Gamages: Motorcycles
Note: This is a sub-section of Gamages.
A. W. Gamage of Holborn, London, sold motorcycles, produced from 1903 to 1923, from their famous store.
1903 Having already been in the market by selling machines built by various factories, including Omega and Radco (is this correct? these makes seems 10 years later), the store had a model with their own name on it. It was fitted with a 2 h.p. engine mounted vertically towards the rear, with the bicycle pedals ahead of the crankcase, which had the seat tube bolted to the top of it. It also had belt drive and rigid forks. That year saw several competition successes.
1904 The engine was moved forward to fit into a loop frame fitted with braced forks. A forecar fitted with a 3.5 h.p. Hubbard engine was also added.
The firm then moved on to selling German machines and a 2.5 h.p. Arno model with their own transfer.
1911 A model appeared with the Gamage name on it, fitted with a White and Poppe engine, three-speed rear hub and Druid forks.
1913 Only one model was listed. This had a 2.75 h.p. engine with single-speed or three-speed hub, belt drive and Druid forks.
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices see the 1917 Red Book
1914-1915 For those two years the single model was sold from stock.
1919 Post World War I only two-strokes were listed, fitted with a 269cc engine, Burman two-speed gearbox, chain-cum belt transmission and push-start.
1921 The push-start model was joined by a kick-start version and a single-speed belt-drive model.
1922 Those three models were enlarged to 348cc and joined by a four-stroke of the same capacity.
1923 The kick-start machine now had three speeds and all-chain drive. It was to be the firm's last year of motorcycles as they turned their attention to their many other products.