Speake & Co Ltd.
Elvicta Estate, Crickhowell, Powys, Wales.
Voyager motorcycles were produced between 1989 and 1990. The machine was designed by Royce Creasey, along the lines of Quasar.
Hopes ran high for this machine. The engine was a four-cylinder Reliant, the gearbox and shaft drive were from Moto Guzzi, and the prototype had centre-hub steering by Difazio with pre-production machines employing Creasey's own HCS system. Originally designed in 1987, the finalized machine (with a few refinements), was launched at the Birmingham NEC in 1989.
The body set the machine apart by offering good weather protection, plenty of luggage space and good crash protection. It was also fast and could eat up the miles comfortably and easily. It was an impressive grand tourer and worked well.
Speake and Co of Powys, Wales built five machines and all are still on the road.
[Edited to reflect information below, April 2016]
Sources: Graces Guide, correspondence, factory literature.
Fri Apr 08 2016
info AT paulblez.co.uk
SCL Voyager 850
Your statement that the SCL Voyagers had Difazio hub centre steering is incorrect. That only applied to the prototype machine in its original form (which I rode on Top Gear in an item on FFs which I wrote and presented broadcast in April 1988. The 5 pre-production Voyagers were all fitted with an HCS system of Royce Creasey's own design which was inspired by the Tait system on Malcolm Newell's Phasars. Royce's own prototype was also rebuilt with a later version of his own steering system. I attach both sides of an information card which features myself riding the press demo Voyager in Paris in 1991 on my way back from Munich, and the specification on the reverse side. This photo originally appeared in Moto Journal, the weekly French motorcycle magazine. Much more about Voyagers here:
Sat Apr 20 2013
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Voyager (SCL) Voyager 850
5 Voyagers in total produced - all five still on the road. Royce still designing and building FF Feet First vehicles see www.mono-liner.co.uk and www.bikeweb.com for
more pictures
Lincoln
English
