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.

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.

Classic British Bikes is a lively, colorful review that covers Triumphs, Nortons, Vincents, and all the rest from design through production. A full century of British motorcycle history This work, which profiles the most important bikes since early 1900 in 250 color photographs, describes how motorcycle technology developed throughout the period and highlights all the significant events and important personalities of the time. Contains technical data and competition successes.

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.

A comprehensive chronicle of thetransformation of the intensely competitive British insurance industry in response to evolving economic, social, technological and political conditions. It analyzes the fast-changing shape of the distribution system, the role of the state and the shifting boundaries of insurability and risk transfer.

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