History of British Designed Motorbikes

Motorcycle History in the UK - 1800's
In Britain in the late 1800's, two things happened that started the development of motorcycles in UK. Firstly, bicycles had become a popular mode of transport, and secondly the internal combustion gasoline engine was being invented. 

There started to appear several designs of motorized bicycles around Europe, including UK. These designs quickly evolved into the motorcycle and became a very popular mode of transportation that spread over Europe and America.

Motorcycles in the UK - 1900's
Engine technology was starting to become dependable by the 1900's, and engines were being mass-produced. British companies that manufactured motorcycle engines began appearing around this time. These machines went through many evolutions until about 1977 when most of them ceased production for various reasons.

In 1898, the British bicycle maker Triumph decided to extend its focus to include motorcycles, and by 1902, the company had produced its first motorcycle in the UK - a bicycle fitted with european built engine. In 1903, as Triumph's motorcycle sales topped 500, the American company Harley Davidson also started producing motorcycles.

In 1904, the Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company, designed the Indian Single, whose engine was built by the Aurora Firm in Illinois. Indian Motorcycles production was up to over 500 bikes annually and would rise to 32,000 motorbikes.

Experimentation and innovation were driven by the sport of motorcycle racing, with its powerful incentive to manufacture durable, fast, reliable motorbikes. These innovations in motorcycle design found their way to the main-stream of motorcycle manufacturers.

Indian motorcycles was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world until world war I. After that, it became Harley-Davidson, until 1928 when DKW took over as the largest manufacturer. BMW motorcycles started manufacturing motorcycles in 1923 with its boxer motorcycle engine.

Motorcycles in Britain during the 1930's
Indian and Harley-Davidson were the only two American commercial motorbike manufacturers until 1931.This two-company rivalry in the United States remained until 1953, when the Indian Motorcycle factory in Massachusetts closed and Royal Enfield took over the brand.

In Britain in the 1930's, there were over 85 different makes of motorcycle being produced. Including motorcycle companies such as: Norton, Triumph and AJS.

European Military Motorbikes
In Europe demands driven by the buildup to World War II, included motorcycles for military use. Royal Enfield and BSA supplied over 120,000 motorcycles to the British armed forces until 1950.

After World War II
In post-war europe, motorcycle companies were more concerned with designing practical, economical motorcycles than the social aspects, or "biker" image seen in America. Italian motorcycle designer Piaggio introduced the Vespa in 1946.

In 1951 BSA Group purchased Triumph Motorcycles becoming the largest producer of motorcycles in the world. In the 1970s Honda became the largest manufacturer.

The 1962 Triumph Bonneville represents the popularity of British motorcycles of this time. British motorcycle manufacturers Triumph, BSA, and Norton retained a dominant position until the rise of the Japanese manufacturers such as Honda in the late 1960s and early 1970s.

Learn more about the Megelli Story and how we designed and built a new range of motorcycles in Europe

Megelli Supermoto
Megelli Naked Motorbikes
Megelli Sportbike