Oldtimers

Hobart 1921 “2 ½ HP Spring Frame” 269 cc Villiers MK IV two stroke engine # C 2285 William Hobart Bird (c1851-1934) started to manufacture bicycles in 1884. In 1901 motorcycle production was also taken up and soon the company developed an excellent reputation for the high workmanship that was apparent in their bicycles and motorcycles. The company also supplied frames and engines to other manufacturers. At first Dalton and Wade engines were employed, later models were fitted with JAP singles and ...

Indian 1915 7 HP “Model C3” 994 cc IOE V-twin engine # 72G745 Indian’s first, 38.61ci (633cc) v-twin appears in 1907 with an engine clearly derived from that of the single, though mechanical inlet valves – introduced for 1908 – are an early improvement. The twin’s rear cylinder continues to form part of the frame until 1909 when a loop frame of the type favoured by rivals Harley-Davidson is adopted. The Springfield Company’s first ‘Big Twin’ debutes that same year displacing 61 ci. By 1913 India ...

Indian 1919 Model “O” 257 cc side valve flat twin engine # 30M782 In the early years of world war one the Indian management decided it would be wise to add a light weight model to the range: such a model would add to their coverage of the market. There was a growing demand on the American home market for a light two stroke, as witnessed by the Cleveland that sold well. The lightweight was designated as the model K and catalogued as the “Featherweight”. It weighed less than 60 kilos, had 221 cc e ...

Indian 1916 Model K “Featherweight” 221cc two stroke single engine # 22H179 Late in 1915 the Indian management decides that a small two stroke utility type machine will add to their coverage of the market. In many countries light two strokes are getting popular and also the American domestic market appears to be ready for such a type of Indian. So early in 1916 a new model is presented in the catalogue: “ The Indian Featherweight is transportation made practically universal. By this we mean it h ...

Indian 1907 2¼HP ca 311 cc IOE ‘CAMEL BACK’ engine # 5378 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 exh ...

Raleigh 1922ca 2¾ HP 348cc side valve “2¾ HP Lightweight” frame # 11773 engine # 11340 In the beginning of the 20th century Raleigh’s main business is in the cycle trade. Company founder Frank Bowden is a firm believer in variable gear systems and from the end of 1902 the Raleigh Cycle company puts the Sturmey-Archer cycle hub gear on the market. There is some motorcycle production between 1899 and 1906, but only after the first world war serious thought is given again to motorcycle production. ...

BMW 1969 R69US 590 cc OHV transverse twin frame & engine # 665749 In 1955 BMW introduces a new line of twins with a completely redesigned frame with trailing fork rear suspension and Earles fork front suspension. The final drive shaft is no longer exposed but is enclosed in the right arm of the trailing forks. All three new models, the 500 cc R50, and the 600 cc R60 and R69 have 18 inch wheels in place of the earlier 19 inch ones, twin leading shoes in the front brake, smaller mudguards and larg ...

BMW 1957 R26 247 cc OHV single frame & engine #353439 Built to the same exemplary standards as the Bavarian company’s famous flat-twins, the single-cylinder BMW first appeared in pre-war days. Indeed, BMW’s first new post-war model was a single-cylinder design – the 250cc R24 – which arrived in 1948. By 1956, BMW’s quarter-litre luxury lightweight had evolved into the R26 that boasted a more powerful (15bhp @6,400rpm) engine, Earles-type leading-link front fork and a larger fuel tank among numer ...

Honda 1969 CA78 “Dream” 305 cc OHC twin frame # CA78-1036181 engine # CA77E-1036233 Soichiro Honda will go down in history as the man who truly changed the face of motorcycling forever. Honda founded his enterprise in 1947, using war-surplus Tohatsu generator motors clipped to bicycles. After his supply of engines dried up, he designed his own 50cc two-stroke clip-on motor, the first Honda Cub. Sales boomed, but Honda wanted more, and in 1954 he made the unheard-of plan of visiting Europe and le ...

MV Agusta 750S America Frame # MV750*2210380 DGM Engine # 221-0360 The 750S America model was introduced in 1975. It featured blockier styling and a larger engine than previous MV 750s. MV Agusta’s glorious racing background gave rise to numerous street bikes over the years, such as the 1977 MV Agusta 750S America motorcycle. The 790-cc double-overhead-cam four-cylinder engine in the 1977 MV Agusta 750S America motorcycle had its roots in a 500-cc racing powerplant. The exhaust system is a combi ...

BMW 1943 R75 748 cc transverse ohv twin military combination frame & engine # 766143 In the 1930s BMW were producing a number of popular and highly effective motorcycles. In 1938 development of the R75 started in response to a request from the German Army. The authorities had laid out specifications for a military sidecar machine that should be designed and built in cooperation between the BMW and Zündapp factories. The idea was to design a machine that was built along the lines of the sturdy Be ...

BMW 1932 R16 734 cc ohv transverse twin frame # P 2539 engine # 76452 At the end of the nineteen twenties motorcycle engineers get more and more interested in the use of pressed steel for motorcycle frames and BMW decides on this type of frame for the new R11 and R 16 750 cc class models that are introduced at the end of 1929. The R16 is the sportsman’s machine, its engine delivers 25 hp @ 4,000 rpm, which grows to 33 hp @ 4,500 rpm for the 1933 models, that are equipped with two carburettors an ...

Honda 1964ca CA78 “Dream” 305 cc OHC twin frame # CA78-1008329 engine # CA77E-1006378 Soichiro Honda will go down in history as the man who truly changed the face of motorcycling forever. Honda founded his enterprise in 1947, using war-surplus Tohatsu generator motors clipped to bicycles. After his supply of engines dried up, he designed his own 50cc two-stroke clip-on motor, the first Honda Cub. Sales boomed, but Honda wanted more, and in 1954 he made the unheard-of plan of visiting Europe and ...

BMW 1928 R57 494 cc ohv transverse twin frame # 25723 Engine # 70343 The 1928 BMW range comprises four models: two in the 500 cc class, the R52 sv and the R57 ohv, and two models in the new 750 cc class, the R62 sv and R63 ohv. The new 494cc models are again further developed: the front brake diameter goes from 150 to 200 mm, and there’s a new 3-speed gearbox with oil lubrication instead of the earlier grease-filled boxes. The kick starter now works in line with the crankshaft, the earlier model ...

Harley-Davidson 1925 “JE” 989 cc IOE V-twin engine # 25 JE 12139 The 1925 Harleys look completely different from the older models: they have a new type of frame that causes the saddle position to be 3 inches lower than before, the wheels go from 28 to 26 inches and the petrol tank gets a dynamic teardrop shape. But there are many more changes as the 1925 brochure points out: there’s a list of no less than 27 big improvements. A small selection: the petrol and oil tanks get a higher capacity, the ...

Norton 1948 Model M30 “Manx” 499 cc OHC single frame & engine # C11M 14566 After five years of meticulous work, Dutch self-employed mechanical engineer and 3D-artist, Niels Schoen, has completed a unique document. Counting 164 pages and narrated in English, this book entirely reveals his 1948 Norton racer down to the very last nuts and bolts in a series of 3D illustrations that are unseen before. It took him nine months to execute the main task: have each item taken from the motorcycle, measure ...

Triumph 1961 T 120 “Bonneville” 649 cc ohv twin frame # D 13509 engine # D 18509 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 ...

Rudge 1937 “Sports Special” 495 cc four-valve OHV single frame # 61107 engine # S3394 The Rudge-Whitworth company is already an established bicycle factory when the firm starts to manufacture motorcycles in 1911. Their first machines are 499 cc IOE singles. They develop the famous Multi Gear, with a possibility of up to 21 gear positions. In 1924 the factory introduces a new range of four valve singles and in 1928 Graham Walker manages to win the Ulster Grand Prix on a Rudge, after a heroic hand ...

Clément 1903 ca 1 ¾ HP 143 cc OHV Autocyclette frame # 18463 engine # LM 1815 Clément is one of the true French motorcycle pioneers and this particular model was produced around 1903. The big outside flywheel acts as a pulley for the direct round rubber belt transmission to the rear wheel. The seat tube is fitted with an adjustable belt tensioner. A spray carburettor takes care of the correct mixture and there is a throttle valve in the intake tube. Ignition is by trembler coil and battery, neat ...

BMW 1951 R67 594 cc OHV transverse twin frame & engine # 611268 The first series of the R67 is presented in 1951 and this machine is the logical successor of the prewar R66, that was from 1938-1940 the top-of-the-line BMW model. The extra power as compared to the R51/2 came in handy with use as a sidecar machine; the ADAC, the German road assistance organisation, has many R67 combinations on the road in the fifties and BMW can provide the R67 with their own “Spezial” sidecar. The 72 x 73 mm bore ...