Sprite was an historical British brand of

off-road motorcycle The six main types of motorcycles are generally recognized as ''standard'', ''cruiser'', ''touring'', ''sports'', ''off-road'', and ''dual-purpose''. ''Sport touring'' is sometimes recognized as a seventh category or integrated with the ''touring' ...

, built by Frank Hipkin, of Hipkin & Evans, trading as Sprite Motor Cycles, initially at Cross Street,

Smethwick Smethwick () is an industrial town in Sandwell, West Midlands, England. It lies west of Birmingham city centre. Historically it was in Staffordshire. In 2019, the ward of Smethwick had an estimated population of 15,246, while the wider bu ...

, BirminghamMotorcycle Sport, September 1964, p.360 Sprite Motor Cycles advert, 103-104 Cross Street, Smethwick, Birmingham. Accessed and added 2014-06-06 Motor Cycle, 16 July 1964, pp.258-259 ''More Sprites.''. Accessed and added 2014-06-08 and later by Sprite Developments Ltd.,

Halesowen Halesowen ( ) is a market town in the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley, in the county of West Midlands, England. Historically an exclave of Shropshire and, from 1844, in Worcestershire, the town is around from Birmingham city centre, and from ...

Worcester Worcester may refer to: Places United Kingdom * Worcester, England, a city and the county town of Worcestershire in England ** Worcester (UK Parliament constituency), an area represented by a Member of Parliament * Worcester Park, London, Engla ...

(1965–1971). The Sprite slogan was "Built by riders—for riders". Frank Hipkin died in August, 2012.

Products

Sprite

manufactured Manufacturing is the creation or production of goods with the help of equipment, labor, machines, tools, and chemical or biological processing or formulation. It is the essence of secondary sector of the economy. The term may refer to a rang ...

trials In law, a trial is a coming together of parties to a dispute, to present information (in the form of evidence) in a tribunal, a formal setting with the authority to adjudicate claims or disputes. One form of tribunal is a court. The tribunal, w ...

and

scrambles ''Scrambles'' is the fifth studio album by Bomb the Music Industry!, released digitally and physically on February 15th, 2009. The album was released a year and a half after Get Warmer, making it the longest gap between the release of two chrono ...

frames which were usually available as a kit-form motorcycle to avoid UK Purchase Tax. The first machine was developed as a scrambler with ''Alpha'' 246 cc two-stroke engine and a modified

Cotton Cotton is a soft, fluffy staple fiber that grows in a boll, or protective case, around the seeds of the cotton plants of the genus ''Gossypium'' in the mallow family Malvaceae. The fiber is almost pure cellulose, and can contain minor perce ...

frame, followed by their own Sprite-framed version and a slightly larger frame-only (without engine) option to use a 490 cc Triumph unit construction engine/gearbox for the larger class of scrambling. The trials machine was developed for production in late 1964 using a Villiers 36A/37A 246 cc engine with iron barrel or at a higher cost, a Greeves light-alloy cylinder, and a ''Miller'' magneto. The frames were easily distinguishable from one another; the trials frames had twin, narrow, almost parallel down-tubes, whilst the scrambles frames used splayed tubes which also carried the oil where necessary, avoiding the need for a separate oil tank. A fibreglass fuel tank, mudguards and seat/tailpiece/race number plate were all available as required. The trials version had an extended tailpiece with mounting for a road number-plate necessary in ''Combined''

which had timed ''road-stages'' linking with the several-to-many ''Observed Sections'' which historically could be scheduled as a typical part of a traditional UK trials event. Under UK Construction and Use Regulations, competition machines intended for road-use were required to comply with statutory basics of sound engineering, a test certificate, mudguards, seat, audible warning device and number plate. Lighting was not required, but if fitted had to be complete and working. The frames were initially available with AMC and Norton telescopic front forks and British Hub Co. (Motoloy) brakes front and rear. ''Motor Cycle'' 19 November 1964 p.30 Advert ''Motoloy Brake Hubs. Proved in scrambling, racing & trials, single and twin leading shoe brakes. The British Hub Co. Ltd. Brmingham 3.'' Accessed and added 2014-09-27 The pivoting rear-forks on all models were fitted with ''

Silentbloc A bushing or rubber bushing is a type of vibration isolator. It provides an interface between two parts, damping the energy transmitted through the bushing. A common application is in vehicle suspension systems, where a bushing made of rubber ...

'' bushes. A later option was ''Metal Profiles'' (REH) front forks. They were later built for 123, 244, and 405 cc

two-stroke engine A two-stroke (or two-stroke cycle) engine is a type of internal combustion engine that completes a power cycle with two strokes (up and down movements) of the piston during one power cycle, this power cycle being completed in one revolution of t ...

s. The Sprite marque should not be confused with the older British ''Spryt'', a small-capacity two-stroke engine produced by

Excelsior Excelsior, a Latin comparative word often translated as "ever upward" or "even higher", may refer to: Arts and entertainment Literature and poetry * "Excelsior" (Longfellow), an 1841 poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow * ''Excelsior'' (Macedo ...

Coventry Coventry ( or ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, city in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands, England. It is on the River Sherbourne. Coventry has been a large settlement for centuries, although it was not founded and given its ...

and fitted to the historic

Corgi The Welsh Corgi ( or Corgi, plural Corgis, or occasionally the etymologically consistent Corgwn; ) is a small type of herding dog that originated in Wales. The name ''corgi'' is derived from the Welsh words and (which is mutated to ), mean ...

minibike.

References

External links

Wolverhampton History and Heritage website
{{Motorcycle-stub Defunct motorcycle manufacturers of the United Kingdom Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England