Cool ~110 year old video of Rover Imperial Motorcycle construction

[masraum]

I happened upon this video on facebook. It's a 10.5 minute silent file from the early 1900s with details of the construction of the Rover Imperial Motorcycle. It starts by showing the casting of the cylinder and proceeds through other machining, and assembling of the motor and motorcycle and then finishes by showing some factory test drivers. It's one of the coolest videos that I've seen in a while.

[fireant911]

masraum,
That is a really interesting video. I spent ten years working as an engineer at a brass foundry that utilized sand casting. The process itself is really old but I was always amazed by these foundry men. Mold making is very labor intensive work especially if the molder is very concerned about the quality of the end product. The simplicity of the Rover engine reminds me much of the old Gravely walk behind tractors that utilized the Gravely-made engines... magneto and all. The T head engines are amazingly reliable and easy to work on. Those motorcycles have a pretty large pulley on the rear wheel! I wonder if the workers actually normally wore ties to work or if this was just for the video shoot???

Thanks for posting the vid!

[masraum]

Thanks, I've heard/read about sand casting, but that's not the same as seeing it happen. I thought it was very interesting stuff.

I thought the belt drive with the huge pulley was interesting too.

[recycled sixtie]

Thanks for the video Steve. The quality of the video is very impressive for that era.

As regards wearing a tie? I have seen photos of car production workers wearing a tie in the UK probably during the 1930's.

[stevej37]

Great video...really enjoy films from those times. Can you imagine riding one of todays bikes with an open drive belt and pulley like that!

[Yorkie]

Until recently my Dad had a 1921 Omega 250 flat tanker. Hand shift and hand oil pump. Bicycle front brake. Hard Tail. I only rode it a couple of times but it was scary to me. You really watch the rode ahead and plan accordingly. But those bikes were from a time when the roads were empty.

[stevej37]

Originally Posted by Yorkie

Until recently my Dad had a 1921 Omega 250 flat tanker. Hand shift and hand oil pump. Bicycle front brake. Hard Tail. I only rode it a couple of times but it was scary to me. You really watch the rode ahead and plan accordingly. But those bikes were from a time when the roads were empty.

What is, or what does a hand oil pump do? Have never heard of that. Interesting.