Douglas beat BMW to the flat-twin format – but can this outré 350 offer more than just extra eccentricity? Our resident road tester takes a journey of dicovery to find out...
There’s something immediately reassuring about a motorcycle called ‘Douglas’ – it implies a no-nonsense, pipe-and-slippers approach. But look past the dazzling polychromatic blue finish and, well, it’s an odd-looking thing isn’t it? It’s got funny forks, the mudguard looks like it’s come off something else – and how does that rear suspension work? It’s not monoshock – the shock is that there are no shocks!
OK, I’ll admit I’m not expecting much. The only other post-war Douglas I’ve ever ridden was a Dragonfly, which despite its qualities just felt too big for its engine. Admittedly, the Mark V here has twin carbs – the Dragonfly has just one – but is that enough? After all, both bikes are just iron-engined 350cc flat twins – they can’t differ that much.
In the early ’80s, I remember the Mark-series Douglases being well respected by older riders – they weren’t just some old BSA or Matchless, so after my previous disappointment, I’m curious what made them so special.
Certainly the Kingswood, Bristol firm had a healthy history. With origins dating to 1900, the capable 350cc flat-twin Douglas two-speeder served valiantly in large numbers during World War I, while in the 1920s the fire-breathing DT5 speedway 500cc ohv twin made enough impression on the world of speed to have remained a force in competition ever since. Visit the Pioneer Run and you’ll spot the veteran Douglases – they’re the ones that paddle away without fuss.
But that only explains how Douglas made their name. Is it just just rose-tinted nostalgia that makes these later models so revered? Well, there’s only one way tell whether the Douglas Mark V is a cherry or a lemon – get on it and give it a try.
An easy starter, the Douglas just needed a bit of ignition retard on the handlebar lever to prevent a kickback before burbling cheerfully into life. Small though it is, it’s surprisingly wide, but otherwise the bike feels well-proportioned, aided by the adjustable footrests and ’bars. Originally equipped with a sprung saddle or optional Feridax dual seat, the test bike has a Royal Enfield saddle which was comfortable and looked no uglier than the Feridax.
As expected, the Douglas is very smooth, a quality inherent in opposed twins – but having a relatively small capacity, it avoids the torque reaction experienced with larger across-frame engines like Bee-Ems and Guzzis. I’ve read that it’
