Recent acquisition.........original unrestored WD/RE Flying Flea..........spotted and bought by my wife Vidya............some may have viewed this for sale recently so apologies if we've annoyed anyone but we got in there early...
This bike is incredibly complete.....it is at the tail-end of the first contract from 1943 (S.1945) and carried the C-number "C5115083"................all the rare WD parts are still fitted including folding footrests, WD kickstart, WD handlebars and swing lever, WD vented filler cap, WD toolbox, WD carburetter and air-cleaner, etc......missing is the correct Miller tail-lamp lense cover and blackout mask but I can source these as repro's..........
Keen eyes will have spotted the post-war Wico-Pacy ignition cover and assembly fitted but I have a NOS WD cover complete with all coils and points assembly.....
Scrutiny of this bike reveals a crude hand-applied green over the original SCC No.2 brown....visible over much of the bike............there may well be markings left underneath the green top-coat.....?
I've got a fair few spares for the Flea so the restoration of this little bike should be simple......engine turns over too and has good compression.........
The old buff log-book reveals that this bike wasn't civilian registered until 1956 which is late for an ex-WD WW2 machine...........but there again, the British Army did not dispose of Glider's until the early 1950s and as such, Flea's may well have remained on the scale of equipment for Air Landing Brigades ? Either way, this little bike spent it's entire civilian life in Cromer in Norfolk from 1956, throughout the 1960s and was last used in 1975 by a Doctor in Dereham ! Also came with a modern V5 that has retained the original number..........
Goes nicely with Vidya's 1943 James ML........and is at least 30lb lighter !
My word....69 looks and no comments........must be a record for this Forum.....
Lol Rik ! I'm no fan myself..........
I decided to pull-off the post-war Wipac flywheel magneto fitted in readiness for engine strip-down (and to retro-fit the correct Miller item)......easy job so I thought and I have the correct threaded extractor for the Miller item to pull the flywheel off the tapered shaft..........
But nothing's ever that simple is it......I found that my Miller extractor is a larger size and different thread to the Wipac item fitted.....what to do ?
Phoned Hitchcock's and they couldn't help in the way of a suitable tool but they did, however, provide a key piece of information stating that a similar if not identical Wipac unit was fitted to early BSA Bantam's therefore one of those easily available extractors should fit (7/8ths x 26 tpi).......ordered one on-line so job on hold now until at arrives........
It looks like Steve has the correct badge. The post was badge was plain brass where the white enamel is. Ron
email (option): ronpier@talk21.com
Wartime badge green and black enameled and as Ron states the remainder bare brass........the whole lot is also heavily lacquered..............These badges, in good condition, are particularly difficult to find today.......
email (option): sjmwdbikemad@aol.co.uk