Description
This motorcycle is Lot 291 to be auctioned by Bonhams at The Autumn Stafford Sale (The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show) on 12 & 13 October, please see the Bonhams website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Lots 1 - 176 are to be sold from 11:00 on Saturday 12th October 2024.
Lots 201 - 429 are to be sold from 11:00 on Saturday 13th October 2024.
Public Viewing:
Available 12th & 13th October 2024 from 09:00 until 17:00, at The Stafford County Showground (The Classic Motorcycle Mechanics Show).
Lot 291
Property of a deceased's estate
1913 Precision 500cc 4hp
Registration no. L 2070
Frame no. 36 (in logbook)
Engine no. 9230 and 9230B
At one time Frank E Baker's Birmingham-based Precision company rivalled JAP as a supplier of engines to Britain's motorcycle manufacturers. The first Precision engine went on sale in 1910 and the first complete motorcycle in 1912, though in deference to Baker's engine customers these were for export only at first. It was not until after WWI that the firm got around to building a complete motorcycle for sale on the home market. That first machine was a 350cc two-stroke featuring leaf-sprung suspension front and rear; from 1920 onwards marketed as the 'Beardmore Precision', the Scottish Beardmore engineering group having gained control of Baker's company. The range expanded to include sidevalve models of various capacities; a Barr & Stroud sleeve valve-engined 350; and overhead-valve and overhead-cam works racers. Although production models gained an enviable reputation in the trials events of their day, the racers faired disastrously at the 1924 TT, the debacle prompting Beardmore to close the ailing firm.
First registered in Surrey on 18th March 1913, this Veteran-era 4hp Precision was acquired by the late owner from an Anthony Cook of New Milton in 1976; last taxed until February 1976, it appears to be an older restoration. Notable features include a P&H headlamp and acetylene generator; Lucas rear light; Philips Saxon front fork; Bosch magneto; and a Lycett saddle. Accompanying documentation includes Surrey County Council licensing correspondence; two old-style continuation logbooks (1952 and 1975); two Pioneer Certificates (the oldest dating from 1952 and recording a D Kemp as the owner - presumably George D Kemp of Canton, Cardiff, recorded in the 1952 logbook); and an old V5 registration document.
All lots are sold 'as is/ where is' and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.
