Famous names like Phil Irving, John Britten, , Jack Findlay and are mentioned.
Bailey
Les Bailey (Stephen Leslie Bailey) ran a motorcycle shop in Tamworth, Australia. He moved to England in 1909 and designed the 1911 Twin Humber Twin, and was then offered a position with Douglas. During the First War he was effectively the Douglas works manager. Post-war he designed and produced the R.A Douglas speedway machine and worked with Granville Bradshaw on the development of the 348cc twin. As they worked with Sopwith Aviation on the construction of the engine, it is highly likely that Bailey knew Harry Hawker, a fellow Australian.
Bailey returned to Australia in 1924.
W. O. Bentley (born in the UK to Australian parents)
Hawker, Harry
Closely associated with Sopwith Aviation, his firm is now best known for the production of the Hawker Hurricane of WWII. He was involved with Bradshaw's ABC and his own two-stroke motorcycles, and was a famed aviator of whom King George V said, "The nation has lost one of its most distinguished airmen, who by his skill and daring has contributed so much to the success of British aviation."
Harry Hawker was born in Moorabin, Victoria in 1889 and travelled to England in 1910 to pursue a career in aviation after witnessing one of the first powered flights in Australia the previous year. He was 22 years old, and in September 1912 obtained pilot's licence No. 297 after three solo flights. In October he won the Michelin Cup for a flight of 8 hours and 23 minutes.
Over the following decade, until his death at age 32 in an aviation accident, he achieved many more laurels both in the air and on the racetrack.
Irving, Phil
Phil Irving is best known for his Vincent V-twin engines, and is credited with the original concept for Velocette's "Noddy Bike", the LE. This article discusses that: L.E. Velocette Prototype.
He also designed the prototype Model 'O' Velocette, a 600cc shaft-drive twin derived from the supercharged 500cc "Roarer".
George Cohen writes: "Quite simply the best information on preparing old motorcycles is to be found in Phil Irving's "Tuning for Speed", which was taken from his slide rule articles."
Osborne Louis de Lissa of Australia managed Motosacoche Ltd (GB).
Maplestone
A.N. Maplestone designed the motorcycle fork which became widely known as the Webb Fork, used for decades by many of the best British motorcycles.
