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

[Iain Cameron]

standard is two rings Dave .

[Iain Cameron]

less drag and weight , though two ring are more effective for comp over a longer time like in road or trail use but for race where a motor is rebuilt quite often single is better .

[firko]

To me it looks like you may have struck gold Dave. The best way of telling a GYT barrel externally from a stocker is that the stocker has cast in "towers" cast in between the fins while the GYT doesn't have the castings. This can be seen in the photo below...the centre cylinder is a genuine GYT and the two outer are standard enduro versions. The single ring piston is a GYT item as is the fatter carb manifold insulator. The GYT head should have one plug centrally located and sitting upright, the head on Daves motor seems to have the plug at an angle indicating that it's from an Enduro model. The odd thing is there only being one plug hole. I just double checked on my restored very early DT1 and it's got two plug holes.
           

[firko]

Sprite founder Frank Hipkin sent me these shots earlier in the week, the captions are his. He regularly lurks the forum, this thread especially for obvious reasons . I'm slowly putting together an in depth look into the Sprite/American Eagle/Alron yarn. My crappy health problems over the last year or so have put it on the backburner but hopefully I'll be getting back into it again before long. We're hoping to combine it with JC's excellent work on the Alron portion of the story for the definitive piece on the marque and its fiesty creator.

[firko]

Mark this a birds eye view of the head

Solid Gold Dave .....The head's a genuine GYT so the engine seems to be a GYT or MX version going by what we can  see (the cylinder, head and carby insulator). Someone's done it right back in the day with the exception of that fugly pipe. If it's made for a Hodaka 125 it'll be all wrong for the DT1. A GYT pipe would be the perfect period piece for it. Or Bassani,Hooker or Torque Industries items from the day.

If When you sell this bike Dave I'd like first shot at it.

[firko]

Mystery Head:
Something bothered me about the head on Daves Sprite/DT1 that required me take a trip out to the shed for some detective work. I've just come in from examining all 3 of my GYT heads,  discovering that all of them have two plugs as shown in the head on the centre barrel in my photo a few posts ago, one upright in the centre of the combustion chamber and the other at 45 degrees pointing towards the front. If Dave's is a genuine Yamaha item, we've opened up another chapter in the weird and wacky world of GYT parts. One explanation might be that besides the differences between chrome and iron barrels on DT1MX and DT1-GYT engines, there might be a difference in heads as well. If not, where does the single plug GYT head fit into the picture?

have you found a YZ125 A tank yet.I tried to call you before.

I may have found one thanks to another forum member. The phone's been busy as hell this morning.

[EML]

Is it a bit like the single ring piston-motocross use only-I mean, you don't gat alot of oppurtunity to swap plugs leads during a moto do you?-unlee you ride a CZ

[VMX60]

Dave

Told you this was a Golden Treasure with a GYT kit   PURE GOLD


NEVER SAY NEVER

When you can still find bikes like this

Firko your a lucky man to have 1st  offer on this one   

Cheers

In my stock i have a gen GYT up pipe brand new will post Photo when i can dig it out

[bazza]

Dave is "green machine a keeper"? Whats with the Avatatr name changes? just curious

[firko]

I have just notice that the DT1 engine has Left and right gear change shaft, is this normal for this model.

Yeah, the shaft goes right through with a spline on either side. My little DT1 flat tracker is set up for right foot change.

[firko]

I got this self captioned photo attached to a lovely 'Get Well' message from Frank Hipkin this morning. Frank's getting over a broken foot himself, received when his foot slipped off the peg while riding his late model KTM 250. Not too shabby for an old fella well into his 70's. He still works and spends most weekends at his 'Cold Green Farm' doing whatever it is farmers do and riding. Methinks he should restore one of his Sprite models for something to do!! .

[Tahitian_Red]

Mystery Head:
Something bothered me about the head on Daves Sprite/DT1 that required me take a trip out to the shed for some detective work. I've just come in from examining all 3 of my GYT heads,  discovering that all of them have two plugs as shown in the head on the centre barrel in my photo a few posts ago, one upright in the centre of the combustion chamber and the other at 45 degrees pointing towards the front. If Dave's is a genuine Yamaha item, we've opened up another chapter in the weird and wacky world of GYT parts. One explanation might be that besides the differences between chrome and iron barrels on DT1MX and DT1-GYT engines, there might be a difference in heads as well. If not, where does the single plug GYT head fit into the picture?

have you found a YZ125 A tank yet.I tried to call you before.

I may have found one thanks to another forum member. The phone's been busy as hell this morning.

Firko,

In the photos from this thread the GYT head seems to have only one plug or is it my aging eyesight?

http://ozvmx.com/community/index.php?topic=14473.0

 

[firko]

In the photos from this thread the GYT head seems to have only one plug or is it my aging eyesight?

Hmmmmm, so they do. So, that opens up a new situation as to the differences between twin plug and single plug GYT heads (besides the obvious ) and what engine configuration either came on.

[firko]

Frank's replied to my querie as to the origin of the forks and front hub on Daves bike....I was right
" The forks are REH. The Hubs are British HuB in Birmingham. The early hubs were Finned fully. Then we machined most of them away, only leaving one fin. Because of the cast insert on the brake side".

[firko]

This is on Marks Swapmeet today. It's exactly what I'm intending to do with my own Sprite/American Eagle.
http://www.vintagemx.us/cgi-bin/largephoto.cgi?C=KCwzXk4vVkbKh3oM&w=2