As with motoring and aviation, it was the early years of motorcycling which were the most romantic and heroic. 

Bold pioneers attempting feats which had never been tried before, men – and a handful of women – desperate to be faster than everyone else, riding as if the Devil himself was chasing them, heedless of their own safety in their frenzied pursuit of thrills or glory. 

It may be said of both the machines and the people controlling them: they don’t make ’em like that anymore.

This was never more apparent than in board-track racing, an American motorsport which had its heyday in the 1910s and 1920s. 

The tracks were steeply banked ovals with surfaces made of wooden boards, designed that motorcyclists and racing drivers should be able to go as fast as possible, and they commonly exceeded 100mph. 

This is remarkable in itself, but not as much as the fact that riders tended to do so without any front brakes on their bikes! Sadly, a number of fatal accidents and the difficulty of preserving the wooden boards led to board racing coming to an end by the early 1930s, but the legends live on, preserved in the minds of reverent enthusiasts.

Though board racing was American, it was on circuits like Brooklands that JAP became famous. 

Although it stopped building complete motorcycles in 1908, its high-quality single-cylinder and V-twin engines powered numerous successful racing bikes in Britain and Europe through the 1920s, plus cyclecars such as Morgans.

This handsome machine would look perfectly at home on the American board tracks, although it is an all-British machine constructed around JAP’s excellent 350cc engine. 

Sadly, there are no remaining board tracks on which you could race it, but that’s okay because it’s been approved for road use – and this one does have a front brake.

The exact origins of this bike are uncertain, but it’s all made from good parts, as anyone can see. 

Of course, the JAP engine and Royal Enfield gearbox are genuine historic components, and we believe most of the parts used on this bike are original Vintage parts, although it is possible that some are modern parts fabricated in a period-correct style. 

The identity of the frame is uncertain, but since the logbook records the bike as a Sunbeam we believe it is likely to be a Sunbeam frame, though it may be modified.

But the provenance of the parts is only of limited importance. What really matters is that it’s a fun bike which looks the part and is presented in very good condition. 

Considering that the bike was most likely completed in 2014, it’s not surprising that it’s so clean and presentable, with just a spot of paint damage on the tank and a few very minor blemishes elsewhere. 

The handlebars and the seat both look excellent, with just some very light superficial patination, and the whole package is one which will not only turn heads but also attract lots of positive comments.

It hardly needs to be said, but this bike is so unusual and so good-looking that wherever you take it, people will flock to admire it.

In light of the fact that this bike has formed part of a large collection since 2017, it has been some time since it was last run and hence we are unable to make any comment on how it starts, runs and rides. 

However, since we believe it was only completed three years prior to joining the collection, we expect most of the mechanics to be virtually new (assuming parts were rebuilt or reconditioned when the bike was put together). 

Accordingly, we’d not hesitate to place some bids, because we’re confident that this is a good, well-sorted bike.

Of course, after five years in the collection, we do expect that it will need some recommissioning, but it should only be minimal. It has been stored very well during its time off the road and, besides that, it’s such a Spartan machine that there’s barely anything to go wrong anyway. 

We would suggest that no more than a day should be required to get this bike to the point where it’s ready to go tearing up the roads, and then you won’t be able to wipe the smile off your face.

Here is a rare opportunity to acquire a faithful recreation of a 1920s American board-track racer. 

Some artistic licence has been employed in the use of British parts, but it in no way spoils the illusion that this could be a survivor from the old wooden motordromes and speedways.

As unfortunate as it is that board racing is now just a distant memory, that needn’t curtail your enjoyment of this bike when you can not only use it on the public road but are also spoilt for choice when it comes to events in which you can participate. 

Sprints and speed trials, beach racing and classic and custom bike shows are all events for which this JAP special is ideally suited. 

It may just want the very mildest fettling, and then you can go out there and really have some fun.