Lens material for MT110 taillight

Hello Mark

A couple of years ago I found a source of new old stock Lucas MT110 tail lights. They were eye wateringly expensive, as the supplier had been watching ebay prices, but I got one anyway as I wanted my restoration to be correct.

The lens is made of plastic, and is a smooth finish inside and out. It is held in place with a rolled on chrome (probably brass, as is the main body) bezel. The bezel is quite a crude fit - it rocks about and turns easily, as does the lens inside - a dab of clear silicone should sort it.

Proir to this I had one of the far eastern pattern ones, which at least has afitting for a double filament bulb to give a stop light.The lens on this is smooth outside and faceted inside, but is alarger diameter, and would not fit a genuine Lucas MT110.

Hope this helps

Regards

Roger Hainsworth

It's a good question, Mark. Lucas were masters of supersession so we're unlikely to find any differences in part number or even references to changed construction in any literature.

Although fitment to new machines didn't continue for long after the war, they are likely to have continued producing them as spare parts until demand dried up and there could have been detail changes during this period.

All I can say for certain is that the lens on the Khaki-Green No.3 MT110 fitted to my 1939 16H is made of glass and is smooth and rounded on the outside and faceted on the inside. The retaining bezel appears to be made of aluminium. The number plate window is of clear acetate.

Mark / Richard

I have a verycomprehensive Lucas book - 'Equipment and Spare Parts for Motor Cycles - Master Catalogue 1936 - 1957'. A4 size &1/2" thick, It lists, with pictures, every Lucas motorcycle part made during that period.Two different MT110's are listed - ordering numbers 53009, and 526082, but I cannot work out what the difference is. To complicate matters there is an 'A' on the end of most of the listings, which may be a later mod. to plastic lens?

I have 2new old stock MT110's, both have the plastic lens,( the bezellookstoo bright to be aluminium) -with plastic lens as possibly later production? In the foreword of the catalogue under 'Supersession charts for units & parts' it states 'that many of the older units and components are no longer available, and every endeavouris made toreplacethem with more modern and improved types'

As an example, Norton ES2 is listed as having Tail & number plate MT110 53009A from 1936-48, Then MT211 for 1949 -50, a480 for 1951-52, then a stop & tail and number plate light 525 for 1953-54, and a Stop tail, number plate and reflex (reflector) 564 (the common 'D' light of the 50s & 60's) from 1955 - 1956and so on - I said this book is comprehensive!

Richard - your 1939 16H is listed as 'Tail and number plate' MT110 - 53009A, and glass would make sense for that earlier period.

Regards

Roger

Norton ES2