Oldtimers

Harley-Davidson “1916” 989cc 8-valve OHV V-twin recreation Board Track Racer “Lattin’s Lightning Twin” engine # 4721 H Indian had presented its four valve singles and eight valve twin OHV racers in 1911 and they had been very successful on the racing tracks. These machines had parallel inlet and exhaust valves. The Harley-Davidson company realised they had to come with an OHV concept too but they chose for a design with hemispherical combustion chambers and valves set at an angle of 90 degrees. ...

Peugeot 1904 2 ½ HP ca 300 cc aiv single frame # 5846 engine # 4508 Although a prototype De Dion-engined Peugeot bicycle was displayed at the Paris Salon in 1898, the first motorized cycles to leave the factory were actually tricycles with De Dion & Bouton engines. The popularity of the tricycle was unchallenged at first, but by 1902 the motorized bicycle started to take the lead: at the Paris Salon in December 1901 81 motorised cycles were exhibited, of which there were only 21 tricycles or qua ...

Nimbus 1924 746 cc IOE four cylinder frame # 702 engine # N702 The Nimbus was manufactured by the firm of Fisker & Nielsen of Copenhagen. This company was formed in 1905 to manufacture electric motors; in 1910 the Nilfisk electric vacuum cleaner was marketed. This product was a great success and it was soon sold in many countries all over the world. Fisker believed he could develop a motorcycle that had its own unique shape, and in late 1918 decided to construct a prototype to his own design. It ...

Bradbury 1914 6 HP 750cc side valve v-twin frame # 44923 engine # 8486 Bradbury & Co. was one of the pioneers of the British motor cycle industry: already in 1902 the company advertised a motorcycle driven by a Minerva clip-on engine. Before motorcycles were being produced at the Wellington Works in Oldham, the company – established in 1852 – had already earned a worldwide reputation as Britain’s and Europe’s first sewing machine manufacturer. Bradbury & Co. was active on various markets: the fi ...

BSA 1933 “R33-4” 348 cc two-port OHV frame # A41115 engine # A4.444 BSA’s 1933 range comprised models from 249 cc till 986 cc. The model ranges got a letter code: “B” for 249 cc, “R” for 348 cc, “W” for 499 cc, “M” for 595 cc and finally “G” for the big 986 cc twin. In the “R” class there is a choice of two models, the “standard” R33-4 and the more sporty R33-5 “Blue Star” that has a tuned engine. The R33-4 is presented in the catalogue as “The machine for the rider who wants real snappy acceler ...

Harley Davidson 1935 “VD” 1217 cc side valve V-twin combination frame # 35118 engine # 35VD3143 In 1930 the Model “V” came on the market to replace the F-head models J and JD. In the beginning there were serious problems with the design but once these were ironed out the new model gained a good reputation both as a solo mount and as a sidecar puller. The “V” range was produced till 1936 in capacities of 1217 and 1293 cc and the machines were available with many specification details. The model r ...

BSA 1957 “ A10 Golden Flash” 646cc ohv twin frame # EA 7970engine # CA 10 9311 In 1937 Triumph had launched its successful Speed Twin. BSA also started to develop a vertical twin in the years before the war; this model was to make its appearance in 1940 but by that time BSA got very much involved in the war effort and the launch of new models was postponed. In September 1946 the new model became available as the A7; it was to be the first of a long line of powerful and reliable parallel twins th ...

BMW 1928 R47 494 cc ohv transverse twin frame # 5631 engine # 34907 The first BMW, the 500 cc side valve tourer R32, is marketed in 1923; 3100 machines are built. Two years later an OHV sports version is brought out, the R37. This machine features the smallest production run of all commercially produced models in the company’s motorcycling history: only 175 leave the factory. The R37 is replaced by the improved R47 that is introduced alongside the sidevalve-engined R42 tourer, both models benefi ...

Lea-Francis 1920ca 3 ½ HP 496 cc M.A.G. IOE V-twin frame # A 1640 engine # 2 C10 No. 43208 In 1895 Richard Henry Lea and Graham Inglesby Francis formed a partnership to manufacture high quality pedal cycles in Coventry. Around 1910 it was decided to go into motorcycle manufacture. A prototype was built in 1911 and by August 1912 the product was thoroughly tested and ready for introduction to the press and public. Important features of the machine were the enclosed all-chain transmission, thought ...

Nimbus 1953ca 746 cc OHC four in line frame # 11664 engine # 11664 In April 1934 the “Nimbus II” was brought out. The flat steel strip frame was a feature in common with the earlier “stove pipe”, but most other features were totally new: the top half of the crankcase was cast in one piece with the ribbed air cooled cylinder block. The iron cylinder head sported an overhead camshaft. The crankshaft drove the overhead camshaft through the upright mounted dynamo via sets of bevel gears. After World ...

Magnat-Debon 1907 2 ½ HP « Rapide Légère » ca 325cc A.I.V. single frame # 6531 engine # 204 In the year 1900 Joseph Magnat and Louis Debon founded a firm in Grenoble that started to produce bicycles. In 1902 the first motorcycle was produced, equipped with a De Dion Bouton engine. In 1905 they started to use their own engines and in the years before the first world war the firm prospered: the machines had many novel features such a telescopic front suspension and some models had overhead valves. ...

Ariel 1958 FH “Huntmaster” 646 cc OHV twin frame # CAPR 10568 engine # CNLF 4529 Ariel had been sold to BSA by owner Jack Sangster in 1944 but it had retained its own identity. In 1948 the KH 500 twin was introduced and some years later it was decided to add a 650 cc model to compete with Triumph and BSA in that class. It was decided not to use the 500 twin as a basis but instead the engine of the BSA A10 was used and modified so its styling would blend in with the existing Ariel range. The engi ...

Aermacchi 1962 Ala Verde 246cc OHV frame # 222147 engine # 222494 Aermacchi originally was an Italian aircraft manufacturer. Formerly known as Aeronautica Macchi, the company was founded in 1912 by Giulio Macchi at Varese in north-western Lombardy as Nieuport-Macchi, to build Nieuport monoplanes under license for the Italian military. After World War II, the company began producing utility three-wheelers and motorcycles as a way to fill the post-war need for cheap, efficient transportation. Aerm ...

Ducati 1960ca 200 Super Sports 203 cc OHC single frame # MD 10213 engine # MD 10036 In 1926 an Italian named Antonio Cavalieri Ducati and his three sons founded a company in the name of Società Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati in Bologna to produce vacuum tubes, condensers and other radio components. The family built Ducati into a reasonably successful business. Heading into the second world war, the company maintained production despite the factory being a repeated target of allied bombing. Th ...

Velocette 1949/1956 KTT Mk VIII “Dieter Busch Special” 348cc OHC engine # KTT 1035 The final development of the Velocette KTT, the Mk VIII, was introduced in 1938 at that year’s Earls Court Show, and was the first motorcycle to use the now-conventional swinging-arm rear fork with a shock absorber unit. The rear suspension system was designed by Veloce development engineer Harold Willis, and was inspired by the Oleo strut landing gear on the DeHavilland Hornet. Power developed was around 30hp@650 ...

Sparta 1950ca 197cc two stroke Villiers MK 6E frame # V22/80 engine # 956/217441 The company was founded in 1917 in the Dutch town of Apeldoorn as a wholesale company in bicycles and parts. By the end of the nineteen twenties the company had taken up bicycle manufacture and in 1931 the decision was taken to start the production of motorcycles. These were light machines equipped with 74 or 98cc Sachs two stroke engines. In the middle of the thirties Villiers engines of 148 or 200 cc capacity were ...

Aermacchi 1959 Ala Verde 246cc OHV frame & engine # 220019 Aermacchi originally was an Italian aircraft manufacturer. Formerly known as Aeronautica Macchi, the company was founded in 1912 by Giulio Macchi at Varese in north-western Lombardy as Nieuport-Macchi, to build Nieuport monoplanes under license for the Italian military. After World War II, the company began producing utility three-wheelers and motorcycles as a way to fill the post-war need for cheap, efficient transportation. Aermacchi’s ...

Moto Guzzi 1949 “Albatros” 247cc OHC racer with flex sidecar engine # A563 The “Albatros” came along in 1939 and was a result of a joint effort by Carlo Guzzi and an engineer called Giulio Cesare Carcano. It was built for the races reserved for amateur riders on production bikes and was effectively the works Grand Prix machine minus the blower. After the war, when supercharging was banned, it became the marque’s top racer in the 250cc class. Mechanical performance was virtually on par with the w ...

Moto Guzzi 1947 “Airone Turismo” 247cc OHV single frame # 12202 engine # 72678 In 1932 Moto Guzzi had decided to move into the lightweight market. At first this was the 175cc class that enjoyed various advantages in taxation and driving licence regulation, but when these were abolished the public interest in the 175cc class waned and Guzzi decided to increase the displacement of its little P175. At first the step was made to a 232cc machine but in 1937 the PL was introduced with 247cc capacity a ...

FN 1924 M 50 748 cc four cylinder overhead inlet valve frame # 563 engine # 1369 To many enthusiasts the FN four has always been one of the most appealing machines of veteran and vintage times. Its production runs from 1905 till 1926. The earliest type has a 362 cc engine with automatic overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves. The machine is single geared, has shaft drive and the top speed is about 60 km/hour. The FN four is an immediate success and finds customers all over the world; FN s ...