General Information

Serial #

L644

Part Number

1

Total Parts

1

AKA

N/A

Patents

N/A

General Description

STEEL FRAME; METAL PARTS/ LEATHERETTE SEAT/ RUBBER TIRES/ CHROMMED HANDLE BARS/ GLASS HEADLIGHT LENS

Dimensions

Note: These reflect the general size for storage and are not necessarily representative of the object's true dimensions.

Length

194.0 cm

Width

64.0 cm

Height

89.0 cm

Thickness

N/A

Weight

N/A

Diameter

N/A

Volume

N/A

Lexicon

Group

Motorized Ground Transportation

Category

Motorcycle vehicles

Sub-Category

N/A

Manufacturer

AKA

JAMES

Country

United Kingdom

State/Province

Unknown

City

Greet

Context

Country

Unknown

State/Province

Unknown

Period

Unknown

Canada

The James Cycle Co Ltd., Greet, Birmingham, England, was one of many famous British cycle and motorcycle makers centred around the English Midlands, particularly Birmingham. Most of their light motorcycles, often with the characteristic maroon finish, used Villiers and, later, AMC two-stroke engines. James were prolific bicycle and motorcycle manufacturers from 1897 to 1966. The company was taken over by Associated Motor Cycles in 1951 and combined with Francis-Barnett in 1957. In 1966 the company became another British motorcycle industry casualty under the onslaught of Japanese imports. During and immediately after the Second World War James produced just two machines – the 98 cc ‘Autocycle’ (a sort of early moped, though that term had not yet been adopted from the German) much favoured by civilians aiding the war effort such as nurses or bomb wardens and for the Government the military 122cc ‘ML’(nicknamed the ‘clockwork mouse, many were dropped from planes following the D Day landing to aid troop mobility’). The factory was bombed and badly damaged in 1940 but, incredibly, was rebuilt within three months and more than 6000 machines were eventually supplied for military use by the end of the war. From 1945 James continued with its production of only small capacity (98cc to 250cc) two stroke machines but it was 1949 before new models became available – largely economic commuters and, later, a scooter, but they did also have a very successful competitions division producing bikes for the off-road trials and scrambler fraternities.

Function

GENERAL TRANSPORTATION

Technical

Unknown

Area Notes

Unknown

Details

Markings

LEFT SIDE OF HEADSTOCK IN CAST RAISED LETTERS:`L644'/ STAMPED INTO ENGINE ON RIGHT:`539/37759'/ IN CAST RAISED FIGURES ON LOWER CYLINDER HEAD:`V3'/ MFR DECAL ON HEADSTOCK CENTER HAS GOLD SHEILD SURMOUNTED BY A CROWN, BLUE RIBBON SURROUNDS ALL, ON RIBBON IN GOLD:`FAMOUS FOR OVER FIFTY YEARS'; ON ADIAGONAL BAND ACROSS SHEILD:`THE JAMES' & ON SHIELD IN WHITE:`THE/ JAMES CYCLE/ CO LTD/ LONDON/ &/ BIRMINGHAM'/ DECALS ON BOTH SIDES OF FUEL TANK VERY WORN IN RED ON BLUE & GOLD: `[F]AMOUS J[AMES]'/ DECAL ON FUEL TANK TOP:`[?]' & `MADE IN ENGLAND'/ DECALS ALSO ON REAR FENDER & LICENSE PLATE/ ON CRANKCASE, CAST: `VILLIERS'

Missing

N/A

Finish

FRAME, FENDERS, FORKS, FUEL TANK ALL PAINTED (FADED) RED/ SIDES OF FUEL TANK ARE BLUE/ HEADLIGHT CASE PAINTED BLACK/ SEATS ARE EXTREMENLY WORN & CRACKED, ORIGINAL COLOUR WAS BLACK/ BLACK TAPE IN SEVRAL PLACES ON HANDLE BARS

Decoration

N/A