He continues, "It used to be a complete Grindlay Peerless V-twin, I saw the "before" photos and almost cried. I have most of the original parts to take it back in the future." The top ends are from two 500cc Royal Enfield single cylinder Model J machines, while the bottom end was a JAP MT750 sidevalve v-twin. The gearbox is Triumph. "...the previous owner swapped out the flywheels and possibly other parts, and fitted the enfields. I have a tub with the original sidevalve top ends, flywheels, etc and three speed sturmey archer gearbox. It is very heavily braced in modified a Sunbeam S8 frame with strong head stay bracing."

ENFIELD KAYJAY ...COMPLETED!

Steve Kemp's Royal Enfield special is now completed.

Reminder: "This is my latest project, I’ve had it years, but since the pandemic I’m getting time to work on it.... Enfield Model K crankcase; Model J OHV top ends; 1020cc, Enfield co frame stretched by 1 1/2”; homemade timing case; homemade girders; [BSA] A10 front wheel; stretched tank with oil in rear.... Lots to do, but excited about getting it done." ... Also an Enfield gearbox.

MYSTERY ENGINE update...

After some discussion on the JAP ENGINE Facebook forum, it was agreed that the rocker covers are Moto Guzzi - probably from a Falcone or an Airone (two of them actually).The heads look abit like Anzani head, and the enginewas probably mounted "with the "front" cylinder horizontal with a twin choke downdraught carb on it with a chain drive out from behind whatever's behind that cover on the drive side." (Thanks to Chris Launders). The crankcases and barrels are still a mystery.

The auction page is here: https://www.leboncoin.fr/equipement_moto/1956348820.htm... It is near Nice and delivery is possible. The blurb translates approximately thus: "Engine with handcrafted rockers, of very beautiful manufacture, for old motorcycle or cyclecar, 650 cc, any enquiries are welcome, make an offer, answer by phone only, thank you..." In 2018 the engine was photographed at a swap-meet (autojumble) and I posted it on the V-Twin Obsession website, about three quarters of the way down this page, where there are three more pictures: http://www.diagnosis2012.co.uk/vtwinnews18.html

SUN-BURNE... progress

In Orkney, Andrew Giggle's 60-degree Blackburne is now solidly mounted in the Sunbeam frame, but he is trying to find someone to convert his 180 degree magneto to 60 degrees!

OGORZALEK VEE

Richard Ogorzalek is building a v-twin engine and says that, the middle of the casing may be removed depending on whether he decides to run on bearings or shells. That in turn depends on whether he uses his own con-rods or Rover ones, since using his own rods will mean extending the barrels, which may not look right. The engine will feature one standard Panther M100 camshaft and the other one half an inch longer (- originally made for the Stray Panther v-twin, but which ended up surplus after deciding to go with half-width cam wheels).

REX RACER

This machine was NOT a board tracker from USA, but a British racer, raced at Brooklands.

3 Jun 2021

O.E.C. TEMPLE -inspired SPECIAL

996cc "OEC Temple" with 8-valve Anzani engine auctioned at Mecum auctions. Here is the lot: https://www.mecum.com/.../1926-oec-temple-anzani-racer/ It sold for $100,000,!

JAPRIEL 750:

Henning Seldal is building this special, consisting of a JAP MTS 750 engine in an Ariel frame.

...with silencers and alternate fuel tanks:

Steel crankcases and Citroen top ends come together to make a board track racer :

Rare classics... Gigant; Amac; Motobecane; Condor, .....

Revisiting... Norjap; Koehler Escoffier 8-valve; Jiminson

Phil Baker's MAC V-TWIN, inspired by Alan Millyard's bike:

ANGLO-AMERICANA:

17 Apr 2021

MAGSA update

In 2019, on THIS PAGE we heard about the MAGSA project of Darijo Babič of Koper in Slovenia. It is a MAG engine (Switzerland) in a BSA Sloper frame. Since then he has made some changes. The paint job now features less contrasting greens; he has converted the gears from hand change to foot change; new toolboxes have been fitted; a larger front brake has been fitted, along with a different saddle; new timing cover, valve-stem covers and brass filler and level plugs; oil feed valve to stop wet sumping, etc. This is how the bike looks now:

11 Apr 2021

BSA Y13 RETRO SPECIAL, update: (thanks to John Hollywood)

A thirties BSA Y13 750 v-twin engine in a fifties plunger frame, (48-53 Gold Star frame), and fifties BSA gearbox as fitted to these early Gold Stars, but turned 90 degrees. Oil tank is Matchless; girder forks are from an earlier machine. The bike was built by John Mazzer in Lismore, Australia. He spotted it 25 years ago leaning against a wall at a client's house and it took over 20 years before he managed to get hold of it.

John Hollywood is the new Ausralian owner, and he has been getting it on the road and looking more like a rare factory-made prototype.

A factory-style paintjob, new mudguards, a conversion to a foot gear change, removal of exhaust wraps (bandages), different seat springs and addition of fishtail silencers...

On the bench... front brake now connected, with new brake stay; headlamp and rear lamp fitted and rev counter being moved next to the headlamp. Pipes have been matt-blacked too. Wondering what the axe was for...?

The finished bike looks marvellous! Just needs a number plate to get on the road. Sounds great too! See the video below.

......

MATCHLESS BLACK HAWK update: (thanks to Joe and John Tinley)

In January 2019, pictures started to appear on Toolbox Lifestyle - a Facebook group - of a project with an OHV Matchless engine in a Matchless Model X frame, similar to Les Phelps's project, but this version was planned to be built "to look like a Brooklands bike of the late 30’s". The first post was by Joe Tinley, explaining that this is his father, John Tinley's project. John posted himself on the V-Twin Specials FB site, and on his own FB site -Matchless Model X and AJS Model 2 1937-39 - that the inspiration came from Sid Leitch (and his AJS Golden Streak and MX2 Trackmaster projects - see V-TWIN INNOVATORS).

Various fuel tanks were tried, and the Brough tank was finally found to be the best for the job.

In May 2020, the lifting of the first UK lockdown allowed the making of the exhaust system to be completed.... by the end of October, John was ready to fire up the beast, while still on the bench. Below is the video...

Almost ready to race...

...

SUNBEAM WD experiment (thanks to Alex Smittens and Matchless Model X and AJS Model 2 1937-39 group).

“Experimental sidecar-wheel-drive outfit produced by AMD for War Office evaluation. Rear-drive mechanism was similar to the Big Four WD Norton outfit. Engine is the o.h.v. Matchless 1000cc unit used in Brough Superiors and Morgans. Forks are outsize teledraulics.”

9 Apr 2021

JUNAK V-TWIN: JUNAK V-TWIN

Lots of information and picture about the Junak V-Twin... original Polish page (above), and English translation link (below).

In English: JUNAK V-TWIN

JUNAK V-TWIN 1100: While we are on the subject of unique Polish v-twins, the Junak V2 above sparked off the OHRV 1100cc project a Junak-based Overhead Rotary-Valved 1100 v-twin. There is a Facebook page covering the project. The first posts (scroll to the bottom) are from November 30, 2020. Each post is in Polish but there is an English translation button underneath each one. The website purpose has no button, so I have a translation here:

“The website was created so that we could share photos and descriptions of the work progress on the OHRV2 engine we are building. We will also post 3D visualizations, photos of technical curiosities contained in the engine (such as heads with rotary valves, fuel injection to the engine or an eccentric crankshaft and the process of its formation); in addition, relations from the production of casting models (engine block with all covers, cylinder and head assembly) and the creation of sand molds. Besides, we will show the machining of engine castings.”

Here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/ohrv2/

TRIUMPH WLC 750

Circa 1937, this special was for sale at YESTERDAYS website (now sold) - here is the page for more information and pictures: TRIUMPH WLC 750

KNUCLETON: Another Anglo-American creation:

Something tells me this Knuckle engine will also end up as a Norley powerplant (or is it a Photoshop trick?)

MATCHLESS-JAP SPECIAL (thanks to JPZ)

John Paul Ziemba built this Matchless-JAP special for a friend in the 1980s. The 680 sidevalve engine came from a Lister truck. He bought it back 12 months later and converted it to ohv with twin carbs.

The 680 crankcase is the same size as the engine that was originally in the swing arm Matchless frame and no alterations were needed. John Paul fitted an alternator inside Royal Enfield chaincase. For the ignition, John Paul "put a cam from a v twin magneto on the original magneto sprocket shaft and a set of points inside the shortened magneto case and used a twin lead Japanese coil firing both plugs".

OHV MATCHLESS-JAP: A similar idea but in a rigid frame is shown below: (thanks to Ron Clements)

The rolling chassis was later bought by Ron Clements, who replaced the missing engine with a single cylinder 600 JAP sidevalve motor.

MAC V-2 UPDATE (thanks to Phil Baker)

Phil Baker's 1939 Millyard-inspired Velocette Mac V twin is running! "Starts on the kick. All the work adding front and rear valve lifters proved unnecessary in the end. Ah well..." he says.

DELLA FERRERA

This overhead camshaft machine, made in Turin, Italy seems to be fitted with a multiple-chains type of gear arrangement, similar to Frazer-Nash cars.

TAURA

Also from Turin, circa 1930, this model was fitted with a JAP v-twin. Source: CyberMotorcycle

DAVE CROOK's NORJAP update:

Now with painted tank.

CHATER-LEA-PRECISION - ancient special...

This machine was acquied by Antony Gullick, who says, " The engine was found some years ago by the late Arthur Pendlebury and was shoe horned into a Chater Lea chassis. Arthur was a superb engineer and built many Chater Leas and also built an OHC Chater motor which I am planning on reuniting with the bike. This was advertised as Precision's racing motor and what I would like to find out is if there are any records of one of these being raced and what chassis it was in. I plan to return it to its original state as a single speed racer."

MATCHLESS INDIAN update (thanks to Keith Wissell)

VIDEO:

Keith Wissell bought the Indian with Matchless heads at a swapmeet and has put it into part of an Indian PowerPlus frame: Frame is "... PowerPlus top section. The original engine had been cut out so I made the frame fit the engine."

JAP 8/80 SPECIAL (thanks to Per Burgland)

Per Burgland's special, featuring a JAP 8/80 replica engine made by Cameron Engineering, and a frame that "is built with Docol Tube R8 high strength lightweight steel", featuring Brough style rear suspension and Indian-style leaf-spring front suspension.

MORE ANGLO-AMERICANA...

1.NARLY KNUCKLEHEAD with 1524cc S&S Knucklehead motor.... for sale... see more info, pics and video HERE. 2. Norton featherbed with HD engine. 3. Nice picture of Steve's Harley WLA 750 engine in a BSA (A7) framewith a BSA C15 tank shown on V-TWIN NEWS PAGE 3

EGLI-DUCATI

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