Beschreibung:

A firm with its roots in the Victorian bicycle industry, Humber began experimenting with powered transport in the closing years of the 19th Century, introducing its first successful motorcycle - a built-under-license P&M - in 1902 and the first all-Humber design in 1908. A 500cc sidevalve, this new 3½hp model carried its engine in the conventional position and featured belt drive to a two-speed rear hub. V-twin and flat-twin models followed, Humber’s first post-WWI offering being a 4½hp version of the latter. This heavyweight machine - ‘The Silent Humber’ - was joined for 1923 by a 2¾hp lightweight sports model powered by a single-cylinder sidevalve engine of 75x79mm bore/stroke displacing 349cc. Refined and speedy, the newcomer proved good enough to secure Humber the Team Prize in the 1923 ACU Six Days Trial and would provide the basis of its future motorcycle range, spawning overhead-valve and, later, overhead-camshaft derivatives. This overhead-valve 350 Humber was first registered ‘RT 5168’, consecutively with the other Humber in the sale (‘RT 5169’, Lot 531) and is offered for sale by the same vendor. The machine was purchased from a well-known VMCC member by its current owner in 1986, at which time it was an untidy non-runner although in near complete condition (see photographs on file). In 1987 it was professionally restored by John Gleed, well known for his Gold Star restorations, using the outstandingly original ‘RT 5169’ as a guide to authenticity. Since this machine’s completion in 1988 the two Humbers have been kept together as a pair. Regular Banbury Run participants throughout the 1990s, they were always entered together to obtain consecutive entry and start numbers, and were always taxed and MoT’d together for the same reason. This particular machine’s additional usage has amounted to only two (local) VMCC runs and from restoration to date it has covered a mere 500 miles. In 2001 the vendor relocated to South Africa, taking the machine with him, and later sold the original registration mark. Since then the bike has been started only once – 18 months ago – and ridden a mere five miles, purely for exercise. Presented in perfect condition throughout, this rare, overhead-valve, Humber ‘flat tanker’ is offered with Swansea V5C registration document.