Editor’s welcome
Firstly, an apology for no inclusion of our Lockdown Velocette project this month – it’s slightly run out of steam at the moment, while lots of other things are currently going on motorcyclingwise, not just in my/our shed/s, but with events and happenings too. We will get it back on track and the intention is still to have it running and ridden, by the end of the summer, at the very least.
There’s not loads to do to the Velo, really, it’s just that – among other things – the ever-reliable modern Honda needed some attention and money, we’ve been playing with another of the Sunbeams (my overhead valve 1931 job) and getting out and doing some riding too; we’ll be back on track soon with the Velo and we’ll be interested to see how it behaves.
The Sunbeams have been taking up a bit of time and effort – nothing serious, but just a bit of fettling. The ever-reliable side-valve came out for a few rides; it definitely performs better if it’s not super-hot, so it has been ideal this summer! In fact we had a ride out Sunday last, to a fairly local pub (The King’s Arms in Shouldham, near King’s Lynn; they always have good beers on) which has a classic gathering every Sunday lunchtime. The Beam had started literally first kick all day, several times over, until I went to leave, in front of a crowd. Why do they do that? Anyway, it soon went, they the sun was blazing down and it was clearly having an effect on the old Sunbeam’s starting performance.
The 1931 ohv saddle-tank 500 is a funny one – whereas lots of people uprate the cooking 9 to the racy 90, mine seems to have gone the other way! It started life as a 90, but now wears lots of 9 bits, including the crankcases. It’s been off the road for probably 60-plus years and hopefully it might make a return soon, although the latest setback was a broken kick-start mechanism and spring, caused by it kicking back. Happily, the Marston Sunbeam Register spares scheme furnished the necessary and now it’s a race to see whether the Lockdown Viper or the 90/9, as it’s been christened; ‘9/90’ seems to almost recognised Sunbeam parlance, though I’m perhaps in my own group of one the other way…