Sunbeam 1933 Model 80 TT 346 cc 1cyl OHV 3609

Sunbeam 1933 Model 80 TT 346 cc OHV frame # F9125 engine # M4175

video: https://youtu.be/GEHxb_EfBNk

Sunbeam had begun experimenting with overhead valves on their factory racers in the early 1920s and these duly appeared on production models in 1924. The new 500 roadster was known as the Model 9, while its race bike counterpart, was accordingly designated the Model 90, which could top 90mph. The 350cc versions were the Model 8 and Model 80 respectively, with bore x stroke dimensions of 70 x 90 mm. The Sunbeam Model 80 is one of the great rarities of the marque — a machine so seldom encountered that its very existence can seem almost elusive. Among surviving sporty Sunbeams, it is quite literally a “unicorn”. Introduced in 1927 as the smaller version to the successful Model 90, the Model 80 occupied an intriguing place in Sunbeam’s range. Yet its production history appears remarkably short-lived. Of the 1928 examples known today, only two are believed to survive, both having been factory machines used in that year’s Junior TT.
The Model 80 TT returned to the catalogue in 1929 and 1930 with a redesigned frame and saddle tank, before disappearing from the official range. Then the model made a sudden “blink-and-you’ll-miss-it” final re-appearance in 1933. Intriguingly, it does not appear in the 1933 Sunbeam Sales Catalogue, although a Preliminary Sales List from that year does acknowledge the Model 80 for 1933. After that, the model vanished from Sunbeam’s catalogue altogether. According to the Marston Sunbeam Register, only two 1933 Model 80s are presently known, making this a rare and significant Sunbeam.This particular machine retains its correct frame and engine numbers, as confirmed by the Sunbeam Marston Register.
Fitted with hairpin valve springs and a three-speed hand-change gearbox, it has all the character one would expect of a lightweight Sunbeam of the period. The engine runs beautifully and produces a particularly pleasing “twitter” from the exhaust.
This nicely restored example is a lovely, fast and light machine in excellent running condition with current Dutch registration.