Bradbury motorbike.

[murdo]

When I was growing up on our farm I remember there being parts of an old belt drive bike behind the machinery shed. The front wheel had no brake just a small hub like a heavy duty bicycle. The rear wheel had a belt rim and drum brake. Dad used the petrol tank on a pump engine, and my older brother put the wheels on a cart. An uncle used the engine for a generator set.
On discussing this with my brother he thought it was a 'Bradbury' (Bradberry, Bradbery, Bradburry?) as this was out Grandmothers maiden name. Dad buried the rest along with some other old machinery (tractor, harvester, binder, steam engine) when he had a big clean up in 1961. Has anybody heard of a 'Bradbury'? It may have been an Australian made machine from imported parts. Sadly all those who knew what happened to it have passed.

[wetdog]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bradbury_Motor_Cycles

[murdo]

Thanks for the link Wetdog.

[cardan]

"An uncle used the engine for a generator set."

This is not a good thing for the survival of a Bradbury, as the key feature of the early models was that the crankcase was brazed into the frame. The only way to remove the engine is with a hacksaw!
 
I have a 1903 model (in Australia) with this feature, which was used on all Bradburys until WW1. Your comment re the possibility of being Australian made with imported parts is a good one, as you could also buy the Bradbury as a kit, at least around 1903-4. http://earlymotor.com/leon/misc/html/bradbury.htm

Leon

[murdo]

Thanks for that Cardan.
 My uncle was an inventor of necessary and I remember him telling me he had taken the frame with engine and mounted it onto a wooden block in a corner of his dairy shed and connected a belt to a Dodge car generator. This was used for lighting so he could see to milk his cows in the dark.
 I remember the fuel tank strung between two steel posts with a line feeding down to a Buzacott engine sitting on the side of the well and driving a pump for irrigation of lucern. I was too young to know that it would be of any value, and I guess it went into the gully with the rest. 

[cardan]

Any family photos showing the bike when it was a bike? Of course you could always start excavating!

Leon

[murdo]

We don't have many photos from the early days on the farm, they were too expensive to take pictures of old bikes. I don't even have one of my dad on his R.E. before he went to the farm.
We no longer own that farm and I don't think the owner would like me digging up his crop looking for rusty bits of steel.