Frank E. Baker Motorcycles Ltd was a British

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

manufacturer based in Alvechurch Road,

Northfield, Birmingham Northfield is a residential area in outer south Birmingham, England, and near the boundary with Worcestershire. It is also a council constituency, managed by its own district committee. The constituency includes the wards of Kings Norton, Longb ...

, England. Founded in 1927 by Frank Baker, the company produced motorcycles under the Baker name until 1930 when it was sold to the

James Cycle Co The James Cycle Co Ltd., Greet, Birmingham, England, was one of many British cycle and motorcycle makers based in the English Midlands, particularly Birmingham. Most of their light motorcycles, often with the characteristic maroon finish, used ...

History

The original Precision company was set up by Frank E. Baker in

Birmingham Birmingham ( ) is a city and metropolitan borough in the metropolitan county of West Midlands in England. It is the second-largest city in the United Kingdom with a population of 1.145 million in the city proper, 2.92 million in the West ...

. Frank Baker established a reputation for performance motorcycle engines and supplied Haden and Sun motorcycles. He began to build complete motorcycles using frames supplied by Sun, who were based at the nearby the Aston Brook Street factory. At the 1911

Olympia The name Olympia may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film * ''Olympia'' (1938 film), by Leni Riefenstahl, documenting the Berlin-hosted Olympic Games * ''Olympia'' (1998 film), about a Mexican soap opera star who pursues a career as an athlet ...

Motorcycle Show in

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

there were 96 motorcycles with

Precision Precision, precise or precisely may refer to: Science, and technology, and mathematics Mathematics and computing (general) * Accuracy and precision, measurement deviation from true value and its scatter * Significant figures, the number of digit ...

engines and by 1918, the company had over 800 employees. Tom Biggs was appointed as chief designer in 1913. Frank Baker stopped motorcycle & engine production during the

First World War World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

In 1919 Baker's company was merged with William Beardmore and Company, a Scottish engineering and shipbuilding company based in

Glasgow Glasgow ( ; sco, Glesca or ; gd, Glaschu ) is the most populous city in Scotland and the fourth-most populous city in the United Kingdom, as well as being the 27th largest city by population in Europe. In 2020, it had an estimated popul ...

. Between 1921 and 1924 Beardmore produced motorcycles under the name "Beardmore Precision". The first motorcycle produced was a 350 cc

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

featuring leaf-spring suspension front and rear and was followed by a range of motorcycles from 250 cc to 600 cc. Baker motorcycle 1927

When Beardmore stopped production of the Precision in 1924, Baker regained the rights and in 1927 he formed a new company, Frank E. Baker Motorcycles Ltd, and began making Villiers-engined motorcycles, which he produced under the Baker name until 1930, when he sold the business to the

who continued to produce James motorcycles at the Birmingham factory and used Baker's frame for some of their models.

References

{{British motorcycle manufacturers Motorcycle manufacturers of the United Kingdom Defunct motor vehicle manufacturers of England Defunct companies based in Birmingham, West Midlands