PROJECT EXCELSIOR
Rick puts his policy of encouraging the next wave of classic enthusiasts by helping a neighbours’ son to rebuild this ditch-fresh beginners’ machine
Sorceror’s apprentice instructed in the ways of the Parkington
‘HE WAS ABLE TO SEE PAST THE RUST TO THE BIKE THAT LAY BENEATH’
This is Lewis. I met Lewis’s mum and dad, Jan and Richard Perry, at a neighbour’s birthday party. They live nearby and when (inevitably) old bikes cropped up in conversation, Jan asked if their son Lewis could come and have a look around my workshop, explaining that he was interested in engineering and motorbikes and is a volunteer at the local steam railway.
After his visit, we decided it would be good to find Lewis some sort of project engine that he and I could strip and rebuild together to help him learn about mechanics and, especially since his birthday was coming up, I told Jan and Richard I’d keep an ear open for something suitable.
The obvious choice nowadays is some sort of Chinese lightweight engine, because they are cheap brand new let alone secondhand, but I’m not sure that’s the best approach – these engines are not made to be mended and problems tend to be terminal. Besides, they don’t exactly float my boat and wouldn’t have when I was Lewis’ age, either. Back then, I learned about rebuilding decrepit bikes from a 98cc Excelsior which I still own. It was unusual – I didn’t know anybody else who had heard of one, let alone owned one – and it was fun. So my choice for Lewis would be a cheap Villiers two-stroke engine. Forget what four-stroke bigots tell you, Villiers engines are simple, robust and well-made, and can be made to run well regardless of big-end, bore and piston wear. Needing no special tools and with spares still plentiful, they’re perfect for novices. The only trouble is... they’re not cheap any more.
But it’s funny how the fickle hand of fate moves sometimes. While visiting my pal Lawrence, he mentioned a ditch-fresh Excelsior he’d acquired in a mad moment and was now wanting rid of...
I couldn’t believe it – it was a 1952 125cc Excelsior U1 Universal, horribly rusty but remarkably complete – and that’s important because cycle parts for Villiers-engined lightweights are very scarce. Twenty five years ago I would have jumped at it, so into the van it went – and, magically, this happened just a couple of weeks before Lewis’ birthday!
Come the day, Jan and Richard brought Lewis round on the pretext of picking up some old tools I was clearing out and we sprung the surprise. Well, shock may be a better word. It’s not always easy to surprise a teenager, but Lewis was definitely not expecting this present. What particularly pleased me was that he didn’t need convincing that it wasn’t just a piece of rusty scrap.
Maybe his experience with the steam railway helped – he was well able to see past the rust to the bike that lay beneath. He’s delighted with the bike - and being now 17 he’ll be legally able to ride the 125cc Excelsior once it’s on the road.
And when will that be? Well, that’s a good question. Obviously a bike that has spent so long corroding could be difficult to dismantle and how much of it would be useable is hard to say…so we spent the rest of Lewis’ birthday pulling it apart – here’s what we found.