Italian Motorcycles

Today in Motorcycle History

Linx Motorcycles


A Brief History of the Marque

According to Tragatsch, Linx was a small Italian factory which, from 1929 to 1941, produced a range of motorcycles employing engines from Blackburne, JAP, Piazza and Rudge of capacities ranging from 173cc to 598cc.


Stephano Milani in his monumental work on Italian machinery devotes over 6 pages to the marque.

Sources: Henshaw, Tragatsch, Milani


Sat Sep 08 2007
marticelli at hotmaildot com
Linx (?) motorcycle
350 Blackburne
I have owned a rare unrestored Italian motorcycle for some time which has so far resisted identification, although I suspect it may be a Linx from the early 30s. I am Blackburne Marque Specialist in the VMCC.
Scotland

I believe Linx is the manufacturer of the saddle, but it will take a bit more information to convince me that they built the machine. Ed.

...............

It is a real mystery bike. It was brought to the UK after the war by a British soldier returning from Italy and has languished unloved and untouched in a shed near Birmngham since then. A few years ago I was contacted as the engine bears a brass label as you can see, proclaiming Blackburne manufacture as I am the Blackburne marque specialist in the VMCC. However, this is not a Blackburne engine but possibly a Sturmey Archer or similar proprietary unit of the late twenties or early thirties.  All the levers and minor parts are Italian, which would appear to confirm the country of origin.

I have had much contact with Italian enthusiasts ( I used to travel regularly there on space business with the European Space Agency) and have a four volume encyclopedia of Italian motorcycles from 1895-1945 by Stefano Milani which lists many Italian machines fitted with 'Blackburne' engines including Linx but none illustrated look much like my machine. Not all models are illustrated however, so this is not exactly surprising.

Any help you can offer to identify the machine would be appreciated, and I can let you have copies of the Linx entry from Milani in the unlikely event you haven't seen or don't know about this excellent work. I should also say that, in view of it not being Blackburne engined, I am prepared to sell it on to someone interested to restore it, as I have several other genuine Blackburne-engined bikes awaiting restoration or repair and this 'cuckoo' might be better owned by someone more into Italian machines than I am.

Cheers for now and thanks for the reply

Martin 



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