Author Topic: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.  (Read 3984 times)

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Offline Harri

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Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« on: 19 Jul 2017 at 14:24 »
Hi all. is it possible to track a Douglas motorcycle by it's original registration number? There may have already been questions about this particular motorcycle as it was owned by a famous poet here in North Wales? There was also a piece of prose written about this motorcycle under the title of it's registration number, KC16. The piece was written in 1922 so the motorcycle must be a model before then. It looks like a typical flat twin Douglas except it doesn't have a headlight/lamp. Might have been removed I suppose.

Any information would be lovely.

Harri

Offline Harri

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Re: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« Reply #1 on: 20 Jul 2017 at 21:28 »
Hi again, lots of views.  :)  Can I assume that it isn't possible to track an old motorcycle by just having it's original registration number?

Offline Hampshirebiker

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Re: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« Reply #2 on: 21 Jul 2017 at 05:36 »
The KC registration was issued in Liverpool (B) area between march 1920 & june 1925. A few local authorities still retain these old records, but if these exist, only the make of the vehicle is likely to be entered.

Offline Harri

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Re: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« Reply #3 on: 21 Jul 2017 at 07:25 »
Just that little bit of information is more than I had so thanks. Being registered in Liverpool makes sense. Would that imply it was purchased there too originally? The one picture shows a typical Douglas but minus a headlight. Were some models produced without them, sports perhaps?

Offline eddie

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Re: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« Reply #4 on: 21 Jul 2017 at 08:28 »
A lot of the early models were supplied without lights (lights being an optional extra!). This was often done to keep the weight below the threshold for the next rate of road tax.

Regards,
              Eddie.

Offline ccew350

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Re: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« Reply #5 on: 21 Jul 2017 at 10:17 »
Harri. I think if you put a picture of the motorcycle up you will get more information about what model it might be.
Colin
colin

Offline Harri

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Re: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« Reply #6 on: 21 Jul 2017 at 12:51 »
Hopefully this will copy and you will be able to get an idea about the bike in question.

https://www.peoplescollection.wales/items/29116

Offline cardan

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Re: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« Reply #7 on: 21 Jul 2017 at 23:18 »

Hi Harri,

Interesting story. Since the photo is labelled "T. H. Parry-Williams and his motorbike, KC 16, May 1920", and Hampshire bike tells us that the KC series started in March 1920, presumably the photos shows the bike near-new. No reason to doubt that, as the bike looks OK for a 1920-ish 2 3/4 hp Douglas.

I'd be interested to read the essay about the bike. Is it available somewhere?

Thanks for posting.

Leon

Offline Harri

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Re: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« Reply #8 on: 22 Jul 2017 at 07:16 »
Hi Leon.  Yes the bike looks purchased new in 1920 which ties in with the piece of writing written after 2 years riding the bike in 1922. T H goes on to university lecturing and doing a bit of travelling and living a couple of hundred miles from where the picture was taken. Which is 10 minutes from me. 'Lawrence' he of Arabian fame was also born 15 minutes from here. I really would like to know what happened to T H's bike. The piece of prose I have in a book is a few pages long and written in Welsh. Can you read Welsh? Translating into English is very difficult as most meaning is lost in translation. 

Offline cardan

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Re: Tracking details of Douglas motorcycle.
« Reply #9 on: 22 Jul 2017 at 08:07 »

No Welsh for me I'm afraid - I love Dylan Thomas but mercifully he wrote in English.

Cheers

Leon