Classic Bike Hub UK

125cc Jawa-CZ Cyc-Auto 1934-56 UK If you’re into autocycles and fancy something a little different thank Mr Wellington Butt for the Cyc-Auto. The engine, with its crankshaft in line with the frame, drives a reduction worm gear mounted in the pedal bracket by shaft with chain final drive. Butt initially fitted a 98cc three-port, deflector…

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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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1974 rotary-engined DKW W2000 DKW 1919-81 Germany From the late Twenties until WWII, DKW was the most influential two-stroke motorcycle maker in the world. They pioneered the loop scavenge principle, which utilised crankcase compression, employed ‘supercharging’ pistons and, later, rotary valve induction on their racers. They were for many years the world’s largest volume motorcycle…

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Douglas Dragonfly was last throw of dice Douglas 1908-57 UK One of the most successful and versatile motorcycle manufacturers ever. They won the Junior, Senior and Sidecar TTs, excelled off-road including ISDT, built the ultimate speedway machine, supplied motorcycles in their droves to the allied forces, pioneered disc brakes, built industrial engines, military equipment, cars,…

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Ducati 916 rewrote the superbike design book Ducati 1950 – Italy Founded in 1926 to produce radios and electrical components, the Bologna factory diversified into military equipment before WWI, after which they began making Aldo Farinelli designed 48cc Cucciolo cyclemotor units. Following a brief partnership with Aero Caprioni, Ducati displayed a 60cc motorcycle at the…

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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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Denis Parkinson poses on his 250cc ohc Excelsior Manxman Excelsior 1896-1964 UK The early history of the Bayliss, Thomas and Slaughter – later Bayliss, Thomas and Co – is a story of ‘firsts.’ They were the first company to coin the name Excelsior – on a cycle in 1874 – and the first British company…

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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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Straight frame tubes were the hallmark of pre-war Francis Barnetts FN 1901-62 Belgium Like BSA, FN (La Fabrique Nationale d’Armes de Geurre) were weapon makers. Founded in 1889, the Herstal company began making cycle frames in 1895, then complete cycles and their first 133cc single cylinder motorcycle in 1901. With sound financial backing, development progressed…

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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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