I am sure some one will know (old motorbike)

[Barbara]

Saw this outside auction rooms today. 

 

 

[Denis]

Looks like a James 'Captain' by the size of the cylinder, possible ex  GPO as the badge contains the Crown. Commercially available James had a different tank badge to that...... I dont think its a military spec.....

[JohnP]

I can't decide whether it's a James Cadet 150cc or a James Captain 200cc... anyway James badges did have a crown.

 

http://cybermotorcycle.com/gallery/james/James_Cadet_Tank_Badges.htm

 

Who ever buys it will have a bit of restoration work to do... that's for sure. It's not the right bike to spend much money on though.

[fuzzyedges]

I would plump for the cadet as the exhaust is on the same side as the chain The captain had it on the tother

[JohnP]

The more I look at it the more I'm convinced it's a Cadet, the cylinder looks like a 150cc to me. As regards to the exhaust on a Captain... it seems to have been fitted on both left and right depending on the age of the bike.

 

http://www.google.co.uk/search?q=james+captain+200cc&hl=en&rls=com.microsoft:en-gb:IE-SearchBox&rlz=1I7ADFA_enGB453&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=LvsnUeCkC-vI0AXkw4GQBQ&ved=0CDAQsAQ&biw=1025&bih=490

[Barbara]

I don't have a clue but I

Knew this would interest the guys

[fuzzyedges]

As regards to the exhaust on a Captain... it seems to have been fitted on both left and right depending on the age of the bike.

 

You are right my books were showing 60's models

The reg indicates pre 62 and the exhaust position  indicates mid 50's The shape of the exhaust would indicate 1955 captain Unless anyone knows better??

http://www.simplywizard.co.uk/folders/callouts/55k7.htm

[Denis]

It appears they did then!, but I once had a 1930 James that

didnt have a crown on the tank badge!

[JohnP]

It appears they did then!, but I once had a 1930 James that

didnt have a crown on the tank badge!

 

The crown on the tank badge was a 1950' & 60's thing and the exhaust was moved to the right side in the 1960's too. As was the case with many british motorcycle manufacturers they used Villiers two stroke single cylinder engines and I guess the exhaust pipe was mounted according to which side of the cylinder the exhaust port came out from. I had a Royal Enfield Turbo Twin Sports 250cc (Villiers 4T Twin Two Stroke) back in 1966, it was a great bike. Unfortunately I met a lorry that was on the wrong side of the road and I came close to losing my leg in the resulting inicident.

[fuzzyedges]

Did the badge look like this

 

 

 

 

 

I had a friend who dropped a 4t into a crusader frame just before royal enfield did. It sported home made, and exceptionaly loud, expansion chambers The works canteen lost several alloy tea trays to make the battery box and various bits

Myself I was a Fb falcon owner with the 9e villers plus its recalsiant gearbox that contained 1st neutral neutral neutral smash 3rd 2nd 3rd My first bike, how I remember it well

[JohnP]

I had a friend who dropped a 4t into a crusader frame just before royal enfield did. It sported home made, and exceptionaly loud, expansion chambers The works canteen lost several alloy tea trays to make the battery box and various bits

Myself I was a Fb falcon owner with the 9e villers plus its recalsiant gearbox that contained 1st neutral neutral neutral smash 3rd 2nd 3rd My first bike, how I remember it well

My best friend had a Royal Enfield 250cc Crusader Sports, it cost £315.00.. I didn't have that sort of money so I got the Turbo Twin... it cost £ 249.00... in any case I loved two strokes for some strange reason... before that I had a BSA Bantam D7 175cc.

[fuzzyedges]

You can see where I was in the pecking order My other friend had a harley davidson aermacchi 250, flash git

Strange how 250 was the bike to have in those days Thanks to honda and the TT

[JohnP]

You can see where I was in the pecking order My other friend had a harley davidson aermacchi 250, flash git

Strange how 250 was the bike to have in those days Thanks to honda and the TT

I guess it was partly due to the fact you could ride a 250cc on a provisional driving licence. Fuzzy... did you ever get to the IOM TT? I did... every year from the Diamond Jubilee TT in 1967 until the last time in 1982... I went on crutches twice... Lol... heck I was keen in those days.

[fuzzyedges]

One of those regrets never made the TT always somthing in the way

Did make the manx once Rained all week wonderful

[Denis]

Did the badge look like this

 

 

 

 

 

It did!

[fuzzyedges]

As this thread is way off track I will add some more info about the crown on the badge

As I cant find out anything on the great oracle google I asked a James guru on simplywiz here is what he said

Thanks for the enquiry. What an interesting question.

What follows is purely speculative.

In the 20's it was possible to buy a mascot for James motorcycles in the form of a cast metal figure representing King James. In my 1930 sales catalogue the mascot is priced at 5/6d.

I seem to recall that his name was also mentioned, from time to time in the contemporary sales literature too but I have been unable to find an example.

I have a copy of the factory letterhead for 1923, which shows the shield badge 'The James Cycle Co., London and Birmingham' and it is surmounted by a crown.

Google images - source of all knowledge on everything - shows the crown of King James and I suspect that this is what the James factory picked up on. I know of no Royal Warrants or anything like that. They certainly did not supply the court of King James bit I think the publicity department liked the idea of the 'King of Motorcycles'. I cannot recall whether they ever used that as a slogan - but I'm sure they should have done.

There we are. History - it's all true - created in an email.

Best wishes

Alan Abrahams

[Denis]

What an informative answer fuzzy, thanks for posting

 

I have owned a few bikes....

 

250cc Francis Barnett

1964 250cc BSA C15

1931 100cc James Comet

1947 500cc BSA M21

350cc AJS 16C

 

Triumph Tiger Cub X 2

 

1963 BSA Lightning

 

Triumph 500cc Speed twin

 

Norton Dominator 99

 

 1961 600CC Panther

 

Royal Enfield 700cc Constellation

 

Velocette Mac 350cc

 

1962 BSA Rocket Gold Star

Triton, (Norton frame with a full race tuned 69 Triumph Bonneville
engine).

[Kobione]

Well, what an interesting discussion this turned in to! Great stuff. My other half was very interested to read all this, thanks for posting it, Blackrox!

[JohnP]

Long after my serious accident in 1966 and final surgery in 1976 I still used to get the urge to ride a bike again. With my leg still being weak I stayed away from riding again until the late 1980's. One day around 1985 during my work as an electrician I happened to come across an old bike in a barn on the farm I was working at, it was in extremely poor condition. I asked the farmer about it, apparently his son used to ride it and when he left home he didn't take it with him and the bike just gathered dust and went rusty. The farmer said I could take it away if I wanted it so when I'd finished the job I put the bike in my van. Here is a picture of me on the bike a couple of years later after I'd spent far too much time and money restoring my little BSA Bantam D14/4 175cc.

 

nk

I found this shot on the internet, it's a Royal Enfield Turbo Twin Sports 250cc, apart from the petrol tank being red (mine was blue) it's exactly the same as the bike I was riding when I met a stupid lorry driver on my side of the road...... you could say what happened next changed my life forever.

 

[Black Pearl]

NERDS!!!!!!!

[fuzzyedges]

Defination of Nerds

noun Slang.

1.

a stupid, irritating, ineffectual, or unattractive person.

2.

an intelligent but single-minded person obsessed with a nonsocial hobby or pursuit: a computer nerd.

I fit about 5 out of 9 where do you rate

How do you use red and shouty words BP my tool bar greys out when I hit reply

[JohnP]

NERDS!!!!!!!

That's what I call folk who take photos in B&W...

[Black Pearl]

10 out of 10 if its photography or tech in general.

Try going advanced when you reply.

[fuzzyedges]

Not wishing to appear No1 in the nerd list but definatly No9 where is the advanced button

More options just greys out the same

[Black Pearl]

They should be available along the top of the reply box but if not.....

 

Bottom right of the Reply to this topic box is a More Reply Options button, might bring them up.

 

I do know they don't appear with mobile browsers, I can't see them on the iPad, the iPhone or the Galaxy.