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

[flower pot racing]

Sprite founder Frank Hipkin has emailed me with comments on the American Eagle in Toms museum. Here's an excerpt from his email..........It's all about detail
'regarding the 405 Eagle in Whites Museum of old motorcycles, as you are already aware of, that model is not true. The main thing wrong is a 2 gallon aluminium tank, the model should be in bright orange or blue Fiberglas, the seat is off the 405 or 250 CC fast back, 1971 onwards. Also the front mudguard would have been a steel chrome plated, would have a steel  bracket attached underneath the forks'

A FEW HOURS LATER:
I've just noticed that the American Eagle is also fitted with Ceriani forks instead of the original Sprite items.

He may be an expert and it may well be a bike that he built, but I am more than happy to take anyones money who says they are Ceriani.  They are not.  They are MPs!  I have never ever ever seen Cerianis with a drain hole in the side  ~ ever (although I am no expert and continue to learn all the time.  Please correct me if I am wrong) .  In fact the only forks in that lovely Ceriani style with the drain on the side that I have ever seen, are ..... MPs!

[flower pot racing]

Sprite founder Frank Hipkin has emailed me with comments on the American Eagle in Toms museum. Here's an excerpt from his email..........It's all about detail
'regarding the 405 Eagle in Whites Museum of old motorcycles, as you are already aware of, that model is not true. The main thing wrong is a 2 gallon aluminium tank, the model should be in bright orange or blue Fiberglas, the seat is off the 405 or 250 CC fast back, 1971 onwards. Also the front mudguard would have been a steel chrome plated, would have a steel  bracket attached underneath the forks'

A FEW HOURS LATER:
I've just noticed that the American Eagle is also fitted with Ceriani forks instead of the original Sprite items.

He may be an expert and it may well be a bike that he built, but I am more than happy to take anyones money who says they are Ceriani.  They are not.  They are MPs!  I have never ever ever seen Cerianis with a drain hole in the side  ~ ever.  In fact the only forks I have sene that do them like that are ..... MPs!

Mps are very similar in style to Cerianis but on this occasion I would have to say they are definately not Cerianis.    A beautiful bike non the less.

[firko]

That's my fork misdiagnosis not Franks Ben . I bow to your well trained eye for detail mate. All I recognised was that they weren't Sprite forks. Frank's also emailed me to inform me of my f*#k up. It's not the first time I've confused Metal Profiles with Cerianis, much to my embarrassment.
Here's a couple more shots of Toms American Eagle.

[mx250]

So, is that Tom's interpretation of an American Eagle or was there more than one model?

I see the tank, the forks, the black barrel and heads, and the wheels (hubs) as being different.

[flower pot racing]

Sprite forks?  What are they Mark.....?

You learn something everyday, so please educate me.

[VMX247]

Sprite forks?  What are they Mark.....?

You learn something everyday, so please educate me.

pick me pick me ..I know        Norton telescope ,though mine have Cerianis too. 
cheers A

[firko]

Ben, here's some guff from Frank Hipkin on Sprite forks.The comments on red over the blueprint are Franks.
Putting in a leaflet on the forks. The Yokes were cast with inserts to retain taper rollers bearings, also we cast groves in stead of machining. The nut with know air vent. We made our own oil seals. Damper tubes were forge, as you can see we a lot of changes.  Mark there is so much to remember.
Regards
Frank.

[SAABCOMBI]

67 Husky,  l sent you a message the other day but  with no reply, the question was  regarding my Dot, did you happen to see the bike on display at Tom Whites Museum. cheers 33m

[cheapracer]

Sprite was very successful during the late 60s with a lot of good wins in the UK with riders of the calibre of Terry Chalinor, Terry Ledbitter and Vic Eastwood racing them.

Hipkin; "All the motocross frames are made from 1.5mm, 1" diamter ERW tube"

Davey Crocket and TeeBone take note.

It never gave any problem at all within the drive train, every bike with the Ossa motor was like that out of square
hey guess what it doesn't matter what angle the motor is at as long as the sprockets lineup

Doesn't matter a toss, seen chains turn 90 degrees on some machinery over an appropriate distance. Interestingly though I have had to drum into my workers that Westerners will not accept those shenanigans or bad looking welds as it gives a perception of poor quality regardless if it's sound or not.

[paul]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/American-Eagle-Sprite-/120739879003?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item1c1ca8585b

[VMX247]

http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/American-Eagle-Sprite-/120739879003?pt=US_motorcycles&hash=item1c1ca8585b

Thanks Paul...Dont see em too often.... Actually just had a look through my pics and Uncle Firko has posted this bike up in the previous pages on this thread,with Californian Palm trees in the back ground  ..
A steering stop to go plz 
cheers A

[VMX247]

Here she is a few years prevoius - thanks Firko for the US pic 

[SR 250]

They are a very nice bike, l saw the same model on USA ebay and l think its still their.

[VMX60]

Just got this photo from Robert racing back in the 70s in the USA taken off a slide his 250cc Eagle with sprite copy husky motor




Cheers

Update from Robert

 Thanks for posting the pic. I still enjoy the thread and being involved a little.

 That's actually a 125 with Zundapp motor. It was slow with the usual 12 neutrals so we had Don Emler who went on to FMF fame, do the full engine mods. He worked for EC Birt and his  Precision Cycle at the time.  Did the shift mods, porting, head milled, bigger Bing carb, and a modified Suzuki race kit pipe. We also put on Preston Petty fenders, Akront rims, a Yam rear hub. and Curnutt shocks. A lot of work and expense but it was then not a bad bike for it's time.

 How'd your KONIs come out?   I recently found a place that does very high quality re-hard chroming to original or oversize, for $90 a shaft. Also we're in the process of hopefully getting original seals reproduced. 

 Best Regards, Robert Haag

[Tossa]

http://www.grubinandcompany.com/page/page/4915642.htm

have look beneath the greeves griffon. A Tyran 400, looks very familiar