All-in-all, building a replica in a recumbent style was a very rewarding and satisfying experience. I am now planning to build  another motorcycle in a recumbent style. The replica will be of a Megola Deluxe motorcycle. The prototype was built in 1921 by a German designer. It had a five-cylinder side-valve radial engine mounted within front wheel. This will be a challenge as the faring is also complex to replicate. Robert Waryszak


It all began when I started building recumbent bicycles (see my constructions on this website: ). My son, Adam, talked me into building a chopper 'Easy Rider' style with a power assist. It rode like a motorcycle and it brought back nostalgic memories of my motorcycling in younger years. I toyed with the idea of buying and restoring an old bike, but I could not wait for the thrill of riding a motorbike and bought myself a Yamaha Virago XV1100 for now. In a vintage motorbike book I spotted this beautiful and  luxurious motorcycle built by  Wilkinson Sword Co. in 1910. Yes, the same company that still makes razor blades.  It had a four-cylinder engine and a shaft drive. Eight  only were built, and two well preserved examples still exist in the UK.
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This motorcycle design caught my eye and instead of finding a vintage bike for restoration, I have built a replica, but in a recumbent bicycle style. The beautiful seat and a long wheel base just asked for it.  It was not an easy task to replicate this bike.  I had to compromise a lot but still keep essential features. The recumbent had to be much lighter then a motorcycle. It also had to classify  as a bicycle but with a power assist. The most difficult part was to find information about the Wilkinson TMC. The internet search did not help much but I have managed to find photos of two restored bikes. The Vintage Motor Cycle Club  librarian sent me a list of all publications where the TMC was mentioned but it was too costly to obtain all the articles. The drawing from an excellent encyclopedia of motorcycles by Wilson, H. (1995) gave me the necessary dimensions and some details.
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I have made the petrol tank and the seat as close as possible to the prototype. The springer forks are adapted from a lowrider bicycle and the rear leaf springs are from 1948 Morris minor suspension. Narrowing the springs was a very laborious job as they are made of hardened steel. The four cylinder engine is a dummy just for fun, made of four chainsaw engine cylinder heads. It took me a while to find genuine carbide lamps, and on a ride with Ulysses club to Maldon, a beautifully preserved old gold  mining town in Victoria, I sourced genuine Lucas 1910 carbide lamps by sheer chance at the Motorcyclist's Emporium shop. I have converted the lamps to 6v powered by dynamo for safety reasons. I liked the quietness and strength of the Honda 4 stroke 30cc engine on the chopper. So I used it again on the Wilkinson. The replica also has a mechanical speedometer similar to the prototype.  This replica, being a bicycle, has Shimano seven-speed geared hub and roller brakes on both wheels. It can be pedalled independently, or to climb hills easily, it can be assisted with the Honda just by accelerating the engine, as it has two freewheels.
Robert Waryszak: WILKINSON TMC 1910 MOTORCYCLE REPLICA
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It all began when I started building recumbent bicycles (see my constructions on this website: ). My son, Adam, talked me into building a chopper 'Easy Rider' style with a power assist. It rode like a motorcycle and it brought back nostalgic memories of my motorcycling in younger years. I toyed with the idea of buying and restoring an old bike, but I could not wait for the thrill of riding a motorbike and bought myself a Yamaha Virago XV1100 for now. In a vintage motorbike book I spotted this beautiful and  luxurious motorcycle built by  Wilkinson Sword Co. in 1910. Yes, the same company that still makes razor blades.  It had a four-cylinder engine and a shaft drive. Eight  only were built, and two well preserved examples still exist in the UK.
.
This motorcycle design caught my eye and instead of finding a vintage bike for restoration, I have built a replica, but in a recumbent bicycle style. The beautiful seat and a long wheel base just asked for it.  It was not an easy task to replicate this bike.  I had to compromise a lot but still keep essential features. The recumbent had to be much lighter then a motorcycle. It also had to classify  as a bicycle but with a power assist. The most difficult part was to find information about the Wilkinson TMC. The internet search did not help much but I have managed to find photos of two restored bikes. The Vintage Motor Cycle Club  librarian sent me a list of all publications where the TMC was mentioned but it was too costly to obtain all the articles. The drawing from an excellent encyclopedia of motorcycles by Wilson, H. (1995) gave me the necessary dimensions and some details.
.
I have made the petrol tank and the seat as close as possible to the prototype. The springer forks are adapted from a lowrider bicycle and the rear leaf springs are from 1948 Morris minor suspension. Narrowing the springs was a very laborious job as they are made of hardened steel. The four cylinder engine is a dummy just for fun, made of four chainsaw engine cylinder heads. It took me a while to find genuine carbide lamps, and on a ride with Ulysses club to Maldon, a beautifully preserved old gold  mining town in Victoria, I sourced genuine Lucas 1910 carbide lamps by sheer chance at the Motorcyclist's Emporium shop. I have converted the lamps to 6v powered by dynamo for safety reasons. I liked the quietness and strength of the Honda 4 stroke 30cc engine on the chopper. So I used it again on the Wilkinson. The replica also has a mechanical speedometer similar to the prototype.  This replica, being a bicycle, has Shimano seven-speed geared hub and roller brakes on both wheels. It can be pedalled independently, or to climb hills easily, it can be assisted with the Honda just by accelerating the engine, as it has two freewheels.
All-in-all, building a replica in a recumbent style was a very rewarding and satisfying experience. I am now planning to build  another motorcycle in a recumbent style. The replica will be of a Megola Deluxe motorcycle. The prototype was built in 1921 by a German designer. It had a five-cylinder side-valve radial engine mounted within front wheel. This will be a challenge as the faring is also complex to replicate. Robert Waryszak