Liberty 2-stroke
The 269cc Liberty two-stroke engine, designed by A. W. Wall, with the gearbox linked to the engine in a steel-plate cradle to form a unit.
Hockley used this engine, which had a special form of lubrication where the oil and petrol were kept separate, the former being distributed via a drip-feed lubricator into a plated brass well clipped to the down-tube on the Hockley. In this well was placed a ball-valve, which automatically regulated the supply of oil to the engine speed, the engine sucking the ball down according to its speed, while it remains up when the engine is stationary, so completely stopping the flow of oil. From this well the oil is distributed to the engine by three pipes; one leading to the cylinder and the other two to either side of the crank-case, where they feed directly on to the main bearings. The engine otherwise conforms to ordinary two-stroke practice. It is of 2.75 h.p., bore and stroke 70 x 70 mm., and the radiating fins continue to the bottom of the cylinder. Two exhaust pipes are provided, which emerge into a well-made cast aluminium silencer.
Used in several other motorcycles, including the Reynolds Runabout
Appears also to have been made by A. W. Wall Ltd
See Also
Sources of Information
- Autocycle Illustrated. August 11, 1915.
- The British Motorcycle Directory - Over 1,100 Marques from 1888 - by Roy Bacon and Ken Hallworth. Pub: The Crowood Press 2004 ISBN 1 86126 674 X
- The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle by Peter Henshaw. Published 2007. ISBN 978 1 8401 3967 9