I agree that the Union flag is upside down. But I can not believe that a ship in distress would expect anyone to notice an upside down flag. In a state of emergency, there would be far more need to indicate it.....Like flares, Mayday signals and high pitched screams of "DON'T PANIC" etc. Ron
Rob the write up I read (if I can ever find it again) about a road test of this outfit in the 50's before it was broken up. Said that the small additional reverse gearbox had been removed before the test. I seem to remember that it had given some trouble or broken or something. Ron
There appears to be an interesting mix of bits on this bike, apart from the "live" rear axle, presumably to accommodate sidecar wheel drive the frame seat stays are sufficiently bifurcated to accommodate the rear cylinder head poking through. Also it uses a Sturney Archer type gear box (Brough?) not a Burman as in the X although the mag and it's chain case are as in the X. These things plus the oil tank under the seat, an interesting position, were I assume to reduce the wheel base.
Richard.
No live axle on the Sunbeam Richard, it's Rigid, the same as the Norton big 4 and used the same Dolls head gearbox. No differential to the SWD, just a crude dog engagement for the propshaft. Which could end in tears if left engaged on hard ground with both rear wheels being driven together:flushed: Ron