Russian Army 5HP
V-twin Sunbeam
21 April 2009
Hello,
My name is Juris Ramba and I
am a historic motorcycle collector from Latvia.
I was delighted to browse through your wonderful website. However may I draw
your attention to the fact that there is a significant lapse in the Sunbeam
model ranges for 1916 and 1917. I have a poor copy of The Motor Cycle
describing the 5HP Russian Military model. In fact I have such a model and
am working to rebuild it. The machine is in surprisingly well preserved
condition apart from a few missing parts, like rear chain enclosure and
wrong type of exhaust system. It is said to have served in the Russian and
then later in the Latvian army.
During my 35
years with British Vintage motorcycles I have only seen 1 other rolling
chassis of a similar machine which was sold to Germany about 9 years ago.
I have
attached the article to illustrate the 5HP model.
Also a period photograph
of this machine taken somewhere in Latvia. On the photo as bought you will
notice that the machine has a wrong front mudguard, wrong handlebar, wrong
fork top clip setup, wrong timing cover, no footboards, incomplete rear chainguard and wrong exhaust system. I have reworked and replaced the wrong
items and am now working on the rear chain case and the exhaust system. When
everything is assembled and in order it will be stripped and painted -- in
olive drab military colour.
I have seen
an 8HP Russian Military Sunbeam in Moscow. It had its original gearbox
replaced with some other obscure gearbox, but otherwise it looked great --
also apart from a missing timing chaincase and cover...Luckily I found a
piece -- roughly 1/2 of the original long and wide timing cover and could
persuade a modelmaker to recreate the chaincase model for me...
I also have a
1930 model 9 Sunbeam which I have been slowly rebuilding for at least 15
years and which may take another year or two to finish. Why so slow, I hear
you ask... Initially it was the iron curtain, now it is other commitments
and several dozen of motorcycles all requiring attention and a lot of work
and money of course, that goes into them...
Kindest
regards,
Juris Ramba
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