Misplaced Pages

#712287

33-449: The Smith Flyer is a small, simple, lightweight, two-seat vehicle with a wooden frame that doubles as the body and as the suspension. A small gasoline engine is mounted on a fifth wheel, or motor wheel, to drive the Flyer. The wheelbase was 62 inches (1575 mm), the wheels were 20 inches (508 mm) in diameter, and the width was 30 inches (762 mm). Since the 5th wheel

66-440: A 35hp of the same make. It is needless to add that Miss Hind is her own driver and mechanic.” In 1931, she recalled that she had owned 12 different motorcycles. Miss Hind regularly appeared in the motorcycle press, which chose to publish photographs of her riding or posing with her latest motorcycle. She always appeared dressed very respectably, with a hat, veil, boots laced to the knee, long coat, and skirts, usually in tweeds, in

99-530: A 4HP single or a 5-6HP twin in 1909. This had the characteristic long low frame, with large ROC hub gear, and also the new ROC patent duplex sprung front forks. In 1907, he created a V-twin engined machine for Muriel Hind , to her specifications of a dropped (lady's) frame. At the 1908 Stanley show two motorcycles were shown, the 4 hp single (83mm bore by 90mm stroke) and a new 5-6HP V-twin (75mm bore, 80mm stroke), both of these models now had mechanically operated inlet valves. Also shown as available for 1909

132-493: A Singer Tricar in the 1906 Land's End to John O'Groats Trial, with aviation pioneer Hilda Hewlett as her passenger and mechanic. She also drove a tricar in the twenty-four-hour London to Edinburgh Trial, again with a female passenger, making good time in torrential rain. In 1907, AW Wall of Roc created a V-twin engined motorcycle to her specifications of a dropped (lady's) frame. Hind then moved to Coventry and became more deeply involved in motorcycling and motoring,

165-479: A four-wheel cyclecar. Two models were to be built with the same combination of engines as used on the Tricar. Unlike many cyclecars, the transmission was via propshaft with universal joint to a live rear axle. The twin has a two-speed (and reverse) Roc epicyclic gearbox (Roc Gear Co of Hay Mills, Birmingham was also an A. W. Walls company). A new company, Wall Cars Ltd of Tyselely, Birmingham had been created to produce

198-584: A further 5000 under licence to BSA. However, with the advent of WW1 production ceased, and while it remained advertised on sale by agents into 1915, it was likely these were items in stock. After WW1 it appeared briefly as the power unit for the Silva Scooter. A. W. Wall Ltd introduced the ROC motor tricycle at the Olympia Show in 1910. It was described as having an "ornate coach-built body resembling

231-519: A giant Easter Egg, which is set in an open pressed-steel frame". When it went into production in 1911 (in Tyseley, Birmingham) it had a sidecar type body, and has been described as more like an elaborate motorcycle and sidecar rather than a true cyclecar. The air-cooled engine drove a live rear axle through a clutch, gearbox and drive-shaft. Later models adopted a strong tubular frame, seating two side by side. It originally had tiller steering though this

264-568: A new four-speed gear with internal expanding clutch. Other motorcycles licensed Roc equipment, for example in 1911 the Humber 3.5-HP 2-speed motorcycle was listed as having "Roc Patents". The Rex and the A.C. Sociable tricar also used the Roc patent gear. Horris patented the autowheel concept in 1908 (GB190823080), and in November 1909 it was launched at the annual Stanley Show, and caused quite

297-454: A regular page once a fortnight .” Hind met Dick (Richard) Lord, her husband while working for Rex motorcycles. He had ridden Rex motorcycles in the Isle of Man TT races in 1909, 1910, and 1911. The couple married in 1912, and both gave up competing, although Hind, now known as Mrs. Muriel Lord, continued writing about motorcycling for some time. Their son Brian was born in 1915 and Dick set up

330-407: A rider to ride it for him. In mid-1907 A.W.Wall Ltd revealed details of the patent Roc free engine clutch and hub gear, an epicyclic gear constantly in-mesh. Later that year, at the 1907 Crystal Palace show, Roc exhibited two models, a 4 hp single and a 5 hp twin, both fitted with Roc patent clutch. There was also a military version of the ROC motorcycle mentioned in 1907 and available as

363-407: A sensation. Weighing 25 lbs the price was £15 5s. This first model was a 2-stroke of about 90cc. While it gathered a great deal of publicity, unfortunately it didn't appear on the market. In July 1910 it was explained that this was due to it not yet being perfected and that while many orders were received "deliveries were being kept back until the invention could be further experimented with" with

SECTION 10

#1732771867713

396-532: A tricar and four-wheel cyclecar. His main company was A. W. Wall Ltd, but he created several other companies (or subsidiaries) to compartmentalise his different activities, such as the Roc Gear Co, who supplied epicyclic gears to a significant number of manufacturers before WW1. By the early 1900s, Wall noticed the rise in bicycles in the United Kingdom which was a market he wanted to tap into. One of

429-544: The Briggs & Stratton Company, who produced the Motor Wheel and Flyers. They made several improvements in the engine, increasing the bore size, along with a new, all steel connecting rod and flywheel magneto. These improvements increased the power output to 2 horsepower (1.5 kW). Briggs & Stratton marketed the Flyer nationwide, and even started a publication entitled Motor Wheel Age . In 1925, when they sold

462-423: The 1890s but reported in 1904 that she found it "too slow" now. Her family were early adopters of motorcycles and her uncle Edward was a pioneering early motorcyclist. Her brother took up motorcycling too and this encouraged the young Muriel Hind to acquire and ride a simple motorcycle between 1901 and 1903. Hind later said she took up motorcycling because she "thought she would like to". Her first motorcycle

495-796: The Coventry Motor Mart Company after the First World War. By 1930 the couple were living in Wall Hill Hall in Corley , Warwickshire . In 1931, Muriel Lord was the first woman to be elected into the Association of Pioneer Motor Cyclists, membership of which was confined to those who held a license before December 31, 1904. In 1950 she was made an honorary life member of the Motor Cycle Club. In

528-517: The Edwardian fashion. She started writing a column, ‘The Lady Motorcyclist’ in Motorcycling magazine. Her first piece, published on 2 May 1910, explained why she loved motorcycling. “ I like the feeling of power, life, the mighty rushing wind beating on one’s cheeks with the roar of the passing breeze and the beat of the exhaust deafening one’s ear. This is the power that drives and here is

561-529: The car are available online. Arthur William Wall Arthur William Wall (born 21 October 1874) was an engineer in the field of motorised transport and inventor of the self-powered wheel in England in the early 20th century. He is best known for his creation of the self-powered wheel, the Wall Autowheel, which could be used to power a bicycle, but he was also the man behind Roc motorcycles and

594-600: The cars. Muriel Hind Muriel Hind (27 May 1882 – 3 May 1956) was a pioneering British motorcyclist and motorist described as "the first woman motorcyclist in England". She competed in trials in vehicles with two, three, and four wheels. Agnes Muriel Hind was born on 27 May in Dorset in 1882, but orphaned at seven years of age. Known as Muriel, she and her brother were raised by relatives in Swanage . She enjoyed playing hockey and became interested in bicycling in

627-480: The earliest products of A. W. Wall Ltd launched at the Stanley Show in 1903, this unusually long and low motorcycle with a 3 hp engine had initially been used a Kelecom engine, but also was used to promote the ROC epicyclic hub gearboxes and clutches produced by ROC Gear Co. (another A. W. Wall firm). Kelecom merged with Ormonde in 1904, but the combined company failed later that year and the remaining assets

660-464: The industry around which was expanding in the area. She became associated with the motorcycle makers, Rex Motor Manufacturing Co . one of a number of keen to exploit a growing market for lady’s motorcycles. Hind became a demonstrator, works, and test rider for Rex, and by 1910 they had created the Blue Devil for her, the fastest machine she had yet ridden. Known as " the devil's own job" to start,

693-478: The motorcycle’s charm. But I am waxing too garrulous and must throttle down to legal limit or else the Editor will extend a warning hand and bid me stop .” By October that year, her column was promoted to a fortnightly one. “ Now that more ladies are taking up motorcycling, and either viewing the pastime from the seat of a passenger machine or actively participating in it on a lady’s motor-bicycle, we are to be given

SECTION 20

#1732771867713

726-471: The name inspired the company to paint a blue devil on the petrol tank. Although best known for her motorcycling exploits, Muriel Hind also drove three and four-wheeled vehicles. A 1909 article in Car Illustrated listed her other vehicles as including “a 9hp singer tri-car” and as well as “her stud of motorcycles" and reported that she "has just disposed of her 18hp Deasy before taking delivery of

759-612: The result that "very few have been put on the road". By the time of the November Motor Cycle show in 1910 (this time held at Olympia) the design was said to have been perfected (with assistance from Messrs Humber Limited ), and a show review reported that it is "now made by the Humber Company". However this too seemed to be premature, and it was still being perfected and improved in March 1912. The latest version

792-420: The rights to the Flyer to Automotive Electric Services Corporation. The Automotive Electric Services continued to produce the Flyer until the supply of engines ran out, then they substituted an electric motor driven by a battery. Briggs & Stratton kept the motor that had been the heart of the Motor Wheel and adapted it to other applications such as lawn mowers and running small equipment. The Motor Wheel motor

825-478: The wheel was not new; Ferdinand Porsche developed one around 1900, but his motor wheel was electric. The A.O. Smith Corporation of Milwaukee, Wisconsin , acquired the U.S. manufacturing rights to the Wall motorwheel in 1914 and first produced the motor wheel for use on bicycles, but later added the wooden-framed buckboard car that they called the "Smith Motorwheel". In 1919 the manufacturing rights were purchased by

858-591: Was a Singer , basically a motorised dropped frame bicycle, with a 2 hp Motor Wheel added to the back wheel. The design was developed by Edwin Perks and Frank Birch of Coventry . She gradually increased the horsepower of her motorcycles, and by 1905 she was a member of the Motor Cycling Club and living in London. Hind started to take part in competitive riding, hill climb and driving events. She drove

891-420: Was directly driven by the engine, the engine was started with the driving wheel lifted slightly in the air, and then when the engine was running smoothly, the driver lowered the engine (by means of a lever) gently to start the forward motion. The direct drive motor wheel was developed by Arthur William Wall of Birmingham , England , around 1910 to power a bicycle. The concept of attaching the motor directly to

924-463: Was replaced by wheel steering in 1914. Two models were built using F. E. Baker Ltd Precision air-cooled engines, one with a 6HP twin cylinder and the other with a 4.5HP single cylinder. At the 1913 Olympia Show it was said that the 4.5HP tricars were presented in several forms, mainly for goods carrying, but there was also a 2 seater with an 8HP air-cooled Precision engine. Manufacture ceased in 1915. In 1912, Arthur Wall revealed his latest creation,

957-624: Was shown at the November 1912 show at Olympia, and by early 1913 it was in production under a new company, the International Auto-Wheel Company Ltd of Russell Road, London. During the long stage of 'perfecting' the Auto-Wheel it had evolved into a four-stroke of 118cc (bore 2.125in, stroke 2.5in) with automatic inlet valve and in this form the Wall Autowheel was finally to become a success. In addition to home production (opinions vary as to whether all production

990-584: Was taken over by Taylor Gue , so the engine supplier must have changed. Most likely candidates were J.A.P. and F. E. Baker Ltd (maker of "Precision" engines), and the latter had certainly been adopted by 1913 and were used exclusively in the motor tricycle. The ROC Motorcycle had a celebrity backer in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle , and in 1905 it was announced he had entered a motorcycle in the International Cup race and would nominate

1023-409: Was the Roc 2-speed hub gear conversion "to fit practically every motorcycle". At the 1909 show they continued with their single and twin, but added a 6HP four cylinder motorcycle with pressed steel frame, with prop shaft drive. At the 1913 Olympia Show 3 models were shown, the 6HP twin with Precision engine, and 4.5HP single, and a lightweight 2.75HP with a lightweight ROC gearbox. The 4.5HP model had

Smith Flyer - Misplaced Pages Continue

1056-498: Was the progenitor of all Briggs & Stratton motors to follow. Virtually all Flyers were painted red and were known widely as the “ Red Bug ”. The Flyer is listed in the Guinness Book of Records as the most inexpensive car of all time. The book lists the 1922 Briggs & Stratton Flyer as selling from US$ 125 to US$ 150 (equivalent to $ 2280 to $ 2730 in 2023) . A few Smith Flyers still exist in collections, and blueprints for

1089-602: Was under licence by BSA), it was also licensed to other companies in France, Belgium and Holland and in the United States to A.O. Smith of Milwaukee, who even used it to power a buckboard known as the Smith Flyer , with the rights to this in turn passed to Briggs & Stratton , who made a buckboard known as the "Red Bug" . At the 1913 Olympia Show, it was announced that 1914 production was to be 5000 in house, and

#712287