A ROYAL RESTORATION - PART 2 - by John Phillips

While awaiting for the spares catalogue and the mudguard to arrive its “look at the forks” time. At some time in its life the forks links and spindles had been replaced by someone making a set of side links and replacing the spindles with long 3/8th bolts, both the bolts and the side links where very badly worn due to fact that the spindles could quite as easily turn in the side links as they did in the forks, resulting in some unusable side links and some very badly worn bolts (see picture 2/3, click to enlarge) but the spindle holes in the forks themselves where less than 1mm oval so drilling out on the lathe to 10mm removed the majority of this wear and the well oiled 10mm EN8 now fitted perfectly.  Two pairs of new side links where made from 6 X 20mm (well actually they where made from some 6 X 40 bar split down the middle, this is a “what’s ever to hand job” remember) the left hand ones being drilled and tapped at 8mm, and the right ones simply drilled out at 10mm.  (it is essential that the spindles and the side links lock together at some point, ideally the spindles have a left and right hand threaded ends, making side play adjustment much easier and both sets of links lock onto the spindles)  The five spindles where cut to length from the 10mm EN8 and both ends turned down and threaded to 8mm.  There is very little sophistication about this machine so side play in the forks is adjusted by simply slacking of the left hand dome nut, turning the right hand one, which as it is  pinned through turns the spindle, which is threaded into the left hand link, so pulling the links together, reducing the side play. Re- tightening the left hand dome locks everything back in place. Simple isn’t it.  (see the sectional drawing below)   N.B. As in a lot of the twenties light weight machines the suspension stretches the spring, so a careful inspection for the start of cracks is always a good idea.

A couple of coats of primer and then black top coat on the frame, forks and steering head and they are ready for re-assembly.  The steering head cups are in good nick so the steering head was re-assembled with new balls and plenty of grease (just happened to have a bag of new 3/16th ball bearings in the “Ball and Chain drawer”) closely followed by the forks and new spindles and links.  Suddenly it starts to look like a bike, and as I am not one for bending down a suitable temporary jig is made up to hold the RE on top of a work mate type of bench, at a nice working height. (Picture 2/2 opposite - click to enlarge image)

Click here for a useful list of firms, people, products and odds and ends that I have used during this restoration that might just help solve the odd problem you come across (pdf).

To Part 3 of "A Royal Restoration"