Following on from my Mk 1 very successful rebuild I bought a VB but sadly not a girder fork version I have been looking for but this very sad looking VB unseen off ebay, it failed to reach reserve but later we agreed on a price and I picked it up from Exeter, it sat in the van for few weeks until I was able to see what I had bought
It had a V5c and dating certificate it's history is it was exported from the factory to Denmark 2/10/53 finished in black, solo gears, sidecar fork springs
and 180KM speedo. It came back to UK at some point and was registered and issued with a V5c to Andy Tiernan in 2019. I was hoping to make an oily rag out of it but sadly it was in such poor condition I had to rebuild it totally, top to bottom
I was going to go into detail but you all know what it takes and below are a number of photos of the build, I did make quite a lot of parts including fork seal holders, battery carrier, side stand plus a lot of other stuff, any questions please ask.
Seems I have reached max on photos will add some more later
Very nicely done, I hope you don't think it too nice to ride it! Personally I would have given it a good clean and kept what appears to have been the original paint.
Roger Gwynn, Membership Secretary, curator of the Machine Register and the works drawings. Director of Draganfly Motorcycles, Craven Equipment and Supreme Motorcycles mostly retired.
What a surprise!! I see you bought this VB with frame number AM1796, dispatched to Denmark in 1953. I have bought a VB frame from Jorgen Andersen from Denmark which bears frame number AM1795
Roger Gwynn wrote: Wed Dec 11, 2024 12:12 pm
Very nicely done, I hope you don't think it too nice to ride it! Personally I would have given it a good clean and kept what appears to have been the original paint.
I have the same opinion as Roger, Some things are uneconomical to restore. Sometimes you just need to restore functionality and then there are cases of love for the legacy of family and friends and others. Anyway it is beautiful. Knowing the contrast of colors and zinc, it must be a pleasure to ride this motorcycle . congratulations
Yes sometimes they are just too tacky to leave. I've been putting a 4.00 rear tire on a suitable rim on rigid large Ariels for the sake of ones Back when you hit potholes you mistook for a shadow on the road. Dented rims and damaged back are too reminiscent of what I experienced of the first bike (an Ariel 1936 RH 350) that I rode registered ON the road. about 1956. Nev
First let me apologise for not replying sooner to your comments reason being I lost my internet connection on the 12th and remained off until late yesterday but it all seems to working fine now.
So thank you for all your comments and below are my replies.
Roger and Karol, as I said in my post I did want to keep it as an oily rag but on inspection it was in very bad condition, the three coats of paint were the least of my problems, rims and spokes rusted and not safe. brakes worn out, rear mudguard almost rusted through in places exhaust pipe and silencer needed replacing, wiring burnt out, a full engine rebuild along with mag and dynamo and so many nuts and bolts were replaced in it's life with metric spoiling the threads all needed helicoils. The only part of the bike which was in decent useable condition were the fork internals, but most of the machine was original and I had all the chrome work replated all the tinware repaired and as all the work is done in my garden shed I am very happy with the finished product and as to the economics of the rebuild it's a hobby not a business, been a hobby of mine for fifteen years since my wife passed away it gives my friend and I great pleasure and enjoyment in our retirement and who else benefits from my hobby? well on this rebuild it was Draganfly (who would have benefited more if parts were in stock), along with other suppliers Armours, CWC, Quality Chrome, Rutland Dynamos Nookys Nuts plus many more.
Paul, It is indeed a small world we have a matching pair
Julian, my friend Leon is in charge of paint he's a dab hand at it
Nevhunter, tacky and dangerous and as there is no MOT on Historic machines even more important to make sure the bike is safe to use on the road as a guy was writing in this months Norton Owners Magazine how long before a injury or death is attributed to a poorly maintained Historic vehicle resulting in a change of the rules, who knows.
SEDoan, I have the alloy castings aqua blasted locally and I don't polish them only a wipe down with petrol on a rag, doesn't look right on all machines but I like the look.
Just to close this post off I was a Toolmaker for fifty two years man and boy as they say (ex Bowden and Hi-lex) in June this year I sold off twelve bikes, that was half my collection due to lack of storage space the result of the sale was an average loss of £500 per bike, so now I can buy a few more bikes to fettle with and keep myself occupied while I am still able to enjoy my hobby of rebuilding bikes and riding them around The Gower as I did when I was sixteen, I tax and insure five or six bikes a year of various ages and makes, it's not a one make hobby, I seem to have rabbited on a bit, please excuse the ramblings of an old man.
I see you bought this VB with frame number AM1796, dispatched to Denmark in 1953. I have bought a VB frame from Jorgen Andersen from Denmark which bears frame number AM1795 
