Motorcycle Discussions > British Bikes
Massey & Massey Arran motorcycles
cardan:
Fascinating! The front fork on the Triple H bikes in the advert is the "Maplestone". These were designed and built in Melbourne, Australia before WW1 by A. N. (Norm) Maplestone. After the war he took the design to the UK where it was at first built by Precision Gauges Ltd in Birmingham as the "Maplestone Cantilever Fork". The design was sold to Webb c1922 and was the basis of their very successful fork.
Does your bike have the Maplestone fork Keith? A little bit of history.
Cheers
Leon
vintage_keith:
It sure does! It may have come to me with:
the wrong engine
the wrong gearbox
incorrect wheels
but it did have Maplestone front forks.
I've only ever seen one other set sold on ebay about 18 months back, that were for a larger bike.
The guy selling had never heard of Maplestone.
More info/pics at www.http://vinvetmotorcycle.simplesite.com/432421719
I knew it was an Ozzy design, but I'd no idea they were being made pre WW1.
Cheers Keith
33d6:
Whilst serving in WWI Norm Maplestone met and married the daughter of FE Baker, the manufacturer of Precision engines pre WWI, the Beardmore Precision afterwards and finally the Villiers powered Baker.
Mr Maplestone came home with new wife plus a couple of Barr & Stroud sleeve valve engines. JFerg can give chapter and verse on this and I believe has even been bailed up by a Maplestone descendant trying to do a family history.
It's all go in the early motorcycle world isn't it. Far more fun than just riding a clean, reliable and utterly boring modern bike that you can only polish.
Cheers,
chris mac:
E.J.Massey left Massey Arran and went to F.J.Coopers where they produced the Massey. Early in 1924 he sold out to R.L.Jepson. He was then briefly with H.R.D in late 1924 and early 1925
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