British

Simplex Motorcycles by Hobday

Produced by Hobday Brothers Ltd. of 21-27 Great Easter Street, London EC2. Head Office at 32-33 Cleveland Road, Wolverhampton. Wholesalers of bicycle, motorcycle and automobile accessories, the firm was established in Shoreditch, London in 1905.

Simplex motorcycles were produced from 1906 to 1908.

    1906 Hobday offered a spring frame and used a 6hp JAP V-twin engine with belt drive. Available options were an adjustable pulley or hub gear as well as direct drive.

    1908 Fafnir singles or an Antoine V-twin were used. Production was very limited.

Hobday Bros. (Stand 189).

The Simplex motor bicycle is a machine of extra long wheelbase, fitted with a 3½ h.p. Fafnir engine governed on the inlet valve. Simplex spring forks are fitted, and a rim brake is fitted to the front extension of the fork. The magneto is situated in front of the engine and is gear driven. Another machine shown on the same stand is a twin-cylinder Antoine, which has not been altered since previously described in these columns.


Stanley Show, 1907

Previously Hobday had presented a water-cooled Bruneau machine at the 1905 Stanley Show

Sources: Graces Guide, worthpoint.com.

N.B. Several firms used variations of the Simplex brand.