Beschreibung:

Founded by Gordon Francis and Arthur Barnett, Francis-Barnett set up shop in the old Excelsior works in Coventry in 1919. The downturn in the motorcycle market in the early 1920s prompted F-B to switch from producing expensive, high quality machines to the more utilitarian. First seen in 1923, the first of these was the triangulated, pin-jointed, straight-tube frame models whose novel method of construction gave rise to the ‘Built Like A Bridge’ advertising slogan. With the exception of a pair of Blackburne-engined four-strokes introduced in 1935, Francis-Barnett used Villiers two-stroke engines exclusively throughout the 1930s. Powered by a long stroke (53x67mm) Villiers engine, the 148cc Lapwing debuted in 1932 as the Model 25 and remained a feature of the range into 1936, while the similarly-engined Plover continued in production up to 1940. Described by the vendor as “fully restored but not completed,” this Lapwing is offered with old-style logbook and Swansea V5 registration document.