Complete Range of engine Touring, Sports and Racing Models embodying Up-to-date Ideas.
BAKER machines for next year will be available in five forms for road use, and in addition there will be a special model built primarily for grass-track racing. From the point of view of appearance alone, the new models represent a distinct advance on the 1928 productions. The " Colonial " frame, with its high ground clearance, is standardized now for all models, and saddle tanks, shapely in outline and neatly finished with a yellow panel on a black ground, are employed on ail hut one design.
Beginning at the lower end of the range, there is the "40" model, fitted with the 147 c.c. Villiers engine. A two-speed Albion gear box is used; the tyres measure 24in.x2 1/2in., and brakes of 4in. diameter (front) and 5in. (rear) are fitted. This model has not the saddle tank, but at the price of £25 it is splendid value; for a further £1 10s. it can be supplied with a three-speed gear box.
Inexpensive 172 c.c. Sports Model.
Next comes the " 50 " model, equipped with the Villiers 172 c.c. sports engine with twin exhaust ports. A saddle tank has compartments for petrol and oil, the lubrication system being the well-known Villiers method of pressure feed. Again the tyre sizes are 24in. x 2 1/2 in.; a three-speed gear box is a standard item, while the brake sizes are increased to 5in. (front) and 6in. (rear). The price of this model is £30.
In the model known as the "58" the 247 c.c. Villiers sports engine is used, the rest of the specification being similar to that of the 172 c.c. machine just mentioned, with the exception that wired-on tyres, measuring 25in x 3in are employed, and D-section mudguards of greater width are fitted. In its standard form this model will cost £35.
All the machines previously mentioned may be obtained with direct electric lighting for £1 10s. extra, or with the battery lighting set for £4 10s. extra.
The two remaining models in the range are particularly appealing, for they are as good to look at as anything Olympia is likely to house this year.
They are known as the "55" and "60," the engine sizes being 172 c.c. and 247 c.c. respectively ; both power units are of the super-sports type, Each has a saddle tank capable of holding more than two gallons of fuel, and a speedometer is fitted flush with the tank top, being nicely balanced by an unusually large filler cap of unique design.
An extremely neat drive for the speedometer is arranged from the rear wheel, the large fibre gear ring being secured inside the brake drum, while the driven shaft communicating with the cable, and carrying the small gear wheel, is attached to the anchor plate.
A Separate oil tank is fitted below the saddle of each of these two models, the Villiers system of lubrication being retained. On the 247 c.c. machine there is a new chain guard covering half the chain and chain wheel, and also the flywheel. An interesting addition is the inclusion of an air cleaner of Villiers design to the carburetter air intake. A front brake of 5in. diameter and rear brake of 6in. are fitted to wheels equipped with 25in. x 3in. wired-on tyres.
Advance Details o£ New Models.–
A new gate control for the 3-speed gear has been designed, and the equipment also includes direct electric lighting with a 6in. head lamp, and a tail lamp mounted on the rear number plate, wide mudguards, improved footrests, licence holder, and bulb horn. Attention has been given to the silencing of the exhaust note, a separate expansion chamber being fitted to each pipe.
With full equipment, the price of the 372 c.c. machine will be. £38. and the 247 c.c. model will cost £40 10s. Lighting with the battery charging set will be £3 extra on both models, and it should be noted that although deliveries will begin immediately, the last two machines described cannot be obtained with speedometers until after the Show. In the meantime, the prices for these s models have been fixed at £35 10s. and £39 respectively,
The grass track model is purely for racing, and is totally unsuitable for use on the public highway, both on account of its intractability and its rather piercing exhaust note. A special 172 c.c. high-compression racing engine, controlled by twist grips, is used in conjunction with a close ratio gear box. An expansion chamber is fitted to the exhaust pipes transversely, in front of the crank case, the outlet from the "silencer" being a wide slot similar to that of a letterbox. Plated mudguards are fitted, their section being almost flat and their width negligible.
This machine has been evolved as the result of the considerable experience the makers have had of this sport, and the success already attained should be a guarantee of the suitability of this new model for its special work.
The Motor Cycle, September 27th, 1928. page 509
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