The mysterious Dart – a label unfamiliar to many circles in the motorcycle world – is the vision of an avid, passionate and efficacious mechanic and racer: Frank Edgar Barker.
Frank was born in 1871 in Kingston-upon-Thames and records document him as a respectable bicycle racer in the 1890s. In fact, Frank seemed to be a jack of all trades, and in the professional world he was a motor mechanic and cycle maker.
In 1901, Frank noted that the cycle makers were taking the leap of faith into the world of combustion. There were a number of proprietary motors that could be clipped onto the bicycles of the time to form a powered transport on two wheels, and Frank wanted to be part of the movement.
The first of his motor-derived inventions is believed to be the 1901 Dart [Brown Brothers] – a belt driven machine powered by a 1¾hp engine – enough to propel the bike to a top speed of 30mph.
In the early period of motorcycle history (the end of the 19th century), many producers of pedal bicycles adapted their designs to accommodate the novel combustion engine, and this bike is one such example. Frank took the Brown Brothers bike and stamped it with his own individual character, a trait that is seen from then on and replicated with many other machines.
The 1901 Dart. Credit: Steve Nicholson.
Frank was a true pioneer of the motorcycle movement and made best of what was within his reach to pursue his endeavours, which were most likely steered by the race scene. As time moved forward, Frank also moved forward to keep in check with his competition by attaining and adapting more powerful machines – this seldom meant combining ancillary motors such as the iconic JAP engines into mainstream frames. The bikes were then embossed with the Dart label to individualise Barker amongst the crowds of other avid racers who were attempting to make their stamp on the scene.
Franks’ need for speed often saw him on the wrong side of the law … in 1904 ‘Frank Edgar Barker of 38 Acre Road, Kingston, was summoned for driving a motor bicycle at a speed which was dangerous to the public’. At least he could argue that the limits of his machines were tested properly…
Frank was a known Brooklands personality, and he competed in many events up and down the country, both on his own concepts, and for the mainstream manufacturers such as Zennith Motors and the Rex Motor Manufacturing Co, to name but a few. In 1908 Frank entered the famed Isle of Man TT on a 3 ½ hp Rex but misfortune struck as he was forced to retire due to a broken crankshaft.
As the Great War reared its ugly head, Frank was able to continue with his passion for two wheels where he served in the Army Service Corps. as a motorcycle despatch rider and instructor – Sgt F.E. Barker is pictured on a motorcycle-sidecar combination serving as a ‘hack’ and with no fewer than seven acquaintances on board…!
As the curtains were drawn across this dark era, Frank continued with his hunger for creation and power and drew on inspiration from his service with the mighty Zennith – this would explain the resemblance in the second Dart – a 1918 654cc JAP side valve V-twin, and this particular bike was raced by him at Brooklands in 1920.
The 1920 Dart JAP. Credit: Classic Super Bikes.
The JAP Dart appears to be an amalgamation of component parts to Barkers chosen requirements – this was often how it was done in the era – even the top dogs such as Brough were doing the same. The drop-frame architecture and fuel tank denote inspiration from the mighty Zennith – a manufacturer that Barker worked and raced for prior to the war period. The overall simplicity of the machine has a noticeable resemblance to a Brooklands racer with the Druid forks propping the rider up over the front wheel. The bones of the bike hold a side-valve J.A. Prestwich V-twin with a bore and stroke of 70 x 85mm; this equates to 654cc and 5 horses – not a lot by modern standards, but not such a bad rating over a century ago! The JAP motors were valued for their smooth and silent operation, and decent power-to-weight ratio – ideal for pulling rider and bike up the Brooklands Test Hill, and the reason that many were planted into bikes of the period. The labour of the engine is relocated to rubber via a Sturmey Archer 3-speed box, also a popular and dependable transmission of the era, and often the desired vintage box by aficionados today.
Records indicate that this bike was raced by Barker at Brooklands in 1920 until it was eventually put to one side and laid up for the better part of 50 years.
The Dart JAP, as found. Credit: Martin Hirst.
A full-works restoration then took place to bring the bike back to its former splendour, which included an accurate repaint of the fuel tank in original colours and with the original decals of DART JAP along its length. The machine had been in the same family since the mid-40s until it was sold to the current owner on the condition that it was used rather than pushed into the corner of a museum – just as Frank would have wanted.
The Dart JAP taking a breather. Credit: Martin Hirst.
The Brown Brothers Dart that we talked about earlier in the article has also had a new lease of life in recent years. There is little known about its early days, until 1953 when it was registered with the Sunbeam Motorcycle Club by Bill Moore who raced in the Zenith team with Frank in 1911 and 1912 – the early days of Brooklands. Bill used the machine to take part in many runs from the 1950s to the mid-1970s, some of which included the 1955 London to Paris and the 1956 Isle of Man TT Veteran Rally and many others. The machine disappeared from the rally scene in around 1986 until it was unearthed in 2018 into the capable hands of Steve Nicholson who set about reviving the old machine to the superb example we have today.
Bill Moore on the Dart, which at the time had a black tank. Credit: Steve Nicholson.
There are only two Dart branded motorcycles known to exist, as detailed in this article. In 2019 Steve Nicholson and Martin Hirst took their respective machines to the resting place of Frank in Laleham – a humble tribute to his life as one of the heroes of the motorcycle movement. The 1901 and JAP V-twin are still ridden to this date in events and are a great compliment to the memory of F.E. Barker – and long may it continue. The big question is – are there any more out there!?
A mark of respect. The two Darts at Frank Barkers place of rest. Credit: Martin Hirst.
Thank you to Martin Hirst and Steve Nicholson for their input on this story.
an article by The Girder Club
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