Saroléa 1928ca Model “23T” 494 cc side valve single frame# 40282 engine # EAL 6 7196 Commercially the financial year 1928-1929 is very successful for Saroléa: the company makes a profit of 12 million Francs which is, related to the total capital of 18 million, an excellent result. The 1928 models feature an enlarged front wheel brake and this is also the last year that flat tanks are employed on the standard 349 cc and 494 cc machines; the “23U Racing” is already equipped with a saddle tank in 1 ...
Norton 1953 Model 7 “Dominator” 497cc OHV parallel twin frame # 51784 engine # 5178 The Norton twin first appeared as the Dominator Model 7 at the Earls Court Show in November 1948. Its cycle parts were based on the single-cylinder ES2 model, and it had a modified form of the Norton gearbox and a brand new engine, designed by Bert Hopwood. He had previously worked on the Ariel Square Four and Triumph twin and was to go on to BSA in 1949 to design the A10 before returning to the Norton board in 1 ...
ACE 1921 1229 cc 4 cylinder IOE engine # A1585 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 Henderson had g ...
AJS 1936 model 36/10 “Camshaft Trophy Competition” 498 cc OHC single frame # 7/ 795 engine # 36/10 1051 In 1931, in the middle of the economic depression, The Matchless Company had taken over AJS Motorcycles and moved production from Wolverhampton to London. AJS machines kept their identity for some years, but from halfway the thirties rationalization was the keyword and Matchless and AJS models became almost identical, even to the engine numbering system, in which first the year and then the mo ...
Saroléa 1924 “23K Supersport” 494 cc OHV frame #30115 engine# 30115 The first Saroléa OHV model, the “23G Supersport” was presented for the 1924 season and had long stroke engine with configurations of 80.5 x 97 mm. One year later a 350 cc version was presented, the “ 25F Sport”. Both OHV models were consequently further developed and became very popular with sports riders. Late in 1924 the 1925 494 cc OHV model was announced and got the designation “23K”. An improvement was the new rear brake: ...
Sunbeam 1925 “Light Solo” Model 5 499cc side valve frame#08192 engine#45/16221 S Although vintage Sunbeam side valve machines look very much the same to many people, there were actually three different 500cc models in the mid-twenties: the standard 85x88mm Model 3 machine was marketed as an all purpose machine and was suitable for sidecar work. The Model 5 “Light Solo” had the same engine dimensions but sports handlebars and footrests instead of footboards. The reciprocating engine parts were li ...
Triumph 1909 3½ HP Roadster 475 cc single speed frame # 159664 engine # 4686 The first Triumph motorcycle appeared in 1902. It was equipped with a Belgian Minerva engine. In 1903 and 1904 JAP and Fafnir ( German) engines were employed and by 1905 Triumph’s own engine, designed by Charles Hathaway was in use. Winning the single cylinder class in the 1908 TT races on the Isle of Man gave an enormous boost to sales of Triumph machines. The cubic capacity of the engine grew from 363cc in 1905 till 5 ...
FN 1925ca. “M50” 748cc four cylinder overhead inlet valve frame # 839 engine # 1756B Responding to demands from sidecarists for more power, FN introduces a 748cc, 7hp four – the Type 700 – for 1914. This new engine is a side valve of ‘T’-head layout, with mechanically operated valves and a mechanical oil pump, which drives the three-speed gearbox via a steel, multi-plate clutch. Pedal starting is dispensed with on the Type 700, a kick-start mechanism is added at the right-hand side of the engine ...
Indian 1946 Chief 1207 cc side valve V-twin frame # 3463097 engine # CDF3097 B In 1940, 39 years after the company’s founding, Indian went all-in on the skirted fender design, outfitting Scouts, Chief and Fours with the new tin ware. For many, the pre-’50 girder-fork Chiefs offer the best styling. After that date, telescopic forks were fitted, which threw off the aesthetics a bit in many people’s opinion. The 1946 brochure’s opening sentences are surely tempting: ”Drop into the saddle of this ne ...
Matchless 1922 Model H/2 996 cc MAG IOE V-twin frame # 3961 engine # 2C9 ^ No. 60982 The first Matchless motorcycle was made by the Collier brothers in 1899. In 1907 the Isle of man TT races in the single cylinder class were won: after a second place in 1908 victories were gained again in 1909 and 1910, proving that the machines were matchless indeed. After WW I the company designed a model especially suitable as a sidecar machine, the model “H”. Both JAP and MAG engines were used as power sourc ...
Moto Guzzi 1952 “Airone Sport ” 247cc OHV single frame # M22937 engine # N *97467* 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 capaci ...
AJS 1927 Model H1 799 cc side valve v-twin frame & engine # H 60440 The four Stevens brothers had been in motorcycle manufacturing since the final years of the 19th century, but only in 1911 their first complete “AJS” motorcycle, a 298 cc two speeder, was marketed. Their first V-twin Model D with a cubic capacity of 632 cc was introduced in 1912 and was a very successful model, especially for sidecar use. At the 1919 Olympia Show a redesigned 748 cc model D was introduced. Its features included ...
Nimbus 1952 746 cc OHC four in line frame # 10599 engine # 8891 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. Its distinctiv ...
Matchless 1996 “G50” 496cc OHC Tom Kirby tribute racer frame # MRD 93044 engine # RVB The Matchless G50 was a racing bike made by Associated Motorcycles (AMC) at the former Matchless works in London. It was introduced in 1958 and developed from the 350cc AJS 7R but with the engine capacity increased to 496cc. The “G50” designation stands for the 50bhp that the engine developed. The G50 was immediately popular, and while slightly less sophisticated than its Norton rival, it was nonetheless 30lb l ...
NSU 1957 251 OSB “Supermax” 247 cc OHC frame # 3229907 engine # 1836241 Production at NSU was resumed already in May 1945. The company had been lucky that only part of the production facilities had been damaged and the American occupiers immediately consigned the works as a repair facility for US army vehicles. At first bicycles and Kettenkrad off-road vehicles were produced and from the summer of 1947 the pre-war 125 ZDB and 251 OSL models left the factory again. Chief designer became Albert Ro ...
Nimbus 1952 746 cc OHC four in line frame & engine # 10398 In April 1934 the “Nimbus II” is brought out. The flat steel strip frame is a feature in common with the earlier “stove pipe”, but most other features are totally new: the top half of the crankcase is cast in one piece with the ribbed air cooled cylinder block. The iron cylinder head sports an overhead camshaft. The crankshaft drives the overhead camshaft through the upright mounted dynamo via sets of bevel gears. Its distinctive humming ...
Harley-Davidson 1920 “JS” 989 cc IOE V-twin engine # 20 JS 3390 In April 1920 the new Juneau Avenue factory building was completed; this made H-D the largest motorcycle factory in the world with 2,400 employees and established dealerships in 67 countries. There were 50,000 subscribers to “The Enthusiast” magazine. Harley-Davidsons were fast becoming famous for their power, comfort and reliability: more than 7,500 Model Fs and more than 14,000 Model Js would be delivered to customers during 1920. ...
JAP 1912 5 HP “TT Twin” 738 cc V-twin JAP frame # S04027 P engine # 18712 In the years before the Second World War no less than an astounding 396 different brands of Australian motorcycles were offered to the public. Most were assembled from imported English or continental European components and some used American engines. In a few cases whole machines were made in Australia by a diverse group of resourceful, inventive and committed manufacturers, ranging from individuals to substantial manufac ...
Saroléa 1926 494 cc OHV “23 M Super Sport” frame# 30060 engine# 30060 The firm was established in 1850 at Herstal (Liege) as an arms factory by Joseph Saroléa. In 1892 the production of bicycles was started. Joseph died in 1894 and under the management of his sons the company grew bigger and bigger. In the early years of the new century the company started to develop motorized bicycles and soon Saroléa was a force to reckon with: around 1907 the firm employed some 200 labourers and had 4000 m2 o ...
BSA 1953ca A7 “TRIBSA” 750 cc vertical twin with Triumph engine frame # BA7S 5378 engine # 6T 46984 In 1937 Triumph had launched its Speed Twin which became a great success. BSA couldn’t stay behind so the company 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 twin became available as the A7; it was to b ...