Old British Motorcycle Companies

lionel · Aug 20, 2013

I've pulled this from an earlier post that was going off topic - but was starting to get interesting.

Originally Posted by Viewmasters -

My dad had an S7, the sunbeam factory was only 2 miles from where Iive, even though the later bikes were made in Redditch most of the parts came from the Wolverhampton factory, sad that it is all gone now, along with Norton Villiers Triumph

lionel said:
Nearest I have been to Wolverhampton is the Black Country Museum. They have a motorcycle shop there now, filled with Sunbeams?

Read it somewhere, but not been back to see, they were building a motorcycle shop last time I was there.

Have you been there recently?

Is Sunbeamland in Wolverhampton? Does part of the building still stand?

Viewmasters said:
Lionel i am ashamed to say I have never been to the Black Country Museum, i will now i know they have some Sunbeams in Part of the old factory still stands on the 449 Penn Road junction with the ring road, looks a bit sad and boarded up now.Someone has superimposed that Sunbeamland sign on to show how it once looked.

Sorry to you other guys if we strayed off topic but i am quite passionate and proud of old British motorcycles, don't get me started on Brough Superiors and Vincent's, blame my dear departed dad for owning them.

lionel · Aug 20, 2013

I've alway wondered what Brough and Vincent would be doing now had they remained in business.

I believe the Sunbeams at the Black Country are the "real Sunbeams" before BSA was involved.

Some purists get quiet heated in discussions and do not regard the S7 and S8 as Sunbeams.

They have a real Fish and Chip shop at Black Country Museum - cooked in goose fat.

lionel · Aug 20, 2013

Laytons of Oxford - 1939 Catalogue

Images from Laytons of Oxford - 1939 Catalogue.

Viewmasters · Aug 20, 2013

is that your S7 Lionel ? a beautiful example if it is, as you say some of the Sunbeam purist's consider it to be a BSA

That is a wonderful picture of Laytons, makes you wonder where all those bikes are now ? I have attached a photo I took at the Ace Café London of a Brough Superior, I think it is an old SS100 like my dads, Laurence of Arabia famously died crashing one as most people know who like these amazing machines.
My dad also had an Aerial Square 4 which had the problem of the 2 rear cylinders overheating, I wonder did the Sunbeams have that problem with the rear cylinder ?

lionel · Aug 20, 2013

No not my S7 - I posted it by mistake when trying to post Sunbeamland photo, have a few on my desktop and picked the wrong one.

I think it was from an earlier post on here a few days ago.

Never saw the Laytons showroom in the above photo. (1939) But did see their showroom further down the road in Park End Street about 1968.

I remember it was full of bikes just like the photo of their 1939 showroom.

They also had a showroom in Old Road Headington - Oxford, that's where I saw the BSA Rocket 3 in the window. They sold cars as well.

This is my S8 Will try and find picture of the S7.
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lionel · Aug 20, 2013

Found picture of my Sunbeam S7.

1953 model, been in storage since 1980.

I bought it about 3 years ago with intention of changing all the oil seals before I used it, as they have probably hardened in storage. Not had the time to do it yet, so never had it out on the road.

With the dynamo being on the front, really need to change that oil seal to keep the oil out of the dynamo.

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lionel · Aug 20, 2013

Viewmasters said:
is that your S7 Lionel ? a beautiful example if it is, as you say some of the Sunbeam purist's consider it to be a BSA
That is a wonderful picture of Laytons, makes you wonder where all those bikes are now ? I have attached a photo I took at the Ace Café London of a Brough Superior, I think it is an old SS100 like my dads, Laurence of Arabia famously died crashing one as most people know who like these amazing machines.
My dad also had an Aerial Square 4 which had the problem of the 2 rear cylinders overheating, I wonder did the Sunbeams have that problem with the rear cylinder ?

That Brough looks like a real antique.

When you look at some of the layouts that the British manufacturers came out with, if it was not for WWII, many would still be in business now, who knows what they might have come up with by now.

Never liked the Two Stoke Ariels but did like the Square Four, and the four strokes.

Old British Motorcycle Companies

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