From The Archive

Juckes 350cc ohv was one of last machines made Jawa 1929 – Czechoslovakia Like BSA and FN, Jawas were produced by an armanents factory. In 1929 Frantisek Janacek of the National Arms Factory, Prague felt his company should build motorcycles and, rather than start from scratch, they began assembling German designed Wanderers with pressed steel…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

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…

Continue reading »

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,…

Continue reading »

Coventry Eagle Flying Eight Cotton 1919-80 UK Frank Willoughby Cotton, the law student son of a Herefordshire farmer, competed in trials and hill climbs often riding an open framed Scott. Inspired, Cotton designed a light but strong triangulated frame which the Butterfield Bros at Levis tested before the outbreak of WWI. Patenting his design, 17434/1914,…

Continue reading »

Standard 350cc Connaught with company’s own sidecar, pictured in 1923 Christophe c1922-28 France Range of machines identical to Automoto. Models included two-stroke lightweights, 350 and 500cc four-strokes and they tried a 498cc ohc model with three valve cylinder head. Ciamatti 1950-84 Italy Former Olympiad Marco Ciamatti – cycling gold medalist as part of the Italian…

Continue reading »

Single cylinder roadster from CCM CCM 1971- UK Following the closure of BSA’s competition shop, Bolton based Alan Clews bought from Small Heath 12 BSA motocross frames, assorted wheels and sundries. Alan built one machine, installing a BSA engine, then another, then another – and CCM (Clews Competition Machines) was founded. Early models were named…

Continue reading »

Brough Superior – regarded by many as the pinnacle of vintage motorcycle design Brough 1909-25 UK The above dates are generally accepted as the production dates for WE Brough’s motorcycles. Yet he built his first motorcycle, powered by a period clip on engine in 1902 and by 1906, both sons, William (jnr) and George, were…

Continue reading »

1938 250cc BMW R23 single BMW 1923-to date Germany Today BMW is Germany’s only large scale motorcycle manufacturer. Although portraying an image of dependable quality, the company itself has survived a close call with bankruptcy and kept afloat after WWII by manufacturing cooking pots, cycle parts and wood working tools. Their practice of building top…

Continue reading »

Bimota SB8K Santamonica Berini 1949-c1960 Holland Production commenced with a 32cc cyclemotor unit, nicknamed the ‘motor egg’ due to the shape of its fuel tank. The disc valve two-stroke engine, similar to that found in the British Cyclemaster, was mounted above the front wheel of a bicycle, driving via a roller pressed on the tyre.…

Continue reading »