Robinson Willey Cooler Plate?

It looks like a copy of the headstock cover used on the De Luxe featherbed frames. Some but maybe not all Dommie frames round about 1962 to 1963 have two threaded holes on the front of the headstock tubes. My 88SS has the 'proper' cover bolted to those threaded holes. But I have not seen another with the cover plate apart from De Luxe models. My frame seems original and not converted from De Luxe but maybe they used the same tubes with the holes. Maybe racers used the same holes to fix a fly screen or front mumber?

If any historian knows any more I'd be interested to hear.

David Cooper

My m50 also has such a plate though not so crude.

A quick 'Google' indicates that Robinson Willey make gas fires...I suspect that someone used a bit of old flue flange to make a replacement headstock cover and left the name on to confuse everyone.

Got the headstock plate on three of my slimlines , I know my 99 came with one but I bought one in stainless for my magnificent model 50. The gusset plate (Opposite where the frame number is) seems to be the other plate that is on some machines and not others or were they all fitted with them and got lost along the way?

Previously richard_payne wrote:

A quick 'Google' indicates that Robinson Willey make gas fires...I suspect that someone used a bit of old flue flange to make a replacement headstock cover and left the name on to confuse everyone.

We had a Robinson Willey gas fire in our home for 35 years - never missed a beat ... .

The words "Heath Robinson" seem more suited. If you fit a cover it should have the curved washers between cover and frame ,same as the ones on the mudguards.And very fiddly to fit.

Neil - that's interesting. I have looked at lots of Slimlines and I don't think I have ever seen another except on the De Luxe in the National Motorcycle Museum. Nice to find out they were 'standard' at one time. I wonder for how long? Maybe in parallel with production of the De Luxe? Not all Slimlines seem to have the fixing holes either.

It makes running the cables that much more of a squeeze.

Less room for cables, never thought of that. Why is it there is no provision for cable runs?, are cables just an afterthought?. Fly by wire could be the future!!.

Good point Robert. And none of the manuals ever says where best to run each one. Since all existing bikes will have had some maintenance we can't even check by looking at others.

You are correct about a tight fit for the cables, David. I found out on here (Thanks) that this was one reason the tank radius was widened from 1964. You will see the filler cap on the opposite side too.

I'm going to have to re route the clutch cable on my 1960 99 when I put the original tank on, either that or take the headstock cover off to compensate?

Maybe they put the cover on to prevent us from worrying about cracks in the frame!

The only correct place for the frame number is on the nearside swing-arm pivot mount.

My 1961 Model 50 (Slimline) s/n 1396668 has that plate on the headstock also. It is listed in my parts manual as:

(no illustration no.) part no. 22637 Headlug cover

Fitted with: 2 ea (Illus H59) pn 23573 Fixing screws for cover

Interestingly, the two fixing screws on mine are different. The bottom one is a hex head capscrew whereas the upper one is a very shallow slotted-head screw. The clearance between the upper screw and the rear of the headlamp shell is minimal. Perhaps that is why the upper fitting screw is the shallow type.

I came across an article on an unrestored 99SS which had one, so I bought one for mine, from the NOC shop.