This Rare 1913 Rex-Jap Brampton Is Looking for New Home

If you are looking for an interesting and beautiful pre-war British motorcycle, this 1913 Rex-JAP may just fit the bill. Some details were lost to the relentless winds of time, but it is thought to have been modified as a racehorse back in the day. At the moment, in the last quarter of 2020, it is put up for auction and is looking for a new home.

Although he is 107 years old, you can see that he has been well cared for in the last century. The fuel tank and rear seat were purchased between 2012 and now by the current seller, which included paint receipts and a California sales invoice. The paint is two-tone green with red and gold accents, and carries nickel-plated wire-spoke wheels with period-looking mixed tires that have cracked sidewalls. This bike appeared at The Quail Motorcycle meeting in 2015.

The name J. A. Prestwich may be familiar to fans of pre-war British motorcycles, but the Rex-JAP compound may not be as well known. These bikes were only produced for a short time between 1912 and 1916 by the Coventry-based Rex firm. They built frames and used exclusively Japanese single and V-twin engines, which led to this nomenclature. The first were Belt traction, but by 1914 they were completely chain-driven. There was talk of a future shaft-powered model in the works, but the Rex did not emerge as an ongoing concern on the other side of the first World Debate

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This particular bike is powered by a 680cc afteral JAP V-twin, which is mated to a three-speed rear hub. It features a hand-operated oil pump, a rear brake, bicycle-type pedals to run it, and a spring-loaded solo saddle. Likely race changes include a Brampton Bi-flex fork and boardtracker-style drop handlebars. It has a front rim brake operated by the right lever and a rear brake operated by the right foot pedal.