c.1920 Rudge 499cc Multi TT Model

Registration no. SV 5242 Frame no. 780466 Engine no. 21683

The Rudge Company was merged with the Whitworth Cycle Company to form Rudge Whitworth in Coventry around 1895. In 1910 they designed their first motorcycle, and from this point onward, they were always at the forefront of innovations in motorcycle development. From the first, they adopted state-of-the-art ideas such as the inlet-over-exhaust design for cylinder heads. They followed with the Rudge-Multi variable gear, and, only three years after making their first motorcycle, won the Senior Isle of Man TT in 1914. They were early adopters of technology, and later were one of the first to provide a four-speed gearbox, four-valve cylinder heads, and interconnected brakes, not to mention the lever-operated centre stand. After the First World War in 1919, when production was returning to normal, the TT model was equipped with the 'low' frame as seen on this example. 'SV 5242' was acquired by the vendor in 2014 in the present condition, forming part of a small collection. The machine has not been used on the road in the present ownership, although the vendor has stripped, cleaned, and reassembled the clutch. The bike has been dry-stored and the engine run occasionally (the last time being June 2019). Documentation comprises a current V5C, an old-type V5, a photocopy 'Repairs & Spares' publication, together with a photocopy 'Rudge Wrinkles'. Presently on SORN, the bike will need basic safety checks prior to use on the road by a new owner.