classic motorcycle forum
Motorcycle Discussions => Identify these bikes! => Topic started by: VintageBike on December 19, 2008, 12:02:53 PM
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Can anyone help Carrick identify the bike in this picture. Its very blurred but if you squint it becomes a little clearer... Looks very early to me...
Thanks
Nigel
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I cant be sure but the forks suggest an american influence - Harley circa 1925 perhaps?
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The style of clothing worn by the boys reflects a pre WWI style and the front forks of the bike are typical REX of the same era so I would say it is a REX circa 1910-14.
As a brand name, REX (Latin for "King") was used at some time or another in England, Germany and Sweden. I think this is an English Rex.
Cheers,
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G'day all
I agree....REX...made in the UK, probably about 1907/08.
Howard.
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Yes, the machine is Rex, identifiable by the front axle sliding between the parallel tubes. According to Jamie Dee (writing in "Old Bike" No 9, Spring 1994 - try eBay if you don't have the 32 issues, packed with still-useful stuff), this fork was replaced in 1909, so I suspect this one is 1907 or 1908. The difference between the two is that for 1908 the saddle height was lowered by dropping the top frame tube. Now I fancy I can glimpse the rear stays heading up to join the top tube somewhere in front of the saddle position, so maybe 1908. If that lad would just step to one side...
The bike seems to be the 3 1/2 h.p. (500 cc) single: there was also a V-twin.
Leon
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Thanks for the good work guys! And here is the original from the curator of the museum who supplied the photograph which was depicted on a postcard postmarked 1913.
I bet this machine had a crowd wherever it stopped!
Happy Christmas!
Nigel