Within 10 years Francis Barnett had grown from producing 2 models to 7 models for 1935. Interesting bird names seemed to accompany their machines, names like Seagull 42 and 43, Plover 40 and 41, and the Black Hawk E36. Added to this was the Cruiser and the Stag 44. Except for the Stag the rest were all powered by Villiers engines, whereas the Stag was new for 1935 and had a 250cc OHV 4 stroke engine that was made by Blackburne. Perhaps part success of the sale Francis Barnett motorcycles was the price, post depression and people still had to get to work but there was not a lot of money around. 2 strokes were cheaper to buy and maintain. But whatever their success was the machines were certainly impressive, and still are.
Click on the front cover below to see the complete 13 page catalogue.
It is a 2M PDF so you will need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view it.
Bob Currie was a motorcycle tester from the 1950s and 60s and did a series of articles for The Motor Cycle in the 1970s titled Trendsetters. One such story was on the Francis Barnett Stag and included comments like “Fanny-B, the very cornerstone of two stroke respectability, had the audacity to produce a 247cc overhead valve model”.
Click on the news snippet below to read the rest of Bobs thoughts.
