Draisine ca 1835 The most startling feature of this very early bicycle is that it has no pedals or cranks and the rider gained propulsion by merely pushing his feet along the ground. It was invented by the German-born Baron von Drais (1785-1851) and was patented in France in 1817. Von Drais called his invention the ‘running machine’ but to the French public it became known as a Draisine. It was a breakthrough in personal transport and became enormously popular, with special riding schools establ ...
Velocipède ca 1870 At the 1867 Paris Exhibition, the French firm of Michaux got a lot of publicity for developing 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 tinker 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 until the early 187 ...
Flying Dutchman ca 1900 children’s toy vehicle This children’s vehicle has survived in complete and original condition, which is pretty rare. It has got feet-steering via the front wheel axle and is propelled by pushing and pulling wooden levers that are connected to a set of cogwheels that drive the rear wheel. The sprung seat is adjustable and the total length of the vehicle is 130 cm, height of drawbars 70 cm. The front wheels have a diameter of ca 30 cm, the rear wheels are ca 40 cm in diame ...
Velocipede ca 1870 believed Michaux It is generally accepted that Pierre Michaux (1813-83), a serrurier or locksmith, and his son Ernest (1849-89) produced his first ‘boneshaker’ by converting a hobby-horse to provide cranks to the front wheel. Henri Michaux claimed in a letter that Pierre Michaux thought of the idea and Ernest executed it. There is some uncertainty when this happened but it appears likely that it was in 1864 (although 1855 and 1861 have been suggested). However there is a compe ...
Velocipede ca 1870 We have no clue as to the make of this early boneshaker; a small plate riveted to the seating spring indicates “Gobley”. She has an original, spring-mounted saddle, restored wheels and unusual, upward-turned handlebars. The frame is of the wrought iron type. Dimensions are as follows: wheels 90 and 75 cm, overall length 170 cm, handlebar height 140 cm. This survivor once stayed in the Wouters Collection at Falmignoul in Belgium.
Coventry Machinists’ 1890 Swift Model D safety Bicycle The end of the 1880s saw evolutionary changes in cycle design. The first crossframe model, the Premier, was brought out in 1886 and from then on development went fast towards the diamond frame safeties with a horizontal top tube. Early steering went via socket steering , around 1890 the more expensive models were fitted with ball-head steering. Coventry machinists’ marketed two popular bicycle ranges at the time, the ordinary “Club” and the ...
safety bicycle ca 1892 This early diamond-frame safety has been restored and comes with original saddle, 26-inch solid rubber tyres, spoon brake and chain tensioner on the rear wheel. Interesting accessories include whip in whip holder and pocket watch in holder on handlebars
Magnat-Debon 1912ca Model G 3-speed gear in bottom bracket frame # 8338 Magnat-Debon, founded in Grenoble in 1892 by Joseph Magnat and Louis Debon, was one of the most innovative of the early French cycle manufacturers. They were pioneers in the field of bottom bracket gears and already around 1905 they offered 2- speed and 3- speed gears in their top of the range Model F and G bicycles. The gear is operated via a rod and trigger disc, with the letters P (“Petite” or Low) M (“Moyenne” or Medium) ...
Rover (believed) ca 1900 with Simpson chain This bicycle has a 22-inch black painted frame, silver painted handlebars without grips, Brooks saddle and black painted cranks with open pedals. There are no brakes fitted, the wheels are fitted with 28 x 1 ½ tyres. The front chainwheel is a standard pattern. The special thing about this bicycle is the chain, an invention of William Spiers Simpson in 1895. “The design departed from the standard roller bicycle chain: it was composed of linked triangles ...
Vélocipède circa 1870 This well-kept “boneshaker” was probably made by a blacksmith. It has got the usual flat iron frame and the wooden spoked wheels are in good general condition, with one spoke missing and tight iron tyring. The driving wheel is 38 ½ inch, the rear one ca. 33 inch. The handlebars are of the straight type with wooden grips and the brake mechanism is intact. It’s operated by twisting the handlebars, which are connected to the brake spoon by a string. The saddle pan appears orig ...
Singer 1878ca Ordinary Bicycle frame # 33197 This Ordinary has a tubular steel frame and 52-inch (132 cm) front wheel with spoon brake. The pedals have rubber stud inserts and the bearings are adjustable. The saddle is fixed on a leaf spring and accessories include a bell and whip holder plus whip. At the time Singer was one of the leading British bicycle manufacturers, known for their precisely crafted frames and innovative components. This quality machine once belonges to the collection of the ...
Douglas 1924 “SW/24” 349 cc side valve twin frame # 73857 engine# 75390 video: https://youtu.be/_aS_8PFMcR8 This Bristol-based firm developed the horizontally opposed fore-aft unit in about 1907 and continued utilizing this engine layout well into the thirties. The earliest Douglas models had direct belt drive, but in 1910 a two-speed gearbox was added, with the control on top of the petrol tank. Douglas machines became very popular because of their lightness, ease of starting and speed: in the ...
ACE 1923 1265cc 4 cylinder IOE frame # 4389 engine # B 6521 William Henderson created the fabulous ACE after he left the Excelsior Company in 1919. With growing discontent he had witnessed that the Excelsior engineers added more weight to the four between 1917, the year of the Henderson takeover, and 1919, without really working on better engine design or tuning. So he left and with financial backing of bicycle maker Max Sladkin he designed a faster, lighter and more graceful machine than the He ...
Norton 1968 “Commando MK 1“ 745 OHV twin frame # 128934 engine # 20M3 /128934 The new Commando was launched in 1967 and used the preceding Atlas model’s 750cc engine and AMC gearbox. It was an instant hit with the motorcycling public and was voted MCM’s “Machine of the year” for five consecutive years. The most important new feature of the Commando was its vibration-beating “Isolastic” frame. The canted-forward engine retained the 73 mm x 89 mm bore and stroke of the Atlas engine. Compression ra ...
HRD-Vincent 1949 “Black Shadow Series-C” 998 cc OHV v-twin frame # RC 4037/B engine # F10AB/1B/2137 The appeal of the Vincent, and the Black Shadow in particular, lays in its ability to out-perform just about every other vehicle on the road, and in the early post-war years there was nothing to compare with it. This was a time when the average family sedan was barely capable of reaching 70mph, and not until the advent of Jaguar’s XK120 was there a production sports car that could live with the th ...
Triumph 1930 “CTT” 498cc OHV single frame # 808649 engine # 130947 CGT video: https://youtu.be/a2wfTslrH20 The mid-1920s were difficult times for the motorcycle industry but Triumph managed to get through with its very successful Model P. By the late 1920s though, the company was being overtaken by the competition and it was definitely time for something different. So in October 1928 an entirely new range of “C-Series” machines was presented in the form of the CO (348cc OHV) , CN (498cc SV) and ...
Yamaha 1974 TZ 750A production racer 694 cc two stroke liquid cooled four cylinder frame & engine # 409 000 158 The Yamaha TZ750 is a series production two-stroke race motorcycle built by Yamaha to compete in the Formula 750 class in the 1970s. The engine was created on the idea of connecting two blocks of the 2-stroke, liquid-cooled, in-line 2-cylinder TZ350 engine together to make a 700cc in-line 4-cylinder engine and mounting it on a newly designed high-tensile steel pipe double cradle frame. ...
MV Agusta 1976 750 Sport America 789 cc DOHC four cylinder frame # 2210318 engine # 221-061 During the 1950s and the 1960s, MV Agusta produced small displacement bikes but as sales were starting to go down, the company decided to concentrate more on more powerful machines. The MV Agusta 600 debuted at the Milan Trade Fair in 1965. It featured final shaft drive and weighed 221 kg. It became the world’s first production motorcycle with a transverse 4-cylinder engine. But the public demanded someth ...
MV Agusta 1985 ca 750 S Magni 789 cc DOHC four cylinder frame # 2210451 engine # 214-0606 After the departure of MV Agusta from racing in 1976, the production of the street models was reduced. Although prototypes were developed until 1977, they were not implemented due to the financial situation of the company – MV made little profit from motorcycles. The production of the 750 S America was maintained until 1978. The last of the 540 machines made were sold officially during 1980. But effectively ...
MV Agusta 1976 750 Sport America 789 cc DOHC four cylinder frame # 2210451 engine # 221-073 During the 1950s and the 1960s, MV Agusta produced small displacement bikes but as sales were starting to go down, the company decided to concentrate more on more powerful machines. The MV Agusta 600 debuted at the Milan Trade Fair in 1965. It featured final shaft drive and weighed 221 kg. It became the world’s first production motorcycle with a transverse 4-cylinder engine. But the public demanded someth ...