Vintage Brit bike to feature at Gold Coast Bike Expo

Before there was AJS, the four Stevens brothers: Jack; Joe; George; and Harry, started out manufacturing engines under their own name. These were fitted to a number of early British motorcycles, as well as the Australian-made 'Lewis' brand from the dawn of the 20th Century.

At around the same time, the engines produced by Stevens (then known as 'Joseph Stevens & Company') came to the attention of English bicycle manufacturer, William Clark, who built and sold pushbikes under the 'Wearwell' brand.

Stevens had already been supplying spokes for the Wearwell bicycles, so the move to engines was the next step when Clark wanted to produce powered bicycles. The first result of this collaboration was 'Wearwell-Stevens', which first appeared in 1901.

A restored example of the debut model Wearwell-Stevens will be on display at the Gold Coast Motorcycle Expo this February, and features a 2-and-a-quarter horsepower, four-stroke engine - the first of its kind built for use on a bicycle. Mounted above the front down-tube, it has an accumulator ignition, surface carburettor and twisted leather belt drive to the back wheel.

The Wearwell-Stevens went on to be displayed at a national motorcycle exhibition later in 1901 and was a success from the outset. An improved model followed in 1902, before a 'Stevens' model (without the Wearwell) was first built in 1903. By the end of the decade, the A.J. Stevens as we know it had started and would go on to be one of the most successful and popular motorcycles from the 'Golden Era' of British motorcycling.

Alongside the classic like the Wearwell-Stevens, the Gold Coast expo will feature various customs, choppers and one-off machines alongside hundreds of new models from a wide range of manufacturers.

Further details on the event can be found at www.motorcycleshow.com.au. Tickets are available at the gate, or pre-purchase at motorcycleshow.com.au

Tickets
Adults: $20 / Seniors: $14 / Children (5-15 years): $14 (Under 5 years free) / Family: (2 adults and 2 children) $48

Opening Hours
Friday Feb 17: 10am-8pm / Saturday Feb 18: 9am-6pm / Sunday Feb 19: 9am-5pm

Location
Gold Coast Convention and Exhibition Centre. Cnr TE Peters Dve and Gold Coast Hwy, Broadbeach, QLD.