Pictures of Fleetwood Country Cruize-in 2017 - The Rare Bikes

robinc

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Now we move into some rarer air, and some almost extinct air, under the tent.

Some stuff ya just don’t see every day and a couple you may never see.

Any guesses?

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Well, there you go a Saroléa, made in Belgium. I don't know the year or model, no-one was manning the booth when I took these pics.

An Excelsior

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Now, how bout' a 'Famous James', British Bike

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And a Sunbeam

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Edit: Man I could look at this stuff all day long and never get tired of it!

The next post will deal with some really. really, really rare treats.
 
Oh, man, the '20s and '30s bikes are a world of their own. So many one-offs, oddities, short runs, and failures. So much creativity and innovation, for its time...
 
You're so right 2M. I think that's what gets me when I look at these machines. The engineering and design work that was going on in those days boggles the mind. What a super creative ingenious group of individuals, breaking new ground and charting their own territory.
 
'for its time' with utmost respect, is sort of a slam on the engineers of the day who felt they were at the cutting edge of technology, metalurgy and just plain science. When they drove home in their V-8 Ford, they were sure they were the most thoroughly modern man, the sky was the limit and the world was their oyster.
Similarly when I listen to say, big band music, those performers were at the peak of their craft and they went out in a world with no computers or phones with area codes. And yet they would probably listen to the Edison wax recordings and think, that was pretty good for its time.
At the time, it was the best.
So it's all relative, sorry for the thread jack, great pictures, Robin, thanks for sharing them.
 
'for its time' with utmost respect, is sort of a slam on the engineers of the day who felt they were at the cutting edge of technology, metalurgy and just plain science...

Hey, Lakeview. Yes, they were. I meant it as more of a 'slam' on the conditions of the day, and those ingenious innovators ability to function in and overcome those obstacles, such as:

Horse drawn, phasing out, but still in widespread use.
Proprietary, pre-standards for fasteners and tooling.
Steam powered, overhead jackshaft, leather belt driven machinery.
Early lubricants, including sperm oil.
Early gasoline, which limited practical designs to compression ratios of 6:1, or less.
Wood floors, workshops, benches, no air conditioning, maybe plumbing.
Rough, dirt roads, early tire rubber.

I'd love to jump into a time machine and participate in that era, but I'm too spoiled and probably wouldn't survive the environment...
 
Thanks 2M, another different perspective and given your list of physical conditions they had to cope with, I totally understand and agree with you.
 
A friend of mine has a James. I do'nt know if it's that model but the brass flywheel of the Villers motor reminds me of his.
 
Wow, that's cool azman. Those old bikes are pretty amazing.
 
Now we move into some rarer air, and some almost extinct air, under the tent.

Some stuff ya just don’t see every day and a couple you may never see.

Any guesses?

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Well, there you go a Saroléa, made in Belgium. I don't know the year or model, no-one was manning the booth when I took these pics.

An Excelsior

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View attachment 100676


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Now, how bout' a 'Famous James', British Bike

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View attachment 100681

And a Sunbeam

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Edit: Man I could look at this stuff all day long and never get tired of it!

The next post will deal with some really. really, really rare treats.
Great pics!!! Looking forward to the treats.
 
Great pics!!! Looking forward to the treats.

Hey again old boy.

These pictures were taken at the Fleetwood Country Cruize-In. One of North America's largest outdoor car shows. The car show takes place in London, Ontario at a private estate owned by Steve Plunkett, a local philanthropist and classic car junkie. Fortunately for me every year this show is about a 12 minute drive from where I live.

I posted them here in the 'Canada' regional sub-forum of 'The Garage'. That might have been the wrong place for them as a lot may not see them here but here are the links to the other threads giving the story and an overview of the show if you're interested.
Hope you enjoy them.

The overview of the show:
http://www.xs650.com/threads/pictures-of-fleetwood-country-cruize-in-2017-grounds.49538/

Some more bikes:
http://www.xs650.com/threads/pictures-of-fleetwood-country-cruize-in-2017-the-bikes-1.49542/

The Camaros:
http://www.xs650.com/threads/pictures-of-fleetwood-country-cruize-in-2017-camaros.49540/

Cadillac Museum #1:
http://www.xs650.com/threads/pictures-of-fleetwood-country-cruize-in-2017-cadillac-museum-1.49541/

Cadillac Museum #2:
http://www.xs650.com/threads/pictur...uize-in-2017-the-really-rare-cadillacs.49551/
 
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