early motorcycles

The Thorough: the short-lived motorcycle that offered unusually long test rides

by

Mark Lancaster

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8th September 2026

At the end of the 19th century George Featherstone was an ironmonger living in Bethnal Green but he had a son who was interested in the great strides that transportation was taking. It seems likely that it was John Featherstone who persuaded his father into producing a motorcycle in 1903. By then, John, now in…
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Vindec Special: The German Motorcycle That Nearly Won the First TT

by

Mark Lancaster

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27th August 2026

The Vindec Special was actually built in Germany by Köln-Lindenthaler Metallwerke AG of Cologne. However, it is an interesting footnote in British motorcycling history because its distribution in this country was handled by the South British Trading Company with the assistance and advice of William Huntingdon ‘Billy’ Wells. Wells had moved to London from his…
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Singer: the Coventry car maker that began on two wheels

by

Mark Lancaster

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28th July 2026

Although best known for its cars, Coventry-based Singer began by making motorcycles, while its connection with two wheels goes back even further. In 1875, George Singer and his brother-in-law, James Stringer, founded a cycle company, and Singer went on to build the world’s first safety bicycle. By 1883, Singer was one of the country’s largest…
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