rewdco
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Posts posted by rewdco
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14 hours ago, Ron said:
Only the first type on a WD/D as far as I know Steve. Ron
I second that, Ron!
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And here's the correct key. There is only one lever inside the lock, which means that the key needs a single lip. The beard on Lex' key and on my key have two little prongs that act as a guidance inside the lock, on my key there is even a small lip that acts as a guidance for the lid.
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Three types of toolboxes have been used on the WD/C:
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The first type is the pre war toolbox with a key lock. The toolbox was used for storing the tool roll, and being immobilised on a battlefield because you lost your key and couldn’t repair your motorcycle must have been an unpleasant thought...
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The second type looked a lot like the first type, but a knurled screw, to keep the toolbox closed, replaced the key lock... (August 1940 onwards)
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The third type also had a knurled screw, but the lid was bigger than on the second type. (July 1941 onwards). This one was also used briefly on the very first WD/CO models.
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Where did you buy your canvas Gareth?
Jan
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Hi Chris,
I've sent you a PM...
Regards,
Jan
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Moin Jonas,
I'm keeping a Register for the WD Royal Enfields. Please send me a PM and I'll send you a document with all the information that you're after.
Gruss,
Jan
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I know there are many jokes about the Lucas equipment, but did I read Lucas "king of the roadside" here? 😂
Serious now, you're doing a wonderful job! You're an inspiration to us all!
Jan
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Beautiful work! Love this project!
Jan
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I wish you good luck! 👍
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Hi Chris,
I sent you a PM concerning your bike.
As for the parts, I think Metal Magic can do quite a lot of what you need...
Jan
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Haven't got any left I'm afraid...
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Census number C5111922 would have been frame number 4922. According to the factory ledgers this one left the factory on 29/09/1943, destination War Department South Merstham.
Jan
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Gentlemen... it's all in my "Report" on the WD Royal Enfields! 😉
At least 16 dropping test have been made during the March – May 1944 period. The “crating of the motorcycle” procedure describes how a “weak tube member” must be fitted between crate and motorcycle frame. This weak tube member “was designed to collapse before any failure occurred in the motorcycle frame.” And the crates that were used for the first tests had “wheel cradles in the form of light alloy castings”. Compared with the original August ’42 prototype crates this was a modification. But the wheel cradles for the later tests were modified again: the cast wheel cradle was now replaced by a bar type wheel cradle. “The bar type broke off when the motorcycle was subjected to an excessive sideways thrust, whereas the shoe type remained rigid and caused damage to the wheel.” ... “Although the motorcycle can be dropped using the cast shoe type wheel cradles, the stiffness of the casting is such that when subjected to excessive side loads on landing the bicycle wheel is more readily damaged than the cradle. The bar type wheel cradle has proved satisfactory on every drop made at this Establishment and is therefore the type recommended.”
You can see the weak tube member and the cast alloy wheel cradles in the picture below (also from my Report...) 😉
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I agree Ron! Several dropping tests were carried out by the military before Enfield started producing these dropping cradles. The design of the dropping cage had to be modified several times because motorcycles got damaged during the landing. I'm sure that the quality of these dropping crates had to be "perfect"!
The dropping crates were made in a Royal Enfield factory in Scotland by the way... (Edinburgh to be precise, with Calton Hill in the background.)
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This replica was for sale a couple of years ago. I'm not impressed by the build quality I have to say...
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Beautiful work! 👍
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Also made up a missing bracket for the rear mudguard, and some stainless fasteners for the front wheel...
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The early WD/C uses Amal’s “Clean Handlebars”, where (some of) the cables run inside the bars. Unfortunately the handlebars on this project had been replaced, so we had to find / make a correct set. Lex found handlebars with the correct shape and dimensions, but they needed quite a bit of work… They had to be straightened, repaired, a slot for the internal twistgrip had to be milled, a few extra holes had to be made, and the pivot clamps for the levers (from a set of donor handlebars) had to be welded in place.
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And here’s the aluminium brake plate that we will be using for this early WD/C. It came with a triangular bracket for the anchor rod, this was a later factory modification. So one hole in the aluminium plate had to be plugged, and the anchor rod is now in its correct (early) position.
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As explained in a previous post, the bike was found with a pair of Triumph wheels fitted. We found a pair of WD/C wheels, but needed an early aluminium brake plate for the rear wheel. Fortunately forum member Niek who owns a late spec WD/C wanted to swap his perfect alli brake plate for a steel brake plate, which would have been correct for his bike. We didn’t have a WD/C steel brake plate either, but a steel brake plate from a post war Model G (which was available) could be converted…
The back plate is identical, the front plate had to be replaced. Drill out the spot welds, clean the back plate, make a new front plate, assemble, job done.
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Think that's an artist's impression in the parts list Ron... Have noticed that these Matchless illustrations are often not very accurate...
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Must be something like this...?
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It's all in the Bible Ron! 😂 😂 😂
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The WD/CO has been made with a Burman gearbox (contract C/13870, also known as the WD/CO/B) and an Albion gearbox (all the other contracts). The difference between these gearboxes is obvious, but a less known fact is the change in engine plates and footrests that was needed to accommodate the Burman gearbox in the WD/CO frame.
The contract C/11081 motorcycles had two identical engine plates, a long footrest bar with spacers on both sides and two identical footrests. But the right hand engine plate on the WD/CO/B had a cut out to accommodate the bulkier Burman gearbox, and the long footrest bar was in the way of the inner and outer kickstart cover. So the footrest bar was shortened, and a longer footrest was fitted. This footrest couldn’t have the same shape as the original one, as the angled section would still touch the gearbox, so the footrest was forged with a 90- degree bend instead. For an unknown reason the right hand spacer wasn’t removed from the spare parts list, although it was now obsolete.
Although there was only one Burman contract, all the post Burman contract parts lists still showed the same setup as the WD/CO/B: a right hand side engine plate with a cut out and a modified right hand footrest. It is currently unsure if all these later motorcycles were also equipped like this...
Royal Enfield census numbers low tack stencils now available from Axholmesigns
in Motorcycles
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From approximately 1940 onwards the RAOC census numbers were applied in the factory where the vehicle was built, and each factory had its own unique “style”. Royal Enfield used waterslide transfers, in a font that was only used by them.
As I’m rebuilding a 1942 WD/CO myself, and as I have seen many restored WD Royal Enfields with “wrong style” census numbers (and I have to admit that I’m a bit of a Rivet Counter… 😃 ), I have decided to take some action… so I made a DXF drawing of the correct font as used by Royal Enfield. (I do have an original tank that I used to measure most of the numbers, the other numbers were created on the basis of some high resolution contemporary photographs). I have been looking at having a batch of waterslide transfers made, but this isn’t cost effective. I would need to order these transfers in quantities that I will never be able to sell… Hence my idea to use low tack stencils, with the correct font. Tony Pearson at Axholmesigns has been very helpful, and Axholmesigns can now provide low tack stencils with any Royal Enfield census number in the correct font! (https://www.axholmesigns.co.uk/motor-bike) You can download a PDF file with fitting instructions through their website, so no more excuses for not using the correct font on a Royal Enfield petrol tank! 😃
Anybody who’s unsure about the correct census number for his WD/CO or WD/RE can of course send me a PM... (Note: same font on the RAOC WD/C. Most WD/Cs were RASC though, and they used different styles...)
REgards,
Jan