Spagthorpe

[SixPackBack]

Recently, a new member has signed up claiming to ride a 'spagthorpe wheezehound', a google search shows up either a mysterious little known english brand. Or as the poms call it a 'shaggy dog story', i.e a huge piss take!Anyone know anything about Spagthorpe?

[eliot-ness]

Originally the 'Phobos' engineering company it was taken over in 1936 by 'Spagthorpe.The two 'Phobos models, 350cc and 500cc were brought up to date by fitting tyres and leather seats. By mid 1936 it was realised that there was no future for 2hp 350cc sports machines so the "Pharce" as it was called was dropped. The 500cc model saw big improvements over the next 6 months. A two gallon petrol tank came first for long distance touring and the odd TT race. Battery lights replaced the acetylene originals and the pedals became optional. It was soon realised that the original name, "Phart" wasn't market friendly so "Wheezehound" was adopted. Unfortunately, despite an increase in power from 3 to 4hp and an advertising budget estimated to exceed 26 pounds the company collapsed. Only one machine was sold to a lady in NZ with a penchant for P.T. ing

[scumdog]

One other of our more senior members use to claim he had a Wheezehound as part of the collection of bikes in his gargre, can't remember who but it was somebody like Viffer or similar....

[SixPackBack]

keep it up........edging closer to the spagthornes 'real owner'

[MacD]

The rider formerly known as......[thunk]

[Ixion]

Mr Eliot-Ness is correct in his lucid and concise history of the early Spagthorpe company.

However, he does not mention the second incarnation of the marque. Like Norton and Triumph, after the collapse of th original Spagthorpe company, the name, together with other assorted assets (primarily consisting of the tea lady's trolley and an assortment of Bath Olivers) were acquired by a consortium.

In the dark days before WWII Spagthorpe Motorcycles (1937) burst upon the scene at Olympia with a range of new models for the delectation of the motorcycling public.

The new owners had taken the technological bit firmly between their teeth , and promised to revolutionise motorcycling.

The backbone of the range was focused on the ever popular two and three quarter and three and a half horsepower classes.

The 2 3/4 Tourer claimed remarkable petrol consumption figures , due to the incorporation of a high tech aerofoil. Decades ahead in it's concern for the environment, this enabled runs to be made without using the engine at all . Unfortunately , road testing by the motorcycle press had to be deferred when the Chief Designers's Dad reclaimed the aerofoil for the family sailing dinghy.

But as always the main interest was on the 3 1/2 class , where the company offered it's revolutionary TT Clubmans Special. With their eyes firmly focused on victory in next years Senior TT , and astutely observing that a two stroke must automatically always twice the power of a four stroke of the same size , they had extrapolated this to conclude that a one stroke would produce four times the horse power of the Nortons, Velocettes and Rudges . Genuflecting to the shade of Dr Fred, and aided by the fortune circumstance that the crankcase drain plug of the original Wheezehound had the same thread size as an 18mm sparkplug, a prototype was swiftly produced. Alas, for dreams of glory on the Island, electrical teething problems forced their entry off in the first lap. As so often, the capabilities of the specialist vendors lagged behind the vision of the designers. In this case, despite their best efforts the spark plug manufacturers were unable to produce a plug that did not foul up in the lower cylinder.

The company now pinned its hopes on the very popular 1000cc Continental tourer . This model promised to be exceedingly popular and profitable, offering the British public the chance to tour on the Contnent, without suffered the avaricious exactations of the hated steam packet companies.(In fairness to the latter it must be said that Mr Churchill, ever with an eye to the future , had driven up their costs with his Naval programmes. In particular there was a grave shortage of the machines that formed the steam into packets, and the string to tie the packets up was almost unobtainable unless one had a MoD contract)

At the Olympia show in 1938 the company's stand was mobbed by the excited throng.

The secret , as in all truely great ideas was very simple. The Chief Designer (his maritime qualifications have been noted above) , observed (one of those Epiphanic moments with which the late Mr Archimedes was so familar) , that the rear wheel of a motorcycle shared many of its characteristics with the paddle of a paddle steamer (they are both round, for a start) .

To adapt the rear wheel of the "Continental" by the addition of paddles proved a challenging task for the spoke makers, but in true plucky bulldog fashion they rose to it . As regards other technical details , the Continental may be regarded as two of the 3 1/2 horse Wheezehound engines mounted on a common crankcase (the origin of most V twins) .

Alas, it was not to be . Like so many a promising and brilliant British innovation, political circumstances were too powerful for engineering brilliance.

The clouds of war gathering over the Continent now burst with full force. Mr Hitler, whose eye for intellectual genius was not comprised by his ability to turn it to evil purpose, immediately saw that the Wheezehound Continental was the key to destroying once and for all the accursed British Naval dominance that had frustrated the First and Second Reichs. Given a fleet of Wheezehound Continentals, the vaunted moat would be no defence against the Stormtroopers. Special squads of SS troops were immediately despatched throughout Europe to seize at gunpoint every Spagthorpe they could find.

A few escaped to the coast, where aided by the French Resistance , they attempted to escape back to Blighty, in a preview of Dunkirk. But Mr Hitler was determined that if he could not have them , Mr Churchhill would not either, and the dreaded U boat Wolf Packs were sent out to torpedo the fleeing Spagthorpes.

It was long thought that the last of the Continental Wheezehounds had gone to the bottom at the Battle of Little Piddlington Bay, but it seems certain that one at least escaped. The advantages of such a machine to one of Ms Fish's piscine adaptation are too obvious to require adumbration

Today, the Spagthorpe (as Mr SixPackBack has observed) is one of the rarest , and least known of the great and legendary British racing marques. The bombing of the company's premises during the Blitz meant that all records were lost.

Despite extensive search I have been unable to find any figures for performance (either terrestrial or aquatic) of the Continental Wheezehound.

However , as it was two Wheezehound 3 1/2 engines on a common crankcase we may surely assume that that it would have at least twice the horsepower of the current Manx or KTT models. That would indicate at least 100 bhp at the rear paddle.

One tantalising gem remains to savour . The Spagthorpe Chief Designer survived the war , and died recently on the eve of his 70th birthday. In his last moments , he made a heroic struggle , and cast off the clouds of delerium , to pass on the great secret that had been kept so closely for half a century. It appears that there was at least one prototype made of the Continental Spagthorpe , that was adapted to the company's revolutionary one-stroke design. The fate of this prototype is unknown , BUT , it is believed that it survived when the company's premises were blitzed having been , by great good fortune, removed from the garden shed that served as the Chief Designer's office and toolroom, to the coal cellar.

How exciting it would be if it was THAT machine which has come into the hands (uh, flippers) of Ms Fish. Assuming that the Manx or KTT of the period developed 50 bhp, and the standard Continental , thus , mathematically, 100bhp, we can see that the one-stroke would obviously ahve 200bhp available.

We will have to wait and see if Ms Fish is willing to put her machine "through it's paces". If she does , and if it SHOULD be the legendary one-stroke Continental Wheezehound, it will obviously leave the underpowered R1s, GSXR1000s and such like far behind.

We will just have to wait and see. Isn't it exciting.

(The handling of the Wheezehound was also revolutionary, but that story must await another day, or another narrator)

[Ixion]

One other of our more senior members use to claim he had a Wheezehound as part of the collection of bikes in his gargre, can't remember who but it was somebody like Viffer or similar....

I have seen three members mention owning or having owned one. The Spagthorpe seems relatively common in this country , for such a rare and wonderful machine. Perhaps, given the military capabilities of the Spagthorpe (obviously , far greater than those of BMW), the British War Cabinet, thought to take the provident precaution of sending a consignment to the most distant of the colonies ?

[crashe]

I have just been looking through my book
"Classic British Bikes" by Andrew Kemp and Mirco De Cet - published 1997 and can't find a thing about this bike.... Unless it is going by another name..?

[White trash]

I think Peter Brock spent thousands of dollars and years looking for one for his collection during his infamous "Energy Polarisor" days at HDT.

Didn't have alot of luck with either if my memory serves me correctly.

[Ixion]

Incidentally if any member fortunate enough to own one should wish to sell it , I would be very interested.

[Ixion]

I have just been looking through my book
"Classic British Bikes" by Andrew Kemp and Mirco De Cet - published 1997 and can't find a thing about this bike.... Unless it is going by another name..?

I think maybe it is too old to be classified as "Classic". Postively hoary, in fact

[Ixion]

Some More Info on the Spagthorpe

[Big Dave]

I think Peter Brock spent thousands of dollars and years looking for one for his collection during his infamous "Energy Polarisor" days at HDT.

Didn't have alot of luck with either if my memory serves me correctly.

You are the only other person whos ever mentioned the energy polariser to me

I do however prefer 'Roy and HG's - 'Donk Finger' - It was a polarising sausage. You could always eat it after the race.

[Ixion]

Also, few people remember that there was a short lived attempt to revive the Spagthorp name in teh States. This was nothing to do with the *real* Spagthorp, it was just trading on the name, like Indian or Henderson. The "American Spagthorps" were in fact made in China.

Some info Here

[SixPackBack]

Thanx for the info folk's. what about images? specifically of the 'wheezehound'.
Ms Fish has gone strangley silent on ownership and image matters, it would still be nice to see what this bike looked like.