Saturday, September 25, 2021

Sidecar Sunday

Reader Graeme sends in this picture of Len and Harry having fun posing for the camera. Year unknown. Someone has retouched the photo so the badges read Invincible ( I think) but Graeme asks the make of the machine, it's a V twin with carb on the left hand side, by that and details on the fork, I'd guess it's a prewar Harley Davidson outfit.


 
Dec 1984 Classic Motor Cycle

4 comments:

  1. I don't think it's a Harley Davidson. I suspect it might be an Invicta, as per the attached...
    https://cybermotorcycle.com/marques/francis-barnett/invicta.htm

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  2. Could it be one of these? Invincible J.A.P.

    http://earlymotor.com/leon/australian/html/ij.htm

    V twin, carburettor on the left, Australia, 1920's

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  3. Hmm, don't think an Invicta, it was a single, I'm going with the Harley because of the rings on the fork tube (see https://www.bike-urious.com/1915-harley-davidson-model-11f/) but the spring on the Invincible JAP looks right!

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  4. Taken from Robert Saward's book "A-Z of Australian-Made Motorcycles: 1893-1942":

    The Invincible-JAP was built for Turner Bros of Melbourne by Firth Bros, also of Melbourne. Turners lost their Harley-Davidson agency and needed a large capacity machine to compete with the American makes that were being sold in Australia at the time. When they gained the JAP agency in June 1922, they contracted Firth Bros to build 600 bikes.

    The Invincible-JAP was available with a choice of JAP 4.5, 6 or 8 hp engines, and also used Burman 3-speed gearboces, Messinger saddles and Edwards Bros saddle-tanks. P&H electric lighting was optional. The frame, forks, hubs, brakes and mudguards were manufactured locally.

    Turner Bros sold the Invincible-JAP up to 1928, with bikes being assembled by special order. There was still a large quantity of left over parts after 1928 - rumour has it that they were scrapped during WW2.

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