Butterfield Brothers aka British Butterfield of Levis Works, Old Station Road, Stechford, Birmingham.
1911-40 Manufactured Levis motorcycles.
1905 Company started by John Osbourne to make bicycles
For many years they were one of England's leading manufacturers of two-stroke motorcycles. They built two-stroke machines from 1911, and added a line of four-strokes in 1928, that ran to 1940 when production ceased.
1911 The first Levis was made in the Norton works by designer Bob Newey, but James Lansdowne Norton turned it down. At first the machine was sold as the Baby, but changed to the Popular. It was soon abbreviated to Levis Pop, and was, indeed, very popular.
Bob Newey then joined with the company, Arthur and Billy, and sister Daisy, to set up a motorcycle company. (Newey later married Daisy). Their first model was a two-stroke with a capacity of 211cc.
1916 The 211cc vertical two-stroke engine produced 3hp. An enclosed chain from the crankshaft drove the Fellows magneto and drive to the rear wheel was by Pedley Vee belt. The machine weighed approximately 120lb.
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of motorcycles see the 1917 Red Book
1920 Their first racing success was in the Lightweight 250 class within the 1920 Isle of Man TT Junior with a 247cc machine, repeated in the 1922 Isle of Man TT Lightweight race. They then adopted the slogan, "The Master Two Stroke".
Levis built 211cc and 246cc three port single cylinder machines, including sporting versions. Most had 67mm bore and 70mm stroke. There was also a six port model.
1928 onward. Levis produced 247cc (67mm bore x 70mm stroke) and 346cc (70mm bore x 90mm stroke) four stroke ohv machines and later added 498cc and 600cc ohv four strokes. For a brief period a 346cc sv single, and also a 247cc sohc single with chain driven overhead camshafts were available.
Levis two strokes, ridden by Geoff Davison, R. O. Clark, Phil Pike and others, won many races including the 1922 Lightweight TT, while the four strokes excelled off road. Percy Hunt rode a 346cc model successfully in races, and just before World War II Bob Foster gained many wins on a Levis ohv 598cc bike in trials and motocross.
During the last decade, their models followed the general trend. The motorcycles were always well made, but not in large numbers. Those who knew them were sorry when production came to an end in 1940.
1940s Merged with Hewins Engineering Co (or Hepburn Engineering Co) when Station Road ceased making motorcycles and concentrated on making H. E. C. Compressors and Engines and motor accessories.
1957 Maker of two-stroke Petrol Engines of 80 c.c and 98 c.c. capacity. Precision, Light-Engineering Products. Flame-Cut Profiles and Blanks for Production Quantities or to Individual Design. Welding and Fabricating. Air Receivers.
See Also
Sources of Information
- [1] Wikipedia
- Miller’s Price Guide to Classic Motorcycles
- The British Motorcycle Directory - Over 1,100 Marques from 1888 - by Roy Bacon and Ken Hallworth. Pub: The Crowood Press 2004 ISBN 1 86126 674 X
- The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle by Peter Henshaw. Published 2007. ISBN 978 1 8401 3967 9
- Birmingham’s Industrial Heritage by Ray Shill. Published by Sutton Publishing 2002. ISBN 0-7509-2593-0