Early Motorcycle Manufacture - The Rover Imperial

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Sit back and watch this enchanting video of a Rover motorcycle being constructed back in the good old days of hand crafted machinery.

From casting the cylinders to machining the crank and assembling the engine, this a wonderful insight into the vintage days of building motorcycles for the road.
Keep your eye out for the test rider who hits the water feature with a little bit too much enthusiasm!

The Rover company began to develop and produced the Rover Imperial motorcycle in November 1902.
This was a 3.5hp diamond-framed motorcycle with the engine in the center and 'springer' front forks, an improvement ahead of its time.

The first Rover motorcycle had innovative features such as a spray carburetor, a bottom-bracket engine, and mechanically operated valves.

Featuring a strong frame with double front down tubes and a good quality finish, over a thousand Rover motorcycles were sold in 1904