Below is a quote from VAUXHALL
AN EARLY HISTORY (to 1957)
By K Morgan
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"THE VAUXHALL MOTORBIKE (1922/23)
In 1922 Vauxhall started work on its first and only motorcycle. The machine was designed by Major Frank B Halford who was a very well known aero-engineer who created the Cirrus engine for de Havilland in 1924. Halford was also responsible for the flat H liquid cooled Napier Sabre and worked on the Jet engine development with Sir Frank Whittle.
By 1923 two machines had been completed before production difficulties made it clear that the machine was not going to be a financial success. A further six frames and twelve engines were made but the machines and spares were offered for sale to company personnel.
Two complete bikes are known to have been sold to a draftsman and an apprentice but only one machine is known to survive today. Registration number 8718MN was in a private collection on the Isle of Man for many years but is now believed to be to be in Ashurst, W Sussex in England.
This single seater motorcycle was a very advanced design for the 1920’s and it had a wheelbase of 58 in, a length of 90 in and a height of 39 in. It weighed in at 415 lb and featured a duplex cradle frame with coil-sprung twin forks, no rear suspension and no dampers.
The engine was a 4 cylinder square (67mm bore and stroke) unit (945cc giving circa 30bhp @ 3500 rpm) with separate air cooled in line cylinders, aluminium crankcase, 3-bearing 2-piece crankshaft, single carburettor, magneto ignition and 6-volt electrics. Lubrication was by wick to the overhead valve rockers and by dippers on the ends of the connecting rods at the bottom end. The cylinder head was fixed but overhead valves were used with a side camshaft.
A 3 speed box and shaft drive was fitted with a 6 in multi-plate clutch, 7 in drum brakes and 700x80 tyres. The reported top speed was 82mph."
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