New!
My
father-in-law bought this motorcycle as new in 1953. He drove it only for
seven years and for some reason it was left lying around for over forty
years. On 27.10.1999 he gave it to me and this is the story of its restoration.
If you have any knowledge of motorcycle restoration and/or information
about this motorcycle please contact.
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Photographs:
New! |
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This project
got completed in August 2002. It was museum inspected at the 23rd of August and
registered as a museun vechile at the 29th of August 2002. It has now its
original licence number. Thank you everybody involved!
Yours,
Matti Mikkonen, Finland
27.10.1999: sandblasting
and painting the priming started.
Several missing
parts were found in the beginning of February after advertising in finnish
classic-bike hobbyists magazine Huimapyörä.
The original registration papers were found 30.10.1999. This is a very good start.
24.2.2000 the motor is now being put together (we are waiting for the new piston from England. The cylinder has been bored and there shouldn't be hard-to-find/hard-to-make parts from the motor.
24.4.2000 The new piston arrived some time ago. Ground works are getting ready and it is time to try to find the rims.
24.5.2000 The acid and tank-liner for the gas-tank just arrived. New exhaust pipe is on the make and the brakes are being fixed. New handlebar and new handles are on the way and the rims and the tyres are due at the beginning of June.
14.6.2000 The new exhaust pipe is ready, as well as brake shoes. New handlebar, handles, and some rubber parts have arrived. New spokes have arrived. The original dipswitch has been fixed. The bad news is that the crankshaft bearing still needs new bearings.
6.8.2000 The crankshaft is being fixed. I have new rims, too. New photographs have been added.
10.9.2000 I'm in a process of removing rust from inside the tank. The Kreem system didn't seem to work, the temperature may have been too low. Now I have the tank filled with molasses/water mixture for few days and check the situation again.
12.11.2000 The molasses would have worked if the tank would have been clean from tar or something other sticky stuff. I got it clean with gasoline and gravel. After that I used Kreem system to clean and to coat the tank from the inside. Now it is OK. Last week I acquired new foot-rests which were made by the local technical school students. The parts are going to the final paint hopefully in a week.
7.1.2001 The paint-job is ready! I made a stand for assembling the spokes. We'll see how it works for a beginner. (Didn't quite work. New spokes are a bit tricky. A friend of mine promised to do this.) Tool-box nut is being made, too.
12.10.2001 Things have been slow lately. I have been concentrating on my Pannonia sidecar. Now the engine is going to be put together by a friend and the wheels are going to an expert, too. Still looking for a new silencer and a gas-tank cap, though. The tool-box nut has arrived.
4.12.2001 The saddles are being upholstered, the engine is almost put together and the new silencer is due to arrive at any day. Next I will send the chrome parts to be cromed and zinc-coated parts that need new coat to be coated.
25.1.2002 The tank is ready. The new silencer arrived just before Christmas. I also have a new ampmeter. The saddles are being upholstered and the wheels are almost ready. I need new cups for the plunger ends and they are being made at the technical school. New primary sprockets are also being made and chrome parts are currently in the plating factory. Still looking for that gas tank cap.
12.2.2002 The rims and the spokes are now ready. Thank you, very much Reijo Ervasti. The tyres are ready to be assembled, too. Some carburetter parts are on their way from England.
27.2.2002 First shipment of chromed parts have arrived and two new pics have been added.
New! The spring and summer 2002 went with continuous work on the bike. In July there were big antique motor happenig here in Finland and I got The Roadmaster just hastily put together and in the show. The electrics, cables and chain were still not assembled. The tank cap was still missing but I got one borrowed. Thank you, Arto!
The completing of the motorcycle took time in Autumn when Janne Lappalainen, a friend of mine made valuable work. The engine is running smoothly and the earth trembles of the power of Villiers two-stroke engine.
Needless to say, I feel great now when the work is done! The Excelsior is easy to ride and heads keep turning wherever I go. My opinion is that it is hard to find a motorcycle more beautiful than a 1952 Excelsior Roadmaster.
During the autumn I made only three short trips because the gas-tap was leaking a little and the seam of the exhaustion pipe and the silencer was also leaking. Now these have been repaired, and all I do is to wait for the spring. While I'm writing these lines it is January with snow and outside temperature is -30ºC.
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