Rudge 1927 499 cc OHV 4-valve 4-speed combination with caravan 3603

Description Rudge 1927 499 cc OHV “Four valve 4-speed” combination with original Rudge caravan frame # 23017 engine # 44817 video:https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQZflghS7cI The Rudge_Whitworth company was an established bicycle factory that entered motorcycle production in 1911. Their first machines were 499 cc IOE singles. They developed the famous Multi gear, with a possibility of up to 21 gear positions. By 1923 the Rudge F-head valve configuration had become outdated and general motorcycle sales had fallen sharply; it was time for Rudge to bring something entirely new. Triumph had had some success with its four valve Ricardo concept and Rudge decided this concept, coupled to the newly developed Rudge 4 speed gearbox, should bring success again. So for the 1924 season the factory introduced a new range of four valve singles, first a 349 cc model with bore and stroke of 70×90 mm and by the end of April a 499 cc model (85×88) was added. The lighter model was only catalogued in 1924 and 1925. In the summer of 1924 a series of improvements was prepared and at the Olympia Show the 1925 models were presented with redesigned gearboxes and coupled front and rear brakes. The factory could now proudly boast “ four valves, four speeds, coupled brakes”. The combo caravan we present might appear to be an enthousiast’s one-off, but that’s not what it is! In the 1928 catalogue the Rudge company presented “The Rudge-Whitworth Caravan”, “a home on wheels, comfortable and roomy, the latest development for the holiday-maker”. The caravan was offered as part of a complete outfit, including the towing motorcycle and sidecar. It appears only about eight were built, and this is the only survivor. It was rescued by Rudge enthousiast Dave McMahon in the eighties and partly reconstructed, because much of the bodywork had rotted away. Dave coupled his restored caravan with a 1927 four valve four speed machine with sidecar – first registered on April 8, 1927- and thus created a unique combination, that has been present regularly at vintage motorcycle gatherings in Britain over the years. The motorcycle is not a standard machine but is fitted with a large 4-gallon petrol tank. The engine is very special too, it originally came from Graham Walker who, as legend has it, used it for his 1927 TT practice. The engine has a number of deviations from standard, such as two main bearings on the drive side. There’s a lot more to relate about the Rudge caravan; an extensive article was published in the October 1986 issue of The Classic Motorcycle, which we have on file. For further reading on the Rudge caravan (and the Rudge canoe outfit!) we recommend the following links: https://thevintagent.com/2017/08/17/the-rudge-book-of-the-road/ http://www.ridingvintage.com/2014/01/the-rudge-and-its-caravan.html