Crescent ca. 1893 “Juno” Gents bicycle Western Wheel Works, makers of Crescent bicycles, started life as the Western Toy Co. Owner Adolph Schoeninger was bankrupted when the Chicago Fire destroyed his toy factory in 1871. But he managed to re-open his business and, by 1889, his toy company had become a bicycle company. By the mid-1890s Western Wheel Works was one of America’s largest cycle manufacturers. ‘The factories of this company contain 25,000 square feet of floor space and employ one thou ...
Harley-Davidson 1929 “29 C” 493 cc side valve single frame & engine # 29C1781 After the discontinuation of the 565 cc singles in 1918 the company tries to win customers in the 600 cc class with the flat twin model W Sport Twin, produced from 1919 up to including 1923. Sales are relatively modest, but it’s clear that especially in the European markets a small-capacity H-D will be a selling point, if only to act as a “starter model”. Consequently, in 1926 350 cc class models are brought out; the O ...
Aermacchi 1957 “Chimera” 172cc OHV single frame # 100239 The word “Chimera”, originally referring to a hybrid creature in Greek mythology, is nowadays also used to describe something that is an illusion, a fantasy or a dream. It is a well-chosen model name: the Chimera is sleek, chic and packaged in a jazzy space age design and is equipped with monoshock rear suspension. It was presented at the Milan Show in early December 1956. The press marvelled at its smooth, flowing design and referred to t ...
ILO ca1952 F60H 60cc two stroke cycle motor fitted to contemporary carrier bicycle engine # 43857 In 1911, Heinrich Christiansen starts a machine factory near Hamburg, in the north of Germany. Initially, the company is mainly active in the field of machines and tools for the railways. Christiansen chooses as brand name ILO (also spelled JLO, Esperanto for ”Good Tool”). From the 1920s the focus is mainly on building affordable and reliable two-stroke engines for a wide range of applications. Mope ...
Harley-Davidson 1921 Model “F” 989 cc IOE V-twin frame & engine # 21F3331 1909 marks the appearance of Harley-Davidson’s first v-twin, though it’s not until the adoption of mechanically operated inlet valves in 1911 (replacing the ‘atmospheric’ type inherited from the single) that production really takes off. This ‘F-head’ (inlet-over-exhaust) engine will remain in production for the next 19 years. Year by year the models are further developed and in 1921 a larger-capacity 1212 cc engine becomes ...
Matchless 1966 G15 CSR 745 cc ohv twin frame # 112612 engine # CSR112612 The G-15 CSR is launched at the Earls Court Show in late 1964 and is fitted with all the extras that café racer adepts desire: lots of chrome and polished alloy, low handlebars, swept-back exhausts, matching speedometer and rev counter, fork gaiters, rear set footrests et cetera. The 745 cc twin engine comes from the Norton Atlas and develops 49 bhp@6,400 rpm. The CSR has a top speed of about 170 km/h and weighs some 180 kg ...
Morgan Monotrace 1926 “Torpédo biplace” 499 cc water cooled side valve single chassis # 246 The idea of designing and building a vehicle that would have the benefits of both a car and a motorcycle has been appealing to engineers and manufacturers from the beginning of the 20 th century. The simplicity, economy and manoeuvrability of a motorcycle and the comfort and protection of a car, could that be combined in one vehicle? One of the people who tried to achieve this goal was German engineer Gus ...
BMW 1921ca engine M II B 15 494 cc side valve # 25917 was installed in Victoria KR 1 frame # K.2158 Martin Stolle was a talented young engineer in the development department of BMW and he was having great fun riding his motorcycle from the British marque Douglas. After the First World War, his employer – like all German companies – was prohibited from producing aero-engines. They kept their heads above water with large-displacement four-cylinder inline engines for trucks, tractors and boats. A n ...
BMW 1921ca engine M II B 15 494 cc side valve # 26174 Martin Stolle was a talented young engineer in the development department of BMW and he was having great fun riding his motorcycle from the British marque Douglas. After the First World War, his employer – like all German companies – was prohibited from producing aero-engines. They kept their heads above water with large-displacement four-cylinder inline engines for trucks, tractors and boats. A new product needed to be created in order to se ...
Coventry Machinists’ “Swift” Ladies Safety Bicycle ca. 1892 This Swift has been restored in the past but is currently incomplete. Tyres, front brake block and chain are not present. The wheels are 24-inch and the pedals arrear to be the original Coventry machinists’ items. This interesting bicycle comes with wickerwork handlebar-basket, front brake, chainguard and candle front light. The mounting points near the saddle tube and steering column suggest that it can be converted into a gents’ bicyc ...
Gentlemen’s Tricycle ca 1885 frame# 117318 This tricycle is an older restoration in nice condition. It’s fitted with 28-inch wheels with solid rubber tyres, a front brake and a chain guard. The handlebars have bone handgrips and lighting is provided by a “Germania” candle lamp.
Ladies’ Safety Tricycle ca 1885 This Ladies’ Safety Tricycle is unrestored but complete, apart from the tyres. It’s fitted with a Hammock saddle with good leather top, wickerwork basket, sprung front forks, bone handgrips, Cyclight oil lamp and period bicycle bell. Front wheel is 30-inch, rear wheels 32-inch.
Indian 1919 “NE-19 PowerPlus” 998 cc side valve V- twin frame & engine # 83M774 The real landmark year for Indian was 1907 when the company introduced the first of its mighty V-twins, the rear cylinder of the early models continuing to form part of the frame until 1909. In that year the loop frame was adopted and continued development and innovation saw the development of the overhead valve, four-valves-per-cylinder racers in 1911. The hugely popular PowerPlus, a 61 cu.in. (998cc) flathead V-twi ...
Rover 1912 499 cc side valve with Armstrong 3-speed hub gear frame # S32715 engine # 1923 The Rover safety bicycle creates a breakthrough in bicycle design at the end of the 19th century. In November 1903 the company presents its first motorcycle, which is much ahead of its time: a well-designed side valve engine with mechanically operated valves, spray carburettor, strong frame with double front down tubes and excellent finish. It creates a lot of interest and a thousand or so are sold in 1904. ...
Martinsyde 1921 6 HP “ Series D” 678 cc exhaust-over-inlet V-twin frame # NO1080 engine # H1050 The British firm of Martinsyde was founded in 1908 when Helmuth Paul Martin and George Harris Handasyde went into partnership to build aircraft. By the end of WWI Martinsyde was Britain’s third largest aircraft manufacturer, occupying sites at Brooklands and Woking. Faced with a sharp downturn in demand for its products, the firm turned to motorcycle production at the war’s end, having acquired the ri ...
Automoto 1902ca Tricycle 398ca cc AIV single engine # SF656 Automoto was one of the pioneer French makes: at the end of the 19th century a group of bicycle parts manufacturers in St. Etienne merged into one company that got the name Automoto. Soon production of complete cycles, motorised tricycles and automobiles was taken up, next to various other products such as washing machines, hunting weapons and sundry agricultural machinery. During the 1914-1918 war the company focussed on munitions manu ...
BMW 1928 R63 734cc OHV transverse twin frame # 21327 engine # 75357 In 1928 BMW presented two new 500s, the side valve R52 and the overhead valve R57. The company also provided engines in the 750 cc class with the same cycle parts: the 745 cc side valve model R 62 with bore x stroke of 78 mm and the 734cc ohv R 63 with bore x stroke of 83×68 mm. The R63 was with its 24 hp a spirited performer on the road but it was also raced by the works alongside its 500 cc stablemates. Like the latter, it pio ...
Velocipede circa 1869 At the 1867 Paris Exhibition, the French firm of Michaux got a lot of publicity for bringing out the first commercially-viable version of a two-wheeled, human-powered bicycle: the Velocipede. While they were not the first to do this, Michaux was the first to develop and perfect the design. When it was demonstrated at the Paris Exhibition, the Velocipede brought worldwide attention to the concept of cycling and sparked a craze of experimentation that would last into the 1870 ...
Coventry machinists’ Company 1877ca. “Gentleman’s Bicycle” frame # 6550 frame & forks # R70 In 1868, The Coventry Sewing Machine Company received an order from Paris to make a number of Velocipedes, an early type of bicycle that was popular in France. The idea was that these bicycles would be exported to France, but the Franco-Prussian War forced the company to build up a home market instead. This event heralded the beginning of the city’s cycle industry. The firm’s name was changed to Coventry ...
Harley-Davidson 1941 Model U Military Police 1209cc V-twin frame & engine # 41U4127 For 1937 the HD engineers redesigned the Big Twin range: frame and cycle parts of the newly introduced OHV ‘Knucklehead’ were used as the basis for the new 1209cc and 1303 cc models U and UH. An important new feature was the introduction (finally!) of dry sump lubrication. The “U” was the 5.0:1 low-compression type; the standard compression was 5:1. Power output of the U was 32.5 hp @ 4200rpm and its top speed wa ...