This rather quaint example of Edwardian technology would have been viewed with distinct suspicion as it rolled off the cargo ship in Lyttelleton Harbour over 100 years ago. The New Zealand Parliament was still debating exactly what these things were. No registration process existed and a speed limit of 15 miles per hour applied to all road-going activity - including horse and buggy! However, magistrates had a reputation for coming down hard on this new breed of nuisance (little has changed on this front). In response, motorcycle clubs started to form a voice and offer a united opinion on legislation affecting the motorcyclist. Very little is generally known about the Brown which was produced in England between 1902 and 1919. A small number of examples are believed to exist today. Initially Brown used its own engines, as offered here; they later elected to use JAP (J.A. Prestwich) motors. This machine reflects the level of technology available to the pioneer rider of the day - no gears, no sprung frame, no spring forks, fixed engine power delivery and push start. Anemic brakes inherited from the bicycle were, in effect, token and the tall thin geometry would have made for precarious riding at the best of times. Add to this a mostly resentful public and terrible roads, and one starts to wonder how any of these veteran machines have remained in existence. Originally found in a shed by Julian Luftner in the early 1950s, this machine has a long and constant history attached to the South Island.