Vintage Sports Bikes Archives - CARS // MOTORBIKES

FN Four

It was not known at the time, but the FN Four was to signal a seismic shift in motorcycling. Technically, there cannot have been many two-wheeled breakthroughs to match the introduction of the inline-four engine! Belgium was the birthplace of that landmark layout. And FN was the much-to-be-congratulated manufacturer.

The first FN Four hit the highway in 1911. It produced 4bhp. From 491cc. At the time, such figures described state of the art technology. Top speed for the FN Four was 40mph. Not too shabby – for an 8-valve inlet-over-exhaust configuration. It rather went without saying that it was air-cooled!

The FN Four was light – tipping the scales at just 165lb dry. Not only its motor – but its chassis, too – was avant-garde. It featured a rudimentary form of telescopic forks. And FN added a new-fangled ‘clutch’ – and 2-speed gearbox – to the Four’s slick set of tricks. A solid shaft-drive set-up output the power. So, who designed this visionary vintage machine? You will not hear the name Paul Kelekom shouted from motorcycling’s rooftops … at least, not very often. But, you should – for it was he who fashioned the FN Four. And, in so doing, he kick-started a craze for fast, four-cylinder two-wheelers. Last time I looked, the fad was still alive and kicking!

Triumph Speed Twin

On the face of it, the Triumph Speed Twin was the quintessence of Englishness. But, it had Germany to thank for its existence. In 1902, two Germans – Siegfried Bettman and Mauritz Schulte – grafted a Belgian-made Minerva motor onto a bicycle. Believe it or not, Triumph was in business! Three years later, the Coventry-based company produced its own engine. It obviously ran well. Before too long, ‘Trusty Triumph’ had entered the biker vocabulary.

The Speed Twin was launched in ’37. Its parallel-twin motor made it faster and smoother than its single-cylinder rivals. The 498cc motor made 29bhp. Top speed was 90mph – heady stuff, at the time. The new bike was the brainchild of Edward Turner. It displayed commercial courage – as well as styling skill. The motorcycle industry is inherently conservative. In other words, “If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!” Single-cylinder ‘thumpers’ had monopolized the market for years. Turner’s Speed Twin, then, broke the engine layout mould.

Mr. Turner did double-duty at Triumph. He was both head of design and general manager. His administrative tasks clearly did not impinge upon his creativity. The Speed Twin looked great standing still. And – with a dry weight of just 365lb – it looked even better, swinging through corners. Edward Turner – visionary that he was – had dreamed up a bike ahead of its time. The Triumph Speed Twin was a blueprint for many a motorcycle to come. ‘Brit bikes’ were on the march … and coming to a showroom near you!

Indian Four

The Indian story started in 1901 – in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA. It continued until ’42 – and the outbreak of the Second World War. Originally called Hendee, the Indian Motocycle Company came into being in ’23. And, no, that is not a typo! One of Indian’s most iconic machines was the succinctly-named Four. As the name suggests, its engine sported four cylinders. They were arranged in a longitudinal inline-four configuration.

Top speed for the Four was 90mph. Pretty quick, in the early Forties. The Four’s side-valve set-up – 2 per cylinder – gave 40bhp, at 5,000rpm. The longitudinal layout meant overheating could be an issue, though. Cooling air struggled to find its way to the rear pots.

The Four looked every inch the classic American motorcycle. The fenders’ rakish lines were pure Indian. Certainly, the bike had nailed down the laid-back custom look. Styling-wise, the solo saddle, front forks and straight exhaust perfectly complemented the downward diagonal of the top frame rail. Comparisons cannot help but be made with arch-rival Harley-Davidson. But – complete with its in-line motor – the Indian Four was every bit as glamorous as a motorbike from Milwaukee. V-twin fans may conceivably disagree, of course!

Scott Squirrel

Scott may not be the most famous manufacturer in motorcycling history – but it certainly has its place. As, indeed, does Scott’s most celebrated bike, the Squirrel. The British marque won the Senior TT – in both 1912 and ’13. And the Scott trial – which began in ’14 – and became a bastion of off-road motorsport – was named after the Yorkshire firm. Founded in ’08, Scott went on to produce finely-crafted motorbikes for decades to come.

Engineering excellence – forged in competition’s crucible – flowed down into Scott roadsters. The Squirrel was the prime beneficiary. Squirrels came in several flavours. There were Super Squirrels, Sports Squirrels and Flying Squirrels. All came with a 596cc motor – mated to a 3-speed hand-change ‘box. Squirrels handled well, looked and sounded good – and merrily skipped up to 70mph. In the Twenties, that was quick!

Squirrels were apt to be temperamental, though. Mechanically, they played up a bit, from time to time. And – with their hefty price-tags – that did not go down well with owners. As the model aged – and its cutting edge blunted – sales declined. To this day, though, there is many a motorcyclist who is nuts about Squirrels. With luck – over the years – a few of them were horded away. So, you never know … Scott Squirrels may again be a common sight, on the highways and byways of Britain.

Indian Powerplus

So far as Indian was concerned, its Powerplus model was a cut above other motorcycles. The American company’s customers clearly agreed. Sales-wise, the Powerplus was a soaraway success. Between 1916 and ’24 – the span of its production run – occasional modifications were all that were required.

The Powerplus’ 998cc engine produced 18bhp. That gave a top speed of 60mph. As a result, Indian entered the Powerplus in the 1911 TT. It vanquished all comers. Indian collected a clean sweep of podium places. The firm broke long-distance records, too. In ’14, ‘Cannon Ball’ Baker shot across America. It took him 11 days, 12 hours, 10 minutes … precision-timing, back then!

But, the Powerplus did not just perform well. In design terms, too, it impressed – clad in a mantle of Indian red. Its fuel tank was embellished with the Indian scripted logo – in appropriate gold paint. Viewed today, the swept-back handlebars were a vintage objet d’art. Throughout, old school engineering was in artful abundance. Hours could be spent taking in the visual delights of the Indian Powerplus. Almost as many, in fact, as it took it to traverse the States!

Excelsior Manxman

Excelsior was the first British motorbike manufacturer. The company’s best-known machine, the Manxman, was named after the TT – Tourist Trophy. That being the ultimate devil-may-care road race – through the picturesque scenery of the Isle of Man.

In ’33, Excelsior took the Lightweight TT title. Overnight, the English firm became a motorcycling name to be reckoned with. The bike which achieved said feat was dubbed the ‘Mechanical Marvel’! Keen to capitalise on their success, Excelsior conceived a racing replica roadster. At the last, though, the project was cancelled. Excelsior were worried about long-term sales. They feared its engine might prove too complex for Clubman-level ‘tinkering’!

While that eleventh hour change of heart was a loss to amateur racing, it was a boon to road riders. Instead of the ‘race rep’ they had planned, Excelsior served up the more orthodox Manxman. Its single overhead camshaft motor came in 250, 350 and 500cc versions. For those so inclined, a bit of light tuning sorted it for the track. In standard trim, it was more than adequate for country lane heroics. In short, the Excelsior Manxman pleased everyone. In so doing, it signalled the finest hour for an historic marque!

Ariel Red Hunter

The Red Hunter was indigenous to the English Midlands. Ariel was based in Bournbrook, Birmingham. One of the original motorcycle manufacturers, it set up shop in 1902. By the ’30s, Ariel was doing brisk business – so was in a position to attract top talent. That meant high-calibre designers like Edward Turner, Val Page and Bert Hopwood. All three became icons of British bike-building. Turner, in particular, proved pivotal to the success of two-wheeled Triumphs.

Ariel produced a steady stream of stylish, yet practical machines. One of the best was the Red Hunter. It was among a batch of single-cylinder four-strokes from the firm. These bikes were a great success – and a godsend to Ariel. Financial woes forced the factory to close temporarily. Jack Sangster then took over the Ariel reins – from father Charles, the firm’s founder. Sangster reached out to Val Page – requesting that he come up with something to save the sinking ship. Page’s response was the Red Hunter. It would not be long before the ailing firm was up on its feet again.

The Red Hunter’s top speed – 82mph – was pretty damned quick in ’37. Especially, from a 497cc motor. To extract that stat from just 26bhp was testament to Ariel engineering. Sadly, suspension tech of the era was not in the same league. Namely, girder forks at the front – and a rigid rear end! Even so, Red Hunter handling was impressive – given the constraints. At least, a comfortably-sprung seat helped make up for the deficiencies. That said – with its push-rod single-pot motor – it was never going to be the smoothest of rides. At the time, though, the Red Hunter was a luxury product. Certainly, it looked the part – resplendent in its ‘red robin’ plumage. As classic bikes go, the Ariel Red Hunter was really quite refined. And could shift a bit, too!

Harley-Davidson Model 9E

Strange to think that the globally renowned brand-name that is Harley-Davidson started life in a small shed in Milwaukee. That was in 1903. After a few faltering start-up steps, the fledgling firm found its feet in ’13. The first Harleys to emerge from the shed – and take to the street – had a single-cylinder engine. The Model 9E, though, came with a 45° V-twin. At that point, not even co-founders William S Harley and the three Davidson brothers, knew just how iconic that engine would turn out to be. Harley-Davidson – along with bourbon whiskey distilleries – was what made Milwaukee famous. The 9E’s 1,000cc motor kicked out 10bhp. That gave a top speed of 60mph. There are modern-day wags, of course, who claim that not a lot has changed!

As a rule, Harley-Davidson is not associated with racing. Since its primary legacy is a long list of laid-back cruisers, that is not surprising. Drag-strips have been more of a Harley domain – where their torque-rich V-twin engines can be given free rein. The firm has long competed at race circuits, too, though. The first Harley-Davidson factory team was formed as far back as ’14. Dubbed the ‘Wrecking Crew’, the équipe battled it out with the likes of Indian, Merkel and Exelsior. Such events garnered Harley much-needed early publicity. They were the perfect showcase for their 8-valve V-twin motorcycles.

By 1919, Harley-Davidson had built 22,000 bikes. Added to that tally were 16,000 sidecars. The big time was beckoning! Henry Ford, however – and his affordable cars – were increasingly a commercial thorn in its side. The Model T, in particular, put paid to many an American motorbike manufacturer. Indeed, Harley’s own sales halved. Milwaukee’s finest, though, would survive Ford’s four-wheeled onslaught. It was fortitude to which millions of bikers would be later indebted. For – while the marque has long had its fair share of detractors – it was Harley-Davidson which really put motorcycling on the map. The marketing map – as well as the geographical one – that is. The Model 9E was an important staging-post. As for that shed in Milwaukee … mighty oaks do indeed from little acorns grow!