Rover is to be celebrated for creating, among other things, the first bicycle with wheels of approximately uniform size and driven by pedals and a chain to the rear wheel (most bikes of the 1880s and 1890s were of the dangerous and illogical Penny Farthing type). Rover's pre-1915 motorcycles were conservative in design; however, the two remarkable machines presented here (Lots 5 and 6) are an exciting reminder that Rover was, at the end of its time, a highly innovative workshop that produced the first-ever unit construction motorcycle. Ironically, it was this eminently sensible design (which is today's industry standard) that was to be the swansong of Rover Motorcycles (1925). The then radical idea that the bottom end could somehow be 'dovetailed' or integrated into the gearbox was read cynically by the vast majority of DIY riders of the day, who thought this approach was too complex and difficult to maintain. However, its genius and foresight is evident in pretty much every motorcycle built today. Unit construction made good on what are today considered first principles of modern motorcycle design; by shortening the wheel base, unit construction improved overall handling characteristics for the machine. Pre-unit machines had to accommodate a stand-alone gearbox which would add significant length to the wheel base. The unit construction also increased power transfer efficiencies and created one less failure prone drive belt/chain. What is also fascinating about these machines is the frame construction, which foreshadowed by 50 years the idea that the engine itself could be a stress member for the entire geometry of the machine: i.e. bolt the geometry of the bike to the motor, not the other way around. The later Britten technology typifies this design philosophy. Also of real interest is the elongated carburettor intake. This was a standard tuning characteristic of Burt Munro who discovered, some years later, that by extending the intake you increased the torque of the machine. The design aesthetic and overall lines of the Rover are also extremely well resolved and modern. The low-lined tank foreshadows the industry's shift to saddle tanks some six years later. Overall, both these motorcycles represent a remarkable group of people who designed and produced extremely cool machines, right to the very end. Rover Motorcycles collapsed in 1925; the 350cc model you see here was the last model to bear the Rover badge. Both machines have been owned by the same motorcyclist since he was 14 years old (he is now pushing 85). An avid rider all his life, Colin Wiseman raced mainly Nortons in New Zealand and is well known within the right motorcycling circles. Both machines are in running order