Humber or Centaur? Pictures
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Many thanks to Andrew Sparkes for this picture. The photo shows his grandfather (a motor engineer by trade), his grandmother, his uncle and his father (the youngest) and was taken in 1920/21.
They lived in Edmonton which ties up with the MX registration number.
Thanks to Leon and Howard for the following comments:
“This is a bit of a puzzle. The forward, but still inside the frame diamond, magneto is a c1910 Humber feature, but this model featured a very fancy two-piece pannier petrol tank that enclosed both top frame bars. Also when the Humber came as a two-speeder, it usually had a ROC gear fitted. My best guess is that the bike in the picture is a c1910 Humber , which has been fitted with a new tank. It has an NSU two-speed gear on the engine mainshaft, the tram handle for which can be seen just below the rider’s left hand. Since the photo is said to have been taken in the 1920s, plenty of time had passed for these mods to have occurred.”
“I notice the wide front frame lug for the front engine mount, similar to Humber. Magneto at the front with the exhaust over it, the top of that motor looks a bit “busy” for a SV engine? The little tram handle just poking out behind the sidecar screen appears to be an NSU 2 speed gear control. The tank does not look like a Humber effort at all nor do the handlebars. FRS lighting set fitted. I am afraid I see nothing at this stage to positively identify the machine. But my guess would be something like Centaur.”
