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Raleigh Classic Motorcycles
The famous motorcycle company
began making motorbikes in 1899 but production
only lasted intil 1906. In 1919 it resumed at
Nottingham and in the 1920s Raleigh became a
famous marque boosted by the success of its
racing team. However, this was short-lived and
production ended in 1933.
In the beginning of the 20th
century Raleigh's main business was in the
cycle trade. Company founder Frank Bowden
was a firm believer in variable gear systems
and from the end of 1902 the Raleigh Cycle
company put the Sturmey-Archer cycle hub gear
on the market. There was some motorcycle production
between 1899 and 1906, but only after the
first world war some serious thought was given
again to motorcycle production. In the early
twenties a 699 cc flat twin was produced;
from 1922 mostly single cylinder side valve
singles were put on the market and these economical,
well made machines proved to be great sellers.
In 1925 the first OHV Raleigh was brought
out: the Raleigh engineers had designed an
overhead valve top end for their outside flywheel
2 ¾ engine. The Motor Cycle tested
such a model in march 1925 and found it handled
well, went well (62 mph) and was free from
unpleasant vibration.
| Bike |
Image |
Description |
Raleigh Forecar |
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1922 Raleigh Twin |
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| 1923 Raleigh |
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350cc, 2.75 HP. Single-cylinder
side valve engine, chain-cum belt
drive, Sturmey-Archer gearbox with
hand change lever, girder forks, flat
tank, luggage grid. |
1924 Raleigh 350cc
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Raleigh motorcycles earned an
enviable reputation for reliability
and quality during the 1920's, reinforcing
the public perception with successes
in reliability trials.
Image provided by www.classic-auctions.com.
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| 1925 Raleigh 225 |
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1925 Raleigh 2 Sports, 350cc |
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The 1925 Raleigh Model 2 Sports offered
here, features a large open flywheel,
high cam side-valve sports engine, magneto-
ignition and belt drive via a 3 speed
Sturmey Archer gearbox. |
1926 Raleigh 6 Sports, 350cc |
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| 1927 Team Raleigh |
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1928 Raleigh 250cc
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The Nottingham based Raleigh
concern were active in long distance
trials during the 1920's with their
products earning a fine reputation
for reliability and robustness which
assisted their sales. This attractive
little side valve single is typical
of their product range. Raleigh
was one of the first manufacturers
to adopt a saddle tank, setting
their machines apart from their
rivals with fresh, modern styling.
Image provided by www.classic-auctions.com.
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| 1929 Raleigh Model 25 |
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350 ohv twin port. |
| 1930 Raleigh MO |
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sv 300cc. |
| 1931 Raleigh MO31 |
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298cc, 3bhp. |
1932 Raleigh onbekend, 600cc |
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| 1935 Raleigh Karryall |
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750cc. One of the last vans built
in Notingham. |
| 1959 Raleigh RM1C |
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The Raleigh RM1 was one of only
a few genuinely British-built machines
in an era dominated by European
competition. It was only produced
for 2 years; most had no clutch,
so were not successful sellers.
By 1960 Raleigh started importing
the Motobecane Mobylette from France
and subsequently sold it as the
Raleigh.As the RM1 was Raleigh's
first model, and so many of us grew
up around later Raleigh and Mobylette
mopeds, the RM1 has a special place
in the hearts of British cyclemotor
collectors and riders. |
| 1959 Raleigh Moped RM1 |
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Despite such cunning marketing
strategies, the Raleigh Moped -
now known by collectors as the RM1
- was not a success in the extremely
competitive new 49cc market. Though
it was sturdily built, the Raleigh
had no suspension, and no gearbox
or clutch. The model was only made
for 2 years, and in 1960 Raleigh
imported and sold the French Mobylette
as its replacement.
Interestingly, the Raleigh Moped
RM1 - a British-built machine sold
at a time when the 49cc market was
dominated by foreign competition
- had another claim to fame - because
the engine of the RM1 is actually
derived from the Minimotor! |
1962 Raleigh Roma Scooter, 78cc |
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| 1965 Raleigh Runabout |
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| 1966 Raleigh Automatic |
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1967 Raleigh Wisp |
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Raleigh
Wisp Gallery |
| 1968 Raleigh Runabout |
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1969 Raleigh Runabout Moped |
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| 1969 Raleigh RM9 |
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| 1970 Raleigh Runabout RM6 Moped
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