OK. So what we have here is a very rare little machine. This is a 1962 Ambassador Electra 75. It has a V5C, is classed as historic, so is tax and MOT exempt.

The thing that makes this stand out is a few features. Firstly, from what I understand, Ambassador only ever made 39 of these. I do not know what the survival rate is, but there were never many to begin with. I hear that only a handful survive, seven has been mentioned as a number, but I can’t confirm. Secondly, this was the top-of-the-range electric start model. At the time, Ambassador had an upmarket model called the Three Star Special, but that was only 200cc. This is a 250cc two-stroke twin. Furthermore, to offset the weight of the electric start kit, the compression ratio was boosted to 10: 1. The 75 in the name denotes its expected top speed, which, at the time, for a learner-legal machine, was good. I see in the period road test, they attained 77 mph against strong headwinds. So the 75 figure sounds like it could happen. A comparable BSA C15 would be running out of steam, probably 10mph earlier. The only other sports 250 I can think of from the British Market that would come close at the time would be the Royal Enfield Continental GT, but that didn’t have electric start, of course. The third thing that makes this stand out is that it has recently been restored. There is a great history file with bills approaching £1,200, a magazine article explaining the restoration, and a photographic record of a lot of the work. The bike, as it stands, is really clean, almost as good as new. The paintwork and chrome work are all good. This machine would not have been any cleaner when new. The restoration hints at one or two upgrades, better batteries, a plug-in charge system, a more modern solid-state regulator, and so on. Small invisible items. The file indicates fully rebuilt wheels, new exhausts, and a rebore to the first oversize.

The tank emblem is nice. The Company owner, Kaye Don, was a bit of a character. A World War I fighter ace, the emblem reminds us of his air force wings and the crown he defended. He went on to become something of a racer in cars and speedboats before starting this motorcycle business after the Second World War. There was no scrimping with Kaye Don, and the machine’s spec speaks volumes. Look at the chrome fork legs. The headlamp was larger than most, at a little over 7 inches with 35-watt bulbs specified. Electric start with twin horns and batteries. Lovely flared front guard and semi-enclosed rear panelling. Blow the cost, Kaye Don wanted the best. Which is one of the reasons why so few were produced and so few sold. You could buy an equivalent 350 BSA for the price. Who wanted a fussy, brash two-stroke to go to work on?

The bike starts on the switch, no messing. It rides and pulls perfectly. It’s almost as good as it was when new. Looking at the publicity shots, I think it would benefit from whitewall tyres personally, might as well go the whole hog eh?. The only feature that perhaps lets it down a tad is the repro speedo. I think an original Speedo should be put back in. That aside, this is probably the best Ambassador outside of a museum that you can actually put your backside on and ride away. There are probably fewer than a dozen of these left in the world. A few are locked up in Museums. Of those out of captivity, I can’t see another anywhere better than this. So, that’s what you are buying, an incredibly practical machine that you are not going to see another one at any show anywhere else ever, and one that looks the part and goes the part. It’s all good. A great bike, a great file, well worth the money for the unique asset, and bags of fun. Even the original road test was pretty glowing back when they had no idea how rare this machine was destined to be. If you are getting to an age where kicking up a bike is starting to be an issue, don’t worry about the money, buy this and have a few more years on the highway. This is well worth the ride.

I don’t think it takes a lot of imagination to see where Don Kaye got his inspiration for the tank badge from. He earned his ‘wings’ and he put them on the tank.