1912 Lewis Pictures
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Many thanks to Mike Scott-Williams for sending me this superb picture.
Further thanks to Brian Forth for providing further information. The owner of the motorcycle is his great-great uncle, Hartford Scott, of Currency Creek in South Australia. The family cannot accurately state when the photo was taken, but it was taken in the paddock next to the family home. Brian uses this picture as part of my business identification (he supplies beaded edge tyres) at http://users.chariot.net.au/~brianforth/BeadedEdge.htm
And thanks to Leon for confirming its identification.
It looks like it started out as a 3 1/2 HP (500cc) water-cooled model of the type current between late 1910 and 1912. The registration number was issued much later, so at a guess the photo might have been taken after the war.
Modifications are the valve enclosure, footboards instead of the usual pedals, extended air intake on the carburettor and the dropped handlebars. Magic!
The engine is a Precision (made by F.E. Baker Ltd. in Birmingham) and the frame is made from Chater Lea fittings. On this model the radiator occupies the front section between the tank rails, and is separate from the fuel and oil tank behind it.
Lewis built probably 2000 machines in Adelaide, South Australia between 1899 and the mid 1920s.
For more information check out The Lewis Project website: http://users.senet.com.au/~mitchell/lewis/ Trust me this is a fantastic website that documents what motorcycle manufacture involved in the early days.
