Re: [CR] Lugged Viscount

(Example: Bike Shops:R.E.W. Reynolds)

Date: Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:22:38 -0600
From: "John Thompson" <john@os2.dhs.org>
Organization: The Crimson Permanent Assurance
To: <classicrendezvous@bikelist.org>
References: <976393.18419.qm@web82203.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
In-Reply-To: <976393.18419.qm@web82203.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
Subject: Re: [CR] Lugged Viscount


Jerome & Elizabeth Moos wrote:
> This is a new one to me also. I've never seen a lugged, or partially
> lugged, Viscount, although I have two lugged Lamberts, one badged as
> such and another badged as Viking. But I thought all the bikes from
> the Viscount era of this company were fillet-brazed throughout. I'd
> question whether this bike is really a Viscount, except that it is
> stated that the DO's are Lambert, which I doubt would have been used
> by any other company. It would be interesting to know the full story
> of this frame - perhaps it is a prototype used by a sponsored rider
> as you suggest.

Some years after the Yamaha buyout, the Viscount product line was expanded to more entry level bikes built in Japan from lugged steel, but this frame doesn't look at all like those. The seat cluster in particular shouts "Trusty" product, but the head lugs are not typical of either Viking or Lambert. They look almost bilaminate. A mystery indeed.

--
John Thompson (john@os2.dhs.org)
Appleton WI USA