Castle Road, Chatham

[CAT]

If I'm correct with the identification of the motorbike as being an early 1930s Triumph NT500 then it would be regarded as being 500cc (actually 493cc) single cylinder overhead valve incline engine with three hand operated gears, though later four gear versions were available. They were regarded as a sports touring bike, and top of the range for the time. Also regarded as one of the fastest bikes on the road. A very expensive purchase then, and even more so now as they are regarded as quite rare and very collectable.

[johnfilmer]

I found on a Classic Car website, that KR was issued between October 1929 and March 1931. With such a high number, KR9959 must have been among the last of that sequence issued. The tree behind has no leaves (but buds?) so I think that fits to early 1931.
That makes Win 18, and Ivy nearly 22, which looks about right, and ties in with other dated photos.
Now was it a 250, 350 or 500? It does look like it could be brand new, hence the visit and the photos. Quite a purchase for a young man.

[Dave Smith]

Not relevant to Castle Road but to the sequence of registration letters; I well remember that my friend Roy Barnard, who's hobby was "spotting" Maidstone & District buses- a la "train spotters"- often used to point out, "there's one of the old KJ's". So they lasted well into the 40'. 

[CAT]

I must correct myself. The Triumph NT 500 (493cc) actually went into production in 1931 and not 1933 as previously thought.


You could well be right grangarog as there should also be a Triumph logo on the rubber knee pad either side of the petrol tank and on the side plate to the rocker cover.

[grandarog]

Certainly is a Triumph .The badge confirms . Can make out "RIUM" letters.

[CAT]

A bit of a trawl suggests the bike was a Triumph NT 500cc 1cyl OHV (over head valve), which was a touring bike with the inclined cylinder. This bike appears to have been made around 1933.

[CAT]

I'm certainly no expert, but the original registration allocation books are lodged with KCC Archives at Maidstone. On their website titled 'Registers of Motor Vehicles' they have this information:
'Registration marks for the period 1903 to 1932 were allocated in the sequence D, KT, KN, KE, KK, KL, KM, KO, KP, KR and KJ. Generally, numbers are shown consecutively within the series but, on occasion, an earlier number is repeated - probably as the result of an owner paying a fee to retain a registration mark'.
'With the introduction of three letter registration marks in 1933, a more standardised procedure was adopted. The series of registration marks allocated to the Kent County Council Licences Department were used in the alphabetical order KE; KJ; KK; KL; KM; KN; KO; KP; KR; and KT. These pairs of letters formed the second and third letters of the three-letter series and were preceded by the letters A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,R,S,T,U,V,W,X and Y. Thus the initial series were AKE, AKJ, AKK, AKL, AKM, AKN, AKO, AKP, AKR, AKT, BKE, BKK, etc'.This would suggest the date for the bike registration would fall towards the late 1920s - early 1930s. A trip to the KCC Archives might be more fruitful?

[shoot999]

Thanks for that shoot999, I think that you have nailed it. Same forks, hand change even the panel under the seat. The badge looks right as well, I only suggested Ariel as it was a round badge in my memory.
The pillion seat appears to be a luggage carrier with a padded top, which without rear suspension must have been "interesting".
Did they do other engine capacities in the same frame like in the 50s/60s. So that I had a 350cc AJS single in the 250cc frame, but you could also get the 350 in the 500 frame. Just nosey.

Do you have dates for the beast? I was hoping that the KR reg might help, but I can't find the reference that I have used before - the joys of the internet!

Unfortunately no more information. Just did a quick search online from vague memories of mine and my dads bikes. And I think we maybe both looking for the same internet site re reg plates. Iv'e used it before with a lot of success, but can't seem to find it now. But still looking 

[johnfilmer]

Thanks for that shoot999, I think that you have nailed it. Same forks, hand change even the panel under the seat. The badge looks right as well, I only suggested Ariel as it was a round badge in my memory.
The pillion seat appears to be a luggage carrier with a padded top, which without rear suspension must have been "interesting".
Did they do other engine capacities in the same frame like in the 50s/60s. So that I had a 350cc AJS single in the 250cc frame, but you could also get the 350 in the 500 frame. Just nosey.

Do you have dates for the beast? I was hoping that the KR reg might help, but I can't find the reference that I have used before - the joys of the internet!

[shoot999]

As I have posted in other threads, my grandmother had a shop at 207 Castle Road, and the family lived next door at 205.
I found this series of photos taken in the back garden of 205, which have a couple of interests to me, firstly the background, or lack of it. This rather bears out the comments by other members of their being able to simple walk over the hill into countryside.
I would love to know the details of the motorbike, an Ariel maybe? Rough date for the photos is 1930, or slightly earlier.
The bike's owner was Clive, the then boyfriend of my Aunt, the (much) shorter of the two sisters hence she was always known as Tich. He may have been in the military, but the only other photo that connects him doesn't show any insignia.

Can't find too many Ariels around that time that had a slanted engine. It could be a Triumph as there were a lot of them about that had a slanted engine. And the plate at the top of the cylinder  is the same shape and size and location as the Triumph name plate used around that period.

[castle261]

Ah! yes - Castle Road - We lived next door to the sweet shop at 263 - she was a lovely old lady - we bought a half penny bag of broken biscuits
from the shop - the biscuits were all lined up in front of the serving counter in metal boxes about 12 inch square. Her name escapes me - at the moment.
I believe we shopped there - for some of our weekly shop. We never used Castle Road much - We used Magpie Hall Road - to walk into town.

[johnfilmer]

As I have posted in other threads, my grandmother had a shop at 207 Castle Road, and the family lived next door at 205.
I found this series of photos taken in the back garden of 205, which have a couple of interests to me, firstly the background, or lack of it. This rather bears out the comments by other members of their being able to simple walk over the hill into countryside.
I would love to know the details of the motorbike, an Ariel maybe? Rough date for the photos is 1930, or slightly earlier.
The bike's owner was Clive, the then boyfriend of my Aunt, the (much) shorter of the two sisters hence she was always known as Tich. He may have been in the military, but the only other photo that connects him doesn't show any insignia.