Photo ou archives : M. Woollett
7406
EXCELSIOR
600 MMC - 1903
Pioneer British superstar
The first motorcycle races held in Britain took place on the velodromes built in the late 19th Century in London – at Canning Town, Heme Hill and the Crystal Palace – and at Aston in Birmingham. The first "superstar" of this period was Londoner Harry Martin with this Excelsior powered by a 2.75 hp MMC engine (a license-built copy of the De Dion unit).
Beating the Continentals
Martin started riding in 1901 and joined Bayliss & Thomas, makers of the Excelsior, in 1902. With his racing Excelsior, Martin was more than a match for the Continental stars from France and Belgium who crossed the English Channel to participate in British events.
Record-Breaker
His success earned him the nickname "The British Bullet". He was the first man officially timed at over 60 mph on a flying kilometer, a record set during the 1903 Phoenix Park Speed Trials in Dublin on July 4, 1903. Two weeks later, he set a new flying mile record of 58.5 seconds at Canning Town. His engine was a Coventry-built Motor Manufacturing Company single, with auxiliary exhaust ports drilled in the cylinder walls. MMC was the successor to the Great Horseless Carriage Company, one of the companies founded in 1896 by Harry John Lawson in his attempt to gain control of the fledgling British motor industry. MMC's De Dion-type engines were initially fitted in tricycles used by the British Army during the Boer War (1899-1901). Excelsior adopted MMC power units after first using genuine de Dion engines. MMC built singles as big as 850cc, but Martin preferred the 600cc model.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: 600cc air-cooled single-cylinder four-stroke
Power Rating: 8 hp @ 2200 rpm
Valves: automatic intake, side exhaust
Fuel System: surface carburetor
Transmission: direct-drive by leather belt
Suspension: none
Brakes: bicycle-type rim brakes (front & rear)
Wheels: clincher bicycle tires (front & rear)
Weight: 110 lb
Maximum Speed: 60 mph
"The world's motor bicycle record-breaker," Harry Martin set standing-start records up to 12 miles (45 mph) on the Canning Town track, London, in May 1903 with this Excelsior.