What bike is this?
- Thread starter KZ
- Start date
Well done Captain ... only made a total of 139 ... 99 V1000 & 40 Vampire ( fully dressed) before the company went into receivership .. the engine was a special Westlake .
Yes its a 1936 Sunbeam Lion 600cc , in 1938 before he went to war, his brother was a vicar... so he hid the bike in the cellar off his church, sadly he didn't return from the war,and the bike was not discovered until 1994, thats when i bought it with only 9000 miles on the clock,totally unrestored, a gem off a find, the last off the John Marston Sunbeams before BSA took them over, the condition of the bike in the photo is as I found it .. 100% spot on 
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That's quite an interesting story - maybe I should go to church more often...Eddie The Eagle;268971 wrote: Yes its a 1936 Sunbeam Lion 600cc , in 1938 before he went to war, his brother was a vicar... so he hid the bike in the cellar off his church, sadly he didn't return from the war,and the bike was not discovered until 1994, thats when i bought it with only 9000 miles on the clock,totally unrestored, a gem off a find, the last off the John Marston Sunbeams before BSA took them over, the condition of the bike in the photo is as I found it .. 100% spot on
In the picture the bike looks great, shiny chrome and paint job, the bike must have been in a dry place and under wraps. It looks like it has been restored, not like it has been sitting for over 50 years, even the tires look new. Who discovered it? How come you bought it, was it officially sold or did you have a 'connection'? Did you get it for a decent price or were there other interested collectors you had to outbid? What did you have to do to get it running? Tires, seat vynil and battery must have been shot. Was there rust in the tank? How does it run? Do you still have it?
I'd love to hear the engine, a long-stroke 600cc single from the thirties, should sound impressive...
Eddie The Eagle;268971 wrote: Yes its a 1936 Sunbeam Lion 600cc , in 1938 before he went to war, his brother was a vicar... so he hid the bike in the cellar off his church, sadly he didn't return from the war,and the bike was not discovered until 1994, thats when i bought it with only 9000 miles on the clock,totally unrestored, a gem off a find, the last off the John Marston Sunbeams before BSA took them over, the condition of the bike in the photo is as I found it .. 100% spot on
Cool old bike,some of my family use to own and ride bikes like it.
Eddie, I give up! Didn't even know where to start. Shift on the right, made in England. Can't tell if it's a twin or a single, guess it's a single with twin exhausts. Unusually shaped crank case. And is that a chain-driven overhead cam? Even more unusual on an old bike like that.
Did they build this bike for only a year or did the company exist for only one year?
Did they build this bike for only a year or did the company exist for only one year?
1932 Ariel 600cc square four OHC , The first Sq 4 were 500cc not many made..Re; forks correct should be girder,,
The bike in the pix is unrestored as found, John Marston Sunbeams were stove enamel, & the chrome was nickel plated, Lucas T battery, original case,dig the guts out & drop in a 6v Jap one, .. tyres again original walls shot,new tubes , Tank was ok no rust!, all it needed to get it running, new Petrol..oil..clean the Carb & points in the mag and away she went, music to your ears .... its now in a private museum in Surrey UK .
I thought of it being an Ariel square Four because of that crankcase, but all the Ariel Fours I've seen had the rear headers coming out behind the front ones; can't see the rear headers on this bike!
So what's with those drives on the right side of the engine, especially the outer one going to the head? The inner one seems to drive the alternator and ignition.
So what's with those drives on the right side of the engine, especially the outer one going to the head? The inner one seems to drive the alternator and ignition.
Early Sq 4 only had 2 pipes, 4 pipes didn't come out till 1953 ... the drives going to the head is the cam chain & the one to rear mag/dyno chain.... also the carburettor was in the front, can just about see it ,great when it rains !!! :
12 months later and a lot of work ...1932 BSA G32-10 1000cc V Twin with TLL (total loss lubrication) ....
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I located a sidecar from that period .. that put the icing on the cake .. BSA also made a 500cc V Twin OHV Model J, beautiful bike ..
