Triumph, BMW, & Kawasaki Sales Spares & Repairs.
Established for over 40 years and run by expert motorcyclists.
Fully authorised workshop.
Humber 1914 499cc Watercooled Single
Humber 1914 3 1/2hp Model Watercooled
Humber 1918 750cc Watercooled Combination
Water-cooled Humber Motorcycles (1914-1918)
At the end of 1913, following the trend in four-stroke water cooled engines initiated by Green-Precision and Williamson, Humber presented at the Olympia Show their 3 ½ hp model single. The pioneer factory of Coventry intended to provide a light machine for use with sidecars, bearing in mind the advantages of water cooling when working at low rpm and pulling a fair load.
For the 1914 season the Humber catalogue included the 199cc 2 hp model, the 2 ¾ hp V-twin TT model (350 cc) and two 3½ hp 499cc models, one air-cooled and the other water-cooled with a higher compression ratio.
In this last, honeycomb-style radiators were well balanced and they were located on each side of the fuel tank. These motorcycles had as standard three speed Sturmey-Archer gearboxes with foot-operated clutch, Brown & Barlow carburettor and Druid forks.
The 3 ½ hp water cooled model machines were made only that season, so it is very rare to see a survivor.
In 1915 Humber introduced a 6 HP watercooled 180° longitudinal HO twin which was intended for sidecar use and was their first with a countershaft three speed gearbox, designed and manufactured in-house. The clutch was multi-disc with foot change and the primary transmission chain was totally enclosed. Lubrication drip feed was by Best and Lloyd, it had a C.A.V magneto and the carburettor was from Claudel Hobson.
It had a bore & stroke of 78 x 78 mm (745cc) and a large flywheel, and the valves and their seats were quickly removable allowing for easy maintenance. The last of these models left the factory in mid-1917, but some may have been sold as 1918 models.
During the first world war, Humber focused on the manufacture of military sidecar combinations, and there was scant civilian production. Post-war, the luxurious water-cooled models were no longer offered due to poor economic conditions.
Sources: Archive.org, Barnstormers, Yesterdays NL
About Sergio Scalerandi