Francis-Barnett Cruiser J45

Click Here for Full Screen Image - Click Here to Download Image

The Francis-Barnett concern was founded in Coventry in 1919 in part of the old Hillman factory that had been used to produce the Bayliss-Thomas Excelsior, the first ever British production motorcycle.

Early products were along the lines of the Invicta motorcycle which was produced prior to the launch of the Francis-Barnett machine, using a brazed lug frame incorporating JAP engines in a variety of sizes and styles. In 1923 the famous "built like a bridge" bolt-together frame was introduced, consisting of numerous lengths of straight tubing with a headstock and engine plates that could be assembled or repaired in a matter of minutes. Machines from 1923 to 1927 were offered with a choice of Villiers two-stroke engines or JAP four-strokes.

In 1933 came the sleek and streamlined Cruiser 32 which boasted a fully enclosed engine and gearbox (with just the cylinder barrel exposed) and deep skirted mudguards and leg shields to keep the rider as clean and dry as possible. The model continued as the updated model 39 and 45 Cruiser until 1940, the latter gaining foot-operated gear change and fitment of the superior 18A engine with flat-topped piston.

This J45 Cruiser is from the latter end of production and is a four-speed foot-change model with conventional petrol-oil-mix fuelling system. A receipt on file shows it to have been purchased by the Stondon Museum in August 1993 and the last MOT is from this same year. This suggests it has not been used since this time and will need some precautionary checking over before use.

There is a V5C with this machine which, although showing a registration date of 1989, correctly identifies it as having been manufactured in 1939, the ‘J’ prefix being the identifier for this year of production.