The Classic Motorcycle

C J Rouse of Kettering, Northants

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Here’s another old photo of a motorcycle for you to identify. It is parked outside Mr C J Rouse’s shop in Kettering, Northampto­nshire. Jeff Waller, email, Spain.

You’ve half beaten me this time, Jeff!

A search of cycle shops in Kettering imply various Rouse family members had at least two shops in Wellington Street, Kettering, whether one of these had been the premises Mr C J Rouse ran, I don’t know. Today, there is a scooter shop in the same street.

Almost every town and many villages in the UK had a cycle maker who combined this work with selling associated parts, cycles by other makers, prams, offered repairs and often many other services to earn a living. During the 1890s, cycling went through a boom period with some making fortunes in less than a year – this encouraged many cycle enthusiast­s, racers and would-be businessme­n and women to set up shops and often make cycles.

While it may seem a big step to start making cycles, it wasn’t that difficult for men and women who had some mechanical experience and could either braze or silver solder. From the late Victorian period onwards, specialist firms such as Sun Cycle and Fittings, BSA, Sparkbrook and others offered lugs, tube, pegs and everything else for cycle chassis assembly. These and other firms offered pedals, handlebars etc and yet others offered specialise­d items, exampled by Brooks saddles, Villiers freewheels, Sturmey Archer hub gears and so on.

When the subject of cycle and motorcycle frame making has arisen previously, a few readers have asked: ‘How did every Tom, Dick and Harry make true frames?’ and ‘Were some home or small workshop built machines dangerous?’ Yes, some probably were dangerous, but precious few, as this type of work was common and the accompanyi­ng poor quality image from a c1905 BSA catalogue reveals the maker had thought of these problems and their solution was to supply frame and fork making jigs.

One assumes that as your photo, Jeff, had been set up for promotiona­l purposes, it is Mr C J Rouse himself standing in the shop doorway, along with his apprentice, who may well have been his only employee.

The legends in and above the shop windows furnish many clues. The left window informs cycles are built from BSA fittings, confirmed by their piled arms logo, while the writing in the right window and images above inform Mr Rouse favoured Sturmey Archer cycle hub gears, rather than the similar two-speed item manufactur­ed by BSA. Both makers employed epicyclic gears for the low (or lower) ratios and direct drive for the high gear.

Comparing the cycles and motorcycle frames with period BSA catalogues confirms it is likely all were built using BSA fittings – however, the bracing to the motorcycle’s front fork isn’t BSA. The machine looks only about 80-90% complete and what appears at first glance like the fuel and oil tank is the work of an artist’s pen, as the shop’s brickwork is visible through the tank!

That I cannot identify the engine – or mockup of the engine – fitted to the machine has made my family very happy! The crankcase design, small diameter of the rear wheel belt rim and the position of the belt to engine unit suggests a reduction gear in unit with the engine was employed. Now it’s over to you.

 ??  ?? Charming period picture of a Northampto­nshire cycle maker, Mr C J Rouse.
Charming period picture of a Northampto­nshire cycle maker, Mr C J Rouse.
 ??  ?? From 1905, BSA catalogue detailing parts available.
From 1905, BSA catalogue detailing parts available.

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