Classic Bike Hub UK

Early Seventies 125cc Star-Dream L300 1932-c1948/50 Russia DKW 294/346cc two-stroke clones built in quantity, many for military use. Also ohv 348cc single. Never seen one but, considering numbers built, survivors must exist. Labor 1908-60 France Intermittent production commencing with 300/350cc singles by Courbevoie firm which became part of Alcyon group. Later production included 98-248cc two-strokes…

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Kawasaki GPZ900R was the bench mark sports machine of the eighties K125 1940s-1950s Russia Yet another copy of the DKW125. Modestly priced survivors have appeared since the end of the East/West divide. Spares will be a problem for, despite the design being heavily based on the Deek, much is not interchangeable. Kaptein 1938-1950s Holland Dutch…

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Star of the 1908 Stanley Show, the PL Renouf designed James Safety with for the first time a James engine Jackson-Rotrax 1949-66 UK Superb 500cc JAP-engined speedway machines by Alec Jackson. Many were adapted for grasstrack using a variety of engines. Still active and a choice motorcycle for vintage grasstrack and speedway. Jamathi 1962-77 Holland…

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1204cc Indian Chief IFA 1945/49-60 Germany Shaft drive as fitted by IFA, is common on German motorcycles. The town of Zschopau in Saxony was the centre for advanced two-stroke development during the inter-war years. Young Danish born engineer Jorgen Stafte Rasmussen established his company in Zschopau during 1919, adopting the initials DKW for the motorcycles…

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Harley-Davidson WLC, produced for the military Hagglund 1973-78 Sweden Limited production of pressed steel monocoque framed 345cc two-stroke Rotax engined military motorcycle with automatic transmission, the XM 74 was developed solely for the Swedish military by AB Hagglund and Soner, Ornsklosvick. Drive problems brought the project to a premature halt. Despite its problems, examples are…

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Early Thirties Garelli lightweight two stroke Gadabout 1946-51 UK See Swallow, scooters built by famous sidecar maker. Gaia 1922-32 Italy Turin maker of lightweights with Moser, Rubinelli and Ladetto and Blatto engines. Rare. Galbusera 1934-55 Italy Production began with a range of ohv singles using Italian Miller engines (Rudge units built under licence). Galbusera sensationally…

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Federation motorcycles were marketed through the Co-op Fafnir 1900-14(26) Germany Production at the Aachen factory was initially established to build Werner-designed engines under licence, which were marketed as proprietary units. Fafnir soon developed further motorcycle engines up to a 1000cc V-twin and became Germany’s leading producer. From c1903, Fafnir made superb motorcycles too. Surviving Fafnir…

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Enfield (now Royal Enfield) Bullet Eagle 1910-15 USA Quality made Spake-engined singles and V-twins. Now rare and expensive. EBE c1920-30 Sweden Proprietary engine manufacturer who made cycle clip-ons and then complete machines with 172-598cc engines. A number of 172cc ohv models with three-speed Sturmey Archer gearboxes survive in Northern Europe. EBS c1924-30 Germany Berlin manufacturer…

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1924 JAP-engined sidevalve Diamond Dalesman 1969-74 UK US financed production of well made lightweight off-road competition machines, using notably Puch and Sachs engines. Darmont-Morgan 1920-39 France Blackburne and JAP V-twin engined replicas of the British Morgan three wheeler built by French Morgan agent M Darmont – a former Morgan racing driver. Highly prized today. Dayton…

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1908 Bat 7hp V twin BAC 1951-53 UK After the Bond Minibyke design and production was taken over by Ellis of Leeds, the Bond Aircraft and Engineering Company built two conventional but very small motorcycles called the Lilliput. The 125cc version powered by a JAP two-stroke engine was in production for a year while the…

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