Featured Id This Bike...

This thread doesn’t have to just be about the bike I’m showing... we have a lot of well versed clever-clogs, anoraks and know-it-alls who use these pages who have the capacity to discern bikes at the hint of a tailpipe, so let use this wealth of experience and knowledge and demystify the “lost ones”!


So this bike was my grandads, he’s long past now and I recall him talking about bikes but until this lockdown came into force and mum went through her old photos, I’d never seen him on one. He’s the absolute spit of my brother here... I suspect it’s a low to mid capacity velocette, but I really have no idea... can any of you historic bike fanatics help me out?

 

Not a panther is it?

 

The exhaust looks wrong... it comes off the engine on the right hand side, sweeps round the frame to exit on the left... looks a bit home made... I wonder if it’s a bitsa?

 

My first stab would be a Rudge

 

Velocette made a 250 single cylinder 2 stroke called the GTP.

 

That’s a twin exhaust ported barrel by the look... but thanks

 

Look at the rear brake set up... he’s gonna have his knees under his chin???

 

Yep, just pointing out to young Al that Velocette made other small engine bikes

 

I'm no expert, but if you google 1930s Panther motorcycles, the frame looks very similar.

 

Still think a panther is close, maybe a model 60 or 70 but the pipes coming round the wrong side, but then it could have been “modified”

But then maybe not!

 

Sorry, just noticed that Panther had already been considered and rejected.

 

Excelsior or Rudge by the looks of it but cant be 100%.

 

That’s got a inclined engine where as the first pictured bike hasn’t

 

I defer to your better judgment as unlike you I wasn’t around when these were made. But it Could be on a hill!

 

Just looking at the Excelsior’s ... it’s quite like the 250 Manxman... tank looks different though... and foot pedal placement (rearset conversion???)

 

They made some smaller capacity Excelsior's but cant remember the models the tank looks very Excelsior to me.

 

Oohhh... foot pegs...

 

The engine looks like a 2 stroke - a Norman possibly ?

 

The Manxman had a central oil tank (under seat) 1st pic doesn’t have one.

 

The rocker covers appear simpler too