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Beaumont Motorcycles

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Beaumont 3 Cylinder Radial Engine 1919

Beaumont of Cleopatra Works, Harehills, Leeds produced motorcycles from 1920 to 1922, and again from 1945 to 1947.

The company was run by Monty Beaumont and his brothers.

  • 1920 The first machines were produced, all with two-speed gearboxes, fitted with 269cc Wall two-stroke and 348cc sv Blackburne engines. More importantly, they built a prototype using a Redrup three-cylinder radial engine. Monty Beaumont became so obsessed by the concept that he produced paper designs for motorcycles with this engine.
  • 1922 The list included a 348cc two-stroke and 399cc four-stroke machine, but it was their last year.
  • 1945-1947 After a gap of many years, promotional leaflets and other advertising publicized a new range of Beaumont motorcycles. These had telescopic forks and a twin-engine set across a rigid frame. Beaumont became involved with the design of the Kendall People's Car, but the few built had French Grégoire flat-twin engines. There was a shady side to Beaumont's life and at one point he was imprisoned for false pretences.

There was a disagreement between Charles Redrup and Beaumont who had failed to make royalty payments on the Redrup patents employed.

Source: Graces Guide

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2¾ h.p. Beaumont 1920

The lightweight 2¾ h.p. Beaumont is chain-driven. Observe the girder type spring forks.

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Beaumont 1920

The simple two-stroke Beaumont two-speed mount. A Wall engine is fitted in this case.

Olympia Show 1920

Beaumont. (Stand 163.)

  • 2¾ h.p. Blackburne; 71x88 mm. (348 CO.); single-cylinder four-stroke; side-by-side valves; drip feed lubrication; B. and B. carburetter; Runbaken chain-driven magneto; two-speed Sturmey-Archer gear; chain drive; Kempshall 26x2¼ in. tyres. Price £99 10s.

Beaumont Motors (Leeds), Ltd., Cleopatra Works, Harehills, Leeds.

There is a clean neatness about this all-chain drive lightweight that is very commendable. Detail, both in design and finish, is of a high standard, and, although the power-unit and gear box are proprietary units, the machine is in many ways distinctive. Both the handle-bar and pedal brakes actuate bands respectively internally expanding and externally contracting on a drum on the rear hub. The foot brake rod is of the (literally) straight pull type; and the pedal portion is long enough to afford great leverage. Arden spring forks and a wide flat tank, shallowing to the rear, are two noticeable features; while the width and more especially the extent around the circumference of the wheel of both front and rear mudguards are unusually great.

  • 2¾ h.p. Wall; 70x70 mm. (269 c.c.); single-cylinder two-stroke; Amac carburetter; direct-driven magneto; two-speed Roc gear; chain and belt drive; Kempshall 26x2¼ in. tyres. Price £68 5s.

This model has been produced on simpler and cheaper lines, but at the same time it compares very favourably with any other exhibit of its type. In appearance rather similar to the other model, it lacks that touch of "luxury" that lies in the specification of its stable companion. No clutch or kick-starter is fitted, the final drive being by belt from a Roc two-speed gear box.

Olympia Show, 1920

The Motor Cycle, December 2nd, 1920. Page 722

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