Search our collection | Science Museum Group Collection

F.N. 3 h.p. 4-cylinder motor cycle, 1905

Road Transport

1905

Rudge-Whitworth 3.5 hp motorcycle, 1911

Road Transport

1911

Ariel Square Four motorcycle

Road Transport

1959

Douglas Dragonfly motor cycle, 1956

Road Transport

1956

Petrol Motor Bicycle

Road Transport

1894

Ariel 'Leader' motorcycle

Road Transport

1963

Avro Monocar motorcycle

Road Transport

1926

Levis 2.25 h.p. Popular two stroke motor cycle, 19

Road Transport

1916

De Dion Bouton motor tricycle, 1899

motor cycles

Road Transport

1899

De Dion Bouton motor tricycle

Road Transport

1898

Motorcycle

Road Transport

1899

Model H motorcycle

Road Transport

1917

Velocette LE200 motorcycle

Road Transport

1955

Zenith-Gradua motor bicycle, fitted with 5 H.P. ve

Road Transport

1920

Ner-a-car B-series motor bicycle

Road Transport

1925

Douglas 2.75 h.p. motor cycle, 1914

Road Transport

1914

F.N. 2.5 H.P. single cylinder shaft driven motor cycle, 1909

F.N. 2.5 H.P. single cylinder shaft driven motor c

Road Transport

1909

Corgi motor cycle, 1948. The Corgi is a fold-up motorcycle based on the military Welbike. The Welbike was designed to fit in a container and be dropped by parachute behind enemy lines during the Second World War. The design was redeveloped for a mass market by John Dolphin and production of the Corgi began in 1948. 27,050 were manufactured and some exported to the US, branded as the ‘Indian Papoose’. However even though additions like a side car and kick start were added, standards of motorcycles and living were changing in the 1950s and people wanted more than the very basic Corgi, so production ended in October 1954.

Motorcycle

Road Transport

1948

Werner 2 h.p. motor bicycle, 1902-3, with accumulator ignition, spray carburettor. Pedals, crank and chain missing. This model marks a major step in the development of the practical motorcycle. The location of the engine at the bottom bracket of the frame provided the best solution to problems of weight distribution and frame strength. In addition, the engine was actually built in to the frame, rather than simply being clipped on. The engine is a 262 cc, four-stroke unit with an automatic inlet valve and the De Dion-Bouton system of coil ignition. Lubrication is by hand pump. There is no clutch, and pedalling gear would originally have been fitted for starting and for assisting the engine where necessary.

Werner motor bicycle

Road Transport

1902-1903

Singer 1.75 hp motor cycle, 1901.

Singer motor cycle

Road Transport

1901

D.K.R. Capella motor scooter, 1961. Due to traffic congestion, high fuel costs and inadequate parking the motor scooter was becoming increasingly popular in Europe in the late 1950s. D.K.R Scooters Ltd started producing scooters in 1957, and in 1961 they brought out the Capella. The Capella was given a new style and body work and replaced most of DKR’s other models. The Capella’s basic design is typical of many of the scooters being produced in the 1960s while scooters and mopeds were reaching their peak of popularity. The growing scooter culture is illustrated by the production of the ‘Scooter Weekly’ supplement to the magazine ‘Motorcycling’. The Capella ran for five years until DKR Scooters ceased production in 1966.

Capella motor scooter

Road Transport

1961

Honda CX500 Turbo motorcycle, 1982. Frame no. PC03-2000006, engine no. PC03E-2000007. ( Less turbocharger and manifold, computer, electric fuel pump retained by Honda for sectioning). NOTE: see Screen 2. Honda was founded in 1946 by Soichiro Honda with the aim to produce cheap transportation for the Japanese after the devastation of the Second World War. It is now one of the largest motorcycle manufacturers in the world. This CX500 Turbo is the result of a Honda research programme developing the turbocharger to obtain the performance of a larger engine with the fuel economy of a smaller engine. The CX500 is the first motorcycle to combine a turbocharger with computer controlled, fuel injection and ignition systems.

Honda CX500 Turbo motorcycle

Road Transport

1982

Drawing of the De Dion surface vaporiser, 1899. Following the invention by Gottlieb Daimler in 1885 of the surface vaporiser for supplying an ignitable air-petrol mixture, various specialised types were evolved for both cars and motor cycles. The example shown in this drawing is one of the best known of this period, and was used extensively on the De Dion motor tricycle.

Drawing of surface vaporiser

Road Transport

1898

Ariel motor tricycle, 1898-1899. Motor-tricycles were at their height of popularity in the 1890s. During this period Ariel Motors produced the ‘Ariel’ motor-tricycle, its design based on the De Dion-Bouton model of tricycle. The Ariel motor-tricycle was able to establish its reputation by winning the Paris to Marseilles to Paris race in 1896 at the speed of 14.5 mph, making the model very fashionable. This is an example of a later model than the machine that won the 1896 race and sports some improvements including enclosed gears and improved weight distribution positioning the engine in front of the axle.

Motor tricycle

Road Transport

1898-1899

James 4.25 hp motor cycle, 1913

Road Transport

1913

O.E.C. motor bicycle, 1930, fitted with J.A.P. engine

O.E.C. motor bicycle, 1930, fitted with J.A.P. eng

Road Transport

1930

Vespa Sportique scooter, 1965

Road Transport

1965

Yamaha XS1100 motorcycle, 1978, sectioned

Road Transport

1978

Lamaudiere motor cycle, 1902

Road Transport

1902

Humber 2.75 hp motor cycle, 1925, sectioned

Humber motorcycle

Road Transport

1925

Indian 3.5 h.p. single-cylinder motor cycle, 1911. The Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company is one of the most successful and renowned motorcycle manufacturers to come out of the USA. This company, formerly known as Hendee Manufacturing Company, started to produce motorcycles in 1901. This motorcycle was made in 1911 and has a 3.5hp 499 cc single-cylinder engine with speed gears and positive chain drive. 1911 also saw Indian’s biggest success to date winning first, second and third place in the Isle of Man Senior TT Race. They achieved this with specially customised bikes, a twin cylinder sleeved down to 598 cc version, but the achievement did a lot to increase the Indian’s profile in the motorcycle world.

Indian motorcycle

Road Transport

1911

N.S.U. Quickly moped, 49cc, c. 1961

Road Transport

1961

Coventry-Eagle Pullman motor-cycle, 1936. Object consists of two parts. The m/cycle is out on loan, and a lamp from this machine is located at Blythe House(B/FF31/N17E/E/04/LTT).

Coventry-Eagle Pullman motor-cycle, 1936. Object c

Road Transport

1936

Quadrant 3.5 hp motor cycle date 1905 or 1906, with damaged headlamp, ruby reflector, toolbag containing 5 spanners, 2 tyre levers, 1 punch, 2 oil cans AMAC carburettor. Right pedal and toolbox damaged

Quadrant motor bicycle

Road Transport

1905-1906

New Hudson autocycle Reg. No. 656 EHK, 98 c.c. manufactured 1955

New Hudson autocycle Reg. No. 656 EHK, 98 c.c. man

Road Transport

1955

B.S.A. Sloper 500cc motor cycle, 1927

Road Transport

1927

Raleigh 'Wisp' moped, 1967. Mopeds and scooters were a cultural phenomenon in 1960s Britain. At their peak in 1964, imports stood at 100,000 a year and UK production at 36,000, yet by 1966 imports had sunk to 15,000 a year and UK production also continued to decline. However the aspects of modern life which initially caused the scooter's popularity, urban congestion, parking restrictions and costs, continued to rise. This led manufacturers like Raleigh to believe there was still a market. With the Wisp, Raleigh attempted to go back to the motorized bicycle, trying to appeal to a market that asked for ‘a design gayer, more cosmopolitan and less utilitarian appeal’.

'Wisp' moped

Road Transport

1967

Swallow 'Gadabout' motor scooter, 1948. The Swallow Coachbuilding Co. Ltd was bought in 1945 by the Helliwell Group, an aircraft servicing and repair company. They started to produce the Gadabout in 1946 in an attempt to enter the emerging market for easily maintained, inexpensive, lightweight scooters. It was designed by two aircraft-men, Eric Sanders and Frank Rainbow, inspired by the foldable Welbike, used on airfields during the War. The Gadabout was billed as the "British Two-wheeler for Mr & Mrs Everyman", and was confirmed successful when adopted by public bodies including the Staffordshire Constabulary. The Gadabout Mark II followed in 1949 and the model continued to be made until September 1951. Another lightweight scooter was designed to follow the Gadabout, the Joyrider, but it was never produced.

Gadabout motor scooter

Road Transport

1948

Airspring motor cycle, c. 1909

Road Transport

1909

P. and M. 3.5 h.p. motor cycle, c. 1911

Motorcycle

Road Transport

1911

3.5 hp Triumph motorcycle, 1907; an improved version of the 1905 3hp Triumph, the first wholly in-house designed and manufactured Triumph motorcycle. This design helped increase the popularity of motorcycling at a time when the market was at a slump due to the unreliability of the machines. The Triumph 1907 had a newly designed light frame with Triumph patented spring forks, a jet carburettor with magneto ignition, and a ball bearing engine. The motorcycle also claimed to have the most comfortable ride compared to other motorcycles. Due to these combined features of increased dependability and comfort the motorcycle had been transformed into a form of reliable transport.

Motorcycle

Road Transport

1907

Velocette Valiant motor cycle, 1959. The Valiant was launched in 1956 at the Earls Court motorcycle show. It was intended to combine the ‘civilized’ virtues of the LE Velocette with a sporting appeal for the younger rider. The Valiant had many of the LE’s features but was designed to be faster with a top speed 60mph. At the time this Valiant was made, in 1959, Veloce also released their entry to the scooter market, the Velocette Veeline. This was generally considered to be a Valiant but with a dolphin fairing and was produced until 1961. The Valiant faired slightly longer and was finally withdrawn in 1963.

Velocette Valiant motor cycle

Road Transport

1959

Douglas B28 2.75 hp motorcycle, 1928, with pump and 2 nickelled stands

Douglas motorcycle

Road Transport

1928

A.B.C. Scootamota motorcycle, designed by Granville Bradshaw. These were first introduced in 1919 and were one of the earliest and best examples of what we would now just call a scooter. A cheap, simple and practical vehicle, Motor Cycling magazine was particularly impressed by its stability. Unsurprisingly the design was soon copied by other manufacturers, however Skootamota ceased production in 1921.

A.B.C. Scootamota motor scooter

Road Transport

1920-1921

New Imperial motor cycle, 1935

Road Transport

1935

Raleigh moped bicycle, 1959. Raleigh Industries Ltd started making motorized bicycles in 1901, but production stopped in 1933. The Raleigh moped bicycle came into production in 1958 and was designed to provide personal motor transport at low cost. The design championed economy, ease of handling, maintenance, parking and safety as its key features. During the late 1950s there was a growing demand in Britain for independent transport, people were travelling further to get to work and parking was getting more difficult in towns. Mopeds were ideal as they were smaller than scooters and motorcycles and easier to drive. In 1960 Raleigh’s own moped was replaced by one built under licence from Motobécane and a copy of the French Mobylette.

Moped bicycle

Road Transport

1959

N.S.U. Quickly 49cc moped, 1961 (including handbooks)

N.S.U. Quickly 49cc moped, 1961 (including handboo

Road Transport

1961

Triumph motor cycle, 1904, built two years after the first Triumph motorcycle was produced. The Triumph Engineering Co. Ltd (formally known as the Triumph Cycle Co. Ltd and before that the New Triumph Co. Ltd), was started in 1887 by S. Bettman. The company initially started by selling bicycles and motor bicycles, but in 1902 Bettman started to develop the company into a manufacturer and by 1905 the first motor bicycle completely designed and made by Triumph was made. This motorcycle is an example of that intermediate period with a 2.5 hp engine probably made by JAP or Fafnir, and the rest of the vehicle of Triumph design.

Motorcycle

Road Transport

1904

'Junior' Triumph, 2-stroke, 2.25 h.p. motorcycle, c. 1914-1918. These motorcycles were also affectionately known as the ‘Baby’ Triumph. They first started being produced in 1913 to satisfy the growing demand for economical lightweight motorcycles, and were so successful production continued until 1925. The later models were fitted with a clutch and kick-start, though models like this had neither and had to be started by sitting astride and ‘paddling’ off. These motorcycles also still carried the common Triumph feature of the front fork rocking about a single pivot.

Junior Triumph motorcycle

Road Transport

1914-1918

De Dion Bouton motor tricycle, 1899, plus a collection of components. This represents one of the most successful forms of early motor tricycle. The engine develops 1.75 h.p. which drives the tricycle at speeds of over 25 m.p.h.

Motor tricycle and a collection of components

Road Transport

1899