wdbikemad Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 When restoring a WD Flea, it is absolutely essential to have three things to hand..................firstly, a WD spare parts book, secondly a post-war civvy equivalent to compare numbers, etc, and thirdly a WD workshop manual that is extremely detailed...................aside from that, plenty of period images to hand.................... First thing to remember is the WD Flea was based on the pre-war "Royal Baby", itself based on the similar DKW...............the post-war Flea was based on these earlier examples, not the other way round...................whilst you CAN modify a post-WW2 bike to look "WD" to be totally accurate it is rather a lot of work at the end of the day and numerous parts differ in pattern and detail............ I have a lot of the answers on WD Flea's.............you only have to ask................ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey089 Posted November 29, 2017 Share Posted November 29, 2017 2 hours ago, Flying_flea said: Hi Dave, Any luck on postage prices etc? my email is samsungsam1944@gmail.com cheers sam Hi Sam E mailed you Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying_flea Posted December 2, 2017 Author Share Posted December 2, 2017 Thank you for all this information lex its all helping a lot. I also got the tyres fitted today.... just 1 step closer to completion.... Cheers Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted December 3, 2017 Share Posted December 3, 2017 What tyres did you eventually fit ? They look good...............mine has wartime originals still fitted (Dunlop Universals).......... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 They look similar to the ones I fitted to my Flea Steve. Bit limited for choice nowadays for 275's I think. https://www.vintagetyres.com/shop/en/tyres/cheng-shin-c117-universal-278 Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying_flea Posted December 4, 2017 Author Share Posted December 4, 2017 (edited) Evening, I fitted these Cheng shin from fleaBay but they came within 2 days on standard delivery. https://rover.ebay.com/rover/0/0/0?mpre=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.ebay.co.uk%2Fulk%2Fitm%2F142515972783 S Edited December 4, 2017 by Flying_flea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying_flea Posted December 4, 2017 Author Share Posted December 4, 2017 Also I did have wartime originals but they would’ve been dangerous to ride on as they were hard as rock unfortunately.(taken before restoration) sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Sam you're confusing Lex with someone else. Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying_flea Posted December 4, 2017 Author Share Posted December 4, 2017 Oh dear .... my bad, sorry mate... the account names confuse me haha Sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey089 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Hi Sam Posted your bits this afternoon 1st class, so I would imagine you should receive them Wednesday latest . Cheers Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Regarding Flea wheels..............pre-war "Royal Baby's" started at Frame No. 1001.........these had cup and cone bearings in the wheels up to frame 3100..............the next sequence from 3101 to 4140 had ball-journal bearings....................... Wartime Flea (WD/RE) production manufacture commenced in volume at Frame 4141 back to cup and cone wheel bearings up to Frame 8170..............thereafter from frame 8171 upwards back to ball-journal bearings....................my own WD Flea has one wheel fitted with ball journal bearings, the other with cup and cone !!! Doubtless a workshop replacement at some point............ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying_flea Posted December 4, 2017 Author Share Posted December 4, 2017 6 minutes ago, Davey089 said: Hi Sam Posted your bits this afternoon 1st class, so I would imagine you should receive them Wednesday latest . Cheers Dave Evening, thank you very much Dave sam Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Davey089 Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 2 minutes ago, Flying_flea said: Evening, thank you very much Dave sam Hi Sam Glad to have been able to help Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Steve, the RB's started with framenumber 101, mine is 208, (engine numbers were matching, with an "E" prefix) and another here in Holland is 1321, but that came from Scotland, the first export series to Holland, were 100 pieces, just before the outbreak of the war. but mine and another with framenumber 256? were always in Holland, and hidden during the war, so at least 155 were delivered to Holland in 1939. Have much info on the RB's, interesting piece of shXt ! (technically even worse then the Flea) Cheers, Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Am I confused now??? anyway, also still have the 1944 dated Universals fitted, still plyable!! Cheers, Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 BTW, Classic Transfers have the correct Miller and tanktop transfers for the Flea now made from my drawings. Ron will have the link handy? Cheers, Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Then there is the whole export market just after the war, where Flea engines were exported to Belgium and Sweden, nothing at all about that in the Royal Enfield archives, very strange!! Cheers, Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ron Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Here is the tank top transfer that Lex referred to. http://www.classictransfers.co.uk/transfers/royal-enfield-8467-44x22mm-2-75-each/ Search the site for other transfers, I think the BO mask diamond transfer will be under 'Miller' Ron Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 1 hour ago, welbike said: Steve, the RB's started with framenumber 101, mine is 208, (engine numbers were matching, with an "E" prefix) and another here in Holland is 1321, but that came from Scotland, the first export series to Holland, were 100 pieces, just before the outbreak of the war. but mine and another with framenumber 256? were always in Holland, and hidden during the war, so at least 155 were delivered to Holland in 1939. Have much info on the RB's, interesting piece of shXt ! (technically even worse then the Flea) Cheers, Lex Hi Lex...........info came from a 1948 Edition of the "Pearson" series on Royal Enfield, written by C A E Booker who was service manager at Enfield's.............he must therefore had info to factory despatch records though we can't argue with your evidence either.................what does Jan Vanderville think about pre-war RE Baby production.......? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted December 4, 2017 Share Posted December 4, 2017 Steve, there are no postwar orders for anything flea in the factory dispatch records, There was nothing at all for engine number G4711 (Swedish export engine) in the dispatch records, and nothing for the Belgian order that I asked Jan a month ago, and he and the R.E. guy in the UK had never even heard of that!! Now there is some info on the prewar RB's, and it seems 70 were delivered, with gaps, and after that the record keeping went awry. "50 Bikes with frame numbers 103 - 152 inclusive are Model RB Deluxe despatched in July 1939". But cannot post more without permission from Jan. Cheers, Lex Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wdbikemad Posted December 5, 2017 Share Posted December 5, 2017 Thanks Lex. That's very interesting...........I have seen WD Flea's with odd prefixes, and in some cases suffixes to the engine number that is usually prefixed by a "V" (thought, though not confirmed, to indicate the fitting of the Villiers carburetter)........... We also know that these numbers are individual engine "build" numbers and like the ML, seem to have been allocated at random therefore not matching the frame number..............however, the latter is (usually) duplicated on the engine crankcase on the top behind the cylinder and below the carburetter illustrating the particular machine to which installed originally....... My Flea too (first contract) also carries the original tyres...........they're rather hard nowadays and were a bugger to remove/fit, but with new tubes fitted they're okay........I calculated that the Flea is never going to see mileage other than at the odd show therefore road use is not an issue..........and in any case the bonus is that hard tyres stop them from going flat !!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
welbike Posted December 8, 2017 Share Posted December 8, 2017 (edited) Yes Steve, first thing I asked the owner of the Swedish bike, for more numbers, but there's nothing at all! Have picked up some original tyres over the years, have to replace the rear soon. Will take some pictures of the Flea in the dropcage next week, it's going for a display! Lex Edited December 8, 2017 by welbike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Flying_flea Posted December 16, 2017 Author Share Posted December 16, 2017 (edited) Hi guys, has anyone got a photo of their inner chain casing I’ve made a template but I’m not sure if there’s a washer/flange braized to the plate? Any help is appreciated. also I seem to missing the clutch sprocket and the front clutch plate if anyone has one to spare could they let me know please cheers Sam Edited December 21, 2017 by Flying_flea Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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