1948 Model G (Bullet?) Opportunity

[2LZ]

According to my contact in the UK, the tags authenticity cannot be determined. He's not seen (or has documentation) of one with a blue background, nor is he certain about the Great Britain sticker, which may have been added at a different time.
Thanks to all the numbers stamped on the bike, and his thorough archiving of RE, he was able determine that this particular Model G left the Redditch factory and was sent to Whitehall’s of New York on 9th April 1948. Cool stuff......

 

[Geezer]

According to my contact in the UK, the tags authenticity cannot be determined. He's not seen (or has documentation) of one with a blue background, nor is he certain about the Great Britain sticker, which may have been added at a different time.
Thanks to all the numbers stamped on the bike, and his thorough archiving of RE, he was able determine that this particular Model G left the Redditch factory and was sent to Whitehall’s of New York on 9th April 1948. Cool stuff......

Man, this is cool. I lived in Redditch 1982-1989 and know the Enfield (district) area of Redditch well. It's nice to know you guys across "the pond" appreciate the history

 

[Woodstock]

According to my contact in the UK, the tags authenticity cannot be determined. He's not seen (or has documentation) of one with a blue background, nor is he certain about the Great Britain sticker, which may have been added at a different time.
Thanks to all the numbers stamped on the bike, and his thorough archiving of RE, he was able determine that this particular Model G left the Redditch factory and was sent to Whitehall’s of New York on 9th April 1948. Cool stuff......

I bet the guy carefully noted your details and archived for where your bike will be in another 100 years. Terrific job on all front 2LZ.
Interesting about the badge. Anything on the back? What size is the nut/bolt? Terrific this motorcycle found you.

 

[Woodstock]

According to my cell phone
38'27'59"N 120'38'60"W !
I'm a cheap date. Usually Miller Lite, sometimes backed by a sipper of Seagrams 7.
Retirement, yah know. Had to scale back on the Champagne taste.

Also useful for calling in an air strike.

 

[2LZ]

Also useful for calling in an air strike.

 

[2LZ]

Worked on the little leather cable ties. Mink oil, now they're soaking. I think I'm probably replace them with repops from Hitchcocks (who has been freaking amazing through this project) and frame these for the shop.
The handwork is amazing. Every small screw i a straight slot (common), and the square nuts on the backside were hand ground not to scratch the frame. Amazing.

 

[Woodstock]

Worked on the little leather cable ties. Mink oil, now they're soaking. I think I'm probably replace them with repops from Hitchcocks (who has been freaking amazing through this project) and frame these for the shop.
The handwork is amazing. Every small screw iView attachment 13459View attachment 13460 a straight slot (common), and the square nuts on the backside were hand ground not to scratch the frame. Amazing.

You could have replicas made? Edit: sorry, repops are replicas?

 

[2LZ]

You could have replicas made? Edit: sorry, repops are replicas?

Thankfully, Hitchcock's has repops available. I'm not sure if they have the handwork on the nut, but I'll end up replacing these. They're too fragile, at this point.

 

[2LZ]

Figured I'd post a pic from today. Headway, but still waiting on parts from the UK. Major hurtle cleared today. I finished setting timing yesterday ("a cigarette paper at 3/8" BTDC," ....and .0012-.0015 when fully opened.) Gave her a kick today with Mrs. 2LZ holding the plug against the head and got a HUGE spark! No need to zap the Magdyno into polarity. That's a big weight off the shoulders.
Got the new throttle cable installed and the carb reinstalled with new fuel lines, filters and clamps. The throttle snaps open and closed like new now. I disassembled the Amal 276 carb, and it looks new inside with the proper jetting, according to the manual. All passages were clear.
Other than that, just been detailing while waiting for parts. I took each bolt out at the time on the bars and wire wheeled them to a shine, along with anything else showing any corrosion. Two more cables, and a primary gasket is all I need.
I did find a tire pump that hangs under the fuel tank!....but it's missing parts. It still hangs there and looks cool though. I'll have to search out pump parts.

 

[matter]

Are you going to be able to ride it with the shifter on the right? LOL
Oh, that's right your BSA probably already has you being ambidextrous by now.
That would be as hard as driving on the left for me.

 

[Bluestrom13]

("a cigarette paper at 3/8" BTDC," ....and .0012-.0015 when fully opened.)

.0012" is also a cigarette paper.

You mean 0.012" to 0.015", think.
"Twelve to fifteen thou" (Or a bit less than a thumb nail) ....to old grouches like me.

holding the plug against the head and got a HUGE spark! No need to zap the Magdyno into polarity. That's a big weight off the shoulders.

Sparks come from the mag., not the dynamo. The dynamo is separate and is purely for lights (and battery charging if you have one fitted. so don't count your chickens yet).

Edit - please ignore if you don't intend to run lights / battery.


Lookin' good though.

 

[2LZ]

.0012" is also a cigarette paper.

You mean 0.012" to 0.015", think.
"Twelve to fifteen thou" (Or a bit less than a thumb nail) ....to old grouches like me.


Sparks come from the mag., not the dynamo. The dynamo is separate and is purely for lights (and battery charging if you have one fitted. so don't count your chickens yet).

Edit - please ignore if you don't intend to run lights / battery.


Lookin' good though.

 

[2LZ]

Understood.. I used the term "Magdyno", because that's what it's called in all of my manuals and documentation. RE stacked the magneto, with the points assembly unit that controls the situation. Pretty ingenious really. All driven off the same cluster of gears.
I do have a new 6V battery for it, and have connected it to Mr. Lucas's wiring, positive ground. All lights worked on the rack.

 

[2LZ]

Are you going to be able to ride it with the shifter on the right? LOL
Oh, that's right your BSA probably already has you being ambidextrous by now.
That would be as hard as driving on the left for me.

I've had enough "backwards bikes" to be ambidextrous. No issues there!
I've never named any of my bikes. This one got named. "Jenny". See why?

 

[2LZ]

You mean 0.012" to 0.015", think.
"Twelve to fifteen thou" (Or a bit less than a thumb nail) ....to old grouches like me.
Lookin' good though.

Yep, typo thanks to moving from metric to SAE. It's really funny though. I've used metric my whole life thanks to squads of Japanese and European bikes, even most of my American cars in the last four decades. It's was so rare to use the "left side of my toolbox" (SAE), it became a catch-all for my hats, rags, etc.... Now that I'm playing with Brit bikes, it's all SAE and Whitworth. A whole new language and I have to dust off a different side of my box!

 

[2LZ]

Yeah! Finally got a part from the UK! Valve Lifter Cable. Not an exact replica of the 1948 unit I'm replacing but it worked fine. It could have been a little longer to make the install able to be done without a hook-pick, but I got it. The small kink in the protective rubber sleeve does not represent the cable underneath it. I'm one primary gasket from firing it! WOO HOO!

 

[Ike208]

I've never named any of my bikes. This one got named. "Jenny". See why?

Absolutely. Great choice.

 

[2LZ]

Ok....making major headway. Got the battery installed with the correct polarity. Tested the lights and thank the Lord (and Joe Lucas), no Magic Smoke was released and all the lights worked as they should. WOO HOO! Of course, being six volt, I won't be dodging black tail deer at night with this truly brutal beam.
I got all the petcocks mounted and sealed, new fuel lines and filters. I'm one primary belt away from firing the beast. Getting exciting.

 

[2LZ]

Got the gasket. Tomorrow is the big day. Just going to try to fire her. Still waiting on a front brake cable so a ride is not in tomorrow's cards. I'll have Mrs 2LZ steering the camera. Stoked........

 

[smilespergallon]

Can't wait for this.

To think, you bought a shop's static display. Imagine how many more vintage rides are collecting dust because nobody's bothered to just go through them.