THE FLYING SQUIRREL
Fuel thirsty and fast, the Scott motorcycle was the product of engineering genius Alfred Scott, who was responsible for 56 separate motorcycle patents. His first production bike appeared in 1908. The advanced design included a two-speed gearbox, all-chain drive, a triangulated frame and telescopic forks. The novel engine was a water-cooled two-stroke with a 180-degree crankshaft. Scott proved the effectiveness of the design philosophy when it won both the 1912 and the 1913 Senior TT. The lightness and simplicity of the Scott were potent features.
The post-World War I period saw the growing dominance of the four-stroke block Scott’s pre-war success at the Isle of Man TT; however, Scott did win the manufacturer’s prize in 1922 for the Squirrel (aka the flying Squirrel). In 1928, the Squirrel secured a well-earned third place, which justified producing a TT replica model for the 1929 range. Offering the superior rigidity of the duplex frame while also incorporating the TT full-frame fuel tank, the company’s telescopic forks and additional bracing for strength, the TT replica is and remains a highly capable piece of engineering. Produced until 1950, Alfred Scott’s yowling two-stroke is considered a true and formidable collector’s piece.

This fine example was acquired by a young Christchurch fellow directly from the Scott factory in 1934, reputedly from the factory manager himself, who had been running the machine on a personal level. Since then it has spent its entire life in Christchurch with the current owner having had the machine for the past 63 years.