Beschreibung:

Formed by the acquisition in 1894 of the Rudge Cycle Company Ltd by the Pugh family's Whitworth Cycle Company, Rudge-Whitworth built its first motorcycle in 1910. Unlike many of their contemporaries, Rudge did not use a proprietary engine but one of their own design, a 499cc single with inlet-over-exhaust valvegear. The new 3.5hp model proved outstandingly successful, in 1911 Victor Surridge's becoming the first 500cc machine to exceed 60 miles in one hour, while Rudge-mounted Cyril Pullin won the Isle of Man Senior TT for the Coventry manufacturer in 1914. A 750cc version followed, and immediately after WWI a 998cc v-twin, effectively a pair of the ioe singles on a common crankcase, joined the range. When fitted with Rudge's famous variable-pulley 'Multi' gear, the model was known as the Multwin. By 1919 however, the belt-drive Multi gear was already outdated, and subsequent versions of the 7/9hp twin used three- and (later) four-speed countershaft gearboxes and chain drive. Originally fitted with the Multi transmission, this rare v-twin Rudge has been converted to accept the more practical four-speed countershaft gearbox. Previously resident in England, Holland and Austria, the machine features Lucas horn and acetylene headlamp, Miller rear lamp, double spark plug holder and Senspray carburettor, and is described as a good runner with lots of power. There are no documents with this machine.