admirable characters

by Glenn Roberts

Photography by Glenn Roberts

In my mind the antique motorcycle usually has more character than a new bike for all the above reasons. I'm not saying that machines are better when they leak oil or cough and hiccup or that I would even like to have a machine that requires regular TLC but I sure find them easy to admire. Some of the early engines are so primitive one can almost hear the internal workings of the engine as it runs.

Engines are so efficient in this day and age that they generally don't leak oil and for some at least, run so smooth they sometimes sound like an electric motor. In addition to that, some bikes are smothered in body work which makes it impossible to even see linkages let alone the computer, sensors and wiring harnesses that keep the bike running. In comparison, today's motorcycles are designed by computer and in some cases built by computerized robots.

In the first two thirds of the 1900's, machines were dreamt up and invented by engineers sitting at a work bench. They would muster together ideas to figure out a linkage so that a lever could move a do-hickey and in turn activate the thing-am-a-jig, or design a way to invent a new type of cylinder head to allow for better cooling.

This is the first part of a multi issue article highlighting antique motorcycles from The Bar Hodgson Collection.

In this first part we will be featuring motorcycles from the United Kingdom and includes a very brief background of the motorcycle companies themselves. The United Kingdom has an extremely rich motorcycling history that began in the late 1800's but unfortunately came to an end, so to speak, in the early seventies. Some British motorcycle manufacturers still produce motorcycles on a small scale and some such as Triumph have rebounded to become a major player in the world's competitive motorcycle industry.

Most if not all the bikes in this installment you probably will have heard of but may never have seen in person. The Bar Hodgson Collection currently operates as a travelling road show, displaying at major motorcycle shows, race tracks and motorcycling events and supplies significant motorcycles to other museums such as the American Motorcyclist Museum and the Canadian Motorsports Hall of Fame.

I would like to give a special thanks to Bar and Hedy Hodgson for letting me photograph and research their collection for this and upcoming issues of Motorcycle Mojo Magazine. Also a big thanks to Ken Livingston and Dave Hall for setting the bikes up during the photo shoots.

During World War 1, BSA supplied some motorcycles to the war effort but concentrated most of its attention to making armaments for the allied forces.

The Gold Star made its debut in 1936 and was originally called the Empire Star. The name was changed to Gold Star after a tuned Empire Star broke 100mph at the Brooklands banked circuit and received the coveted lapel badge- a Gold Star.

BSA had a relatively strong racing presence prior to the Second World War. All racing activity was put aside during the War but resumed afterwards to give the company consistent racing results which had eluded them beforehand. Racing success equals strong consumer sales and the motorcycles were considered very reliable and a good value for the money.

500cc Four stroke single cylinder engine. Two pushrod actuated overhead valves.

500cc Four stroke single cylinder engine. Two pushrod actuated overhead valves. Plunger frame.

Restored by Tim Bardsley in 2004.

In 1902 Components Ltd., owned by Charles Sangster bought the company and began producing motorcycles but their progression over the next two decades was sluggish. During the 20's, Charles' son Jack Sangster hired some of the best designer/engineers in Britain and the marque was beginning to show promise. To little to late perhaps?

Ariel's parent company went bankrupt in 1932 when Jack Sangster bought the rights to the Ariel name and much of the tooling at a reduced cost and started a new company called Ariel Motors (J.S.) Ltd.. After the Second World War, Ariel voluntarily allowed itself to be absorbed by the BSA empire. One of Ariel's most notable engines was the Square Four, the first prototype emerging in 1930. As the name suggests, the cylinders were configured with two cylinders directly behind the front two cylinders. Starting as a 500cc engine, then increased to 600cc and finally the 1000cc configuration. The 'Squariel' was plagued with heat problems as one might imagine having two cylinders directly behind the front pair. Despite the heat issues it remained in production until 1954.

Restored by Tim Bardsley

Most riders of the day rode big four stroke air cooled powered motorcycles and usually shied away from the cheap smelly little two strokes until an early Scott humiliated bigger four stroke bikes at a hillclimb.

Alfred A. Scott died in 1923. Production continued but the company suffered without his determination and ideas and the company went into receivership in 1931. A new owner tried to revive the company and built a few bikes in future years, the last one in 1972.

Restored by Andrew Bosson

Restored in England in 1993.

After dabbling in small two-stroke single and twin cylinder engines and scooters, Velocette became well known for their four-stroke singles after 1925. Velocette had a rich racing history and were consistently winning races and breaking records for decades to come.

The end for Velocette came in 1971 while, ironically, developing the Viceroy Scooter. The R&D costs were too great to an ever demanding market as well as the owner's love of racing which became a money pit also contributed to the fall of Velocette.

The Velocette Thruxton had a race tuned engine and was named after the 1964 Victory at the prestigious 500 mile race at Hampshire's Thruxton circuit.

500cc four stroke, pushrod overhead valve single cylinder engine.

Restored by Rob Hunt

Norton had considerable success in racing including taking nine places in the top fourteen in the first Manx TT in 1920 although none of those nine places garnered a win. Norton also boasted wins at Brooklands and many other races in Europe.

Norton was bought by motorcycle giant Associated Motor Cycles (AJS, Matchless, James and Francis-Barnett) in 1953 after it was evident that the company couldn't financially survive despite the success of the featherbed frame used in racing bikes as well as the Dominator in 1952. This take-over was not welcomed news to Norton aficionados.

AMC went into receivership in 1966. Norton was the only motorcycle marque in the company that made money at this point. The new owner called the reformed company Norton-Villiers. A few years would pass only to see financial trouble again.

In 1973, the British government's attempt to rescue the motorcycle industry forced a merger of BSA/Triumph and Norton-Villiers in return for funds to remain in business. The resultant company was called was Norton-Villiers-Triumph (NVT). This incarnation of Norton liquidated in 1978 but the new owner kept building rotary engined motorcycles for the next 15 years with some success but few sales until the Norton name as we know it just slowly disappeared.

500cc four stroke, pushrod overhead valve twin cylinder engine.

Restored by Tim Bardsley

750cc four stroke, pushrod overhead valve twin cylinder engine. 1983 Vintage Championship winning race bike.

Built and raced by Ron Peter

Matchless bought AJS in 1931 and Sunbeam in 1937. The company, now called Associated Motor Cycles or AMC, continued to buy rival motorcycle manufacturers such as Francis-Barnett as well as Norton and James.

The receivers were called in to AMC in 1966 and a new company called Norton-Villiers emerged. Any Matchless motorcycles after that time was really a Norton with the Matchless badge on the tank. The Matchless line of motorcycles ceased to exist after the 1968 release of the Norton Commando.

500cc four stroke, pushrod overhead valve single cylinder engine. Competition model.

Restored by Warren Wheeler

1000cc pushrod two valve V-Twin cylinder engine. Features a monoshock rear suspension.

Restored by Byrne Bramwell

The Coventry factory was destroyed by a German air raid in 1940 and the factory moved to temporary premises but focused its war effort on making wartime equipment. By 1944, Triumph was once again producing motorcycles. Triumph was forced to join into the BSA merger with Norton-Villiers to form NVT in 1973. The newly formed company had labour disputes from the Triumph employees who had locked the factory doors from the inside for 18 months. The government granted a loan to the employees and the plant opened again to produce motorcycles once again as Meridian Motorcycles. 1983 saw the Triumph factory close for good as liquidators auctioned off any assets. The Triumph name was bought by John Bloor who built a new factory in Hinckley, Leicestershire, England and the new Triumphs were launched in 1990. One of England's largest industrial fires destroyed the plant but was again rebuilt and was producing motorcycles 6 months after the disaster.

All original Canadian military model.

Restored by Tim Bardsley

Restored by Herb Becker

In later years the company made high quality street and racing frames and even began building motorcycles using left over Constellation engines after the demise of Royal Enfield. During the mid-70's, Rickman used Honda CB750 engines in their street bikes. The company stopped producing motorcycle chassis in 1975 and concentrated their efforts on manufacturing accessories.

500cc Triumph four stroke, pushrod overhead valve twin cylinder engine. Rickman Metisse frame.

Restored by Ron Peter