Ben Walker
Department Director
LOT 331
1930 Montgomery 1,000cc S.V. Twin Model Registration no. JT 9666 Frame no. 2907 Engine no. KT/W 98146/S
Estimate: £45,000 - £55,000
Lot 331
1930 Montgomery 1,000cc S.V. Twin Model
1930 Montgomery 1,000cc S.V. Twin Model
Registration no. JT 9666
Frame no. 2907
Engine no. KT/W 98146/S
Registration no. JT 9666
Frame no. 2907
Engine no. KT/W 98146/S
• Rare Vintage-era v-twin
• Expertly restored by a recognised marque specialist
• Only some 1,000 miles since restoration
• 2023 Banbury Run participant
"These Montgomery machines are for the men who prefer a distinctive mount in appearance and performance. That extra degree of soundness – those little touches which distinguish the 'super' machine from the mere motor cycle, come naturally to the Montgomery and at a price that is amazingly low." – Montgomery advertisement.
The Suffolk town of Bury St Edmunds is a long way from the British motorcycle industry's West Midlands heartland, yet this was where William J Montgomery chose to set up in business as a manufacturer in the early years of the 20th Century, although after WWI he relocated to Coventry. Like many of his contemporaries, including rivals Brough and McEvoy, Montgomery relied heavily on proprietary components, although the frame and forks were manufactured in-house. Indeed, Montgomery supplied frames and its own sprung fork to George Brough in the latter's early days. Montgomery had begun by manufacturing sidecars, and motorcycle combinations continued to be the mainstay of his business for many years.
The company diversified after WWI, extending its line-up to encompass a 147cc two-stroke at the more affordable end of the range while offering a 996cc v-twin at the other. A make that did not re-emerge after WW2, Montgomery is best remembered today for its 8-valve Anzani-engined v-twin: one of the Vintage era's first 'superbikes' and a worthy rival to the Brough Superior SS100.
Hailed by its maker as the "Highest Quality for Fast Touring", this magnificent motorcycle is a testament to the owner's restoration skills; Geoff Keeling is acknowledged as perhaps the leading Montgomery specialist having restored a number of examples over the years, including the 1930 Montgomery 1,000cc S.V. Twin Model sold by Bonhams at Stafford in April 2023 (Lot 487) for £75,900.
Geoff acquired 'JT 9666' as a barn find in poor condition. Over the years little work was done on the machine however, when Covid struck, he set about restoring the Montgomery to its former glory. In fact, the restoration during lockdown helped keep Geoff sane. The work included the following:
Frame, forks and all cycle parts bead-blasted clean to bare metal
Frame checked by frame specialists Abba Motorcycle Engineering of South Woodham Ferrers
Forks reconditioned by Ray Daniels of Birmingham (maker of the new Vincent forks)
New headstock cups made and fitted with new ball bearings
Wheels rebuilt by Willis Wheels of North Weald
New rear sprocket fitted
New wheel bearings and seals fitted
New brake linings supplied by Brake Reline Services of Cardiff
New tyres and inner tubes supplied by M&P Motorcycles of Swansea and fitted by the vendor
The engine was stripped, cleaned and completely reconditioned as follows:
Cylinders painted in black enamel as original (still on standard original bore size)
Small-end bearings in good order
New pistons, piston rings, gudgeon pins and circlips fitted
Valves, valve guides and valve springs were in good order so valves reground and refitted
New valve caps located and fitted
Cams, cam levers and half-time pinion checked and found all good
Crankshaft stripped, cleaned and rebuilt with new rollers
Pilgrim oil pump reconditioned by Pete Rosenthal (Pilgrim Pumps Ltd)
New timing chain and timing sprockets fitted
New engine sprocket fitted
Magneto reconditioned by Will Salmons of Burnham-on-Sea
Dynamo armature reconditioned by APL Windings and dynamo then rebuilt by the vendor
Carburettor reconditioned by Martyn Bratby of Cannock.
Gearbox stripped and cleaned, new set of high-ratio gears and bearings fitted
New final drive sprocket fitted
Gearbox inspection cover, clutch fulcrum lever and all bright parts nickel plated by Hockley Enterprises of Southend-on-Sea
Terry seat stripped, checked and reconditioned; fitted with new cover
New leather-fronted tool boxes made and supplied
New bare silencers were supplied by Armours of Bournemouth, which were then bracketed and fitted in the correct position by the vendor. He then took the machine to Competition Fabrications of Attleborough in Norfolk, who fabricated and fitted new exhaust pipes. All painted parts were refinished in two-pack enamel. Geoff made and fitted all new control cables using parts supplied by JJ Cables. A side stand was fitted for convenience (as the owner is ageing).
Around 1,000 miles have been covered since restoration, including a successful completion of the Banbury Run in 2023. There is a V5C Registration Certificate and some restoration invoices on file, as well as an original 1930 Montgomery catalogue. Key not required.
Key not required
• Expertly restored by a recognised marque specialist
• Only some 1,000 miles since restoration
• 2023 Banbury Run participant
"These Montgomery machines are for the men who prefer a distinctive mount in appearance and performance. That extra degree of soundness – those little touches which distinguish the 'super' machine from the mere motor cycle, come naturally to the Montgomery and at a price that is amazingly low." – Montgomery advertisement.
The Suffolk town of Bury St Edmunds is a long way from the British motorcycle industry's West Midlands heartland, yet this was where William J Montgomery chose to set up in business as a manufacturer in the early years of the 20th Century, although after WWI he relocated to Coventry. Like many of his contemporaries, including rivals Brough and McEvoy, Montgomery relied heavily on proprietary components, although the frame and forks were manufactured in-house. Indeed, Montgomery supplied frames and its own sprung fork to George Brough in the latter's early days. Montgomery had begun by manufacturing sidecars, and motorcycle combinations continued to be the mainstay of his business for many years.
The company diversified after WWI, extending its line-up to encompass a 147cc two-stroke at the more affordable end of the range while offering a 996cc v-twin at the other. A make that did not re-emerge after WW2, Montgomery is best remembered today for its 8-valve Anzani-engined v-twin: one of the Vintage era's first 'superbikes' and a worthy rival to the Brough Superior SS100.
Hailed by its maker as the "Highest Quality for Fast Touring", this magnificent motorcycle is a testament to the owner's restoration skills; Geoff Keeling is acknowledged as perhaps the leading Montgomery specialist having restored a number of examples over the years, including the 1930 Montgomery 1,000cc S.V. Twin Model sold by Bonhams at Stafford in April 2023 (Lot 487) for £75,900.
Geoff acquired 'JT 9666' as a barn find in poor condition. Over the years little work was done on the machine however, when Covid struck, he set about restoring the Montgomery to its former glory. In fact, the restoration during lockdown helped keep Geoff sane. The work included the following:
Frame, forks and all cycle parts bead-blasted clean to bare metal
Frame checked by frame specialists Abba Motorcycle Engineering of South Woodham Ferrers
Forks reconditioned by Ray Daniels of Birmingham (maker of the new Vincent forks)
New headstock cups made and fitted with new ball bearings
Wheels rebuilt by Willis Wheels of North Weald
New rear sprocket fitted
New wheel bearings and seals fitted
New brake linings supplied by Brake Reline Services of Cardiff
New tyres and inner tubes supplied by M&P Motorcycles of Swansea and fitted by the vendor
The engine was stripped, cleaned and completely reconditioned as follows:
Cylinders painted in black enamel as original (still on standard original bore size)
Small-end bearings in good order
New pistons, piston rings, gudgeon pins and circlips fitted
Valves, valve guides and valve springs were in good order so valves reground and refitted
New valve caps located and fitted
Cams, cam levers and half-time pinion checked and found all good
Crankshaft stripped, cleaned and rebuilt with new rollers
Pilgrim oil pump reconditioned by Pete Rosenthal (Pilgrim Pumps Ltd)
New timing chain and timing sprockets fitted
New engine sprocket fitted
Magneto reconditioned by Will Salmons of Burnham-on-Sea
Dynamo armature reconditioned by APL Windings and dynamo then rebuilt by the vendor
Carburettor reconditioned by Martyn Bratby of Cannock.
Gearbox stripped and cleaned, new set of high-ratio gears and bearings fitted
New final drive sprocket fitted
Gearbox inspection cover, clutch fulcrum lever and all bright parts nickel plated by Hockley Enterprises of Southend-on-Sea
Terry seat stripped, checked and reconditioned; fitted with new cover
New leather-fronted tool boxes made and supplied
New bare silencers were supplied by Armours of Bournemouth, which were then bracketed and fitted in the correct position by the vendor. He then took the machine to Competition Fabrications of Attleborough in Norfolk, who fabricated and fitted new exhaust pipes. All painted parts were refinished in two-pack enamel. Geoff made and fitted all new control cables using parts supplied by JJ Cables. A side stand was fitted for convenience (as the owner is ageing).
Around 1,000 miles have been covered since restoration, including a successful completion of the Banbury Run in 2023. There is a V5C Registration Certificate and some restoration invoices on file, as well as an original 1930 Montgomery catalogue. Key not required.
Key not required
Footnotes
All lots are sold 'as is/where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding.
Please see the Auction Information and Guide for Buyers at the top of the main sale page, for bidders' obligations. The Spring Stafford Sale
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This Lot will be auctioned on Sunday 27 April, with the auction starting at 11am GMT.
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- 26 April 2025, 09:00 - 17:00 BST
- 27 April 2025, 09:00 - 17:00 BST