Lot 801: c. 1946 Simplex Servi-Cycle

Conceived by Baton Rouge Harley-Davidson dealer Paul Treen, the Servi-Cycle was built by the Simplex Manufacturing Corporation, of New Orleans, Louisiana. Treen recognised the need for a small, lightweight motorcycle in the economically depressed days of the early 1930s, and after several prototypes had been tested, production commenced in 1935 at the rate of 12-15 units per week. The Servi-Cycle was powered by a single-cylinder, air-cooled, two-stroke engine and the basic design would change little over the years although there were many improvements made. The first model featured direct-drive transmission by means of a belt running from the crankshaft pulley to the rear wheel, necessitating �run and jump� starting. To stop the engine, the rider pressed a switch on the handlebar, earthing the ignition. A foot-operated clutch was added in 1941 and an �automatic� model introduced in 1953, by which time a kick-starter and direct lighting formed part of the specification. There were also several three-wheel trucks, used mostly by delivery services. Simplex stopped building the Servi-Cycle in 1960 but continued to produce scooters, go-karts and lawn mowers powered by proprietary engines rather than their own.

The machine offered here is an example of the Servi-Cycle Model H (produced from January 1945 until September 1947) and has the right foot operated rear brake first introduced for 1945. In 1947 the kick-starter made its first appearance on the Model H Servi-Cycle and also was sold as a kit that could be fitted to all previous �H� models. Original and unrestored, the machine appears virtually complete and thus represents a potentially most worthwhile restoration project.