Vintage Motorcycle Works

Our six volume collection of patent books chronicles the evolution of motorcycle design through the eyes of the designers, engineers and inventors. The pre-1900 book begins with the steam bicycle, and the first Otto-cycle, or four cycle engines which were designed by such pioneers as Nicholas Otto and Gottlieb Daimler, and paved the way for the early motorized bicycles.

Separate volumes include Pre-1900, 1900-1909, 1910-1915, 1916-1919, 1920-1929 and 1930-Later. We have recently added a seventh volume on sidecars. Each book is filled with design concepts from the engineers who where owners, partners or employees of companies such as Keating, Pennington, Indian, Michaelson, Ace, Thor, Cleveland, Pope, Detroit, Excelsior, Feilbach, Henderson, Harley-Davidson, Yale, Merkel, Spacke, Cyclone, Joerns-Theim, Reading-Standard, Waverly, PT, Royal Motor Works, Iver Johnson, Torpedo, New Britain, Breed and Black Hawk.

In several instances, patent drawings are the only technical documentation that exists for engines and other components, and may prove invaluable to the restorer of such rare motorcycles. In all, the collection contains 455 patents on 2,380 pages. All drawings and full text are included for each patent.

Although not all designs that were patented were put into production, each and every patent is a link in the chain of motorcycle development.

Click on each volume above to see the Table of Contents for that book.

Click here to view the Inventor's Index.

Books may be ordered separately or as a discounted six volume set. Individual Patent drawings are also available printed on parchment paper which are suitable for framing.

Click here for pricing information.