T. E. Lawrence Correspondence – Page 99

To G. Brough 13 Birmingham St Southampton 3. May 1934 Dear G.B. I was in Wolverhampton for a while, looking at some engines of Henry Meadows - and at Lincoln before that. So I took the chance of passing near Nottingham to look in (during a beastly wet day, of course) and see the new marvel being born. It looks most promising - and most expensive. I shall be broke but happy. Please take your time over it. The old hack has done only 20,000 miles, and is running splendidly. My breaking the speedometer drive has had the curious effect of making my average nearly six miles an hour! My last two long rides have been at 49 and 51 m.p.h. respectively. It looks as though I might yet break my neck on a B.S. The engine is at its very best, full of carbon and of compression, therefore, which needs Ethyl I suppose. Please add, however, to the list of deficiencies and faults in the present bike, the possession of a non-standard headlamp. Yours was broken, and I had to fit what was available in Bournemouth. A Lucas, but even worse than the former one. Roll on the big lamp I saw. By the way, I was rather alarmed at the carburettors of the new miracle. If they flood - or rather whenever they flood - the spiritd will run straight into the combustion chambers. I fancy that will lead to wear and rapid dilution of the oil. Do you think a small sump could be worked into the body of carburettor, between the slide and the cylinder head, with a carburettor, being ... ... to clear it? A bleed of air there could be compensated for, in starting, and would be negligible at speed. Everything else about the engine spells long life and absolution - but the flood danger seems real. Yours ever T.E.S.