Forgotten Engineer

www.london-motorcycle-museum.org

Austel Motorcycles

Not well known but we have one in the Museum. It is a 1300cc Metro engined model with a 4 speed automatic gearbox. It is really designed for sidecar work, hence the leading link front forks and sturdy design. Chris Castell was the man who built these and was featured in Motorcycle News in October 1985. This article is on display with the Austel.

I have often wondered why someone would make something like this but when you talk to someone who knows about them and having ridden an outfit myself for many years I can understand the why. It is nothing to do with weight but the torque delivery from a car engine. Modern motorcycle engines tend to be short stroke and high revving delivering power at revs along with the torque. The older style of single cylinder motorcycle from the 1950's, in the form of 500cc singles, delivered the power much like a car engine and were really for sidecar use as at the time big solos were mainly of 350cc. This is not ignoring the vast numbers of lightweights that got people to work every day. In 1985 you had the big 750cc motors from Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha and Kawasaki that had amazing performance but the engine design and power delivery were not well suited to hauling a sidecar along. There other specials around at the time like the Fath NSU engined monster that gave so much torque it is reported that the rear wire wheel would eat its spokes and he ended up using cast wheels to get around this. At one time we had an Austin Ruby engined Norton on display so specials of putting car engines in motorcycles is not new. There are even 2CV engined specials with one on display at the London Motor Museum just down the road.

 

A couple of notes from Ian Savage who has kindly sent me these photos of his friends Austel rebuild.

“Thank you very much for showing me around the museum last Monday.

Here are a couple of photos taken today of my friend's Austels. Both are sidecar machines. The rusty one is Number 17, chain driven, 1000cc and was not completed at the time of Chris Castell's death. It is not as bad as it looks as it has just surface rust. The rest of the parts are away being painted.”

“The one with the red tank is Number 5, shaft driven, 1300cc and is the present project.

For your information, Austel are featured in Motorcycle sport November 1986 and June 1987.

At the moment we are converting the gear change and clutch from an awkward two pedal arrangement to hand change and foot clutch. The redundant hand clutch lever will be used to brake the sidecar wheel.”

No two Austel's were the same, one even used a Nissan engine. Some were shaft drive others chain. Gearboxes were automatic or manual depending, perhaps, on what was available at the time eleven were made but only 10 completed before the death of Chris Castell. He was quite special in what he achieved. It does make you wonder what he could have produced today as car engines have become lighter, smaller in capacity and in numbers of cylinders.