Sprite-UK/American Eagle-USA /Alron-AUST

[Canam370]

Thanks Hoony. I'll check locally for distributors. OK everyone, you can have your thread back!

[mc 61]

As promised I have photo's of the Alron just have to work out how to post them "stay tuned"
I have spoken with the owner and he informs me that if the disscusion about extra brackets on frame are in reference to his bike,VMX issue #7 then you are not correct.

[mc 61]

Hopefully this works my son did it

[mx250]

Clever Son , great pixies . Thanks .

[JC]

MC61 many thanks for pics.

No the discussion about extra brackets is most assuredly not about his bike. Its about a bike/pic that 1st appeared in TW circa 75. The same pic happens to be in VMX #7, but its a 250 Ossa engined bike, not the featured bike which is of course the Sprite (husky-clone) engined 400.

[JohnnyO]

I love all this stuff about the Alron, their history is very interesting. I remember them when i was a kid and they were advertised as the only Australian made dirt bike on the market.
A few years ago i thought about maybe getting one and restoring it but now that i see how few were actually made i don't think that will happen.
I'm pretty sure i even have a Two Wheels mag test on one somewhere.
Keep up the good work boys and girls.

[mx250]

Mmmmmmm, sparkly, pruddy

[firko]

Mmmmmmm, sparkly, pruddy

And you may note, absolutely identical except for the tank stickers to the above Alron. As pretty as they are the huge seat kinda spoils the looks.

[Tossa]

Mmmmmmm, sparkly, pruddy

And you may note, absolutely identical except for the tank stickers to the above Alron. As pretty as they are the huge seat kinda spoils the looks.

Took the words right out of my mouth.  They must have stolen the design from RL.

Mark what variances of motors did the eagle have?

Other than Sprite (the original) Alron and Eagle were there any other brands that were spawned from the Sprite?

[mx250]

Mmmmmmm, sparkly, pruddy

And you may note, absolutely identical except for the tank stickers to the above Alron. As pretty as they are the huge seat kinda spoils the looks.

........except all the alloy bits are polished rather than painted matt/satin black, the frame is nickle plated (NOS or resto bling??) and the Eagle is missing those pretty and distinctive alloy side covers (and air box behind the covers. Mechanically they appear identical.

[mx250]

Noticed a few other small differences, the upright gap in the fins and the front of the tank - the Alron is bolted on. These differences probably model differences, variations in manufacture for various reasons rather than differences between the Eagle and Alron.

And a slight difference in the seat which is probably a resto issue.

[JC]

With respect Gents, look a little closer.

The A-E is the early frame w the early barrel, diff seat, no sidecovers (just # plates), diff brake - quite a lot diff from the Alron pictured.

Of course the later Sprite is the same as the 400 Alron - identical except for the badge on the tank, but the one above aint.

However, imho they're handsome beasts (either model) for the era, except as Mark says, for the seats. They look almost suitable for a pillion passenger!

I love all this stuff about the Alron, their history is very interesting. I remember them when i was a kid and they were advertised as the only Australian made dirt bike on the market.

I'm pretty sure i even have a Two Wheels mag test on one somewhere.
Keep up the good work boys and girls.

Johnny, I think you'll find the test is in an old Cycle Australia mag if its the test of the 400. I think it was Brian Clarkson's bike

[firko]

With respect Gents, look a little closer

me and my big mouth....now that I'm awake, you're absolutely right John. I think the seats may be the same though. Perhaps the A-E should have the elusive cast alloy side covers?

[JC]

Mark,

The pics I've seen of the early A-Es w the alloy tank & early barrell (360cc I believe) just have # plates like the one above. The cast alloy sidecovers seem to have come along w the bigger disntinctively-cast 400 barrel & the f'glas tank. They had a diff brake pedal then too (under the peg instead of over)

The seats are diff shape which is clear when you see them side-on, but both are unusually long w a bit of a 'mis-fit' look, as you intimated before.

 I just love em all (Sprites & derivatives), tho I'm not sure I would have wanted to race the husky-cloned ones back in the day. By most reports it would have been fraught w too much frustration!

[firko]

Tossa....One other that comes to mind is the Belgian BVM which has a story behind it similar to the identical Alron. Here's a paragraph  from a lengthier piece I did for McCook a while ago. The article features a few minor errors as I wrote it at the beginning of our research journey and had made some assumptions that later proved to be a tad off the mark.
http://www.mccookracing.com/articles/firko_greatSpriteScam.htm
:At the same time in Belgium, businessmen Jan Boonen and Jaques Van Velthoven started producing the BVM, in an attempt to create a homegrown motocross bike in the spiritual home of motocross. Belgium hadn’t produced a serious motocross bike of their own since the legendary F.N. machines of Rene Baeten back in the fifties. The initial plan was to produce sixty to eighty bikes in the first year fitted with a Sprite 405 engine and a British sourced chrome moly frame (starting to sound familiar?) REH hubs, Motoplat ignition and their ‘own designed’ Aluminium tank. Not surprisingly the bike was poorly received in Belgium and production ceased well short of the intended production numbers. The restored bike shown below is on display in bullet proof display case* at the owners home in Lommel, Belgium.

*(One could cruelly speculate that the bullet proof case is an attempt to prevent disgruntled former BVM investors from shooting the crap out of the bike!)