Here is a question to tease the more experienced Douglas members - and certainly more experienced than me!:
I am a relatively new Douglas member and am building a 1920 2 3/4HP model to the 'TTRep' style of the bike that won the 1912 TT Junior . . . for which I believe there were then quite a few similar models used for competition over the next couple of years.
As always when I start a project - it does not take long to start looking at how that particular model progressed, and in the case of these early competition models, I have a couple of questions:
1. Was the 2 3/4HP sidevalve model that won the 1912 Junior TT (in the hands of W. H. Bashall) then officially offered by Douglas as a 'TT Rep'? (or did owners just use standard versions for competition, minus lights etc)
2. Was the first OHV model that was tried in the 1913 TT ever made for public sale, and does anyone know if any survived? Particularly, was this very first OHV model used in a duplex front downtube frame from the beginning, or was it ever used in the 2 3/4 single downtube frame?
The reason for my question number 2 is: I am always getting ahead of myself. Although building my bike with a 'standard' 2 3/4 HP sidevalve engine . . . I did also purchase a spare engine for it. I saw a very interesting photograph in my copy of the Douglas - The best twin book a nice picture of the first OHV engine, and it got me thinking - I wonder if any of the heads/barrels for these engines survived with current Douglas owners, and if it would be possible to convert a sidevalve model to an OHV model??! I would be quite happy to just get my sidevalve model built at the moment - but it did get me thinking if any OHV valve models (pre '21 onwards 3.5hp type) were offered to the public, and if so - did they have to be slotted into a twin downtube frame to fit? . . . it would be nice to think about recreating one as a future project!
Couple of photos of this early OHV I have found attached
best wishes
Paul
www.racingvincent.co.uk
