That's a really interesting point about the cylinders. I know that the Matchless v-twins 1930-38 had an internal oil line to the base of the cylinders, and that Indians had an extra oil nozzle outside the cylinders in the early days, to augment the splash system. J.A.P. engines also tended to favor an extra oil line from the Pilgrim pump to the cylinder base. Indian in the 20s and 30s created their crankcase castings such that the connecting rods passed through a small opening, and the remaining 'blanked off' part had holes in it, usually 6 of about 3/8 diameter. The theory was that the oil vapor would be sucked up the cylinders more readily than with an open hole. It seemed to satisfy Indian.
Manufacturers found that with a single the regular suction created by a single ascending piston would assure adequate lubrication. Now, if you have a v-twin that suction would be upset, wouldn't it? Two pistons at different places in their cycle would disrupt this method of oiling. With a parallel twin one wouldn't have this problem, I think.
Indeed Lex and her fingers are probably too short to reach anything, but small hands inserted into anything with springs and latches all too often ends in tears !
Here the names of the children sitting on and around that motorcycle
Willy Van Droogenbroeck, Adolf Van den Brande, Herman De Neys en Adolf Heymans. Vooraan: Magda Van den Brande, Irène Guldemont, Hedwig Van den Brande en Agnes Heymans.