From: Jordan on 5 Sep 2007 21:31 Toosmoky wrote: > > And now for something completely different, an FZR1000 donk in a > Goggomobile. > That sounds like fun. I'd like to see how the differential is organised, as the Goggo engine/transaxle unit is particularly compact. It looks very much like a Suzuki T250 (60's 2 stroke parallel twin) with a built-in diff. In fact, it looks as if the Suzuki was a close rip-off!
From: lemmiwinks.au on 6 Sep 2007 20:32 On Sep 5, 10:19 pm, "Knobdoodle" <knobdoo...(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > "Toosmoky" <toosm...(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message > > news:46dd6357$1(a)dnews.tpgi.com.au...> Aido wrote: > > >> His V-twin project you mention wasn't as big as this German bike though. > >> Luckys V-twin was the front 2 cylinders from the engine out of a P51 > >> Mustang WW2 fighterplane > > > Actually it was originally from a Mosquito. > > I don't think it was a Mosquito either. > It was a Merlin but it was from something unglamorous from what I recall of > the original story. (a twin engine freighter or somesuch) > My eyes aren't real good but the piccy in your link shows either 1935 or > 1938 written on the tank and I think that'd predate the Mozzie (and > certainly predate the Mustang!) > -- > Clem The scanned article I have from Australian Motorcycle News says it's from a Mosquito sourced from Narromine near Dubbo where Lucky was apparently born. I think you can probably view the article here if I've done everything right: http://www.flickr.com/photos/12823300(a)N02/sets/72157601900092303/
From: Knobdoodle on 7 Sep 2007 05:47 "Knobdoodle" <knobdoodle(a)hotmail.com> wrote: > Hmmm; there's certainly plenty of evidence that it was a Mozzie and, > seeing as I'm an AMCN devotee and that's probably where I got my info in > the first place, I'm starting to doubt my ... er... doubts. > (Although Doug's mention of the Fairy Battle has sparked a strong bell > ...[1] [2] Especially seeing as they were plentiful in Australia in the > 40s > http://www.slv.vic.gov.au/argus/0/0/0/doc/an000347.shtml ) > Yep; I reckon when I first read the story the engine was from a "Fairey Bomber". http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fairey_Battle The years match up and I also reckon that the chances of someone finding a Fairey Battle decomposing on a property at Narrowmine are about 2000% more likely than of finding a Mosquito or a Mustang! Thanks Doug. -- Clem
From: Toosmoky on 7 Sep 2007 21:58 Knobdoodle wrote: > The problem with the Aussie Mossies and Mustangs is that they ran Packard > Merlins (according to Wiki) and they both were manufactured waay later than > 1938. 1942 for the Mossie and 1945 for the Mustang. I'm not convinced that the 1938 on Lucky's bike refers to the actual year of production of the donk he used though... Like my first hogly was a '42 WLA, even though it was actually made in 1943... -- Toosmoky Work to ride, Ride to Work... http://users.tpg.com.au/smokey61
From: Knobdoodle on 8 Sep 2007 00:02
"Toosmoky" <toosmoky(a)hotmail.com> wrote in message news:46e201e6$1(a)dnews.tpgi.com.au... > Knobdoodle wrote: > >> The problem with the Aussie Mossies and Mustangs is that they ran Packard >> Merlins (according to Wiki) and they both were manufactured waay later >> than 1938. 1942 for the Mossie and 1945 for the Mustang. > > I'm not convinced that the 1938 on Lucky's bike refers to the actual year > of production of the donk he used though... > > Like my first hogly was a '42 WLA, even though it was actually made in > 1943... > Lucky strikes me as the kind of bloke who might just tell different "facts" to different reporters too so there may be several "true" stories...... Brother Leo's dropping in tomorrow night to watch the Supers so I'll see what he reckons (without giving him any of this discussion). He's a bike nut, a war-birds nut and has a pretty good library of bike books. I think I remember him also telling me that he's seen (and heard) the bike do a display drag somewhere decades ago. (And he's teetotal so his memory's better than mine too!) Failing that; does anyone here know Lucky? -- Clem |