Oldtimers

Triumph 1923 499 cc OHV four valve “ Ricardo” frame # 330308 engine 91188 PRI Triumph decided to enter the 1921 TT with an overhead valve model and Ricardo and Co. Ltd. were given the order to develop a four valve racing engine. That is to say, the engine bottom half to be used was essentially that of the side valve model SD and many cycle parts were SD too, so only cylinder and head were to be designed newly. The four valves were not arranged radially but were set two by two and the heads were ...

Clément 1903 Autocyclette 1¾ hp Model B 142 cc OHV engine # LM465 Adolphe Clément, born in 1855, becomes an orphan at an early age. He’s very interested in things mechanical and, as an apprentice at the village blacksmith’s, manages to build a simple bicycle out of wood for his own use. When he’s 17 he leaves his village on this bicycle to seek his fortune in other parts of France. In 1876 he starts to take part in cycle races and sets up a small cycle manufacture. He decides to move to Paris an ...

Excelsior 1913 “Model 7C“ single speed 974 cc IOE V-twin engine # 42814 The Excelsior Supply Company of Chicago starts producing motorcycles with its own single cylinder engine in 1908. In 1911 the firm becomes part of Ignaz Schwinn’s bicycle empire. The 1913 brochure introduces the new models with confidence: “ In presenting the 1913 Excelsior Auto-Cycle we have purposely condensed its features into these few pages. All mention of the innumerable Excelsior triumphs is omitted, for the speed and ...

Peugeot 1904 2½ HP 300 cc aiv single frame # 11790 engine # 9294 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 quadri ...

Precision 1912 3 ¾ HP 499cc side valve single frame # 4419 engine # 1272 The company F.E. Baker Ltd. was founded by Frank Baker in 1906 to build bicycle fittings under the Precision name and was based at the Precision Works in Moorsom Street, Birmingham. Baker had previously worked for Eadie, Royal Enfield and Premier Cycles. In June 1910 Baker presented his first engine, a 499cc side valve with typical square finning. Business went well: In November 1911, at the London Olympia Show, no less tha ...

Moto Guzzi 1934ca. GT16 498 cc Inlet Over Exhaust frame # 4510 engine # 22066 In 1927 Giuseppe Guzzi, elder brother of Carlo and the engineering genius of the family, designed a prototype of a touring version of the Sport model, the Grand Tourer (GT). This machine was equipped with a very comfortable and well designed sprung frame, a swing arm with friction dampers. The new model was dubbed “Norge” after the Italian airship that had carried out the first verified flight over the North Pole in 19 ...

Velocette 1968 499cc OHV “ Thruxton” Frame # RS19708 Engine # VMT 785 Gearbox # 12-12815 The Truxton, designed in 1965 by Bertie Goodman, was almost an instant legend after a series of impressive results on various racing tracks, where its average speed often exceeded 100 mph. This high performance production racer, which was also sold over the counter in road going version, was a perfect choice for both the fast touring enthusiast and the racing buff. In 1965 the 500 mile race (held at castle C ...

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 frame # 351180 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 range compri ...

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 ...

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. ...

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 ...

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 ...

Norton 1930 490cc OHC “CS1” frame # S 42286 engine # 5A 30585 A Norton had enjoyed considerable success with their OHV racing versions of the famous Model 18 from 1922. Stanley Woods won the 1926 Senior TT, there were numerous wins in the European Grand Prix and, of course, the remarkable feat of Albert Denly averaging over 100mph for one hour at Montlhery in June 1927. The opposition were however developing overhead camshaft engines and Norton’s Walter Moore responded with the CS1 (Cam Shaft 1) ...

Moto Guzzi 1939 498 cc OHV “Condor” production racer frame # 23281 engine # C107 Carlo Guzzi’s first prototype motorcycle of 1919 was unconventional in so far as its single-cylinder engine was installed horizontally and by the end of the 1930s the ‘flat single’ had established itself as a Guzzi hallmark. Guzzi knew the importance of racing as a means of publicising, however it would take several years before the firm offered versions of its works racers for sale to the public. First seen in 1939 ...

FN 1903 2 ½ HP 320 cc two stroke special frame # 12750 engine # 9438 FN (Fabrique Nationale d‘Armes de Guerre) was a Belgian company established in 1889 to make arms and ammunition for hunting and warfare. Soon it was decided that diversification of production was a good strategy to reduce the risk of peaceful times. In the late 1800’s the production of bicycle parts was taken up; soon complete bicycles were added to the programme, followed in 1900 by motorcars. At that time FN was already a maj ...

Scott 1926 Super Squirrel three speed 598 cc water-cooled two-stroke twin frame # 553 engine # Y9477 Alfred Scott, a gifted Yorkshire engineering genius, started experimenting with twin cylinder two-stroke power around the year 1900, when he mounted his little air-cooled twin in front of the steering head of his Premier bicycle. He kept on refining his design and by 1910 the open-framed machine, so much different from standard motorcycle practice, was attracting more and more attention. In 1912 ...