Last kick-start bike?

Dellortoman said:
When I was a kid I knew an old bloke when who used to do light a fire under the sump of his tractor to get it going in cold weather. Perhaps you could try that with your Matchy.
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I leave that to my neighbour and his 1935, 10l single-cylinder 2-stroke diesel Lanz tractor.  Awesome machine that is manually started with the detachable steering wheel slotted onto the outside flywheel.  A blowlamp positioned under the cylinder head gets the the glow plug hot enough for a start attempt.  Cups start rattling in my cupboards when he turns into my driveway. :D

Been far too cold here to even think of biking, down to around zero for this week.  But it is actually dry, for a change.

piet
 
There is a cunning plan. A hotplate (for cooking) set on low. It will go on the floor, under the bike for a good while and let the whole thing gradualy warm up.

I find myself standing and staring at the bike. So many exquisite details. The tank is a delight, made of many pressed panels, all neatly brazed together. No hiding of manufacturing errors with filler - just a few microns of copper and chrome.  The lugs on the frame, ohh soo nice.

I really like the dinky little side stand which drops down off the LH footpeg, overcentre sprung for down or up. I'm not so keen on Brough's famous centre stand which comes down under the rear wheel. great idea, but the bike is very heavy and carries it's weight really low. Damn hard to use.
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Is it mine Nick?  Nope. Maybe in another lifetime, when I get the luck I'm surely owed.

I am assisting with a mech refresh. The bike is already in nice cosmetic condition. For example in the photo, the back wheel is out for a new sprocket. Even the sprocket is a nice thing. The blades that go into the cush drive are all cast in, integral to the sprocket. Expensive to make, but nice. It's interesting to see how bicycle thinking runs through the design. Bigger and beefier of course but certainly evolved from pedal machines. Setting up the rear wheel axle took me back 45 years to my first spanner time with pushbikes. Locking nuts, threaded axles and all.

Sitting on the bike is incredibly evocative, but how can that be? Even my father wasn't born when this machine was made. When mounted, everything falls precisely where you want it and you feel at home immediately. Deep joy.
 
I did a full lap of the IOM TT course a few years ago on one of those, exactly that model an SS80, I was wearing full Laverda race leathers and full face crash hat, which must have looked odd, my mate was behind on TOG, wearing a deerstalker and tweeds, and biting a curly pipe!, must have looked even odder, surprisingly he did not have a very easy time keeping up with me on the Brough, he said the Brembos scared him and I know why! the brakes on that Brough, should never be called brakes, maybe, retarder decorations perhaps the low pulling torque was just superb, going up from Ramsey, grunt a plenty, a thoroughly enjoyable ride until back at base Spider said that he had never ridden it more than 10 miles in ten years of ownership, and here was I, on board and did 37.75 non stop, a great day indeed
CLEM
 
Have read that  account by TE Lawrence when he raced a Bristol fighter about a Brough? Fantastic evocation of biking nirvana..
 
Enfields still have a kick start.

I remember seeing a URS four being warmed up with a gas burner under the sump.
Risky with magnesium cases.

Paul
 
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