Scorpion’s ‘focused’ two stroke By the early 1960s the Villiers engine no longer suffered from the image of being little more than a power unit best suited for use in lawnmowers. All that had changed
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Reference: When was it that? Excelsior
1935 350cc Excelsior Manxman Great emphasis has always been placed on the need for care when running-in a new engine. Provided simple guidelines are followed and the machine is ridden with restraint, it will have
Read moreReference: When was it that? Triumph Thunderbird
Triumph Thunderbird Before World War 2 British motorcycle manufacturers enjoyed a healthy export market, selling their machines all over the world. In the USA, however, the offtake was quite small in relation to the size
Read moreReference: When was it that? BSA
BSA ad: from the Bantam to the Golden Flash As soon as World War 2 had ended, motorcycle manufacturers were anxious to get back into the production of machines for the civilian market as soon
Read moreReference: When was it that? Triumph
Triumph model T Looking back through the pages of motorcycling's history, it is surprising that the concept of a vertical twin four stroke engine took so long to catch on. Werner produced the first really
Read moreReference: When was it that? Triumph went unit
Unit construction Triumph When Edward Turner first showed his revolutionary Speed Twin to the Press at the end of July 1937, it was his long-term intention to phase out all of the single cylinder models
Read moreReference: When was it that? Velocette Valiant
192cc Velocette Valiant flat twin When Veloce Limited launched their 248cc overhead valve MOV model in 1933 they were onto a winner right from the start. With a maximum speed in excess of 60mph, widely
Read moreReference: When was it that? Ariel
Ariel Square Four in traditional ad pose Four cylinder motorcycles have been with us for a very long time – longer than many of us would think. The first was the Holden, which went into
Read moreReference: When was it that? Triumph
Triumph TR5 Trophy Edward Turner, the Managing Director and Chief Designer of the Triumph Engineering Company held firm views about the extent to which manufacturers should take part in off-road competition events. He considered it
Read moreReference: When was it that? Sun
The Sun Cycles and Fittings Company Limited, of Aston Brook Street, Birmingham, bad a long association with the British motorcycle industry. Founded by the Parkes family in 1885, their first involvement with two wheels was
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