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Encyclopedia > Sunbeam (motorcycle)
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Sunbeam was a British motorcycle marque generally known for high quality. This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... This is a copyrighted and/or trademarked logo. ... Original tank badge from a 1953 Sunbeam S8 motorcycle File links The following pages link to this file: Sunbeam (motorcycle) ... Original tank badge from a 1953 Sunbeam S8 motorcycle File links The following pages link to this file: Sunbeam (motorcycle) ... pd File links The following pages link to this file: Sunbeam (motorcycle) ... pd File links The following pages link to this file: Sunbeam (motorcycle) ... Imme R 100,Germany, 1948/1949 Contemporary racing motorcycle A 125 cc motorcycle, the Italian-manufactured Cagiva Planet. ...

Contents


History

John Marston, the man who started it all was born in Ludlow in 1836, of a minor landowning family. In 1851 at age 15, he was sent to Wolverhampton to be apprenticed to Edward Perry as a japanware manufacturer. At the age of 23 he left and set up his own japanning business, John Marston Ltd, making any and every sort of domestic article. He did so well that when Perry died in 1871, Marston took over his company and incorporated it in his own. John Marston was the founder of the Sunbeam company of Wolverhampton. ... Map sources for Ludlow at grid reference SO5174 Feathers Hotel, Ludlow (Photo by Mick Knapton) Ludlow is a town in Shropshire, situated almost on the border between England and Wales. ... Wolverhampton is an city and metropolitan borough in the English West Midlands, traditionally part of the county of Staffordshire. ... Older Sunbeam badge Another Sunbeam badge BSA Sunbeam Scooter badge Sunbeam was a British motorcycle marque generally known for high quality. ...


The company began making bicycles, and on the suggestion of his wife Ellen, Marston adopted the trademark brand "Sunbeam". Resultantly, the Paul Street works were called Sunbeamland. John Marston was a perfectionist, and this was reflected in the high build quality of the Sunbeam bicycle, which had an enclosure around the chain in which an oil bath kept the chain lubricated and clean. They were made until 1936, and to the end, remained the best bicycle money could buy.


In 1903 and 1904 John Marston Ltd had made some early experiments in adding engines to bicycles but they were unsuccessful, one man being killed. John Marston's aversion to motorcycles did not encourage further development, and so the [[Sunbeam Car Company|Sunbeam Motor Car Company Ltd was founded in 1905. However, suffering from a slump which hit car making, pushing Marston into making motorcycles from 1912 at the age of 76, for which there was a greater and increasing market. Following in the tradition of their bicycles, the motorcycles were of high-quality, usually with a single cylinder, and known as the "Gentleman's Machine." Sunbeam motorcycles performed well in the early days of the famous TT (Tourist Trophy) races in the Isle of Man. TT, Tt or tt may mean: Two races in motorcycle racing, TT meaning Tourist Trophy: Isle of Man TT Dutch TT The PlayStation 2 video game Tourist Trophy by Polyphony Digital Table Top (TT scale) in model railroading Teen Titans (comics or animated series) The Atari TT was a computer... The Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy), or Manx TT, is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man. ...


After the First World War, the Marston company was sold to a consortium. In 1919 the consortium became part of Nobel Industries Limited. In 1927 Nobel Industries amalgamated with Brunner Mond Ltd. to form Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI). In this huge organization motorcycles were a small part. Imperial Chemical Industries (ICI) is a British chemical company, based in London. ...


In 1937 the Sunbeam motorcycle trademark was sold to Associated Motor Cycles Ltd ("AMC"), which continued to make Sunbeam bicycles and motorcycles until 1939.


In 1943, AMC sold the Sunbeam name to BSA, and Sunbeam Cycles Ltd came into being. Three Sunbeam motorcycle models were produced from 1946 to 1956, not in the main BSA factory at Small Heath, Birmingham, but in Redditch, Worcestershire. These were followed by two scooter models from 1959-1964. The new Sunbeam motorcycles were of an entirely new design inspired by BMW German army motorcycles captured in WWII. The Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) was a British manufacturer of military equipment and vehicles. ... The city from above Centenary Square. ... Church Green and St. ... Worcestershire (pronounced ; abbreviated Worcs) is a county located in the West Midlands region of central England. ... BMW AG (an abbreviation of Bayerische Motoren Werke AG, or in English, Bavarian Motor Works), is a German company and manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles. ... German soldiers at the Battle of Stalingrad World War II was the most extensive and costly armed conflict in the history of the world, involving the great majority of the worlds nations, being fought simultaneously in several major theatres, and costing tens of millions of lives. ...


Models

Early Sunbeam motorcycles

1912 to 1937


Many John Marston Sunbeam motorcycle models were produced. In 1924 a new model numbering system was introduced; Sunbeam Models 1 through 11. Other higher numbered models were produced in later years. The majority had single cylinder engines developing relatively low power. A hallmark of the early Sunbeams was the suburb quality and finish of black with gold pinstriping.


S model motorcycles

1946 to 1956


S7, S8, S7 Deluxe


There are three recognised models of the Sunbeam motorcycles manufactured by BSA between 1946 and 1957. An unusual engine layout, inline 500 cc twin with shaft drive to the rear wheel. The original S7 was produced from 1946 to 1948 and did not sell well. In 1949, the sportier S8, with standard-sized wheels rather than the fat tyres of the S7, and BSA type front forks, was produced. The S7 was improved and sold as the S7 Deluxe. The original S7 was available only in black, whereas the standard colours for the S8 were "Polychromatic Grey" or black. The S7 Deluxe came in either "Mist Green" or black.

 Although the early S7 was not a good seller or mechanically very sound, this bike is the most sought after and commands a premium over the S7 Deluxe and the S8. 

The Sunbeams were produced in an age when 'production line' style manufacturing was not as uniform a process as it is today. Nowadays all motor manufacturing tends to produce identical harmonised vehicles, but that simply was not the case with Sunbeams. Distinctive differences exist between the models and early and later bikes, however if the factory had run out of 'improved' or standard pieces then other 'old' or 'wrong' parts may have been fitted in the factory. These cases may have involved fitting any available parts, whether they came form the same model or not. Additionally many Sunbeams had production modification retrospectively fitted to older bikes to help retailers sell them. Because the bikes are all now around fifty years old, all but a very few machines will have been altered or improved during their lifetime, especially those being ridden and used.


B model scooters

1959 to 1964


B1, B2 Scooters


References

  • Champ, R.C. 1983. Sunbeam S7 & S8 Super Profile. Haynes Publishing Group, Yeovil. 56 pp.
  • Haycraft, W.C. 1954. The Book of the Sunbeam S7 and S8. Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, Bath. vii + 120 pp.
  • Munro, D.W. 1954. Sunbeam Motor Cycles. Motorcycle Maintenance and Repair Series. C. Arthur Pearson Ltd., London. 138 pp.

See also

Sunbeam was a marque registered by John Marston Co. ... The phrase mergers and acquisitions or M&A refers to the aspect of corporate finance strategy and management dealing with the merging and acquiring of different companies as well as other assets. ...

External links


  Results from FactBites:
 
Sunbeam Car Company - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (1712 words)
Sunbeam was a marque registered by John Marston Co. Ltd of Wolverhampton, England in 1888.
In 1905, the Sunbeam Motorcar Company Ltd was formed separate from the rest of the John Marston business which retained the Sunbeam motorcycles and bicycles.
Sunbeam cars powered by more conventional (for the time) side-valve engines featured prominently in the 1911 Coupe de l'Auto race, and improved versions won first, second and third the next year.
Sunbeam (motorcycle) - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia (871 words)
Following in the tradition of their bicycles, the motorcycles were of high-quality, usually with a single cylinder, and known as the "Gentleman's Machine." Sunbeam motorcycles performed well in the early days of the famous TT (Tourist Trophy) races in the Isle of Man.
Three Sunbeam motorcycle models were produced from 1946 to 1956, not in the main BSA factory at Small Heath, Birmingham, but in Redditch, Worcestershire.
The new Sunbeam motorcycles were of an entirely new design inspired by BMW German army motorcycles captured in WWII.
  More results at FactBites »


 

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