ABC to Bonneville

I have always been interested in the racing of this little 400cc Motorcycle back in 1919. I find the article on How to obtain super speed from an A.B.C. Very exciting and I imagine myself following the instructions exactly and hoping for the best. I have previously discussed this with some of the members, and decided to turn this dream in a reality. I have decided to prepare an A.B.C. and take it to Bonneville to see exactly what speed can be achieved on the salt by the little machine. Over the next few months I intend to prepare the motorcycle, and follow the preparation on a website that I will build. Once the website is started I will post the website address. If you have any information or parts that can help me, please contact me. If you have any historic A.B.C. racing photos that I can use, please forward them to me. I will put some of the preparation photos onto this topic from time to time but I am sure that there will be a lot of information and I do not want to bog this site down with information that may not be interesting to all.

Regards
Peter

Wow!!! What a Declaration! This is surely the most dramatic news in the ABC's life-story since Tommy Sopwith's Original Intent to Manufacture! May the venture proceed with Good Fortune and, in due course, be crowned with Success! My best wishes to all involved with this noble undertaking, and my help offered wherever possible. Paul.

Always full of surprises you are
Let me ask the controversial question thou ...
which ABC will you take to Salt Lake City? The French or the British?

I would expect the obvious answer to be the Sopwith made ABC but I do believe it was Gnome & Rhone who took part in the majority of sporting events and had the greatest successes...

Thank you Paul and Giovanni.

A lot of my decisions are going to be based on the requirements of the organizers. Obviously they don't want a motorcycle with beaded edged tyres, dripping oil, going down the run.

I am going to be using an old set of Sopwith casings and we are going to push start the bike. The rest of the items are going to be considered individually and I am sure we are going to be faithful to Bradshaw, Sopwith, and Gnome Rhone. I have studied all the ABC racing photographs that I have found, including Sopwith and Gnome Rhone, and there are ideas that i have noticed in all the photos. A lot of the early photos are of the prototype bikes in 1919 and I obviously don't have a set of those casings. I would like to enter the motorcycle as a 1919 ABC. I am going to be using the oldest casings I have, So I hope no body has any objections to me entering this bike as a 1919?

Where possible, I am going to be using remade internals, pistons, and cylinders. I am going to be using the standard head without enlarged valves.

Regards
Peter

Peter,
If you are thinking about carburation, you may consider using a Senspray (aluminum type available from Winter 1919). On the attached ABC racer picture, a single large Senspray has been used; however using a small Senspray on each cylinder would also work well (they are typically 1" stub fittings, so would need an adapter to flange). The smaller Sensprays are easily obtainable, as they were also used on ATCO mowers. They are robust, typically have low wear due to a rotating drum style slide, easy to turn up a range of jets, they don't worry too much about float chamber fuel height (e.g altitude)and you can richen/weaken the mixture with a simple dial on the front.
best wishes for your challenge
Ian

Hi Ian
Thank You for the picture. Those are the handlebars I would like to use and that is the reason I will not be using a beaded edge tyre. Tire?
I would like to arrive at Bonneville with more than one option of Carburetor and I think the Senspray is a good option. Can you try and find me two in usable condition? Obviously I will pay for them.
Regards
Peter