PAGE 64. MESSAGE BOARD: Spares, Contacts & Your Emails

As so many of you are writing for advice on spares availability for cyclemasters – as well to make contact and have a chat – I’ll now publish emails and replies if they might help others with similar questions.

You’ll also find below some useful contact details. Please bear in mind that it’s not financially viable for a business to buy and sell cyclemotor spares; even whole machines usually take a while to sell. So it’s only something you’d do for the love of them. Apart from looking around at autojumbles, the only place where spares generally crop up is on ebay.

However, if you have cycle-attachment spares for sale (or a complete engine or cyclemotor), please email me details and I’ll either put you in touch with anyone looking for something similar, or you can advertise it here for you (for free).

My email address is in the photo below …I’m happy to hear from you and help if I can.

wingyourheel.jpg

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Hi,
I have a 1950’s Rabeneick bicycle with a German made “cyclemaster” engine on the rear wheel that I received from my father after he passed away. I’m trying to restore it and then pass it down to one my sons. It has a Meco carburetor and Bosch ignition system; I believe that it is the TAXI 14 model with a 32cm motor.

The following information is off of the engine:
Rabeneick Brackwede
Motor Nr: 015617
Hubraum 32cm3 Typ M14
B PS 081 A.B. Nr. 723

With your knowledge and expertise I was hoping you could help me locate the following parts so that I can get the motor running.

Piston and rings
Clutch (cork is bad)
Engine Gasket Set

My email address is: “Ice124man AT triad.rr.com” (replace AT with @)

Thank You,

Chuck McGinnis
5400 Gray Leigh Drive
Oak Ridge, N.C. 85233 U.S.A.
336-601-9714

Hi Chuck,

It’s not easy to find original Rabeneick Cyclemaster parts in Germany, as they are much rarer there than the British Cyclemaster. For example, on my German Cyclemaster I replaced the carb and ignition parts with British parts (it’s compatible with the early version of Cyclemaster, ie 25cc) and it’s now running fine.

Nevertheless, if you look below, you’ll find Bengt’s email address: he offers good advice on German part compatibility.

The piston and rings, and maybe a gasket set, should be available from Peter Stratford. His contact details are also below.

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http://www.cyclemaster.web.surftown.se

Hello Colin

If you want to use the English parts, you have to
replace the whole ignitionplate, flywheel and
excenter on crankshaft.

You can not place a english coil on german plate.
It will not fit.

If you will replace a german Meco-Bielefeld carb with a
english Amal carb the inletpipe and carb. coverplate
must be replaced to.

What is wrong with the carburator?

Bengt.

Subject: Cyclemaster/ Rabeneick

> Hi,
>
> I hope it’s okay to write in English.
>
> I have a 1952 Rabeneick Cyclemaster Taxi.
>
> Unfortunately i need replacement carburettor, ignition coil and
> condensor.
>
> It is very hard to find German ones.
>
> I noticed on your website that ‘Cyclemaster2’ is a German wheel with
> an English Carburettor.
>
> Please can you tell me from your experience if I can use the
> carburettor, ignition coil and condensor for the early English 25cc
> cyclemaster to fit my Rabeneick?
>
> Thanks,
>
> Colin

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Hello,

I am the deputy stage manager at The Mercury Theatre in Colchester and for our upcoming production of Alan Bennett’s Habeas Corpus we are trying to find a power assisted bicycle from the 1970s. I wondered if you knew of where we might get hold of one, or of anyone who might have one we can borrow. Any help or advice you can give us would be very much appreciated!

Regards,

Jill

Jill Russell

Deputy Stage Manager

Mercury Theatre, Colchester
tel 01206 245508
fax 01206 769607

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MR PETE STRATFORD

CYCLEMOTOR & AUTOCYCLE SPARES

136 WINDLEY ROAD

LEICESTER

LE2 6TB

0116 2832070

http://www.cyclemotor-autocycle-spares.co.uk

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This link is for the Cyclemotor and Autocycle Section of the V.M.C.C.

http://www.magic-wheelers.org.uk

There’s also a yahoo group recently started for fans of autocycles and cyclemotors. Alan Hummerstone runs the cyclemotor section of the Vintage Motorcycle Club and is happy to answer any technical questions you may have. The link is below:

http://uk.groups.yahoo.com/group/pip_squeak_and_wilfred/

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http://www.icenicam.ukfsn.org/

The link above will take you into the excellent Icenicam magazine, which is a quarterly magazine for all cyclemotor enthusiasts. You can view it online as a pdf file for free or, for a small sum, they will post you a printed copy.

There are adverts in the magazine for various spares services.

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EASIEST WAY TO REPLACE A CYCLEMASTER CONDENSOR
by Andrew Rodham
The original condenser’s are no longer available and any old stock you might find will be pretty useless by now. These old foil / paper / wax filled components deteriorate with age rather than with use. They actually weren’t that good when they were new…..
Most of the replacements that you can buy are either too big & won’t fit under the flywheel (and are of too high a capacity) or are simply radio components that you might buy from an electronics store anywhere in the world for a few pennies.
I recommend that you visit a local electronics store (Radio Shack ?) and buy a radio capacitor to the following specification:
Voltage: >65v
Capacitance: 0.1 microfarad
Type: Polystyrene or Polyester, cylindrical style with a flylead at each end.
You should be able to find one physically small enough to actually fit inside the original brass casing. The ones I use are about 3/16″ diameter x 1/2″ long.
I fix them into the casing by:
Drilling a hole in the bottom, pulling out the original contents & cleaning it out,
Fit a new connecting wire to one of the flyleads of the capacitor & feed it into the casing (this is the end that will connect to the breakers),
Fix the capacitor into the casing with epoxy glue (note it is not necessaty to completely fill the casing, use just enough to stop the capacitor from rattling around)
Cut a small piece of thin brass or use a small brass washer to close the drilling
Solder the brass / washer onto the casing, ensuring that you solder the other capacitor flylead onto the casing at the same time.
If it is done neatly, it is almost impossible to tell a condensor that has been remanufactured from an original – except that it will work much better !

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