The restoration
David goes on to explain the HMCCQ build:
“The L.P.A. (Light Pedal Assist) gear was missing but fortunately Ian Rennie was able to locate a block chain sprocket crank and pedals which were modified so that the L & R cranks missed the engine belt pulley on one side and magneto drive on the other. Ian also managed to procure a length of original block chain and I made up a period-style joiner pin.
Doug Jolliffe did a great job of modifying a modern rear wheel sprocket that really looks the part. Doug also machined the front and rear wheel hubs from some donated stainless steel plus an adjustable engine pulley. This looked just too new so I treated it to several applications of gun blue; now it certainly looks about 100 or so years old. While mentioning the wheel hubs, Steve Hood at Vintage Rims did a great job in making new rims, lacing up and supplying new B.E. tyres and also making the rear wheel pulley which lined up perfectly to the engine pulley.
One of the items that was a bit hard to change is the L.P.A. ratio of 1:2 and having an engine to rear wheel ranging from approximately 4:1 to 6:1 - even in top with a pedal to engine ratio of 1:8 or even 1:12 it is still fairly hard work turning the engine over on the stand. The stand was also missing, but having some previous experience with these ‘somersault’ stands on veterans I was able to make a good replica for the bike. Again, I used an old wood saw blade to make secure clips to hold it in position.
Period-style cable clips were made from old blades which were the veteran-equivalent to modern zip-ties. Members Barry Deeth donated a 1908 D.A. type Bosch magneto and John Wellings restored it. One of the other items that was also missing was the check valve on the oil feed to the engine. I made one that appears to work well, based on the Best & Lloyd type with a small disc valve. The oil pump is unusual in as much as the pump body is submersed into the oil tank and by rotating the oil pump "T" handle approximately 140 degrees, the pump body has a taper in the outlet which aligns to another either to open to engine and push plunger down or vice versa, turn body in opposite direction and pull plunger up to suck into the pump. The pump capacity is 32cc/stroke.
A couple of fairly serious bends in the frame and some nasty bends and kinks on the handle bars had to be attended to. Luckily, member Derek Bulten came to the rescue with a length of heavy-walled 100 x 150mm RHS tube which made the basis of a good jig to straighten the frame’s rear end where the axlewas approximately 30mm out of alignment. The old bike had either had a prang at some time or may have been damaged while being stored for many years.
To conclude, I feel the bike pulling a 5.5 overall ratio with 24” wheels would be able to rev out to give a speed of 45mph which would make it capable of achieving the average speed of 41.5mph when this (or another SPENCER) did in winning event no. 8 MOTOR BICYCLE HANDICAP OF 10 LAPS at the Gabba on 13.8.1910, and also winning 4 pounds which was well over a week’s wage - probably $1,200 in today’s rates!
In the name of history, David also drew a beautiful free hand side view of the Spencer. He copied the sketch for the heading of three groups, Frame, Engine and Front Forks, colouring the relevant parts for each group and information was tabled for each part including the quantity, where the part came from and the work done on the part and by whom.