[phutton]

Interestingly, the Light Solo was one of Marston's longest-lived models. It first appeared in the catalogues for 1922, and the model name used until 1938. Called the Model 5 from 1924, the 85 x 88 sv engine was dropped for the 1927 range, and the Light Solo renamed Light Tourist. The Light Solo name was revived for 1937, this version being a 500cc OHV model, very much based on the standard Model 9.

Paul

[Russ]

ok so having done some more reading there were actually three different 500cc models; the standard 85×88 machine (or Short Stroke) was marketed as an all purpose machine and was suitable for sidecar work. There was also the "light Solo" which had the same 85 x 88 Short Stroke engine but had sports handlebars and footrests instead of footboards the reciprocating engine parts were also lighter than those of the standard model, giving more power "A favourite choice of the clubman" so the catalogue says.......LOL......so Happy days indeed I'm glad I sorted that out I'm slowly becoming a Beamer afficiandos......LOL

[Russ]

Hi chaps
hoping someone can answer this for me was there ever such a thing as a Sunbeam 500cc light solo sports model with a shot stroke engine I'm looking at one at the moment or is it a confection of someones imagination....just to add if it was a short stroke engine originally (70x 90) that would have made the engine a 347cc has the barrel got enough metal in it to take it the bore out 14mm to 84mm (84 x 90) making the bike a short stroke 500cc seems overly square to me or is there some other way it might have been done.....of course it could be a typo and it be a 350 not a 500

Cheers