Believed to date from 1901 and certainly pre-1904, this Singer Tricycle is fitted with a Perks & Birch Motorwheel, invented in 1899 and to which Singer acquired the rights in 1901. An ingenious piece of engineering, the engine is enclosed within a two-sided cast alloy spoked wheel (somewhat reminiscent of the much later Bugatti wheel) which it drives via a planetary gear system meshing the pinion on the engine shaft to an internally toothed ring on the hub. The engine is a 208cc four-stroke single-cylinder unit producing a nominal 2.25hp with a top speed of about 20mph. It is fitted with a surface carburettor and a low-tension magneto, probably the first engine to feature such a device.
The Singer Motorwheel caused quite a sensation when it was exhibited at the 1901 International Motorcar Exhibition at the Agricultural Hall in London, being heralded as the first all-British-built motorcycle ever to come on the market. After the show Singer’s Motor Department manager, HW Duret, drove the two-wheeled machine all the way back to Coventry, “the fourth such journey he had made without touching his machine either for adjustment or as a result of any accident at an average speed that was well up to the legal limit.” The same year with Edwin Perks aboard, the Singer was the only bike to climb the Crystal Palace Hill without pedalling at the Automobile Club trials, again being ridden back to Coventry afterwards.
In July 1902 Perks went on to win gold in both the up to 1.75hp and 2.75hp classes at the Catford Cycling Club hill climbing competition up Westerham Hill in Kent. To silence doubters in the crowd who thought some form of cheating was afoot, he then removed the chain from his machine and rode up the hill again waving it in his hand, “to the astonishment of the thousands of people who lined the course.” On another demonstration run in 1902, a Singer tricycle fitted with a wicker basket to the rear proved capable of carrying five people, with a combined weight of 50 stone, up a 1-in-8 hill 300 yards long.
Also in July 1902 a correspondent from ‘Motor Cycling & Motoring’ rode from London to Oxford on the back of a Singer tandem driven by Duret, reporting that they covered a mile every 2 minutes 38 seconds on the flat and only had to touch the pedals on the very steepest of hills. “Even at the highest speeds not a solitary misfire could be detected, the carburetion keeps constant even on rough roads and no overheating whatever was apparent during the whole trip,” enthused the correspondent before concluding that: “the Singer Motor Tandem would seem to be an ideal machine for touring and there should be a fine future before it.” A Liverpool doctor writing to the magazine was also convinced of the benefits of the Singer, stating that it meant he could now do his rounds in one-fourth the time and save the cost of one horse and a heavy monthly cab bill!
Bearing the engine number 138, this particular tricycle is thought to date from 1901 - other engine numbers known to the Singer Club bike register include 106 which is on a 1901 machine, 395 which dates from 1902 and 574 which is 1903. It has been in the current family ownership for at least 60 years and possibly much longer. It is fitted with auxiliary fuel and oil tanks suspended from the crossbar and contained in a leather case, an option available from 1901 which gives it a much greater range than the 50 miles possible with the engine-mounted fuel tank. It also has the double-sided eight-spoke wheel which was replaced in1903 by a single-sided ten-spoke wheel to give easier engine access. Appearing to be substantially original, complete and unrestored apart from the magneto which has been rebuilt, it has Dunlop pneumatic tyres, leather handlebar grips and a Brooks saddle. It is not known if the bike runs as no attempt has been made to start it for many years. There is no paperwork with the bike and it does not appear to have a registration number.
Both the Beaulieu Motor Museum and the Shuttleworth Collection own two-wheel versions of the Singer Motorwheel, but only a tiny handful are otherwise thought to survive worldwide of which very few are tricycles, making this an exceptionally rare machine. Eligible for many veteran events for both cars and motorcycles, this pioneering all-British machine is a most fascinating survivor from the dawn of the motoring age and would be a superb addition to any collection.
We are indebted to David Birch, grandson of Frank Birch, for his help in compiling this description and providing archive photographs. He would be delighted to hear from anyone with any more information regarding his grandfather’s marvellous invention. Please contact Brightwells if you wish to be put in touch.
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