The Scott Flying Squirrel

The Scott Flying Squirrel was a British motorcycle made by The Scott Motorcycle Company between 1926 and the outbreak of WW2.
The Squirrel name was used for Scott motorcycles since 1921 but with the death of the founder Alfred Angas Scott in 1923 the unorthodox Scott two-stroke motorcycles began to become more conventional. Development of the three speed Scott Flying Squirrel began in 1922 as the company was in severe debt and faced receivership. Launched at the 1926 Earls Court motorcycle show, the Flying Squirrel was expensive - nearly twice the cost of a sporting four-stroke motorcycle of the time.The unique water cooled circulation used a convection method known as the thermosyphon system. The bottom end block was painted either green or red for racing or road respectively and featured a centrally positioned flywheel, twin inboard main bearings, overhung crankpins and doors to enable ease of access to the engine. The redesigned three speed gearbox, multi-plate clutch and the repositioned magneto were all significant improvements.
In 1929 Scott achieved third place in the Isle of Man TT and launched a road going TT Replica Flying Squirrel. Following cost cutting the factory also launched a basic touring model in 1929 for under £70. Financial problems continued, however, and in 1931 Scott were unable to ennter the TT or the earls Court show. A three cylinder prototype was developed but Scotts lacked the resources to develop it and on the outbreak of WW2 production ended.
Between 1935 and 1938 the factory at Shipley in Yorkshire produced the B2592 air-cooled Aero engine, based on the Scott Flying Squirrel motorcycle unit.[3] A 25 hp (19 kW) version was also specifically developed to power the notoriously dangerous Flying Flea aircraft.
In 1950 the rights were bought by the Birmingham based Aerco Company and in 1956 they produced what are known as the Birimingham Scotts.

Velocette Venom 1959

Velocette is the name given to motorcycles that were made by Veloce Ltd, in Hall Green, Birmingham, England.
The first two-stroke, built in 1913, was called a Velocette. This name was used for all subsequent models.
Two sports models - the 500 cc Venom and 350 cc Viper and a 200 cc air cooled flat-twin sports model Valiant were announced in 1956
The late 1960s were the last years of production for Velocette motorcycles, production for Viper and Vogue ending in 1968, "Special", Scrambler and Endurance in 1969, and MSS Venom and Thruxton in 1970. Veloce Ltd. closed in February 1971
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The Iconic Triumph Bonneville

The Triumph Bonneville was manufactured between 1959 and 1983 at the Meriden works Coventry, it first came to light as a 650 cc model T120 ,then moving to a T140 750cc model in the early 70's , production ceased with the closure of Meriden in 1983, the new range of Bonnevilles being produced now at the newly created Hinkley works are
865cc models which will soon be all fuel injector serviced

The Famous Ariel Square Four

In 1928 Edward Turner created the famous Sqaure Four engine.After trying to sell his design to BSA ,who rejected it,it was Ariel that took it up and hence the ARIEL SQUARE FOUR was founded.The Sqaure Four went into producton in 1931 with a 500cc chain driven engine with a hand change gearbox.
But it wasn't untill 1953 that the famous 1000cc Square Four was released,and was a geniune 100mph motorcycle,this ran untill 1959 when all production of the four strokes were stopped.A total of 15,641 were produced.
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THE VINCENT "BLACK SHADOW"

The demand for a Sports oriented model Vincent introduced the Black Shadow . The model became so popular that the production of the Black Shadow exceeded the production numbers of the previous Rapide model. The Black Shadow was a "Stressed Frame" design. The engine, instead of being cradled in a set of frame rails, was suspended from above becoming an integral part of the structure. The Black Shadow as well as the other post Second World War Vincents featured several new technological innovations such as a unique and original alternative to the primitive telescopic front forks of the day, a sprung rear sub-frame, the extensive use of aluminium alloy and a unit construction stressed engine. It weighed in at a relatively light 458 lb which was about the weight of a pre-war 500 cc bike.
The reason for its name "Black" Shadow was due to the entire bike (including the engine) being coated with black paint. The reason for the black paint on the cylinder block is still disputed to this day. Some claim that the black paint was for looks, others claim that it had something to do with heat transfer and dissipation. Whatever the original reason behind the painting of the engine, it was very different from anything else at a time when everything was polished and chromed.

Fewer than 1,700 [2] Vincent Black Shadows were made, all hand-assembled . It is now highly prized by classic motorcycle collectors from around the world, and is valued in excess of £30,000 in today's market. In the 1960s Vincents were being sold for £100 to 3500 at then prices.

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The Brough Superior

Brough Superior motorcycles were made by George Brough in his Brough Superior works in Nottingham, England from 1919 to 1940. They were nicknamed the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles" . Approximately 3048 of 19 models were made in 21 years of production. In 2004, around 1000 still exist. T.E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") owned seven bikes and died from injuries sustained while crashing one. George Bernard Shaw was another among many celebrities that were enthusiastic about Brough products.

George Brough was a racer, designer, and showman. All Brough Superior motorcycles were high performance and superior quality. Most were custom built to the customers needs, and rarely were any two of the same configuration. Each motorcycle was assembled twice. The first assembly was for fitting of all components, then the motorcycle was disassembled and all parts were painted or plated as needed, then the finished parts were assembled a final time. Every motorcycle was test ridden to ensure that it performed to specification, and was personally certified by George Brough. The SS100 model was ridden at 100 mph or more prior to delivery. The SS80 model was ridden at 80 mph or more before delivery. If any motorcycle didn't meet specification, it returned to the shop for rework until it performed properly.

Brough Superior motorcycles have always been rare and expensive. Because of their connection with Lawrence of Arabia, their high quality of fit and finish, they are among the most collectible motorised vehicles. In 2007, prices ranged from $40,000 to more than $3,000,000 USD.
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