New member - 1911 Douglas

[magoo39]

Hi, i own a 1911? Douglas engine no 2688. I inherited this from my grandfather several years ago. progress to date is very little . Any info on this would be welcomed. i don't have a gearbox.
It has a pulley on the flywheel so i thought it was direct drive. where would i find numbers on the frame ?



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[alwyn]

Hi magoo39 and welcome - it will help in the identification of your bike if you could provide some photos - see here for instructions how to post photos. Also if you can quote frame and gearbox numbers that would assist further.

Alwyn
Global Mod.

[Chris]

Hi.
Your Douglas is a 1911 model. It was indeed direct drive from the flywheel pulley to the rear wheel belt rim. Some of these early models do not have a frame number. If it does have one you will find it stamped in circular fashion around the rear wheel spindle on the right hand (pedal chain) side.

Gearboxes for this model are very rare. They were only available as an extra and provided as a bolt on kit comprising the gear box, a sprocket to replace the pulley on the flywheel, a chain guard, top and bottom brackets to bolt onto the frame tubes and the rods and linkages with tram handle and quadrant for the gear change. This gearbox was unique in having input and output on the same side whereas all later two speed gearboxes have the sprocket on one side and the drive pulley on the other.

The engine size was 340cc with a bore size of 2.3/8". The inlet valves are atmospheric while the exhaust valves are push rod operated via bell cranks.

John Withers has a replica 80 page handbook for this model which you will find extremely useful and informative.
Chris

Edit - Wither's contact details added...
You can contact John Withers by writing to him at 3 Skylark Retreat, Ballajura, Western Australia, 6066 or by phoning him at +61 8 92495205 - his e-mail address is << jwithers@digisurf.net.au >>

Alwyn

[MichielH]

Hi, i own a 1911? Douglas engine no 2688. I inherited this from my grandfather several years ago. progress to date is very little . Any info on this would be welcomed. i don't have a gearbox.
It has a pulley on the flywheel so i thought it was direct drive. where would i find numbers on the frame ?

Hi there! I'm also new to this forum and own a simmilair machine (see photos). yours surely is a 1911 model (model D). The gearbox was only available as an option as pointed out by Chris. the standrad model was a direct drive by belt and no clutch. On my machine the framenumber is located on the lower tube beneath the engine, close to the left-hand pedal.

frame and enginenumbers do not match (mine has frame 1401 and engine 2088).

The 1909-1910 model has a more square tank and 1912 saw the introduction of the better known 2 3/4 hp sidevalve engine, so judging from your rounded tank and enginenumber it is 1911, without doubt.

regards, Michiel



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