If You Go Down To The Woods Today...

Steve_UK · Jan 8, 2008

....You are sure to find a motor cycle..... AND your first Silver!

Actually, I already knew of it's existence after stumbling into it a few weeks ago. Back then, it was covered in thorny bracken, and half buried.

Today, I was in a 'Take no Prisoners' mood, so set about dragging and digging it free, despite some foul and filthy weather, and some fouler and filthier language!!!

If anyone saw my last post, they will know that I had already found an ignition cover for a Yamaha RD 350 about a mile away.

This frame is Yamaha too.......... wonder if they are related? Any bike buffs want to have a stab at guessing which model it is?

The 1886 Silver 3d.... I haven't seen one of those since I was a kid, and not only is it my first Silver, it's my first pre-1900 coin, so I'm doubly pleased.

Also, a couple of old buttons, and some really old iron pegs.

All in all, worth the soaking, and I think it was the best way to make use of a day off from work!

Prober · Jan 8, 2008

NIce finds Steve, that silver coin looks gold in your picture. Nice coin. Can't help you on the bike tho.

Steve_UK · Jan 8, 2008

Prober said:
NIce finds Steve, that silver coin looks gold in your picture. Nice coin. Can't help you on the bike tho.

That's the tungsten lighting... flash washes out a pic at close range, so I modify my desk lamp for close-up pics!

TooManyHobbies · Jan 8, 2008

Could you get it started??

Steve_UK · Jan 8, 2008

TooManyHobbies said:
Could you get it started??

Many a true word spoken in jest.... My stupid buddy is now considering salvaging the damn thing and restoring it! More money than sense, some people! ::)

stefen · Jan 8, 2008

Steve_UK said:
TooManyHobbies said:

Could you get it started??

Click to expand...

Many a true word spoken in jest.... My stupid buddy is now considering salvaging the damn thing and restoring it! More money than sense, some people!

We have a few with the same brain cell count on this side of the pond.

Cave-in · Jan 8, 2008

Nice coin. That is defiantly a rd 350 or 400. Didn't own one but have driven a few. Them OLD two stroke would pull a good wheelie and went fairly fast for there size. Its around 1972.

Steve_UK · Jan 8, 2008

Cave-in said:
Nice coin. That is defiantly a rd 350 or 400. Didn't own one but have driven a few. Them OLD two stroke would pull a good wheelie and went fairly fast for there size. Its around 1972.

Close.. but no cigar!
I did a bit of digging using the Yamaha frame ID Number. I think i've nailed it down to an RS125 or RS150, 1980/1981 model.
See what you think......

rayredditch · Jan 8, 2008

Should see if you can recon the motor, they fetch a few bob in working order nowaday´s

Steve_UK · Jan 8, 2008

rayredditch said:
Should see if you can recon the motor, they fetch a few bob in working order nowaday´s

I won't mention your comment to my friend... he'll have me dragging the bloomin' thing through half the English Countryside to get it back to his garage!

rayredditch · Jan 8, 2008

Just pull th motor out, light enough to fit in a ruck sack LOL

Steve_UK · Jan 8, 2008

rayredditch said:
Just pull th motor out, light enough to fit in a ruck sack LOL

Thinking about it.... that frame would probably be worth a penny or two to a professional restorer...

I'll see how energetic I feel this weekend, it may end up in the back of the Freelander yet! $:-\$

rayredditch · Jan 8, 2008

About 6 years after Royal Enfield packed up making motor cycles in Redditch, they were redeveloping the site for an Industrial Estate. Me and my mates went there, and dug up tons of stuff from the grounds that they´de buried when closing the factory. We ended up with all sorts of bikes, made from all the scrap, and old scrap bikes we bought. Completely stripped everything, shot blasted, stove enameled, honed, bored, new bearings, everything. And then registered them again, and made a small fortune. I think total we must have made about 150 bikes from all the scrap we got there

Steve_UK · Jan 8, 2008

rayredditch said:
About 6 years after Royal Enfield packed up making motor cycles in Redditch, they were redeveloping the site for an Industrial Estate. Me and my mates went there, and dug up tons of stuff from the grounds that they´de buried when closing the factory. We ended up with all sorts of bikes, made from all the scrap, and old scrap bikes we bought. Completely stripped everything, shot blasted, stove enameled, honed, bored, new bearings, everything. And then registered them again, and made a small fortune. I think total we must have made about 150 bikes from all the scrap we got there

That takes me back, my sister's ex boyfriend rode one of those!
I lived just yards from the Norton Villiers Factory in Wolverhampton, wish I'd scavenged some bits now when they shut down!

rayredditch · Jan 8, 2008

Ah, the Villiers engines, 2T and 3T. Before I passed my test, I upgraded a 250cc 2T to a 325cc 3T (The engine details were on the Cluctch Gearbox casing, which meant that´s all I had to swap), and I had a 325cc, which I then proceeded to overbore by 60 thou, and fitted high compression heads, which I skimmed 90 thou, and fitted a home made two into one with expansion chambers. (Had it in a Greeves with leading link forks), and used to pee all the jap bikes off LOL
Also had Francis Barnet, Honda, Norton, Triumph, BSA, Ariel Golden Arrow (Had a Leader for a while too), and an old Velocette. Last bikes I had thou were a Kawazaki (Three cylinder two stroke), and a Suzuki (A three cyclinder water cooed GT750, and a shaft drive GS850). LOL, the good old day´s