# 38? Shelby Gambles Eagle



## saladshooter (May 30, 2016)

Howdy!

I've been admiring these frames for a while, so I didn't hesitate when this was posted for sale last week. I've got a few questions on it that hopefully some of the Shelby guys can answer for me.




 

I'm guessing it's a '38?

Did all Delta Hornlite equipped Shelby's have the "S" Hornlite including Gambles bikes?

I have two holes in the front fender. One behind the fork for the Hornlite. What's the hole in front of the fork for?

It was sold to me with a rack, but based on the ad below, I don't think it was born that way? It could come in handy though...



 

What is my issue with the truss rods? They seem too long. Is there a trick to get them on or are they wrong?



 


 


 
Seems pretty darn complete/original to me. Minus the light guts and conduit. What are your thoughts? 

Thanks 
Chad


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## scrubbinrims (May 30, 2016)

Yes to the "S."
Front hole not factory.
Typically a rack being a deluxe tank bike, attached to the seat clamp version.
Truss rods are correct, just a little bent...put them around the hub axle them press down on the frame until they go in the fork slots.
Chris


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## kzoflyer (May 30, 2016)

Nice looking bike! I saw it for sale, good pick up. I've seen Shelbys with horn lights and some had the S and some didn't. Not sure that they always came with the S light.


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## Jarod24 (May 30, 2016)

Nice pick up!


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## John (May 30, 2016)

The second hole in a fender would be for a horn button on the bar. But your tank has the button so the wire would run back to the tank through the flex line and would not use the hole. I would say factory hole for a bar switch.

And great looking bike


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## rollfaster (May 31, 2016)

Awesome bike, I'm a little jealous. Good for you though.


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## izee2 (May 31, 2016)

The truss rods are correct. The problem is that the bracket is bent. It should come straight out from the headtube. Yours is bent downwards. 


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


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## saladshooter (May 31, 2016)

Thanks guys! 

She's a great rider!

Chad


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## slick (May 31, 2016)

Truss rods are wrong. Yes, wrong. Those are 1940 truss rods which would have used the round top fork. Those truss rods were used on the no nose bikes in late 39 on through 1940. This bike being a 38 would have had the bracket under the fork bracing the truss rods and the rods themselves would be slightly bent at that bracket angling up to the upper truss rod plate. More typical styling of an earlier motorbike style truss rod. Let me dig through my photos and post up some examples.


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## slick (May 31, 2016)

Oh and the reason those truss rods won't fit. That is a straight downtube bike. These truss rods belong on a curve downtube frame. The fork tube on a curved downtube frame is actually raked further back than on a straight downtube frame. When you put both frames side by side, its completely noticeable. So the truss rods are pitched differently and will line up once the upper bracket is straightened.


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## slick (May 31, 2016)

First up....my no nose. Its a late 39, early 40. Sane truss rods, same fork. They fit without tweaking thanks to the gambles curve downtube frame. Also, the 40 has a fatter seatpost clamp sort of like a postwar schwinn. 




And here's your bike. Check out the truss rods. That's the rear rack you need also. Extremely hard to find in chrome. Lots of racks are similar but the true Shelby racks attach only to the seatpost bolt. The aftermarket chrome ones have a different bracket that attaches behind the seatpost to the frame where it splits to a Y and are not factory correct.


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## saladshooter (May 31, 2016)

The bottom center bike of the above Gambles ad shows an Eagle motorbike without a rack. The description describes the rest of my bike's features. However, that is an ad from '36.

This is the rack that came with my bike but the patina doesn't match, so I believe it was added, ?


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## dougfisk (May 31, 2016)

slick said:


> ...This bike being a 38 would have had the bracket under the fork bracing the truss rods and the rods themselves would be slightly bent at that bracket angling up to the upper truss rod plate....




Chris:  Take a look at the link below... this bike has a 37 dated hub, prompting me to pronounce it a '38.  I think that seat is pretty early as well.  It did not pass through any flipper / parts swapper / "hobbyists"; so is likely all original (except for guard that I added). - For whatever it is worth...  

http://thecabe.com/forum/threads/anyone-else-sometimes-like-them-simple.41640/#post-233633


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