Series 'A' Meteor Decompression Lever

[Graham Smith]

In preparation of this year's Combined Series 'A' and 'D' Rally, we've been taking a look at my pre-war Meteor.

One thing it's missing is the decompression lever.

I have, what I think is the right type of lever as shown below:



However, the one I have is for 7/8" bars and not 1".

So, a couple of questions.

1. Can I get hold of just the lever clip and use my existing lever?
2. Can I get the original 7/8" clip bored out to 1"?
3. If the answer's no to the above, where's the best place to get a new complete lever?

Cheers

 

[delboy]

I have a deep suspicion that your little "trigger" type were not generally fitted pre-war. However, I have yet to see period photos to prove it one way or the other. Who took such photos at the time? Like nearly every pre-war detail, I want evidence rather than here-say. "Call the Series "A" police!"
My belief is that the the decompressor lever was the same on Singles and Twins. The assembly was effectively the same as the early "B" type with a rounded profile to the lever part, albeit with 1" hole for the handlebar clamp.
To nick Bill's line; just my thoughts. [I'll have to start paying royalties]

Excellent replicas used to be made by a chap [whose name escapes me, but I think his really nice "A" Twin went to the m/c museum] He stopped making them some years back and unfortunately I don't know where the patterns went?


I have bored pre-war 7/8" levers to 1". I suspect they were made with enough meat to produce either.
If we can find a "meaty" clamp and there's enough on the abutment; it shouldn't be a problem to bore out your trigger type.

Cheers,
Delboy.

 

[delboy]

PS
If you look at the "Motor Cycle" illustration of the handlebar layout from 1935 on Page 284 of "Back to A", the positioning of the saddle clamp and the relationship and size of the tip of the exhaust lever, would infer it isn't a "trigger" type.
Back to rivet counting.
Delboy.

 

[Bill Thomas]

Graham, Feked.com has some inch stuff, Small ones and long ones,
This small one £38 plus post ??, Not sure about VAT.

 

[delboy]

Looking at the latest high quality photo of John Oakes "Moulton" A single, which looks to be period, it does show a small "trigger" type valve lifter lever on the handlebars of a 500.
very interesting.
Delboy.

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

I asked Bob Stafford once about the lifter lever when rebuilding my A Comet and Bob said with a smile on his face "any lever that works". He then said he thought singles used a smaller lever but wasn't 100% sure.
I don't recall seeing a period photo of an A single with a larger lifter lever fitted but photos are not very good at showing such detail unless they are close up.

Now this bike surfaced a few years ago and even though the photos are recent the rest of the handlebars looks OK even down to the rare dip switch so the small trigger lifter lever may be correct, especially as it looks the same as the "Moulton" bike period photos.

Simon

 

[Bikerjoan]

 

[Bikerjoan]

View attachment 48077

Another older pic, I guess still non conclusive but short valve lifter lever fitted to this Comet at that time.

 

[Colin]

Some pre-war Triumphs had 1 inch bars and a lifter lever very similar if not the same

 

[Marvel]

Great period picture.