YOUR CLASSICS
Norman Emerson had a bit of a battle on his hands when it came to fixing his ex-french Army Tiger Cub
Not so quiet on the Western Front now this Cub’s running
TWO YEARS AGO I was looking for a project to fill my newly acquired spare time. As a 16-year-old Suzuki 50 owner, I had always been envious of the sound my friend’s Tiger Cub made, so that’s what I decided to look for. Andy Tiernan was offering a choice of two ex-french Army Cubs, so I hitched up the trailer and drove from Northumberland to his dealership in Suffolk. I chose the most sorry-looking one, a 1966 model – partly because it was cheaper, but also because I enjoy a challenge. It had been in a barn in Holland, untouched since 1979. Safely back in my workshop, it was down to business. These bikes were fitted with energy-transfer ignition, which makes them notoriously difficult to start, so I fitted a regular battery and coil and it fired up.
A short road test revealed an oil leak from the drive sprocket area and black oil running down the header pipe. The header pipe had been bashed in with a hammer to clear the frame downtube – it became clear that the front engine mount had been snapped off and welded back in the wrong place; the front mudguard was also well battered. I started to wonder if the bike was a casualty of war and if this was a battlefield repair!
On the alternator, some wires had been cut close to the coil windings, then twisted onto the old wire stubs and insulated with Elastoplast (which was falling off). Things weren’t looking too good...
My ‘to do’ list was: complete frame strip down and fix engine mount; fit new wheel bearings and steering head bearings; replace swingarm bushes; replace fork bushes and oil seals; new rear wheel sprocket; prepare all body parts for painting, dealing with dents; repaint; examine top end of engine.
The engine was removed and the old mounts cut off, but while putting it back together I couldn’t line up the rear wheel properly. The rear axle had been fitted the wrong way round; once corrected, it lined up nicely. I made a new engine mount, welded it in place, stripped the frame down, fitted new bearings, sanded the paintwork and sent it to a friend for painting – it was a headache trying to match the French Army green, but we got there in the end. My friend also fixed the front mudguard (thanks, Paul).
New valves and guides solved the problem of the oil running down the header pipe. I also replaced the piston rings and honed the barrel. I suspected the oil leak around the drive sprocket was due to a worn oil seal on the drive shaft, so I removed the clutch to access the seal. At this point I spotted a crack in the casing behind the clutch; I fixed it with metal filler and so far it hasn’t leaked.
I changed the electrics to a 12-volt system with a new alternator – but changing to a standard battery/coil ignition from energy transfer proved anything but straightforward, as it involved changing the auto advance/ retard unit. The coil was overheating, but this was cured by changing the points cam.
After 18 months it all went together with a speedo overhauled by Speedo Repairs in Aldershot, new tyres and a seat cover. The leather panniers have been reconditioned, reinforced and have new fixing straps. Thanks to the Tiger Cub Club for all their friendly advice, also to Greystone Enterprises who provided many parts and yet more practical advice. The bike usually starts first kick and draws a lot of attention outside the pub; I think I’m going to have a lot of fun with it.