We look at: THE DOUGLAS Dragonfly
WHEN IT WAS LAUNCHED AT THE LONDON Earls Court Show at the end of 1954, Motor Cycling magazine described the Douglas Dragonfly as ‘one of the most advanced designs in its class, with performance to satisfy the enthusiast just as the layout delights the stylist’. Compared to bog-standard Brit singles, the transverse twin certainly looked special.
The Dragonfly featured Reynolds-Earles long leading-link forks designed by Ernie Earles – that’s right, the same man who patented the fork that would grace the front end of thousands of BMWs. Also designed by Earles and manufactured at Reynolds Tube alongside the famous Norton Featherbed frame, the Dragonfly’s arc welded cradle frame featured a large-diameter top tube and neat triangulation of the headstock and subframe. Girling shocks controlled the front forks and swingarm.
Earles, who owned a sheet metal press shop about eight miles from Reynolds, manufactured the huge 5.5 gallon fuel tank that appeared to extend forward beyond the steering head into a nacelle that carried the headlamp, speedometer, ammeter and light switch. Even the engine looked new, with streamlined rocker box covers and a light alloy casing covering the top of the crankcase. But like all postwar Douglas models, the 350cc boxer engine was developed from a wartime fan-cooled generator unit.
ON YOUR MARKS
More than 20,000 of these side-valve stationary engines were made; with both air
