New Zealand-made motorcycles

[davereid]

Years ago, many motorcycle manufacturers used a Villiers or a JAP engine.

Then we seemed to change to a period where you didn't really seem to have made the bike unless you made the engine too.

Now we are are back in a world where you find Suzuki engines in your spagetti, Rotax motors in your sauerkraut and your swiss cheese, and yamaha or hnda engines in everything else.

Applying the OLD rules where you had to build the engine, New Zealanders would have made quite a few bikes..You could claim Burt Monroes Indian, Kim Newcombes bikes, The Denco and Brittens, and in recent times the BSL.

But what else ?

The McIntosh, and Roberts Suzukis for a start.. possibly the Heron as well.

What else was built here, or by NZ riders and engineers ?

[popelli]

nzeta scooter

powered by CZ engines (I think)

[Coyote]

Several more when I have the money and learn a few more skills.

[riffer]

The Mountain Goat was pretty famous.

[R6_kid:Me]

I'm pretty sure that once IRD stops mucking Shaun Harris around he has a pretty mean beast in the pipeline...

[Conquiztador]

There was a small thing called Truetest (or something) if I am not mistaken, with a B & S lawnmower motor. I am sure that one was made in NZ???

[Steam]

These are the ones I can think of that had actual production runs, not just special one-offs like the Britten's bikes, or other home-made bikes.

• NZeta, late 1950s - early 1960s, scooter, based on Czech Cezetta. Picture attached.
  
• The "Maori" (I kid you not!) in 1913, it had a JAP engine and belt drive.
  
• And the BSL, that was totally made and designed in NZ.
  
• There is also the Stewart scooter, but I can't find a picture of that. The Southward Car museum near Paikakariki has one, and an Nzeta too. The Stewart was all angles and slab sides, very brick-looking.

STEWART SCOOTER: New Zealand - An unsuccessful attempt to manufacture a scooter in New Zealand by the late Jack Stewart, who had lost a leg in a motorcycle accident, developed an artificial leg with an automatic toe pick-up

[Edbear]

NZeta, late 1950s - early 1960s, scooter, based on Czech Cezetta
Image attached.

The "Maori" (I kid you not!) in 1913, it had a JAP engine and belt drive.

And the BSL, that was totally made and designed in NZ.

There is also the Stewart scooter, but I can't find a picture of that. The Southward Car museum near Paikakariki has one, and an Nzeta too.

That pic looks a lot like the "Rabbit" scooter the old caretaker of my Primary School used to ride way back in the dark ages..

[TygerTung]

My bucket? Some fella in Nelson made the frame.

[mashman]

NZeta, late 1950s - early 1960s, scooter, based on Czech Cezetta
Image attached.

The "Maori" (I kid you not!) in 1913, it had a JAP engine and belt drive.

And the BSL, that was totally made and designed in NZ.

There is also the Stewart scooter, but I can't find a picture of that. The Southward Car museum near Paikakariki has one, and an Nzeta too.

I keep expecting to see The Beatles appear from the one of the lights... Might have to pop up to the Car museum, between Paraparaumu and Waikanae, just to spray paint it yellow and sing all you need is love... utterly fun looking bike

[vfxdog]

The Rabbit was a really good scoot in the day- made by Nakajima who eventually morphed into Kawasaki via Fuji (amongst other entities).


The NZetas were horrible- the one I was most familiar with had the unfortunate habit of reversing engine rotation while idling, which made the subsequent departure rather interesting....anyways, back to the subject under discussion.

[What?]

I am puzzling over your question - you seem to be asking what bikes were entirely built in NZ, including the egines, then make mention of MacIntosh.
The list of entirely NZ-made bikes is very, very short. And where would you draw the line? The Britten V-1000 uses a Suzuki gearbox...
But the list of NZ-made bikes using any engine is quite a bit longer