Once in a while, you are dealt a lucky hand. And if you have a passion for old automobiles, this lucky hand may come in the form of a bunch of old photographs that were destined for destruction. A few years back, our pal Jim Baumann was at the Household Waste depot on domestic chore duty, when he happened upon a box that contained vintage treasure – a series of old plate negatives that captured a collection of incredible old motorcycles. The history and ownership of the photographs and the machines is rather vague, but the same face appears alongside the various motorcycles.
It is a miracle that these wonderful old snapshots that capture a moment in time were saved, and here are some to cast your eye over, with a bit of context to go alongside the various marques.
The concept of the motorcycle started to evolve at the tail end of the 1890s as the combustion era exploded. An array of primed bicycle makers jumped on the trend, strapping small petrol engines into their frames to produce a motorcycle. In fact, there were hundreds of bicycle makers who joined the movement which continued to evolve with huge levels of experimentation and innovation, and a broad concept of ideas on how best to make it work.
The Clyde Cycle and Motor Car Co. based in Shenton Street, Leicester were one such outfit. The Clyde motorcycles were well-built but typically primitive, and the motor was mounted vertically in a loop frame with braced forks. This one appears to be a standard 2¾ hp belt drive model. This was simplicity in its finest hour.
NSU (founded in Neckarsulm, Germany) were another early manufacturer to pop up on the scene. The first NSU was created in 1901 and by 1903 the firm really ramped it up with a 329cc 2½hp motorcycle which would turn out to be a profitable machine.
A host of different motorcycles were introduced by NSU up to the outbreak of war which included a series of V Twin models. The first twin cylinder was introduced at the 1905 Stanley Show:
Twin-cylinder engines are a speciality this year with the N.S.U. Co., whose machines have decidedly caught on in England. In arranging the two cylinders the firm have taken the precaution of setting one cylinder vertical and the other inclined forward at an angle of 60°; this ensures both being well cooled. So that both cylinders may be equally lubricated, the conveying pipe is carried at the back of the vertical cylinder, as there is a tendency for the inclined one to receive slightly more oil than the other.
This is one such bike – interestingly it displays the same registration as the single-cylinder model shown above. Note the inlet-over-exhaust valve gear, which drives the rear wheel directly by belt.
In the early days of the motorcycle, a vast number of companies used proprietary motors that were outsourced from bespoke engine builders. It made it much easier to create a motorcycle, after all the motor was really the most complicated part. The playboy of the early era was J.A.P.
J. A. Prestwich were a British manufacturing company who created a variety of motors that were used by notable marques, and in racing motorcycles of the period. Initially J.A.P. assembled complete motorcycles (from 1904 to 1908), but then moved into the market of selling their engines to other companies, and they were soon a dominant player in the market.
This is an early J.A.P. powered Zenith. Zenith were famous for the Gradua gear system which was patented in 1907. A crank handle sat above the tank of the machine enables the rider to adjust the diameter of the engine pulley, and as this motion takes place, the rear wheel is moved forwards and backwards via worm gears to maintain the correct belt tension. The benefit – a wide choice of gearing variations from as low as 9:1 to 3.5:1 which can be adjusted while the motorcycle is in motion. The benefits of the Gradua system were evident in hill climb events as the rider was able to select the correct gear during the ascent, while other competitors had to make do with a single choice of ratio. A number of rattled competitors felt that the Gradua afforded Zenith with an unfair advantage, and as a result many clubs banned Zenith from their hill climbs. Zenith were quick to identify the publicity value, and took the word ‘Barred’ and used it as their trademark.
In 1913 the Zenith range featured three racing models with J.A.P. overhead valve engines – either a 2¾ hp or 3½ hp single, or a 8hp V-twin. This is believed to be one of those singles, featuring the Gradua system and belt drive to the rear wheel.
This is an early J.A.P. OHV V-twin in racing trim. The manufacturer is unknown but just look at those dropped bars to really get the rider into a racing stance!
Throughout the 1920’s, J.A.P continued to move forward and dominate the market. The off-the-shelf convenience of proprietary motors made it a whole lot easier for motorcycle manufacturers to have a crack in the competitive market. This could be one such outfit, and is a rather unusual machine powered by a V-Twin J.A.P. with “Sea-Gull” denoted on the tank, albeit it does bears a positive resemblance to an early Matchless.
Now to Chater Lea, who were a London born company that produced some very special machines back in the day. Chater Lea started out in Victorian times producing bicycle parts for other firms and then moved into the motorcycle market where they also outsourced their motors from companies such as J.A.P., Blackburne, Minerva and Precision. This Chater Lea is powered by a side-valve Precision. The company was founded by Frank E. Baker and his initials can clealy be seen imprinted on the crank case. The dimensions and configuration of the engine would indicate that this is a c. 1910 499cc side-valve. Note the unusual box shape of the cylinder head.
Let us move out of Europe and across the North Atlantic Ocean to America, and to the Hendee Manufacturing Company, known to most as Indian. Indian motorcycles were a major player in America, and before the First World War, many were imported into the UK, such as this one.
This Indian appears to be a 1909 5hp 38 cu inch Indian Twin. It was the first year that the diamond frame had been replaced with the more conventional loop frame that had been tried and tested on the factory racers. It had a torpedo shaped petrol tank that was sandwiched between the upper and lower tank rails, and this would remain a prominent feature for quite a few years. We believe this one to be an early 1909 model by virtue of the cartridge sprung forks, and the exhaust that is bent behind the timing gear – but we are no Indian expert so please feel free to correct. Note the acetylene lamps and pedal start, all part of the fun of veteran motorcycles!
A number of other photos that featured in the “junk find” were sidecar outfits.
The sidecar concept is said to have originated from France in 1893 and was originally submitted as part of a newspaper competition to find the best method of carrying an extra passenger on a bicycle. A number of years later in the UK, the use of a sidecar on a motorcycle was proposed as a joke in a cartoon in a motorcycle magazine. Mr WJ Graham of Enfield in Middlesex, noticed the concept while flicking through pages of the magazine… he in fact liked the idea, and patented the idea only three weeks after publication! The sidecar exploded in popularity and was the start of many a story from dogs and children tearing along dirt tracks of the early 1900s or new owners sliding their outfits into a ditch. It was cheaper than a motorcar, but provided the option of transporting multiple passengers, and even goods and equipment. Ariel and Trafalgar were among the first manufacturers to build and sell the outfits licensed to Graham.
The early sidecar chairs were traditionally created from wicker – a technique that had been around since the Victorian era. The material was cheap and simple to buy, and the build straightforward and proven. The wicker cane made for a lightweight assembly (although not as durable as a steel body) and the chair could simply be dropped onto the side hack.
The attached photos are sidecars typical of the era – and feature as many do, stoic Edwardian women attempting to look completely ok about the precarious journey ahead!
The history of these old plate glass negatives is a bit of a mystery. There is some thought that some the photos may have been taken in the grounds of Wrotham Park near Barnet albeit many of the bikes bear an Isle of Bute registration prefix. If you have any further information that can add to the context, please feel free to give us a shout.
Thank you to Jim Baumann for sending us the photos and for allowing us to take a step back in time.
an article by The Girder Club
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