Firth Motorcycle 1950 Catalogue

Time seems to be getting away from me this spring!  I have been busy working  (thankfully!) Riding (gratefully!) and spending time with family.

I have quite a bit to post over the next little while, however I will be spacing it out a bit.

 Today I have another neat catalogue, still in the original folder acquired from the owner's son.  It amazes me when a piece like this survives;  when I consider the amount of paper I recycle every week I couldn't imagine something like this lasting 66 years in my house!

I apologize for the scan quality for some of the pages; I didn't want to ruin the book by flattening out the centre.  I hope you enjoy it.

In a couple years Firth would assume distribution of Matchless for Manitoba as well (as per later catalogues)

I am told that many of these bikes were sold to learners (where did they all go?) as Firths were reluctant to sell large bikes to new riders.

No mention of AJS this year at all...

Interesting to note that the engine in the picture is actually an AJS Model 20 distinguished by the timing cover.

I am curious as to what the difference is between a 'Firths British Battery' and 'British Standard Battery' $2.50 was significant pocket change then! 

Firth did actually patent several accessories which I have found online, The Streamliner can be found here: patent. 

Not a Chinese part in sight.....those truly were the days.

Promised updates are forthcoming! keep an eye on this spot..

Ride Safely!

Firth Motorcycles 1951 Catalogue!

I have managed to source several vintage Firth Motorcycle catalogues (all from the same owner!) which I will share on the blog as I get them scanned and edited.

These to me, are a fascinating snapshot of life many moons ago and also a great way to identify mystery aftermarket parts.  

Just for fun I have included a link to an inflation calculator so you can convert 'then' prices to 'now' money.

Inflation calculator

A 350cc Matchless single would run you $5,160.45 in 2016, good value for money and about what you would pay for a new Royal Enfield Bullet.

Enjoy!

Blood, sweat and beer..

Good news and bad news.  You can usually expect both when you start working on an old motorcycle.   I got both yesterday when I continued disassembly of the G9 motor.

After removing the pistons for measurement, I wiped them down and saw +060 stamped on the top.  

Unfortunately that is the kiss of death for Matchless cylinders, the absolute limit for boring. 

No point in having them measured now!

I did some research and managed to find one stock bore barrel in England for a good price,  some broken fins but I am certain that can be fixed fairly easily.  Perfection is a bit much to ask for a 65 year old bike.  I also found a NOS cylinder sleeve that would have to be pressed in.  I picked this up as more of a precautionary measure; I would prefer not to have to have this procedure done as it has dollar signs written all over it.  Big ones.  Hopefully another stock barrel shows up (the seller I bought from has his eyes out for one) and we can continue on.

The good news is that the bottom end looks good and rust free, the connecting rods also seem to be free of nicks and cracks.  As I mentioned previously, the crank does spin freely and it will of course need measuring.  I have the second G9 motor to play with as well.  I can take it apart, clean it up and harvest it for spares.  That is my 'practice' motor and will help me better learn how it all fits together.

Should you ever need it,  I found this handy chart to convert mm to ten thousdanths of an inch.

Conversion Chart

 I truly enjoyed the process of removing the pistons and taking things apart.  Cold beer at my side, I was able to focus on the task at hand and dull all the outside thoughts that sometimes distract me.   This may be something unique to someone with ADD, though I am sure it happens to others.  As I struggled to release the long held wrist pins (probably in there for several decades) I noticed a couple drops of blood on the engine casing.   I took another sip and finished the can, wiping my hand on a shop cloth. For the first time in a long while I felt like a motorcycle mechanic.

 I have to say,  It felt damned good.

Alive and Kicking................!

I realized today that it had been a ridiculous amount of time since I posted anything, so I decided it best to drop in a quick update! 

The Beetle project is indeed alive and well with quite a bit of work done! I have a bevvy of pictures to upload in the coming days depicting the current state of affairs.  Since Thanksgiving I have sourced parts (new fender, seats and bonnet from a '61)  Workshop manual (and what a massive tome it is!) New heavy duty floors from Cip1.ca and 1 heater Dansk heater channel.  I am patiently waiting my drivers side channel to arrive so it can be purchased, shipped and installed.  I am told the boat from Denmark docks next Monday, we shall see.   

Truly the biggest and most exciting news was captured in this video taken on December 24th. (see Below!)

With a new coil, HT leads, battery, distributor cap, rotor and ignition key our friend came alive!    

What a wonderful Christmas gift!   

Nothing can provide more motivation than hearing that project run for the first time.

A couple days later, I did an oil change and was very pleased that what came out looked pretty clean. It was evident that the PO had looked after the car (to a degree).  Once I get a little further in I plan on reaching out to him and letting him know that the Beetle is being resurrected.  

I had always heard that these cars were beautifully simple and joyful to work on.  I can honestly say that having only had the Water-cooled VW experience with my Rabbit and Fox those whispered words ring true.  This is a classic car for the everyman.  With limited tools and skills anyone can enjoy and take pride of ownership.  It is also the least expensive car project I have ever been involved with,  parts are plentiful from various corners of the world both NOS and reproduction.   It is very easy to understand how such a cult developed around these charming vehicles.  

Please stay tuned for more long awaited updates!  In the meantime here is video, enjoy!

Spring.....Is that really you???

Ah, the sun....

I have vague recollections of how it felt to have you in my life;  I remember the warmth of your embrace, your kisses on my cheek first thing in the morning.   I am making it official,  Winter:  it's over.  I am officially filing for divorce and going back to my true love!


After a long dreary winter I am ready to return to two wheeled glory and share some other (indoor) hobbies that I have picked up to stave off insanity.  I have decided it best to document these things in separate blogs which I will share in the near future.

Plans for April involve (finally) putting the 175 back together into a roller, and hopefully finished by the end of the season.  I also plan on getting Katie some progressive fork springs installed, oil changed and fresh sprocket and chain.

Looking outside today it all seems possible,  let's just hope the bad weather doesn't come crashing in again to spoil the party!

Stay Tuned.....