What bike is this from the 1930s?

[JonW]

Sorry to post this in here but I need an answer quickly if i can get one as some family members are going through photos and trying to piece things together.

Anyway, this is said to be 1930s and it looks quite new to me. Ive had a look online at photos but cant work it out, I did donwer of the lead/wire between the pipes, the knee protection on the tank and the rack, rear footpeg would let me know, but its not been the case.

So, does anyone have any ideas?

[Yogi]

It looks like an old Vellocette with modded exhausts maybe 🧐

[JonW]

I reckon thats a good guess Matt. Ive just had a look at the Velocette's from that era and could only see ones with a single solid downtube between the twin downpipes, yet this one has two quite light tubes that run outside the pipes. It could be a 'special frame' tho? Hmm

I wish Id been given this pic when I was last in the uk as i went to the national motorcycle museum, someone there would have been bound to know, the bike might even be in their collection :/

[JonW]

Ive been searching... Im wondering if its a francis barnett. I think the thin frame tubes and the inboard twin exhausts and single cylinder mean its a late 20s 172cc version...



This tank looks just like the one in the pic:



And this one has the side / tool bag the same shape as well




Anyone know anything about Francis Barnett? Any good in their day?

[JonW]

Actually i think its a model 18 cos of the tank colour and so is a 1930/31 year bike and as such has a Villiers 196cc 2E super sport 2 stroke engine... so its at least relevant to this forum lol

[JonW]

I appear to have answered my own question, but am keen to know more and what one of these is like to ride if anyone knows. I would think slow and complicated as its a 20s/30s bike and I am a 70s onwards rider. lol

[cb250g5]

Those Villiers engines were used in many bikes of the era, so may be a FB, but may be something short lived and virtually unknown nowadays.

It'll be OK to ride, just the hand change a bit odd, and rear brake on the left hand side. Certainly slow though. It may have had manual advance / retard, but possibly just had fixed ignition timing.

My '27 Scott has a foot clutch / 2 speed gear on the right hand side - takes a bit more getting used to.

[Dave B]

I had a 1936 Francis Barnett 250 a few years ago. As a result I have Arthur Gent's book "Francis Barnett , The Complete Story" here.
The bolted-up triangulated frame is the giveaway. The FB slogan in the 20s and early 30s was, "built like a bridge". And they were!
If that bike has a 172 Villiers Brooklands S, engine then it is a Francis Barnett Condor from around 1932. Those engines have an engine number beginning with "Y"
If it has a 148cc, Viliiers Mark X111C, it's a FB Lapwing No 27 or 28.

Mine was a 250 Seagull with the X1VA engine. Riding it, changing gear by hand was no problem. You just have to take your time. Cornering was good- girder forked bikes all feel very precise.
Braking....... well with brand new liners, cables etc, I can only say it met the MOT requirements, but I dreaded having to stop quickly, because being used to big twin disk brakes it just felt dangerous on modern roads.
I sold it because I did not want to ride it.
Cheers
Dave

PS. There is a full description of an engine rebuild in my book.
I forgot to mention that there was another reason for not enjoying the ride.  My post war baby boom thigh bones are not compatible with pre war riding positions. I never
got off the bike without having a bruise on the inside of my knee from hitting it on  the gear lever quadrant. And I've never been more than 5'8". My 6'4" grandson could not get near the bike!

[JonW]

Superb info! Thanks guys!

Sadly the bike is long gone along with the history of it as the people in the pics are also all gone too.