Readers’ Letters

Further thoughts on Fafnir

Thanks for the interesting article in the September 2022 issue, on Ian Hatton’s very nice Fafnir, of which I can confirm a previous keeper was Chips Sibley. Since, as the article said, I had a Fafnir, I would like to cover some queries as to the possible makes of these machines.

Both Ian and my example most definitely have a typical Fafnir engine, although Ian’s is an inlet over exhaust (IOE) with automatic inlet valve (AIV) with coil ignition. My old 1910 bike had mechanical IOE valves with magneto ignition.

Fafnir’s factory was on the border of Belgium and Germany and the town was variously named Aix La Chapelle, or Aachen.

Another difference in the specification of these two bikes