55 Dragonfly gas tank transfers and rear sprocket

[rogerr]

HI  I need : a set of 'Douglas Dragonfly' transfers for the a 1955 gas tank ,that can be sent to the USA. ....Help on how to replace the rear sprocket ....and is there a list of Dragonfly's in the US or Canada    Thanks   Roger   

[Doug]

Roger,

Try contacting the London Douglas Motor Cycle Club. Unfortunately they can not supply spares to North America due to insurance liability reasons, but the do have a regalia section that sells the petrol tank transfers to club members. The Vintage Motor Cycle Club in the UK also has transfers, and an on-line store I think (search VMCC).

LDMCC members also receive a machine register that lists known surviving models. To protect personal privacy, no personal details are published, so you would not be able to determine how many were in North America. But the club Registrar Secretary may be able to give you a total, though they will not provide you with addresses of your nearest Dragonfly neighbors without first checking with said neighbors to see if it is o.k. 

More information about the LDMCC can be found on this forum board:
https://www.douglasmotorcycles.net/index.php?board=100.0

Regards,
Doug

[rogerr]

Thanks Doug ....I have sent in my application to Reg at the LDMCC ...Thanks for the tip.....And I am looking for an approximate # of Dragonfly's in the US, do you have any idea ?   Regards    Roger

[Doug]

Roger,

No I do not have any idea. Including yours I now know of 2-1/2, but I am sure there are more about. They are not one of my personal favorite models (too modern looking) so I have to confess I have never paid much attention to them or sought them out. There was a write up in the club magazine a while back about the number of postwar machines exported to various countries by year, but I can not recall if it included the Dragonflies. The LDMCC should be able to look up member's postwar machine details and determine the original dispatch. My Mark 3 for example was originally shipped to a customer (or dealer) in New York in 1948, rather than having been brought over later by an enthusiast.

Doug

[David Lawrence]

Hi Roger,
To follow up Doug's advice,
Regarding the tank transfers, all those required for the Dragonfly are available from the Douglas Club regalia "man" Jerry Rogers, I see you have written to Reg so expect that you will shortly receive our Club magazine which has details of his totaly unpronouncable address in the wilds of Wales. He will gladly supply you, but obviously will need to know if your bike is black and silver or the stone and green variety. You do not mention the toolbox but this also has a transfer (decal?) on both sides, it is of a scotsmans head wearing a tamashanta.
I assume that as a 1955 model your bike has Douglas brakes rather than the later British Motorbrake hubs, the later type has a detachable rear sprocket, unfortunatly the earlier type Douglas is welded and once worn requires to be turned off and a replacement blank machined to fit. Some owners have rewelded the sprocket others have altered the mountings to allow bolt on. I am sure you will get advice from owners either via this Forum or by asking via the Club magazine.
Regarding the number of Dragonflies in the US, we do have the dispatch records but are aware that most of the bikes have been imported since they have become collectable bikes rather than day to day machines! I will research the details for you but please accept that it may take a couple of weeks, I shall be talking with our machine registrar over the weekend and will raise the point with him.
Dave.

[Doug]

...others have altered the mountings to allow bolt on.

As in this post:

https://www.douglasmotorcycles.net/index.php?topic=2757.msg10054#msg10054

Doug

[rogerr]

Thanks Doug & Dave  for the info... it has been very helpful......Roger