Headclip headsets

[pubrunner]

Hi All,

I'd like to pick your brains.

I''ve recklessly just acquired (unseen) a particularly tatty bike frame - but structurally sound.

The seller believed it might be a Sun Super Vitesse frame.
He reckoned that he'd had a Sun Vitesse that had a similar frame number, but started with just a 'V' whereas mine starts with a SV.

Does anyone know anything about the Vitesse or Super Vitesse ? Where do they sit, in the hierarchy of Sun bikes. (I've heard of the Manx TT & the Manxman.)

He says that it will need a headclip headset on it. I believe that the races are smaller and slide into the headtube which bulge at the ends to accomodate them. Hard to come by apparently - have I made a bad buy ?.

Would it be possible/advisable to get the ends reamed off and put a normal headset on ?

Were headclip headsets usually fitted to 'lower end' bikes or merely to 'older' bikes ? - the seller thought that the frame was early 50s, but I wonder if it is older than that ?

I realise that I've possibly/probably made a crazy purchase, but it was very cheap, so I couldn't resist the challenge.

Ta. for any advice.

 

[Zoiders]

The head clip is indeed interesting, it's almost but not quite an A-headset in function and set up.

They were not as a rule used on low end bikes, give it a really good clean and unless it's brinelled the cups or races it will probably work just fine.

 

[pubrunner]

The head clip is indeed interesting, it's almost but not quite an A-headset in function and set up.

They were not as a rule used on low end bikes, give it a really good clean and unless it's brinelled the cups or races it will probably work just fine.

It is indeed interesting; one of the perils of not getting something with a standard fitting.

Ta. for your reply - appreciated.