swooshdave Posted January 13, 2008 Report Share Posted January 13, 2008 The only Sunbeams I've ever seen were the inline twins. Which motor is that? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odgie Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 (edited) It's from a BSA Sunbeam scooter - a badge-engineered version of the Triumph Tigress. They made a 175cc two-stroke single, and a 250cc four-stroke twin. Barrels and crankcase are all one casting, with a removeable plate each end to carry the main bearings. There's a one-piece crank which has a large flywheel on one end (which carried the fan blades for the air-cooling) with the alternator inside it, and the clutch on the other end, with a gear primary to a four speed box (so the engine runs backwards...). Quite a pokey little thing, I have one in a James Comet chassis I built... Photos here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/odgie633/Speedster (I'm getting carried away with this photo thing now....) Edited January 14, 2008 by odgie 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 14, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Hi Guy's. Hi Odgie. As I said what a cracking little cobby bike, does you Proud. See what BSA could have done if they had put there minds to it, And the boys in the Comp Shop, at the time ,built one and the Manegment turned it down, to waste money on other none starters Red T1 and Red T2. for instance. It's good when you have mastered the Pictures is'nt it. It looks as if you have as much fun in your shed, as I have in mine. Brilliant. Perhaps we will find the Works one too one day. Regards. Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
slinny Posted January 14, 2008 Report Share Posted January 14, 2008 Hi Odgie, What a super looking machine, it reminds me of the US "Board Racers" of the 1920's ( I was'nt around then!) What does it go like,?, what performance do you get from it?. I remember spending many "mileage" hours on a Sunbeam scooter when I was at BSA, including many laps of MIRA, testing and comparing Amal & Solex carburetors. If you got a good run of the banking at MIRA the 250 would do well over 70mph. Regards, Slinny. ( Pat) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swooshdave Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 It's from a BSA Sunbeam scooter - a badge-engineered version of the Triumph Tigress. They made a 175cc two-stroke single, and a 250cc four-stroke twin. Barrels and crankcase are all one casting, with a removeable plate each end to carry the main bearings. There's a one-piece crank which has a large flywheel on one end (which carried the fan blades for the air-cooling) with the alternator inside it, and the clutch on the other end, with a gear primary to a four speed box (so the engine runs backwards...). Quite a pokey little thing, I have one in a James Comet chassis I built...Photos here: http://picasaweb.google.co.uk/odgie633/Speedster (I'm getting carried away with this photo thing now....) With those handlebars it must be a handful in the sections... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
odgie Posted January 15, 2008 Report Share Posted January 15, 2008 Hi Pat, yeh, I used the board racers as my inspiration. If you're interested, Real Classic magazine is doing a 'Build-Up' series on the bike, Part One is in their latest issue. I photographed all the hand-made stuff as I made it, and the series will run over the next seven issues. It runs a treat, as you say, they are a quick little lump. I had to estimate the gearing, and it's a little low, it tops out around 50ish (no speedo...), but that's probably fast enough - have you seen the size of those brakes...?! It don't stop worth a d*mn, but it don't handle too bad, although with those rearsets you have to remember to pick your inside foot up as you bank over... Cool to hear from someone who rode the original machine. And yeh, lots of 'If only's...' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 26, 2008 Author Report Share Posted January 26, 2008 Hi Guy's I have just found another Bantam Framed Tigress engined trials bike, on a Dvd that I was given about a year a go. This was built in Kent a few years ago,and had the name "VERA" welded on to a plate by the footrests, It was bought by a dealer in Stroud and the sold on to the guy who now owns it. The interveiw was conducted on a show ground down in the West country so I would think that this is were it now lives. Like buses realy when one comes along it is followed closely by another. Still looking for the "Works" one. And one line I thought I had as now gone cold. but will keep on trying to find the old bike or at least find out what happened to it. Regards Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
swallot Posted February 8, 2008 Report Share Posted February 8, 2008 Hallo, I've no idea where the Tigress Works Special is. However, reading your story reminded me that my dear old Dad, Tom Swallow who passed away in December '08, once raced a Tigress Special up Red Marley Hill Climb. (or it might have been a Sunbeam Scooter) The gearing was so low it was difficult to keep the front wheel down, and being turned round after falling off on The Pimple, he descended the 1 in 1 and a half slope in neutral. He didn't try it again and the bike must have been sold. [/font] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 21, 2013 Author Report Share Posted January 21, 2013 Hi Guy's. You know when them little coinsidenceses in life happen and you think I was there ? Well one happend today.!!! I was at home organising the stuff for my central heating? I know bikes have come before this in the past! but its cold at the moment!! Well in between the mails I was recieving saying your order has been delayed because of the conditions, I had two other e-mails. One from my very good freind's son Andy Paxton, who informed me that he had ridden Brian Martin's old BSA C15 in last years Scottish two day trial. Now this bike belongs to another good friend of mine Ted Freeman, who lives up the road from me? well a few miles. any way I replied to Andy, and then, Ping-Ping, another e-mail, In the mean time, I was just mailing Pat Slinn to let him know that Andy had ridden Brian's old bike in the Pre 65 Scottish. Well I opened up the new mail, and it was from Al Usher,with a picture attached, asking me if I knew anything about the Tigress'd engined Triumph trials bike,in the picture he had taken at the Classic Trials Show? I mailed him back and said I had just moved the DVD with that bike on for the plumber, so that he could ripp me floor boards up. I stuck the DVD into this old computer, and sure enough got the said interview up, This bikes name was "Vera" and was built by a guy named Ken Blunt, from Kent in 1989, later sold to Brian lethridge, and then sold on, to the guy in the film, Al asked me who now owned the bike, the one with the Bantam frame , that Tim Britton rode at our trial? Well I said I think that the bike is now owned by Cotswold legend Dave Moy, but I should have to check. The thing is I was only talking about this bike to a friend of mine,( who I had not seen for twenty years) who used to work on Tigress scooters with me at Dan Shorey's dad's old place North Bar Garage way back in the sixties. Anyway I was thinking when I mailed Pat, I wonder if that old works Tigress is still about and not scraped? Good story anyway don't you think? Regards Charlie. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Hi Guy's. Promised I would update this for the link to Deryk.s Ducati page. yesterday. Thought it better to just bring back up this page. Deryk there was four pages and two good pictures of the works bike, in one of the ORR's I have lost my list so will have to go through the lot to find it, unless you have it to hand? Don Morley was the writer. We would still love to know if the works bike still lurks in a dusty shed somewhere ? The chap who bought the bike from Brian Verrall only bought it for the number plate to put onto his sports car. So was the "Works BSA Tigress" scraped or has I say is it in a shed ? Keep-um-peeled as the old saying goes. Regards Charlie www.bsaotter.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
b40rt Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Hi Guy's. Promised I would update this for the link to Deryk.s Ducati page. yesterday. Thought it better to just bring back up this page. Deryk there was four pages and two good pictures of the works bike, in one of the ORR's I have lost my list so will have to go through the lot to find it, unless you have it to hand? Don Morley was the writer. We would still love to know if the works bike still lurks in a dusty shed somewhere ? The chap who bought the bike from Brian Verrall only bought it for the number plate to put onto his sports car. So was the "Works BSA Tigress" scraped or has I say is it in a shed ? Keep-um-peeled as the old saying goes. Regards Charlie www.bsaotter.com Only person that says "keep-um-peeled" is little plumb. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Hi Charlie et Al, The 'man in the Cotswolds' was Brian Lethbridge, an inveterate sidecar nut and friend of mine, he used to write articles for ORR from time to time. In answer to another query - yes Charlie, I have all 101 ORRs - but am having to reorganise my office space to get access to them all - plus the piles of photographs, etc., Cheers, Deryk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jc2 Posted January 9, 2014 Report Share Posted January 9, 2014 Charlie, yr 1st post on this thread mentions an article in ORR # 59. Don't know if its the same article yr chasing now tho. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
charlie prescott Posted January 10, 2014 Author Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi Guys. Hi Jc2. Thanks mate yes I should have read the first page, long time ago though. Can't believe i'am still here. It would be good if we could find this bike though. If it still exists??? But we have found Brian Martins old works BSA C 15 and it lives not far from me and is owned by a very old friend . We have also found the works BSA trials outfit built by Arthur Pullman And then ridden by the Round brothers to many victories . So if we could find the BSA Tigress ,it would be a hat trick. Regards Charlie. ..www.bsaotter.com Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
laird387 Posted January 10, 2014 Report Share Posted January 10, 2014 Hi Charlie, I didn't know you cared........ Never realised you would be interested in 'standard' C15s........ Anyway, joking apart, the offroadarchive has plenty of images of Brian Martin on his own C15T, so I'm attaching one for the record. Enjoy 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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