“The first race meeting in England confined to purely motor bicycles”—read all about it in 1902. There are also warnings to heed: wrapping your legs in brown paper will make you rustle—and take care when handling petrol “which to the observer appears about as harmless as water”. Plus news of a carb incorporating a spinning brush in place of jets; a two-speed gearbox; a folding teak paddock stand; a poem lauding bio-fuel (“It’s my artichokes and turmuts What’s a-driving that there car!”; a 65mph record; and a petrol/electric hybrid. And don’t miss my favourite caption of 1902 (thus far): “Feeding on a big bun.”
Motorcycle Timeline 