Download or read book British Motorcycles 1945 1965 written by Rinsey Mills and published by Herridge & Sons Limited. This book was released on 2019-01-29 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the forgotten Aberdale, of Llwynypia, Wales, to the ingeniously eccentric Wooler, of north-west London, British Motorcycles 1945-1965 offers alphabetical coverage – in no less than 600 pages – of British motorcycle makes of the period 1945-1965, among them great names such as AJS, BSA, Matchless, Norton, Royal Enfield, Triumph and Vincent. The two decades covered by this book represent the final flowering of the motorcycle industry in Britain, a period when British bikes were shipped all over the world, when America discovered high-performance British twins and when ton-up boys vied with each other in feats of horrific daring. In the meantime, rush-hour roads resounded to the buzz and crackle of ride-to-work two-strokes, men hidden in cumbersome waterproof coats slogged along on unwieldy sidecar outfits, wife on the pillion, kids alongside, and courting couples, carefree, hugging tight, enjoyed a sunlit ride to the seaside or into the hills. In this intensely detailed study, author Rinsey Mills gives the histories of the motorcycle manufacturers and then provides information on the models they produced, year by year, using original material from sales brochures for the illustrations, not only to identify the bikes and to highlight model changes and revisions, but also to give the flavour of the times when they were to be seen going about their business. Whether your taste is for the obscure and the might-have-beens, for workaday two-strokes, nimble scramblers, thumping singles, ton-up twins or fiery road racers, all are here, offering an unrivaled store of knowledge and information as well as more than 1,500 illustrations that provide a powerful evocation of motorcycling in these two decades. The illustrations are accompanied by generous and informative captions which help to convey the strengths, weaknesses and character of the machines, as well as provide intriguing technical insights.

Download or read book Classic British Motorcycles written by Andy Tallone and published by Key Publishing. This book was released on 2022-06-20 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Classic British motorcycles were more than simple machines, they were a cultural phenomenon that lasted half a century. From the early days of motoring, British innovators led the way, building some of the world’s most famous motorcycles, as well as some of the best performers. At one point, the rest of the motorcycle world followed Britain’s lead, and by the late 1950s, the British were by far the largest producers of motorcycles in the world. However, barely a decade later, the British motorcycle industry was almost bankrupt and in utter disarray. Illustrated with over 150 photographs, this book explores the rise and fall of the British motorcycle industry, looking at its history through the years and then at the motorcycles themselves by brand, giving the complete story of these amazing machines.

Download or read book Great British Motorcycles written by Bob Currie and published by Bounty Books. This book was released on 2014-11-03 with total page 224 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book British Motorcycles of the 1960s and 70s written by Mick Walker and published by Bloomsbury Publishing. This book was released on 2013-01-20 with total page 65 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For the first half of the twentieth century, Great Britain led the world in motorcycle design and production, exporting its products to countries all over the globe. However, by 1960 this once-great industry had fallen into what was to be a terminal decline. During the 1960s and '70s Britain still manufactured a wide range of machines, but a combination of poor management, lack of investment, foreign competition (notably from Japan), and the arrival of the small, affordable car conspired to sound the death knell for most British motorcycles by the end of the 1970s. Mick Walker uses a host of colourful illustrations to explore the models produced by British companies and their foreign competitors, and explains what the industry did to fight its ultimate demise.

Download or read book Classic British Motorcycles written by Colin Jackson and published by Fonthill Media. This book was released on 2017-05-17 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the modern era, mass-produced motorcycles tend to be Japanese or Italian, with the ‘big four’ oriental manufacturers dominating the market. However, this wasn’t always the case. Until the 1950s, and even into the ’60s, British makers such as Scott, Rudge, BSA, Norton and Vincent ruled the roost. These legendary companies sold their bikes around the world, winning racing championships and setting speed records as they went. They, and many smaller British firms like them, are motorcycling’s founding companies. This is the story of those pioneering firms, whose engineers – many self-taught ­­– were fired by racing ambition, commercial rivalry, patriotic duty and, above all, a passion for innovation. Superbly illustrated with over 150 colour pictures, many previously unpublished, Classic British Motorcycles is a captivating and highly informative account of the men, machines, race meetings and world events that shaped the development of the motorcycle from its bicycle origins. Illustrtations: colour photographs throughout

Download or read book British Motorcycles Since 1900 written by Paul Collins and published by Ian Allan Publishing. This book was released on 1998 with total page 128 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: For motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide, the names of great British marques like BSA, Norton, Triumph, Vincent, and many others, conjure images of an era when the U.K.'s bikes dominated motorsports. Such was the impact of postwar Japanese production, however, that the British motorcycle industry all but died. With its comprehensive A-Z coverage, British Motorcycles Since 1900 provides a readable account of one of the Great Britain's great industries -- an industry that gave employment and pleasure to thousands. Author Paul Collins examines the history of each manufacturer, and illustrates his accounts with nostalgic black-and-white photography that superbly recalls the British motorcycle industry's halcyon era. Collins also examines the state of the industry today, and current optimism for its revival.

Download or read book Catalog of British Motorcycles written by Floyd Clymer and published by Valueguide. This book was released on 2014-03 with total page 88 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 84 pages, 83 black & white illustrations, size 8.25 x 11 inches. Published in the USA under the same title in 1951 by Floyd Clymer, the original publication was a pocket sized landscape format book and it is often criticized as difficult to read due to its small print size. Consequently, this edition was re-formatted into a larger and more conventional portrait size which has increased the text size by almost 40%. This publication provides the reader with an insight into the country, and the manufacturers, that were ultimately destined to succumb to the dominance of the Japanese motorcycle industry. A total of 33 different British motorcycle manufacturers and their various models are included and sadly, less than a handful of those 33 manufacturers survive today. A 'must have' resource for any motorcycle enthusiast and an invaluable reference for anyone interested in British 'iron'. Many of the motorcycles featured within are highly collectible today and the predominance of these early manufacturers no longer exist. This truly historical documentation of the glory years of British motorcycle manufacturing has been out-of-print and unavailable for many years and is becoming increasingly more difficult to find on the secondary market. We are pleased to be able to offer this reproduction as a service to all motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide.

Download or read book Classic British Bikes written by Mirco De Cet and published by Southwater. This book was released on 2015-07 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: This book deals with the golden age of the British motorcycle, featuring 100 machines shown in over 200 photographs. It offers a chronological survey of British motorcycles from the pioneers of 1900 through to the end of the 20th century. It features all the famous marques, such as AJS, Brough, BSA, Douglas, Greeves, Norton, Panther, Royal Enfield, Rudge, Scott, Sunbeam, Triumph, Velocette, Vincent and Zenith. Each entry includes information about the history of the bike, with specification panels detailing years in production, engine type, bore and stroke, capacity, gearbox, brakes, transmission, power, weight and top speed. From the beginning of the 20th century, the British motorcycle rapidly gained in reliability and sophistication. It began as a plaything of the leisured classes, until the war forced it into a utilitarian role. When peace returned in the 1920s, it was poised to fill a demand for mass transport, ushering in a golden age. Divided into four sections - The Pioneers, Vintage Days, The Classic Era, and Endings and Beginnings - this book profiles 100 of the best-loved machines that shaped a century of motorcycle design. It includes all the famous marques, each one illustrated with identification photographs, making it a book every bike enthusiast will want to own.

Download or read book The Complete British Motorcycle written by John Carroll and published by Salamander Books. This book was released on 2004-08 with total page 192 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book British Motorcycles of the 1940s and 50s written by Mick Walker and published by Shire Publications. This book was released on 2010-10-19 with total page 64 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: After VE Day in 1945 the British population returned enthusiastically to the road. But the cost and availability of both vehicles and fuel led to the post-war scene being dominated by motorcycles, most of them ex-military machines, eagerly snapped up for everyday use in an age when a family car remained just a dream for many. The British industry, meanwhile, was exhorted to 'export or die', and until well into the 1950s the majority of new British bikes were sold abroad. During this period, the industry - the largest and most important in the world - continued to develop new and exciting machines, which increasingly populated Britain's roads. Mick Walker tells the story of the British post-war motorcycle during this golden age of the industry. Machines from the big names, AMC (AJS and Matchless), the BSA Group (BSA, Triumph, Sunbeam and Ariel), Douglas, Norton, Panther, Royal Enfield, Velocette and Vincent, are here plus a myriad of smaller firms such as Cotton, Excelsior, Francis-Barnett, James and Scott. With the help of archive photographs and advertising material this book conjures up a lost age of the British bike.

Download or read book Royal Enfield written by Greg Pullen and published by The Crowood Press. This book was released on 2021-04-26 with total page 488 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Royal Enfield's famous motor - 'made like a gun' - hints at the factory's origins, but few appreciate that it is the oldest motorcycle manufacturer in existence that can boast of continuous production. In addition, its famous Bullet can claim the longest motorcycle production run of all time. Greg Pullen charts the rise, fall and rise again of Royal Enfield, from the company's pre-motorcycle beginnings in Redditch, through the impact of two World Wars, the importance of exports to India and subsequent establishment of factories there, to changes in ownership, recently launched models and new concept bikes for the future. With 190 colour photographs, this book includes: the V-twins, from the 1930s K and KX range to a glimpse of the concept V-twin shown in 2018; the singles, from 2-strokes to side-valve 4-strokes, and the ohv version that first used the Bullet name, through to the new singles built in India. The British Bullet: its arrival in 1948 and production in the UK, the original orders from India and subsequent setting up of production there are discussed. The 250s, (1958-68), including the Turbo Twins, and the big twins, from the 1948 500 Town to the final interceptor in 1970, including the 800cc prototype and the Clymer Indians are covered. The new twins: the 650cc Royal Enfield interceptor and Continental GT twins and the Bobber concept bike are discussed. Competition success is covered, with notable ISDT achievements, star rider Johnny Brittain and racing the big twins, and Geoff Duke in the GP5. Finally, the British factories and the new opportunities with the Indian factories are remembered.

Download or read book British Forces Motorcycles 1925 1945 written by Chris Orchard and published by History Press. This book was released on 2017 with total page 304 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps the most far-reaching of the many changes wrought on the military by the First World War was the mechanisation of the armed services. After many centuries of use by the Army for patrols and communications, the trusty horse was finally supplanted by the newfangled motorcycle. This process of mechanisation gathered pace during the interwar years and in particular for the military motorcycle between 1925 and 1939. By the outbreak of the Second World War the motorcycle had become an important part of the military inventory and was deemed ‘suitable for WD (War Department) requirements’. When it was first published in 1995, this fully illustrated book was unique in looking at all military motorcycles of British origin known to have been tested mainly by the Mechanical Warfare Experimental Establishment (later called the Mechanisation Experimental Establishment). This edition is fully revised and updated and includes three new chapters, covering standard parts, bike markings and paint schemes.

Download or read book British Forces Motorcycles 1925 45 written by Chris J. Orchard and published by Sutton Publishing. This book was released on 2006 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Perhaps the most far reaching of the many changes wrought on the military by the First World War was the mechanization of the armed services. After many centuries of use by the Army for patrols and communications, the trusty horse was finally supplanted by the new-fangled motorcycle. This mechanization process gathered pace during the interwar years and in particular for the military motorcycle between 1925 and 1939. By the outbreak of the Second World War the motorcycle had become an important part of the military inventory and deemed 'suitable for WD (War Department) requirements'. When it was first published in 1995, this fully illustrated book was unique in looking at all military motorcycles of British origin known to have been tested mainly by the Mechanical Warfare Experimental Establishment (later called the Mechanisation Experimental Establishment). Ten years on, the authors are producing a fully revised and updated new edition of their book that will include three new chapters covering standard parts, bike markings and paint schemes. There will also be a picture spread that illustrates despatch rider's clothing. New to this edition will be a 16pp colour section that will illustrate restored WD bikes, including detail shots of engines and components.

Download or read book Encyclopedia of British motorcycles from 1930 s 1950 s written by Roy Hunt Bacon and published by . This book was released on 1995 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book The A Z of British Motorcycles from the 1930s 1940s 1950s written by Roy Hunt Bacon and published by . This book was released on 1997 with total page 288 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Whatever Happened to the British Motorcycle Industry written by Bert Hopwood and published by Haynes Publishing. This book was released on 1984 with total page 324 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt:

Download or read book Big British Bikes of the 50s and 60s written by Steve Wilson and published by Herridge & Sons Limited. This book was released on 2016-01-11 with total page 0 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: In the 1950s and '60s the British motorcycle industry was at its postwar peak, with its large-capacity high-performance bikes in strong demand all over the world. AJS/Matchless, BSA, Norton, Royal Enfield and Triumph were all making 100mph-plus big twins, with the king of them all, at least into the 1950s, being the mighty1000cc Vincents, while among the ton-up singles were the BSA Gold Star and the Velocette Venom and Thruxton. In this book veteran motorcycle writer Steve Wilson reviews the top-of-the-line bikes of all these manufacturers, first giving an introduction to the motorcycling scene in the period, with a particular look at the emergence of the Rockers, the black-leather too-fast-to-live-too-young-to-die bikers who developed a culture all their own, inspired indirectly by Marlon Brando behaving badly on his Triumph Thunderbird in the banned-in-Britain 1953 movie The Wild One. Then the motorcycle makers are dealt with alphabetically, with their big bikes described in detail and their performance, handling, strengths and weaknesses discussed. In addition to a wide selection of archive photographs, specially commissioned colour photography features examples of the outstanding bikes of the period: AMC/Matchless CSR 650 twins and their Norton Atlas-engined 'Hybrid' siblings, BSA A7SS 500, Gold Star singles, AIO Super Rocket and Rocket Gold Star 650 twins, Norton SS 500/600/650 twins, Velocette Venom and Thruxton 500, Royal Enfield Constellation 700 twin, Triumph pre-unit 500 and 650 twins and unit Bonneville 650, and finally the Vincent 1000 vee-twin.