Oldtimers

Harley-Davidson 1914 “10E” single speed 989 cc IOE V-twin combination engine # 3675H In the 1914 catalogue five models are offered, three 5hp singles and two 8hp twins. The twins are available in single speed as model “E” and with a two-speed gear in the rear hub as model “F”. Not mentioned in the motorcycle catalogue by the way is model “G,” a delivery van also equipped with a 2 speed hub. As in every new model year, the factory has improved their machines in a number of ways. A very practical ...

Ariel 1929 (model year 1930) “Model A” 557 cc side valve single frame # 2207 engine # K1808 Video: https://youtu.be/delMNu9ahew The new line of Ariels, introduced at the end of 1925 and designed by engineering genius Val Page, had been an instant success. Not so much because of its technical innovations, but mostly for its very attractive styling: lower saddle position, shortened wheel base and high saddle tank. Victor Mole was the new man in charge of sales at the Ariel works and he designed th ...

Harley Davidson 1916 “16F” 989 cc IOE V-twin frame# F20064 engine # 4263M In 1915 the company fitted for the first time a three speed countershaft gearbox and the engine power output grew from 9 HP @ 2400 rpm to 11HP @ 3000 rpm. To accommodate the larger dimensions of the new adjustable valves the engineers had to cut notches in the lower edge of the fuel tank. For 1916 the company altered their model designations to follow the calendar instead of H-D years of production from 1905. Thus machines ...

Harley-Davidson 1910 Model 6A 4HP 494cc A.I.V. single engine # 5858 Harley-Davidson’s reputation as a manufacturer of high quality motorcycles is established by the sturdy and reliable singles that the company has marketed before the v-twins become dominant. These singles are developed from the prototypes that are built in the years prior to 1905, when series production really takes off. Improvements are made year by year and by 1910 thousands are being sold. In 1909 a few dozen v-twins are buil ...

Indian 1905 1 ¾ HP 213 cc IOE ‘CAMEL BACK’ engine # 1605 Oscar Hedstrom and George M. Hendee, both active in the cycle racing world, got together to found the Hendee Manufacturing Company as a partnership, with Hendee as President and General Manager, and Hedstrom as Chief Engineer and Designer. Their first prototype was presented in 1901 and during that year six machines were built, of which two were sold. The first machines were powered by a single-cylinder, ca 213 cc ‘F-head’ (inlet over exha ...

Benelli 1930ca “175 Turismo” 172 cc OHC single frame # C14662 engine # A14662 video: https://youtu.be/1WigLzGjK8w The firm of Benelli was founded in the Italian village of Pesaro as a repair workshop by widow Teresa Benelli to provide a future for her six sons. Initially, the brothers worked in a small garage where they created their first motorcycle in 1919. That first model was not a success so it was further developed and brought on the market in 1921. This “Velomotore” was a light 124 cc two ...

Indian 1929 “ Series 402” 1265 cc inline IOE four engine # EA 745 Early in 1927 Indian bought the entire assets of the famous ACE motorcycle corporation. Indian proceeded to manufacture the Indian –ACE until 1928 when the Indian Four took its place. The 1265 cc engine has overhead inlet valves and side exhaust valves and delivered in the late twenties form about 30 HP. About ten years later this had grown to about 40 HP and tuned examples were known to put out some 50 HP! But with output also th ...

Harley –Davidson 1916 “Model 16B” 565 cc F-head single engine # 2118L In 1911 the first V-twins were brought out and very soon these models became the customers’ favourites; it seems singles were most popular for utility uses and in the export markets. For 1916 two types of singles were available, the model 16B single speed and the model 16C with 3 speed countershaft gearbox. Some 15,000 twins left the factory in 1916, but only 1155 singles were sold that year. Only 292 of these were Model Bs so ...

Indian 1937 Model 637 Sport Scout ca. 700cc side valve V-twin frame # 6372602 engine # FCG 2602 In 1932 two new lightweight twin cylinder models are introduced, the 750cc “Motoplane” and the500cc “Pony Scout” which will later be renamed “Junior Scout”. The Motoplane is marketed as a light and simple low-cost sports machine that can be entered in various types of competition events by an owner-rider. The engine is basically the time-tried 101 engine but with the marked improvements of better desi ...

BMW 1982 R100RT 980 cc OHV opposed twin frame & engine # 6234522 In the autumn of 1976, after three years, the /6 series is replaced by the /7 series for the 1977 range. The 898 cc capacity of the top /6 models is now upped to 980 cc by enlarging the bore from 90 to 94 mm. There are three models in the 980cc class, the “basic” R100/7, is a pleasant tourer, the more sporty and powerful R100S and the top model, the R100RS. In 1978 a R100 with full touring fairing , taller windshield and higher han ...

DOT 1927 Super Sports 350 cc OHV JAP frame# 3204T engine # IO / I 80041 The firm’s origins are obscure: founder Harry Reed stated many times in his sales brochures that the name Dot had been seen on motorcycles since 1903. He was certainly in business at this time as a cycle frame builder and dealer in a shop on Eccles New Road, Salford, and it was here that he fust became interested in motorcycles. But whether he was building motorcycles for sale then is not certain, as records of his early yea ...

Harley-Davidson 1942ca “WLC” 750cc side valve V-twin frame # 401169 engine # 42WLC9683 Harley-Davidson began producing the WLA in small numbers in 1940, as part of a general military expansion. The later entry of the United States into World War II saw significantly increased production, with over 90,000 being produced during the war (along with spare parts the equivalent of many more). Harley Davidson would also produce a close WLA variant for the Canadian Army. This model was called the WLC. P ...

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 ...

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 ...

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 ...

Ducati 1982 900 Super Sport 864 cc OHC DESMO V-twin frame # DM860SS *091152 engine # 93411 Ducati were a relatively small motorcycle manufacturer in the 1960s, their road bikes focusing on single-cylinder machines of small capacity and didn’t start producing the first V-Twin engine until 1970, but it was British racer, Paul Smart, who established the firm winning the Imola 200 on a ‘round case’ 750cc bike which featured the now famous ‘Desmodromic’ valve system. The first production bike availab ...

Triumph 1979 T 140 “Bonneville” 744 cc OHV twin frame & engine # T140EKA13014 The Bonneville owes its creation to the 1937 Triumph Speed Twin, designed by Edward Turner. This breakthrough design served as a blueprint for future classic British motorbikes. Public demand for more power increased every year and in 1949, Turner upgraded the bike to become the 1950 6T Thunderbird. During the 1950s, Triumph racked up a number of victories on the Bonneville Salt Flats in the US. For example, in 1955, J ...