Wardill Motorcycle Company Ltd

Wardill Motorcycle Company Ltd Est 1927

One family’s passion, spanning over 100 years, has seen the creation and development of a motorcycle described as ‘unconventional’ and ‘ingenious.’ The Wardill motorcycle, with its unusual two-stroke engine, was designed by two passionate and determined brothers, Ernest and James Percival Wardill (aka Percy), in 1923. Being owners of a bicycle and car garage for 20 years, Ernest and Percy had the skills and experience to create something no one had seen before.

Percy had an idea to improve the traditional two-stroke engine in the form of a supercharger, but what was so unusual about the Wardill design? Other than being the first of its kind, the Wardill is a valveless two-stroke where the crankcase compression has been eliminated. Two pistons are employed; the first, the smaller of the two, is the type used in an ordinary three-port two-stroke engine with the usual deflector. The second, the larger annular piston, acts as a pump and takes the form of a wide ring encompassing the main piston – a patented feature.

This innovative creation was the brainchild of Percy. His supercharged engine was rigorously tested between 1924 and 1927, when it competed in a number of public trials, resulting in a lot of press coverage and interest in the brothers’ invention. Appearing in a number of popular motorcycle magazines and journals in the 1920s, the Wardill was definitely beginning to make a name for itself, appearing alongside the likes of Raleigh, Harley-Davidson, and Triumph.

Tragedy struck one fateful day when two potential funders flew in from Boston, Massachusetts, to see the production motorcycle during testing at Brooklands racetrack. Unfortunately, the Brooklands’ employed test rider crashed the bike, bringing Percy and Ernest’s dreams to an abrupt end. The Wardill Motorcycle Company faded into history. Happily, this is not where the story ends; although over 90 years have passed, the Wardill brand has been reborn. Percy’s great-grandson, Mark Wardill, has spent the last two years building a motorcycle in tribute to the original and has relaunched the Wardill Motorcycle Company Ltd with his all-new Wardill4.

Models

Wardill4

In 2018/19, the Wardill 4 was designed and built to continue the story started almost 100 years ago. We have built on the foundations laid by our ancestors to create a modern vintage motorcycle, taking the rider back in time.

THE FRAME The frame forms the core of the motorcycle, made from T45 aviation-strength steel, hand-formed and TIG-welded by craftsmen based deep in the Welsh Valleys. Each section is hand-cut and placed in bespoke forms to exacting standards. These are then brought together to create a bespoke frame around which the Wardill motorcycle is assembled.

GIRDER FORKS Designed to emulate vintage girder forks, the triangular form is typical of that found on 1920s motorcycles. Our forks have been brought up to date with precision laser-cut steel and a custom adjustable damper, ensuring the Wardill 4 meets all modern safety standards.

FUEL TANK Built around a traditional timber buck, the tank is manufactured from four individual sections of 2mm-thick aluminium. These are then hand-formed using a combination of hand-beating and rolling through an English wheel. It is then hand-welded and pressure-tested before being painted and polished to a mirror finish.

HARD TAIL No vintage motorcycle would be complete without an all-steel rigid frame. Relying solely on the springs in the seat ensures the Wardill 4 emulates as closely as possible the riding experience of the original Wardill, ensuring the rider enjoys a thrilling ride.

References

www.wardillmotorcycles.com 2019

External links

Official website