In circa 1880, a chap called Harry James set up the James Cycle Company Ltd in the one of the greatest industrial cities in the world – Birmingham – the City of a Thousand Trades.
Harry set out to manufacture Penny Farthing bicycles, but as time went on and the combustion revolution set in, the company turned to motorcycles and came up a primitive set of machines that evolved with time. In 1913 the first V Twin model was up in the James brochure. It was a 495cc side-valve with the cylinders set at 50 degrees and was sophisticated for the time, with chain transmission and a three-speed box. The bikes were known as the Pineapple models due to the make up of the fins, with every other one set at 90 degrees to each other in the horizontal plain.
The 495cc side-valve James remained in the line up for a considerable number of years and helped earn James a reputation for well-made, affordable motorcycles, known as The Famous James. The side-valve V Twins even sported some competition in 1921 when George Strange finished 4th in the 500cc Belgian Grand Prix at Spa, saddled up on his works-supported James.
The small V Twins continued into the 1930s, with some modifications to the motor and to the overall style of the motorcycle which was now in the saddle-tank era. The revised models started as the A2 in 1929 and continued to the B2 the next year, and so on until it was discontinued in 1935 as the G2. The bike featured is a 1933 E2, and was otherwise known and referred to by James as the Flying Ghost. It was available for £60 with electric lighting, and a horn and speedometer were available as optional extras.
In 1933 The Motor Cycle conducted a road test and found that the V-Twin was good for 66mph in top gear with a comfortable cruise speed of 50mph – a decent pace for a 500cc side-valve. The bike received a radiant review, aside from a comment about a leaking chain case (did they all not leak in this era!?) and the complexities of finding second gear on the odd occasion. The Motor Cycle provided a nice rounded overview of the ride: “The James handled nicely on the road, steered accurately, and did not suffer from rear wheel bounce. At high speed the steering was light enough to make the wide bars something of an inconvenience, but this is a matter of personal preference.”
The gearbox was James’ own three-speed, and the sparks were shovelled into the motor via a Lucas Magdyno, operated by twist grip control.
The E2 was an attractive machine, with twin pipes that contoured around the motor and frame before merging into a single fishtail exhaust. The 1933 Motor Cycle made mention of this system: “the fishtail emitted a very pleasant boom at all speeds, though towards the end of the test it became too noisy after a baffle had apparently disintegrated during a speed test”.
This 1933 James E2 De Luxe started life when it was sold by Pen Mill Garage (R.D. Plucknett) in Yeovil – the sole district agent for James motorcycles at the time. The fortunate owner would have been handed a sense of freedom on a handsome, comfortable machine that would quite happily crunch through the miles if required.
The first owner is unconfirmed, but what we do know is that in October 1936, the bike was registered to George Payne. The machine soon caught the eye of Cecil Turner and his brother, who would take it upon themselves to polish and admire the bike. As time went on, George decided that he no longer wanted the E2 and offered it for free to Cecil and his brother, minus the sidecar which he had promised to someone else. The brothers were modest in their response and handed George £3-00 and a packet of cigarettes – not a bad deal even by today’s standards! It was the 1950s, and at this time, Cecil was riding a Royal Enfield, however he somehow broke the frame and so his brother handed his stake of the machine over to Cecil.
Sue Ellis – the Great Niece of George Payne, with the E2
The James was used for some years until it was rested up and stored in various barns and sheds for near on 60 years. The bike has in fact spent its entire existence in Yeovil and is thought to be the only E2 now in existence.
Ces tinkering with the James, with a helping hand from his granddaughter
Cecil, or Ces as he was known, was a fantastic role model and was involved in numerous motorcycle charities. In 1978 he set up the Blood Bikes in Yeovil and went on to establish many more charitable groups around the UK.
The James – pre restoration
In 2013 the James was resurrected from a tired state and restored by Brian Wareham – a good friend of Ces. The Flying Ghost was back on the road, and Ces needed to make sure that it was in full working order, by flying off down a field, and almost pulling a wheelie! Ces was quick to show off his revived machine at shows and events in the South-East of the UK and it made its first appearance at the Abbey Hill Rally in May 2014.
Brian Wareham – the restorer, sat on the James E2
In 2017, the Yeovil section of the Blood Bikes made it to the finals of the “Good Morning Britain” Health Star Awards. This was in appreciation of all the work and lives that the team had saved over the years, and of course, Ces was present with his pride and joy. In 2022 the James was awarded the best pre-1939 motorcycle at the West of England Steam Society Show, with the cup being presented by Section Steward David Donald.
Ces sat astride his James E2
In 2023 Ces passed peacefully away at home. Ces had a humble send off, with his casket placed in a sidecar, which was then escorted by almost 200 motorcycles which included Blood Bike riders from across the UK – a moving tribute to a noble man who did so much for the motorcycle community.
The E2 has been handed down to Mandy who is the granddaughter of Ces. The Flying Ghost continues to live on and carries with it the memories of a top man.
Mandy with Ces and the James
If you are interested in the story of this wonderful machine, please visit the dedicated Facebook page at: http://www.facebook.com/james500vtwin
Thank you to Nigel Bussell for the invaluable input into this story and for the great photos.
an article by The Girder Club
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