Download the 32 page, 2010 e-brochure here
To receive the Newsletter from Alan, email us, marking the title box 'Newsletter'.
Motorbike-Tours.co.uk
The Spanish
Motorcycle Tour Specialists
ABC Motorcycles
In
1914, ABC Motors Ltd, founded originally at Brooklands, Byfleet moved to
Walton-on-Thames and produced mainly war materials and motorcycles engines
for the military until 1919, the year when the first ABC motorcycle was
manufactured. The bike had a transverse-mounted 398cc flat twin with
overhead valves, 4 speed gearbox, chain drive, spring frame and a fork with
automatic lubrication. OK now this is where it all becomes cool and
interesting! The motorcycle was first built together with the Sopwith
Aviation Company. You know that name! The Sopwith Camel? The great fighter
plane that Snoopy piloted for years?
Of course that's not true, I just mentioned Snoopy because if your like me, it was Snoopy who introduced us to "The Red Baron" and his Sopwith Camel airplane! After that, the company took over Bradshaw’s creation, which, despite its design, was regarded as the predecessor of the well known BMW boxer bikes.
Actually, the Camel used mainly Clerget or LeRhone engines, which were fairly reliable if perhaps a little underpowered. Bradshaw designed a replacement for them which (fortunately) never actually made it into production; it was this engine that attracted the adverse comment. Tommy Sopwith acquired ABC motorcycles when needing to diversify, but after the failure of Sopwith Aviation (and thus ABC) he went on to found Hawker, which later became somewhat well known for the Hurricane and Hunter fighters....!
By
the end of 1921, the motorcycle went out of production. It was a poorly
designed engine. There were reported problems with the lubrication of the
engine and the valve gear was unreliable. ABC Sopwith Company entered into
liquidation by years end, thus ending the Sopwith Camel engine as well as
the motorcycle. It's been said, if Britain continued to use the Sopwith
engine in their airplanes, it would have cost them the war, that's how
unreliable the engines were. Funny how we have romanticized that
engine...all because of a cartoon dog!
In 1920, the company experienced another re-organization
and the motorcycle production centered around spare parts and development of
new designs. From 1920 until 1924, because the original English ABC
disappeared, the ABC motorcycles were built under license by a French
branch, Gnome & Rhone. The French ABC built two motorcycles with engines
that had 348cc and 493cc. French manufacturer Gnome & Rhone produced an
improved 493cc version of this machine under license until 1925. Between
1920 and 1924 they produced over 3,000 of the 'French' ABC but relatively
few have survived.
Gnome
& Rhone was also a French aircraft engine manufacturer which produced 25000
9-cylinder Delta and Le Rhône 110 HP rotary engines from 1914 until 1918.
These engines were used to power the majority of French aircraft in the war.
After the Second World War, the year 1949 brought more changes, the company
becoming part of Snecma (Société Nationale d'Étude et de Construction de
Moteurs d'Aviation), thus putting an end to any remaining hopes of
motorcycle production.
Article kindly supplied by Chessie's Tales
click here for motorcycling articles
click here for non-motorcycling, Spanish related articles
The list of articles is constantly
growing and they're yours to copy. If you copy them to use on your blog or
website, all we ask is a link back to this website. If you're using them for
your club magazine or other publication, a mention would be much
appreciated.
Please do not hesitate to contact us with suggestions for articles, or any other ideas you may have.
To receive our newsletter, send an email to alan@motorbike-tours.co.uk Mark the title box 'newsletter'