Comments on: 1911 LMC

By: Nick Smith

Nick Smith — Sun, 12 Apr 2015 11:32:18 +0000

I’d agree with Leon’s assessment of the year.

The pulley and lever combination looks like LMC’s ‘Auto-Varia’ pulley (patented 1908).

The inner flange was part of the main pulley boss, and the outer flange was pressed inwards by springs which were of suitable weight that when the motor was pulling hard (uphill, for instance), they’d compress and allow the pulley faces to open for a lower gear.

The handle pivots at the top of the crankcase, and has a roller wheel at the lower end. This was a sort of ‘manual over-ride’ which the rider could jam in between the pulley flanges to force them apart, either to lower the ratio, or to achieve a ‘free-engine’ by opening them wider than the belt.
A notched gate attached to the top tube gave some options for setting the lever.

There’s no obvious mechanism to take up the belt slack at low ratios, but it lasted as a fitment/option for a few years.

By: Sam

Sam — Fri, 23 Aug 2013 11:13:49 +0000

I have a 1911 model. Mine has matching frame ang engine numbers.

By: Ian Bade

Ian Bade — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 21:46:03 +0000

I believe that is a 1913 model from the frame design. Quite a number here in NZ. but have valances on the mudguards indicating “colonial’ export models were sent here. I have other photos of the same gentleman on the bike and a 1913 sales catalogue. In 1913 Lloyd curved the end of the tank and lowered the seat
My one is engine 1323G, frame 1454G. (G indicating 1913 models) has 2 speed countershaft gearing. Other options were Lloyds patented “Auto Varia’ as per your picture and 3 speed Sturmey Archer axle gearing