SW5

[Red]

I have received the email below from someone who is interested in buying the SW5 adertised on eBay. I have no experience of this model but I do appreciate that many will have been modified in some way or another. Can anyone offer any comments which I could pass on. I have attached the link to the eBay advertisement and hopfully this will work. Thanks

Roy

I have a small collection of vintage/pre-war motorcycles and do my own re-building & restoration. Particular interest is racing and 'specials'. I'm interested in a Douglas, partly because my father used to have one and I appreciate their design and look.
My question: how authentic is the supposed SW-5 that has been advertised on eBay for some time (through a vendor called 'racing bikes F1')? I can see for example the rear wheel isn't right, but what of the rest of it? If it was genuine I would have imagined it would have sold by now, hence my query.
Much obliged for any info you feel you can let me have.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/115264820030?hash=item1ad651933e:g:~rgAAOSw~0diFlIX&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoF69XSqsqZ99OtVAybVfeF9MXHwQDpSMXptwag3xBfsvlrKG7ekCRyS9MAHggXSchAnv597e%2BKHpU8UD6PsORVfx2YpUXJU1I9VjyBwlHQI4U6%2BL7Cd9vuWWTt2RImpdH9plrllGZHfnyISErxq243%2ByGZ0a%2BCnWPRLGvMX7Qpc88527GiFpixPc%2FXPBg3AWgJamhdnGNz4nM9FsueLM9gE%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR8KEqaWjYQ

[eddie]

Roy,
        From the photos, the bike has the wrong wheels (both front and rear), wrong float chambers (SU), wrong flywheel (should have a flywheel clutch), non-period twistgrip and levers. Gearbox has been modified (mainshaft drilled for clutch pushrod) and non-standard multiplate clutch fitted. Oil pump not connected to engine (so no certainty that engine runs). Bike has a custom exhaust -  original was siamesed. Other odd fittings are wrong due to the non standard wheels.
  Personally, I would want to see (and hear) it run before parting with any money.

  Hope this helps,
                          Regards,
                                        Eddie.

[cardan]

My question: how authentic is the supposed SW-5 that has been advertised on eBay

Eddie lists most of the variations from catalogue spec. Most Douglases were raced into the ground, so it would be rare to find an "authentic" SW5 these days. That said, it is possible to build up a bike with mostly Douglas parts that captures the essence of the sporty, road-going, late-vintage Douglas. I reckon the ebay bike misses the mark?

Leon

[cardan]

For comparison, the bike on ebay...

[Red]

Thanks Eddie and Cardan

I have passed your comments on to the prospective buyer and will leave it to him to make a decision.

All the best

Roy

[eddie]

Leon's photo (and the Douglas publicity picture) show the 1929 model that had the smaller square airbox that incorporated a mechanical oil pump. The earlier (1928) machines with the lager airbox, relied on the rider remembering to handpump the oil into the engine!
  Leon's photo also shows the front brake drum with what looks like a stiffening rib around it. I did the same when I built my sprinter - I used a rear drum (that had a knackered sprocket) with the sprocket machined back to leave just the stiffening rib. With the normal Douglas expanding band, this brake works surprisingly well! The redundant front drum was then used on the back as I didn't need the sprocket, the drive then being on the LH side due to the use of a Norton 'dollshead' gearbox.

   Regards,
                 Eddie.

[cardan]

Hi Eddie,

My friend Jack built up the bike in my photo - he certainly would have machined down and old back drum if he had one. I asked him once what he thought of the SW5, but he said he'd not ridden it much, because if you had a TT why would you ride anything else! I took the SW5 for a run around the block and have the fondest memories of a very pleasant vintage bike.

Leon

[roger h]

The bike in the Australian photo posted by Cardan is the only original SW5 that I' ve ever seen. Every other SW5 I've seen, especially those which are converted into racers, have been changed from standard, usually with Norton gearboxes, which means you need a different rear wheel (drive now on wrong side). I would think that the e bay bike will still be a very exciting thing, but the price is the big question. Best of luck with it.
Roger

[cardan]

I notice a very nice SW5 at Verralls: http://www.verralls.com/vintage-motorcycles/1928-500cc-douglas-sw5.html

It's a little more "authentic" than the subject of this thread, albeit with the same clutch mod.

Leon