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 Kelly - 320
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Photo ou archives : M. Woollett
7313

Capacity : 320
Model :
Production : 1921 -
Category : (R) Scooter

KELLY

320 Utility ·1921

A running gag

After WWI, there was a huge demand for personal transportation. After years of austerity and rationing, the masses - once again enjoying peace and prosperity - wanted the means to travel freely. For a few crazy years, the manufacturers were unable to satisfy the demand, allowing some opportunists to sell some very strange machines- and they didn't come any stranger than this 1921 Kelly!

Unlovely to Look At

Just looking at the Kelly makes one want to grin. It's such a random assortment of components that one wonders whether it was meant to be taken seriously- even in 1921.

Another Fine Mess

The engine was a Dalm 320cc two-stroke - made in Birmingham and used by many manufacturers at the time - coupled to a two-speed Sturmey-Archer gearbox with final drive by belt, but the frame was a complete mess, seemingly put together with no guiding principle. The front suspension relied on an odd system of leaf springs, while the rear suspension was supposed to be taken care of by a pivoting-cradle frame. The company's publicity claimed that this layout "avoided side slips" and was "steady in traffic, needs no mechanical knowledge, will cross any doorstep ... has an open frame so that it can be used by Milord or Milady." Motor Cycle magazine's road-tester concluded: "The Kelly should be the object of a complete overhaul before any other examples are sold." For those days, that was strong criticism. It's hardly surprising that nothing further was heard of the Kelly.

SPECIFICATIONS

Engine: 320cc air-cooled single-cylinder

Valves: two-stroke

Fuel System: automatic carburetor

Transmission: Stunney·Archer 2-speed handshift, belt final drive

Suspension: leaf sprung forks (front); swinging frame (rear)

Brakes: belt rim (rear)

Wheels: Avon 26 inch tires; single (front);

double (rear)

Weight: 117 lb

Maximum Speed: 30 mph

 

No contest: Tbe 1921 Kelly was one of the ugliest bikes of all time, a real Rube Goldberg assembly of random components.

 




Le fichier Moto Passion réalisé par François-Marie Dumas réunit près de deux mille photos accompagnées d'un historique très complet des machines présentées.
Il sera progressivement mis à jour ici et toute information complémentaire est la bienvenue sur info@moto-collection.org.

Cette documentation unique, qui constitue sans doute l'encyclopédie la plus exhaustive jamais écrite sur l'histoire de la moto, a été réalisée avec l'assistance de nombreux spécialistes dont principalement Didier Ganneau, Christophe Gaime, Mick Woollett, Jean Goyard, Bernard Salvat, Christian Rey, Yves Campion, Helmut Krackowizer, Michael Dregni, Michel Montange, etc. que je remercie ici.

Disponible sur demande :
- Les fiches originales sur papier
- Les photos et archives signées de mon nom en haute définition ou les documents originaux.
Me contacter sur info@moto-collection.org pour les conditions et droits d'utilisation.