Alfred Wiseman, Motorcycle Manufacturer

Alfred Wiseman of Birmingham built Sirrah, Macklum, Verus and Weaver motorcycles.

Sirrah

Sirrah were motorcycles produced from 1921 to 1925. They were marketed in conjunction with the economy version, the Verus.

Macklum

Macklum was a motorcycle produced in 1920 to a design by F. McCallum.

• Simple in design, this machine was scooter-style. The foot platform was a one-piece steel stamping that doubled as the frame. It had a 292cc Union or Peco engines positioned over the front wheel, which it drove by chain.
  More on Macklum.
  Macklum Gallery.

Verus

Verus were motorcycles produced from 1919 to 1926. It was the de luxe marque of the Alfred Wiseman company.

• 1919 The line began with lightweights with 211cc and 269cc Verus two-stroke engines. The smaller was single speed, the other with a Burman two-speed gearbox and chain-cum-belt.

  1920 Those two models remained and were joined by two Blackburne four-strokes, a 348cc and 499cc sv, with two- and three-speed Burman gearboxes respectively.

  1921 It was the same for that year, when trials were conducted with V-twin Blackburne-engined sidecar outfits.

  1922 The simple lightweight and the 499cc Blackburne models went, and the 348cc four-stroke was given the option of a three-speed gear and all-chain drive.

  1923 Only the four-strokes remained, with extra models being introduced with 248cc and 348cc ohv Blackburne and 248cc and 346cc JAP motors.

  1924 The range carried through and the universal Wiseman tubular frame, with a single welded joint, appeared on both the Verus and Sirrah ranges. For the 348cc ohv Blackburne sports model there was a high-level exhaust pipe running along the off-side of the machine (setting a vogue for many others in the years ahead).

  1925 A smaller, 292cc sv JAP model appeared.

  1926 The range consisted of three models - a 292cc two-stroke (single and 3-speed versions), a 348cc sv Blackburne 350, and a sports model with ohv JAP or Blackburne engines in sports or racing trim. Both had three-speeds and the Burman gearboxes. It was the final year of production.

  It appears that there was a collaboration with Oreste Garanzini of Milan, who imported Blackburne engines, supplied by Wiseman, with the name modified on the case to "VEROS" and sold under that name between 1920 and 1925.

Weaver

• Weaver were motorcycles produced from 1923 to 1925. The marque was named after its designer who was the works manager at Alfred Wiseman.

  1923 The first model was known as the Cyclette and was an open-framed commuter machine with the marque's own 150cc ohv engine, single-speed and chain final-drive.

  1924 That model continued and was joined by a true lightweight motorcycle known as the Colonial model. It had a 130cc version of the same engine, two-speed Burman gearbox, all-chain drive and 24-inch diameter road wheels. Later in the year, either a 147cc Villiers or Aza two-stroke engine became an option.

  1925 Only the motorcycles continued. It was the final year.

Source: Graces Guide

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