Thursday 13 October 2022

The surviving ES2/ESII


-SG- The very first ES2s listed in the despatch records are shown as ESIIs and they include one despatched to H Matthews with engine 35580, who rode it in the 1927 Amateur.  He was, I believe, involved in a collision with another rider and retired.  His machine was restored by the late Wilf Green - see our earlier posting of 18 Nov 2009 - and over thirty years ago was sold to Arthur Skinner of Buntingford, with whom I was on good terms.  Arthur died a couple of years back in his mid-nineties and the ESII now has a new owner.  For reasons which are not clear the bike had been partly dismantled and the new owner tells me that the cast alloy primary chain case is missing and so is the gear-change assembly for the LS Sturmey Archer gear-box.  If anyone can help with the supply of these items, please contact Derek direct at derek_fox@btinternet.com