The Stinkwheel Saga Episode 2 v3

The latest Stinkwheel reprint is of The Stinkwheel Saga, Episode 2 v3, first published in 2008. The original book has been updated with new information received since the first edition was published and now contains many colour images, revised page layouts and text corrections carried out in the light of new information that became available since 2008.

This second Episode covers the lost-causes of British cyclemotoring; the late arrivals (after the clip-on cyclemotor’s ship had already sailed…), the small-scale imports, the under-funded, the home-made, technically over-complicated and ephemeral machines which would have stood little chance commercially, had they ever achieved volume production. Many were nevertheless very interesting and owrthy of study. A wealth of period archive material illustrates the long-lost 1950s world of power-assisted cycling.

Some large-scale, long-established motorcycle manufacturers – who should have known better – (BSA, Vincent, Tube Investments…) launched themselves into the market of clip-on cyclemotors, either far too late or with poorly-developed engine units, with a singular lack of commercial success. Read all about these heroic failures, together with some surprising successes from the proverbial two-men-in-a-shed businesses.