Stand 109.

J. Van Hooydonk, London.

One of the earliest makers in the cycle trade to recognise the claims of the motor, J. Van Hooydonk, of Holloway, N., has reaped the reward of his enterprise, and has had the enjoyment of selling Phoenix motorcycles in large quantities, and wherever the Phoenix has gone it has given pleasure and satisfaction to its owner.

Mr. Hooydonk is in every sense a practical motor engineer, and his machines, therefore, bear the stamp of his genius, which has been directed to the simplification of the machine, of the work of driving, and of repair or adjustment when need might arise. The standard Phoenix is made in two patterns. The first is driven by a 2 h.p. Minerva engine, with mechanically-operated inlet valve, and the latest of improvements. The lifting of the exhaust valve in the Phoenix is independent of the contact breaker case, being done through a Bowden wire. Spray carburetter is used, and the transmission is by a three-ply V-shaped belt of chrome-dressed leather. A new form of belt fastener is adopted, in which the fraying of the hole in the belt is avoided. The oil pump is elevated on the top tube of frame, and the feeding of the lubricant is certain and easy. The front forks are trussed. Two accumulators are carried in each machine, and the petrol capacity is two gallons.

The 2.5 h.p. machine has a Longuemare carburetter, with levers to adjust both air and gas, and the admission of hot exhaust gas for warming the carburetter can be regulated as necessary. The silencer is particularly good.

The "Trimo," the latest Phoenix production, is really a combination of a cycle and light car. A fore-carriage, with a nicely-upholstered body, well hung, is borne on a pair of wheels, and is bolted to the cycle frame at four points, converting the cycle into a three-wheeled car. The steering is connected to the front forks. A few minutes' work, including replacing the front wheel, re-converts the machine into a bicycle. The front seat of the Trimo is very comfortable, and is certainly an improvement upon the trailer. The Trimo is priced at £65. With wicker body it is £5 cheaper.

The Phoenix tandem has the engine (2.5 h.p.) centrally placed in a cradle, is fed through a Longuemare carburetter, and is exceedingly well-designed and easy to control. The number of Phoenix lady-back tandems in use shows the popularity of this type.

Motor Cycling, 26th November 1902

At the Crystal Palace track on the 19th of February there were numerous cyclists and visitors present to watch an old cyclist, J. van Hooydonk, made an attempt to cover 500 miles on a Phoenix motor bicycle without stopping the engine or requiring fresh petrol. The rider set a steady space of over twenty-five miles an hour, but after covering 105 miles in less than four hours there was something amiss with the engine, and van Hooydonk was compelled to stop. The distance covered. however, is a record run for a motor bicycle."

Evening News, (Sydney) Mon 31 Mar 1902