Memorable Motorcycles - 1928 Rudge Four Photo Gallery

Memorable Motorcycles - 1928 Rudge Four - the 1928 Rudge Four was ahead of its time and showcased technology, like linked/anti-lock brakes, which finds itself cutting edge on modern machinery. Check out the full story in Memorable Motorcycles: 1928 Rudge Four.

The creation of British designer George Hack, the 1928 Rudge Four was ahead of its time and showcased technology, like linked/anti-lock brakes, which finds itself cutting edge on modern machinery.

One long kick fires up the big Single into a melodious, throbbing heartbeat booming through the twin 'Brooklands' cans.

By 1928, the 'Four' offered electric lighting when many of the other factories provided only carbide lamps.

Almost 60 years ago, most of the ideas which are thought of as Japanese innovations had been perfected by Rudge in England and were in series production.

The aesthetic balance and styling cues of the Rudge Four are flawless and show a gifted engineer in complete harmony with the concept of form and function.

In 1924, the all-new 88 x 85mm Rudge 4-valve engine, combined with a four-speed gearbox, simply left every other manufacturer for dead.

Rudge mastered four-valve technology which Pugh derived from the 4-valve Ricardo Triumph.

Hack's design for the front suspension, although using conventional girder forks, was much neater than the opposition with the springs enclosed in purpose-made shrouds.

The Rudge Four's welded tank was an upgrade, and so was the four-speed gearbox complete with handshifter.

The 4-valve aided combustion and also assisted in cooling the cast-iron heads of that era.

These were Grand Prix quality brakes fitted on the bike right off the showroom floor. Better still, the brakes were linked, operating from the rear brake pedal, and had a simple anti-lock device.

In an era of three-speed machines, the Rudge added on a fourth gear.

Go back to 1928 and the state of the art for a super sports bike was the fabulous 500cc 4-valve Rudge.

The Rudge Four's welded saddle tank, opposed to the soldered tanks which were customary on the Rudge's 1928 competition, was one of the examples of Hack's simple innovation.