Humber Motorcycles
Product brand
UnclaimedHumber Motorcycles was a pioneering British motorcycle marque associated with some of the earliest practical motorcycles built in Britain.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
Humber Motorcycles was the motorcycle marque of Humber Limited, a British bicycle and motor-vehicle manufacturer based in Coventry. The company is generally associated with an important early step in British motorcycling: in 1896 it fitted one of its Humber bicycles with a two-horsepower engine developed by E. J. Pennington. This machine is described as the first practical motorcycle made in Britain, although the origins of the earliest motorcycles involved several competing inventors, suppliers and engineering concepts. Humber's first motorcycles were closely related to the bicycle technology of the period. Early machines used compact petrol engines and arrangements in which the engine was mounted around or alongside the rear wheel. The company subsequently used Minerva engines and produced a small number of motorcycles with the engine mounted beneath the front down tube. By 1902 Humber had moved to a chain-driven design and built 2 hp machines under licence to Phelon & Moore, using a single-cylinder P&M engine and a two-speed transmission. These motorcycles were associated with rider Bert Yates, who competed successfully in early events. Humber's sporting reputation was reinforced by a 1899 race victory attributed to Yates in Coventry. He claimed that the event was the first motorcycle race held on a track. The machine reportedly suffered an interruption when its hot-tube ignition lamp went out, but Yates still won. Humber is believed to have sold only a small number of motorcycles of this early type. The company also participated in the development and use of epicyclic hub gearing, including arrangements connected with the Roc patents, and was reported to have been involved in work related to the Wall Auto-Wheel. Motorcycle production was interrupted around 1906 as Humber expanded its car operations and lacked sufficient factory space. Production resumed after the company moved into a new factory in 1908. Humber then introduced motorcycles using its own engines, beginning with a 3.5 hp belt-driven single-cylinder model displayed at the Stanley Show. The range expanded before the First World War to include lightweight singles, a 2.75 hp V-twin, water-cooled versions intended for sidecar use and a more ambitious 6 hp opposed-twin design. The company demonstrated a willingness to experiment with engine layout. A 1913 prototype used an unusual air-cooled flat-twin arrangement, while the design shown in 1914 evolved into a conventional water-cooled opposed twin with a three-speed gearbox and enclosed rear-chain drive. Motorcycle manufacture stopped during the First World War. After the armistice, Humber indicated that it expected to market only one motorcycle when it returned to civilian production. The postwar range consequently concentrated on a flat-twin model, initially in a 3.5 hp form and later as a more powerful 4 hp, 600 cc version. The flat twin remained the principal Humber motorcycle until the early 1920s and was particularly suitable for sidecar use, although a sporting solo version was also offered. In 1923 Humber introduced a 350 cc side-valve single, followed by overhead-valve and overhead-camshaft versions in 1927. The flat twin was withdrawn soon after the single-cylinder model appeared. Motorcycle production continued until approximately 1930, when Humber concentrated on automobile manufacturing. The marque is therefore remembered primarily for its pioneering position in British motorcycle history, its early competition successes and its technically varied pre- and postwar designs rather than for large-scale production.
History
Humber's motorcycle history began in the 1890s, when the company adapted its established bicycle manufacturing capability to petrol propulsion. In 1896 Humber fitted one of its bicycles with a two-horsepower E. J. Pennington motor. The resulting machine is regarded in the historical record as the first practical motorcycle produced in Britain. At this stage, motorcycle design had not settled on a standard configuration: manufacturers experimented with mounting small engines in bicycle frames, driving wheels directly or through emerging belt, chain and hub systems. The earliest Humber machines reflected this experimental environment. One early design placed the engine beside the rear wheel, with the crankshaft passing through the wheel and power transmitted through an epicyclic hub arrangement. The motorcycle used hot-tube ignition, a system that could be unreliable in competition. A related machine ridden by Bert Yates won a Coventry race on 10 July 1899. Yates regarded the event as the first motorcycle race conducted on a track. Historical accounts associate this early series with production of only around 15 to 20 motorcycles, indicating that Humber's initial output was limited rather than industrial in scale. Humber next used Minerva engines in motorcycles with the engine inclined below the front down tube. Minerva supplied conversion kits that allowed engines to be attached to pedal bicycles, making the design relatively straightforward to manufacture. By 1902 Humber had adopted a chain-driven layout and produced 2 hp motorcycles under licence to Phelon & Moore. These used a single-cylinder P&M engine and two-speed transmission. Yates rode Humber motorcycles in a range of events and achieved notable results, helping the company establish an early sporting identity. According to the historical account, Humber stopped motorcycle production in 1906 because the expansion of automobile production left inadequate space in its existing factory. The company moved to a new facility in 1908 and resumed motorcycle manufacture. The post-1908 machines increasingly used Humber-designed engines. At the Stanley Show that year the company introduced a 3.5 hp belt-driven motorcycle with an upright 487 cc side-valve single-cylinder engine, mechanically operated valves and Bosch magneto ignition. A Roc-patent two-speed hub gear was available as an option. The model range broadened before the First World War. A 2 hp lightweight motorcycle appeared for the 1910 Olympia Show, using a 198 cc single-cylinder engine, variable belt pulleys and an optional Armstrong three-speed epicyclic gear. In 1911 Humber added a 2.75 hp, 340 cc V-twin with cylinders set at 45 degrees. The engine's square dimensions were unusual for the period, and the design was closely related to the machine that won the 1911 Junior Tourist Trophy. The same general range continued into 1912. In 1913 the 3.5 hp motorcycle was offered in both air-cooled and water-cooled forms, with the latter promoted for sidecar work. Humber also explored larger and more unusual engines. A 1913 prototype used an air-cooled inline flat-twin concept with two smaller cylinders sharing a combustion chamber. It did not enter production. By the 1914 show, the design had become a conventional water-cooled opposed twin aligned with the frame. This motorcycle included a three-speed gearbox and an enclosed rear-chain drive. Humber simultaneously offered a water-cooled 3.5 hp single-cylinder model for sidecar applications. The First World War brought motorcycle production to a halt. After the armistice, Humber indicated that its return to civilian motorcycle production would probably involve only one model. The company initially chose an air-cooled 3.5 hp flat twin, followed by a more powerful 4 hp, 600 cc version displayed in 1919. The flat twin was Humber's main motorcycle through the early postwar period. Although its principal market was the sidecar user, Humber also offered a sporting solo version with aluminium pistons. In 1923 Humber introduced a 350 cc side-valve single-cylinder motorcycle, which soon displaced the flat twin as the centre of the range. Overhead-valve and overhead-camshaft versions of the 350 cc machine followed in 1927. These variants represented Humber's continued interest in improving engine breathing and performance within a relatively compact motorcycle format. Motorcycle manufacture lasted until about 1930. Falling sales at the beginning of the Great Depression ended production, after which Humber focused on cars. The motorcycle marque consequently became a historical rather than continuing brand, notable for its early British production, competition activity and succession of distinctive engine designs.
- 1930
Motorcycle production ends
[1]Motorcycle manufacture ended after limited sales during the onset of the Great Depression, as Humber concentrated on car production.
- 1927
OHV and OHC variants added
[1]Overhead-valve and overhead-camshaft versions of the 350 cc motorcycle joined the Humber range.
- 1923
350 cc single introduced
[1]Humber launched a 350 cc side-valve single-cylinder motorcycle, which soon became more important than the flat twin.
- 1919
Postwar flat-twin return
[1]Following the wartime production halt, Humber returned with a flat-twin range and displayed a more powerful 4 hp, 600 cc model in November.
- 1914
Water-cooled opposed twin revealed
[1]The experimental design evolved into a water-cooled opposed twin with a three-speed gearbox and enclosed rear-chain drive.
- 1913
Experimental flat-twin prototype
[1]Humber developed an unusual air-cooled flat-twin prototype, demonstrating its interest in alternative engine configurations.
- 1911
V-twin and Junior TT success
[1]Humber introduced a 2.75 hp V-twin and a closely related Humber motorcycle won the 1911 Junior Tourist Trophy.
- 1910
Lightweight model added
[1]Humber expanded its range with a 2 hp, 198 cc lightweight motorcycle featuring optional epicyclic gearing.
- 1908
Production resumes with Humber engines
[1]After moving into a new factory, Humber resumed motorcycle manufacture and introduced a new 3.5 hp model using a Humber-built engine.
- 1906
Motorcycle production interruption
[1]Motorcycle production reportedly stopped as Humber expanded automobile production and ran out of space at its existing factory.
Products and positioning
An engineering-led British motorcycle marque that progressed from motorized bicycles and licensed engines to proprietary single-cylinder, V-twin and flat-twin motorcycles, with particular attention to competition, mechanical experimentation and sidecar suitability.
Early motorcycle · 1896
Early Humber motor bicycle
Humber's first practical motorcycle was created by mounting an E. J. Pennington two-horsepower motor on a Humber bicycle. The early design belonged to the experimental motor-bicycle era and used a compact engine installation rather than a fully developed motorcycle chassis. Later early examples used rear-wheel-mounted engine arrangements and epicyclic hub drive. Production was very limited, but the design established Humber's early place in British motorcycle history.
Single-cylinder motorcycle · 1902
Humber 2 hp Phelon & Moore model
Introduced around 1902, this chain-driven motorcycle was built under licence to Phelon & Moore. It used a single-cylinder P&M engine and a two-speed transmission. The model represented Humber's move away from the earliest direct-drive and rear-wheel experiments toward a more conventional chain-driven layout. Bert Yates used Humber motorcycles of this general type in competitive events.
Single-cylinder motorcycle · 1908
Humber 3.5 hp single
Shown at the 1908 Stanley Show, the 3.5 hp motorcycle used an upright single-cylinder side-valve engine of approximately 487 cc, mechanically operated valves and Bosch magneto ignition. It employed belt drive, while a Roc-patent two-speed hub gear was available. Later versions were offered in air-cooled and water-cooled forms, with the water-cooled version intended particularly for sidecar use.
Lightweight motorcycle · 1910
Humber 2 hp lightweight
The lightweight model added for the 1910 season used a 198 cc upright single-cylinder engine. Its specification included variable belt pulleys and an optional Armstrong three-speed epicyclic gear. It broadened Humber's offering beyond larger utility and sporting motorcycles and was displayed as part of the company's Olympia Show range.
V-twin motorcycle · 1911
Humber 2.75 hp V-twin
Added by the 1911 Olympia Show, this 340 cc V-twin used a 45-degree cylinder arrangement and an unusually square bore-and-stroke design. A three-speed Armstrong epicyclic hub gear was optional. The engine was closely related to the Humber motorcycle that won the 1911 Junior Tourist Trophy, linking the production model to the marque's competition activities.
Flat-twin motorcycle · 1919
Humber flat-twin
After the First World War, Humber concentrated on an air-cooled flat-twin motorcycle. The initial postwar machine produced about 3.5 hp, followed by a more powerful 4 hp version with a 600 cc engine displayed in 1919. The model was principally aimed at sidecar users, although a sporting solo version with aluminium pistons was also marketed. It remained the company's principal motorcycle until the early 1920s.
Single-cylinder motorcycle · 1923
Humber 350 side-valve
Introduced in 1923, the 350 cc side-valve single became the centre of Humber's motorcycle range after the flat twin was withdrawn. It offered a more compact alternative for riders and helped carry the marque into its final decade of production. The design later served as the basis for more advanced overhead-valve and overhead-camshaft derivatives.
Advanced single-cylinder motorcycle · 1927
Humber 350 OHV and OHC
Introduced in 1927, the overhead-valve and overhead-camshaft versions developed the 350 cc single-cylinder platform with more advanced valve-train arrangements. They represented Humber's final documented generation of motorcycles and reflected the industry's movement toward improved breathing and higher specific performance. Production ended around 1930 as the company returned its attention to cars.
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