Humber Motorcycles

Infobox Defunct Company
company_name = Humber Motorcycles
company_
fate = Taken over by the Rootes Group
successor =
foundation = 1868
defunct = 1930
location = UK
industry = manufacturing and engineering
key_people =
products = motorcycles
num_employees =
parent =
subsid =

Humber Motorcycles was a pioneering British motorcycle manufacturer. Thomas Humber established the company in Beeston, Nottinghamshire in 1868 to make top quality bicycles and was very successful, opening factories in Coventry and Wolverhampton."cite book | last = Kemp | first = Andrew | title = Classic British Bikes | publisher = Bookmart Ltd | date = 2001 | pages = pp. 11-17 | isbn = 1-86147-058-4 ] In 1896 Humber produced the first practical motorcycle made in the UK by fitting a bicycle with a Pennington two-horsepower motor.cite web|url=http://thevintagent.blogspot.com/2008/02/1928-humber-349hp-ohc.html|title=Humber|accessdate=2008-07-06] Ultimately it was the success of Humber cars that borught the end of the motorcycles when Humber was taken over by the Rootes Group in 1930.

History

Although the founder Thomas Humber left the business in 1892 his succesors, Harry Lawson and an American called Edward Pennington continued the name. Lawson brought with him the rights to his innovative three wheeler and Pennington owned a number of important patents. By 1903 the priority for the Humber factories was car production, with motorcycle and bicycle production as a sideline. Success with one of Pennington's 340cc two speed V twin engined Humbers in the first ever Isle of Man Junior TT in 1911 boosted the motorcycle sales. [cite web|url=http://iomtt.com/TT-Database/Events/Races.aspx?meet_code=TT11&race_seq=1|title=TT 1911 Junior TT Results |accessdate=2008-07-06]

Early Humber motorcycles were built under licence to Phelon & Moore with a single cylinder P&M engine and two-speed chaindrive transmission. Disputes over royalty payments and P&M's desire to make their own motorcycles led to this licence being terminated in 1905. [cite web|url=http://www.pantherownersclub.com/PantherPage/p-m-hw-humber.html|title=Humber models|accessdate=2008-07-06] , so later models had Humber 496cc, 596cc and 746cc engines. [cite web|url=http://www.cybermotorcycle.com/euro/brands/humber.htm|title=Humber motorcycles|accessdate=2008-07-06]

Humber was taken over in 1930 by the Rootes Group who went on to make several very successful cars under the Humber name.

Models

References

ee also

* Humber (bicycle)
* Humber (car)

Links

* [http://www.realclassic.co.uk/humber04012000.html Humber 350 OHV Review]
* [http://www.vintagebike.co.uk/Bike%20Directories/Humber%20Bikes/Humber%20Index.htm Humber Image Gallery]