After propelling my Egli style project bike around for 5,000 fun miles, engine #38 is going back into it's Rapide guise. It originally was sold into Malta in 1947, was crashed there around 1950 and was sold to a new owner in Scotland. The new owner found a C Comet frame for it and away it went again for ten or fifteen years. Sometime in the 60s it was sold to it's third owner and moved to Southern England. In the seventies it was sold into Australia where it spent the next 25 years providing recreation for two owners. I bought it and had it shipped to Canada in 2004. Since then it has packed my wife and I around for about 25- 30 ,000 miles. I'm unsure of the exact mileage we have done because we had a few issues with the speedo drive gears early on. Other than a couple of self induced electrical problems, both of which were sorted roadside, the speedo drive gear is about the only blemish on an otherwise clean sheet.
I often think of the enjoyment this machine has provided in the last sixty-six years. When the two Phils were working out the recipe for these things they thought a life span of ten years would be it. After that amount of time the bikes would be discarded in favour of newer and better models. Newer maybe, but is there anything better?
I often think of the enjoyment this machine has provided in the last sixty-six years. When the two Phils were working out the recipe for these things they thought a life span of ten years would be it. After that amount of time the bikes would be discarded in favour of newer and better models. Newer maybe, but is there anything better?
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