Where Are You Now? UR9229 Is it still with us and what model

[kerry]

I met an ex Stevenage persons Son while out on my Vincent who sent me the following,
"Having seen your Vincent I spoke about my father's business in Stevenage in the same yard as V & HRD. The pic attached is my father on his own HRD ...pic taken 1933."
Mr French is on his own HRD any idea which model this is or if still around so I can tell his Son please ?
Kerry.
PS, I am still working on my poor front brake problem !

UR9229 Is it still with us ?

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

UR 9229 is not on the DVLA system and is not a registration I can find in the database. It is a Hertfordshire registration from around 1930 to 1933.

As for the model, its an earlier triangle frame so 1932 or earlier. The extra finned bulge on the far side of the cylinder barrel shows its is a side valve JAP engine either 500cc or 600cc.

Kerry, what is the full name of Mr French? You can put that in an email rather than post on here if you wish.

Simon

 

[kerry]

Hi Simon, He is happy to give this information,
Fathers name Alfred French, the factory next to Vincent's was 'French and Son', they were an Engineering Company and may well have helped out with Vincent's ? who knows.
Son is very pleased with the information so far, Thank you from him and me.
Kerry.

 

[Simon Dinsdale]

Kerry
Very interesting. There is A.French in the factory records as a customer for the one and only made 350cc Special with OHV 2 port MAG engine fitted. I don't think that is the bike in the above photo though as that certainly looks like a sidevalve JAP engine and not a 2 port OHV engine which would have exhaust both sides. So unfortunately I have not been able to pin down the exact bike in the above photo.

Maybe the MAG engine was not a sucess and so had Vincent remove it and fit a JAP engine. Thats just a guess though.

Simon

 

[kerry]

Simon.
Thank you for looking into this, very interesting, the Family are very pleased.
Kerry.