Indian Motocycle

Indian motorcycles were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but which was renamed the Indian Motocycle Manufacturing Company in 1928. The Indian factory team took the first three places in the 1911 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. During the 1910s Indian became the largest manufacturer of motorcycles in the world. Indian's most popular models were the Scout, made from 1920 to 1946, and the Chief, made from 1922 to 1953. Read more on Wikipedia

Lowry refers to the company's motorcycles in his short story 'Enter One In Sumptuous Armour'; "Fine motorcycles whizzed by or splashed past us:....I watched for the blue Indian, an American make, which we usually encountered at nine fifteen in Upton, just before we reaching the Ring o' Bells just before the. I had never got rid of a childhood impression that its rider was somehow identified with the machine, that together it was a real Indian who lived somewhere in a hollow." (Psalms Pg. 233) and "As we left Upton the blue Indian slanted by, a little late to-day, almost half-past nine." (Pg. 233).

Sunbeam Motorcycles

Sunbeam was a British manufacturing marque that produced bicycles and motorcycles from 1912 to 1956.

Sunbeam was founded by John Marston making bicycles and, on the suggestion of his wife Ellen, Marston adopted the trademark brand "Sunbeam". The Sunbeam Motor Car Company Ltd was founded in 1905. However, suffering from a slump which hit car making, Marston was pushed into making motorcycles from 1912 onwards. Following in the tradition of their bicycles, the motorcycles were of high-quality, usually with a single cylinder, and known as the "Gentleman's Machine". Sunbeam motorcycles performed well in the early days of the famous TT (Tourist Trophy) races in the Isle of Man. After the First World War the Marston company was sold to a consortium. In 1919, the consortium became part of Nobel Industries Limited. In 1927 Nobel Industries amalgamated with Brunner Mond Ltd. to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). Read more on Wikipedia

Lowry refers to the company's motorcycles in his short story 'Enter One In Sumptuous Armour'; ""Fine motorcycles whizzed by or splashed past us:....two Sunbeams with laminated spring forks." (Psalms Pg. 233). Lowry's brother Wilfrid was given a present of a Sunbeam motorcycle for his rugby triumphs. Wilfrid took Lowry and his other brother Russell for rides around the Wirral. (Gordon Bowker Pursued By Furies Pg. 23). Russell later inherited the motorcycle off Wilfrid and he took Lowry for rides to the cinema etc (Pg. 27). Later refers to a Sunbeam in his short story 'Elephant and Colosseum'; " .... upon the countenance of the great George Dance, as in the Isle of Man he negotiated Ballig Bridge, when it seemed he was going to win the Senior Tourist Trophy motorbicycle race upon a Sunbeam with one cylinder." (Pg. 204).

Rudge-Multi

Rudge Whitworth Cycles was a British bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer that resulted from the merger of two bicycle manufacturers in 1894, Whitworth Cycle Co of Birmingham, founded by Charles Henry Pugh (1840-1901) and his two sons Charles Vernon and John, and Rudge Cycle Co of Coventry. Rudge motorcycles were produced from 1911 to 1946. The firm was known for its innovations in engine and transmission design, and its racing successes. Their sales motto was "Rudge it, do not trudge it."

Selling re-badged Werners in 1909, the company went on to produce their first motorcycle in 1911, a single-cylinder F-head (IOE - inlet over exhaust), 500 cc bike. In 1912 the belt drive 499 cc Rudge Multigear was released, using variable groove-depth pulleys to gain 21 forward gear ratios, and a top gear as high as 2.75:1. (The Zenith Gradua and 1907 FN 244 cc single used a similar system.) In 1913 a 750 cc Multigear was released. In 1914 Cyril Pullin won the Isle of Man TT on a Rudge Multigear. Together with the Zenith-Gradua this was one of the first continuously variable transmissions (CVT).

In 1915 a 1000 cc using a Jardine four-speed gearbox was released, followed by a 1000 cc Multigear. In 1923, they introduced an in-house manufactured 4-speed gear box to replace the Jardine gearbox, and Multigear production ended. Read more on Wikipedia

Lowry refers to the motorcycle in his short story 'Enter One In Sumptuous Armour'; "Fine motorcycles whizzed by or splashed past us: ... a Rudge-Multi, with their involved gearshifts......." (Pg. 233)

Zenith Gradua

Zenith Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer established in Finsbury Park, London in 1904. Zenith motorcycles used engines from various suppliers, including Precision, Villiers and JAP. Under chief engineer Frederic "Freddy" Barnes, Zenith developed the "Gradua" gear, a variable pulley which adjusted the length of the drive belt by sliding the rear wheel backwards or forwards in the slots. This gave Zenith a great advantage which competitors claimed was unfair and many clubs banned the Gradua Zeniths, who simply included the word "Barred" in their badge. In the 1930s Zenith hit hard times and closed down production. Read more on Wikpedia

Lowry refers to the motorcycle in his short story 'Enter One In Sumptuous Armour'; "Fine motorcycles whizzed by or splashed past us: a Zenith Gradua...." (Pg. 233)