48th ABR Highlight – Raleigh Model 12

Every year, British motorcycle owners descend on the small town of Newstead in country Victoria for the All British Rally. The largest gathering of British motorcycles in the Southern Hemisphere, the All British Rally (ABR) is presented by the BSA Motorcycle Owners’ Association each April, with this year’s 48th edition of the event held on 24-26 April.

Along with classics from the marques you’d expect, like Triumph, BSA, Norton, Ariel, AJS and Matchless, the ABR is also the place where you’ll find some of the lesser known and more obscure British marques, like Scott, Panther, Francis-Barnett, AJW, Levis, Excelsior, Greeves, Connaught and Silk, to name a few. You can also count Raleigh in that group, and the bike featured comes from this long-gone British marque.

Like many of their contemporaries in the British industry, Raleigh started building bicycles before moving into motorcycles. The nameplate is still attached to bicycles today, although they’re no longer designed or manufactured in the UK.

Raleigh’s motorcycle era covers two distinct periods – 1902 to 1905 (approx.), and 1919 to 1933 – with the ‘Model 12’ featured here coming from the second period.

Launched in 1924, the Model 12 was powered by a 798cc sidevalve v-twin engine of Raleigh’s own design and manufacture, matched to a three-speed gearbox. Replacing a 700cc inline flat twin (Raleigh’s first product from the second period), the Model 12 was marketed as a solo, with the Model 13 and 14 using the same v-twin pitched as sidecar haulers.

Brampton ‘Biflex’ front suspension, a rigid rear end, and braking on the rear wheel only were other Model 12 features. Production continued until 1927.

The bike featured is an older restoration, with some subtle modern additions for reliability. The headlight appears to have been updated, with the foot-operated horn an interesting addition.

For JUST BIKES’ report on the 48th All British Rally, click