OEC Atlanta

Frame Nr.: 1878 Engine Nr.: 39/OEC/8/950
Year: 1939             cc: 500
Documents: V5C  

Frederick Osborn of the Osborn Engineering Company began manufacture of motorcycles in 1901 using Minerva and MMC engines. After WWI, his son John Osborn resumed production of OEC-Blackburne machines, later shortened to OEC. During the marque's long lifetime models were produced with large capacity V-twin JAP, Blackburne and Matchless engines, and with Villiers two-stroke engines after WWII.

OEC Motorcycles were made in Portsmouth and Gosport. The Hampshire Museum has several OEC motorcycles, one of which is illustrated here. 

I believe the machine to be a OEC  Atlanta Special of 500cc, the engine is a badge engineered AJS/ Matchless ohv twin port with exposed hairpin valve springs. The OEC company made very high quality products and were famed for innovation and forward thinking including a duplex steering system. This bike has interesting Girling car type brakes, damped rear suspension both very innovative for the period. The forks are Druid items and the gearbox is a four speed Burman.
This machine first supplied to Les Griffiths registered CKG49 who was a postman from Cardiff and reported to use the bike to deliver mail with. The bike was laid up upon Mr Griffiths retirement in about 1947. At some time around 1970 the machine was purchase by a Mr John Fassum who owned the bike for many years and carried out extended restoration work and seems to have sold the bike in 2001/ 2002 and around this point the bike was re registered GAS357.

From this point until 2008 the bike it had another two owners and the machine was simply in storage. When th last owner acquired the bike it was complete although had deteriorated to some degree due to standing. The last owner has recently fitted new spokes in the wheels, fitted some new control cables, restored the wiring loom, cleaned the fuel system and re painted the fuel tank etc plus fitted the distinctive megaphone type silencers similar to the original items. The bike starts easily and sounds healthy, it has had a brief test ride and all seemed well. This is a lovely looking machine obviously of high quality and exceptionally rare furthermore it should prove to offer a high level of performance and good handling making it very usable. Certainly a crowd puller at any vintage event!