It looks to me to be a 1949 Flyer, not ’39. I’ve got the same model, though mine was a lot more tatty when I got it !
Its got coil ignition which I believe they introduced in ’49 Don’t know if the Shipley Works were still producing them in 1950, I think the factory had closed by then.
Yes, I agree.
I’ts identical to my 1950 Flyer.
May be a later coil igntion setup in a ’39 frame I suppose where the registration and year follow the frame.
Mine also appears to have an earlier frame but the log book shows the frame swap and continues with 1950 registration.
Steve
The Dowty forks, oil tank, distributor, etc., etc., all suggest 1949 rather than 1939. Bikes were made at Shipley into 1950 and the liquidation. I won’t say much more as this is all material for my book !
Brian
The brake assembly was designed for the brake arms on the alloy back plates to point backwards, to give maximum braking effect from the brake shoes. The wheel should be taken out, turned through 180 degrees, then replaced; it’s as simple as that.
Yes that is true, however brake arms that pull against the rotation of the drum are actually more effective. It has the effect of tightening the mechanism the harder the brake is applied. As I believe these front brakes were not particularly effective it may have improved it somewhat hence its reversal l!!!!
Unfortunately motorcycle manufacturers tended to either copy each other or do things for visual effect, I believe that Scotts produced the twin sided brake in the same manner as explorers offered glass beads to the natives, or to trick another motorcyclist into buying their product. The fact remains that all brakeplates with the cam at the bottom should have the lever facing forward, just because Scotts fitted them facing backwards doesn`t mean that they knew what they were doing! The edge of the cam nearest the spindle will lift its brake shoe further than the other shoe will be lifted by its cam which is further away from the spindle, so it is most important to make sure that the brake shoe being lifted the most is the leading shoe and not the trailing shoe this can only happen if the brake lever is facing forward.While you can swap around brakeplates please do not swap the wheel around the threaded bearing retainer must always remain on the correct side. Alan Noakes, scottworkshop@hotmail.co.uk
Helluva lift on that stand, I wish mine was that effective! Also there’s a load of daylight around the rear tyre….is the tyre too small (dia or width) or the wrong guard fitted?
My (1948) Scott had the front brake the “wrong” way around when I got it. I was all excited as I thought that putting the backplates the “correct” way around would improve the feeble front brake. Alas, it made no discernible difference whatsoever 😥
I found that the only way to improve the 1947-1950 twin front brake was to bypass the dreadful ‘rising pulley’ gizmo in the alloy housing on top of the front mudguard, which halves the braking effort to each brake, and fit a Brum Scott/Royal Enfield Interceptor type twin cable front brake lever, and a separate cable from the handlebars down to each front brake. Non-standard but much safer…
Brian
I’m still thinking just how that mod would (theoretically) make any difference. After all, it’s still one hand operating one brake lever, pulling on two brake mechanisms….
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