PR: Proprietary Items Varley Battery Story PR23/1

[craig]

I have always assumed that an Exide 6volt battery was the factory supplied battery for all B & C series Vincents and dutifully painted up the reproduction post 1958 Silver Exide battery case, stuck a dry cell 12v in the repro case, put an Alton 12v on the Comet/Rapide and been a happy camper.
This was until I found a brochure for a Varley Dry-Accumulator MC 7/12 and looked closely at the spares list index.
I have never understood the battery pictured on M036.
Is this picture/drawing, on M036, of an early Exide? a Varley?

I cant find any discussion or threads on this Varley.
What can you historians explain please?
I do not want to be asked to leave the Vincent show field because I have chosen the wrong battery.
Thank you
Craig

 

[craig]

Here is another spares index page crop that is listing PR23.

 

[craig]

Here is a scan of the loose flyer included within the Varley battery brochure.

 

[david bowen]

Varleys came on the market with a semi dry battery Vincent were one of the first to use them. at the time Varleys were a small company near Southend UK.

 

[david bowen]

Craig, you will be Ok with your bike, Vincents did not have them until about 1951

 

[david bowen]

Varley batteries used fullers earth ! my 1912 Daimler sleeve valve car hand book said, in case of clutch slip pour in Fuller Earth.

 

[craig]

Varley batteries used fullers earth ! my 1912 Daimler sleeve valve car hand book said, in case of clutch slip pour in Fuller Earth.

Fullers earth was to absorb any oil on the Daimler clutch?
Also used in dry battery to absorb acid solution?

Even tho listed in spares, PR23/1, I don't think I have ever seen a Varley in a Vincent or anywhere. I see Varley still manufactures hi tech, light weight, specialty racing/aircraft type batteries.

 

[craig]

I would like to purchase a period correct Varley 7/12 for the purpose of scanning and reproducing a battery case. Please pm me if you know of any available. Thank you, Craig

 

[Sakura]

Others will have more knowledge than me on this subject but I think you will find that Vincent's also used the early Exide, that looks almost identical to the Varley, with the external threaded connectors and similarly shaped lid. In common with all other bike manufacturers I suspect they had more than one supplier of batteries.

 

[david bowen]

Each road tester had there own battery, after road test bikes cleaned and sent to dealers, some export bikes were sent no batters no tyres .