Coventry-Eagle
.JPG) | |
| Industry | manufacturing and engineering |
|---|---|
| Founded | 1903 |
| Defunct | 1939 |
| Fate | Closed by World War II |
| Successor | Falcon Cycles |
| Headquarters | Coventry, England |
| Products | Motorcycles and bicycles |
Coventry-Eagle was a British bicycle and motorcycle manufacturer. Established as a Victorian bicycle maker, the company began under the name of Hotchkiss, Mayo & Meek. The company name was changed to Coventry Eagle in 1897 when John Meek left the company .[1] By 1898 they had begun to experiment with motorised vehicles and by 1899, had produced their first motorcycle. The motorcycles were hand built from components and finished carefully, Coventry-Eagle motorcycles proved reliable and by the First World War the range included Villiers Engineering and JAP engines.[2]
During the early 1920s, the models changed depending on what engines were available and the company swapped between five engine manufacturers - Villiers, JAP, Sturmey-Archer, Blackburne and Matchless.[3] The model Flying 8 bore a resemblance to the contemporary Brough Superior. During the depression of the 1930s, the company concentrated on producing two-strokes. Production continued until the start of the Second World War in 1939.[4]
In the 1930s they had launched a range of sporting bikes under the "Falcon" brand. After the war, and not of a scale to continue competitive motorcycle manufacture, the company concentrated on their racing bicycles. It was under this marque that the company relaunched itself as Falcon Cycles, now a division of Tandem Group.
Models
[edit]| Model | Year | Comments |
|---|---|---|
| 269 cc | 1913 | Villiers-powered two-speed |
| 3.5 hp | 1913 | Single |
| 5 hp | 1914 | Three-speed V-twin |
| 500 cc single | 1921 | |
| 680 cc V-Twin | 1921 | JAP engine |
| Flying 8 | 1923 | |
| 8 hp Super Sports Twin | 1923 | |
| Flying 6 | 1927 | 674 cc side-valve twin |
| 150 cc | 1935 | Coventry Eagle twin-port two-stroke and with a left-hand gear change and Albion gearbox |
| L5 249 cc 35 Silent Superb De Luxe | 1935 | Villiers engine and a 4-speed albion gearbox |
| N35 | 1937 | Flying 350 |
| N11 250 cc | 1937 | Pullman |
References
[edit]- ^ [1] Archived 21 August 2009 at the Wayback Machine, Classic Motor History.
- ^ "1928 Coventry-Eagle Flying-8". Archived from the original on 4 June 2012. Retrieved 22 May 2008.
- ^ Tragatsch, Erwin (2000). The New Illustrated Encyclopedia of Motorcycles. London: Quantum Publishing. p. 560. ISBN 1861603428.
- ^ "Coventry-Eagle Motorcycles". Retrieved 22 May 2008.
External links
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