Premier Motorcycles
Premier Motorcycles was a British motorcycle marque that developed from a Coventry bicycle manufacturer and produced motorcycles from 1908 before ending domestic production after the First World War.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
Premier Motorcycles was a British motorcycle marque associated with a Coventry-based cycle manufacturer founded by W. H. Herbert and William Hillman in 1876. The original business began as a bicycle maker under the name Hillman and Herbert Cycle Company. In 1891, it adopted the name Premier Cycle Co., establishing the Premier identity that was later used for motorcycles and related vehicles. The company entered motorcycle production in 1908. Its first motorcycle used a White & Poppe side-valve engine and Chater-Lea front forks, reflecting the practice of early British manufacturers that combined proprietary frames and components with engines supplied by specialist engineering companies. Premier expanded its range soon afterward, producing its first V-twin in 1909 and introducing a 499 cc single-cylinder machine in 1910. In 1914, the enterprise changed its legal and trading name to The Premier Cycle Company (Coventry Premier Ltd.). The business operated during a period when British motorcycle manufacturing was becoming more technically diverse, but the First World War disrupted civilian cycle and motorcycle production. After the war, Premier did not resume bicycle or motorcycle manufacturing in Britain. Its cyclecar business was acquired by Singer Motors in 1921, marking the end of the company's independent vehicle-manufacturing role in the United Kingdom. The Premier name nevertheless continued to appear in motorcycle production outside Britain through licensing arrangements. Premier motorcycles were manufactured under licence in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. This licensed activity extended the marque's life beyond the closure of domestic production, but the available reference material does not establish the precise models, volumes, operators, or final date of production. Premier is therefore best understood as a historical British motorcycle brand rather than an active contemporary manufacturer. Its documented significance lies in the transition from bicycle production to powered two-wheelers, its early use of White & Poppe engines, the development of V-twin and 499 cc single-cylinder motorcycles, and the continuation of the marque under licence in Czechoslovakia after British production had ceased.
History
Premier Motorcycles originated in a bicycle-manufacturing business established by W. H. Herbert and William Hillman in 1876. The company initially traded as the Hillman and Herbert Cycle Company. Its early identity was therefore rooted in the Victorian British cycle industry, before the business adopted the name Premier Cycle Co. in 1891. The Premier company entered powered two-wheelers in 1908. Its first documented motorcycle employed a White & Poppe side-valve engine and Chater-Lea front forks. This combination illustrates the component-based structure of the early motorcycle industry, in which manufacturers frequently sourced engines, forks, and other assemblies from specialist suppliers while producing or assembling complete machines under their own marque. Premier broadened its engineering program in 1909 with its first V-twin motorcycle. In 1910, it followed with a 499 cc single-cylinder model. These developments placed the marque within the rapidly expanding British motorcycle sector of the early twentieth century, although the available reference does not provide detailed specifications, production totals, competition results, or model-by-model chronology. The organization changed its name in 1914 to The Premier Cycle Company (Coventry Premier Ltd.). The timing placed the company on the eve of the First World War, which had a major disruptive effect on civilian manufacturing. Following the war, Premier did not restart bicycle or motorcycle production. Its cyclecar business was acquired by Singer Motors in 1921, ending the company's domestic vehicle production as an independent concern. Although British production ceased, the Premier motorcycle name survived through licensed manufacture in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s. The reference material confirms the existence of this licensed production but does not identify the licensee, individual models, production quantities, or the exact circumstances under which the arrangement ended. Premier Motorcycles is consequently a defunct marque with a relatively short documented period of British motorcycle manufacture. Its historical importance comes from its roots in the bicycle trade, its early adoption of externally supplied motorcycle engines, its development of both V-twin and large single-cylinder machines, and the later continuation of the brand through Czechoslovak licensed production.
- 1930
Licensed production in Czechoslovakia
[1]Premier motorcycles were manufactured under licence in Czechoslovakia during the 1930s; the available reference does not specify the exact start year.
- 1921
Cyclecar business acquired by Singer Motors
[1]Singer Motors acquired Premier's cyclecar business after British bicycle and motorcycle production had not resumed following the First World War.
- 1914
Company reorganized under a new name
[1]The business became The Premier Cycle Company (Coventry Premier Ltd.).
- 1910
499 cc single-cylinder model produced
[1]Premier produced a 499 cc single-cylinder motorcycle.
- 1909
First Premier V-twin introduced
[1]The company expanded its motorcycle range with its first V-twin machine.
- 1908
First Premier motorcycle produced
[1]Premier produced its first documented motorcycle, fitted with a White & Poppe side-valve engine and Chater-Lea front forks.
- 1891
Business renamed Premier Cycle Co.
[1]The Hillman and Herbert Cycle Company adopted the Premier Cycle Co. name, creating the identity later used for its motorcycles.
- 1876
Cycle-manufacturing business founded
[1]W. H. Herbert and William Hillman founded the business that began as the Hillman and Herbert Cycle Company, initially manufacturing bicycles.
Products and positioning
A historical British motorcycle marque that evolved from bicycle manufacturing and offered early single-cylinder and V-twin machines.
Motorcycle · 1908
Premier White & Poppe side-valve motorcycle
Premier's first documented motorcycle, produced in 1908, used a White & Poppe side-valve engine and Chater-Lea front forks. The machine represents the marque's transition from bicycle manufacturing into powered two-wheelers and its use of components supplied by established specialist manufacturers.
Motorcycle · 1909
Premier V-twin motorcycle
Premier's first V-twin motorcycle appeared in 1909. The available reference confirms the engine configuration and introduction year but does not provide displacement, detailed specifications, model designation, or production volume.
Motorcycle · 1910
Premier 499 cc single-cylinder motorcycle
Introduced in 1910, this 499 cc single-cylinder machine was one of Premier's documented early motorcycle products. It formed part of the company's expansion beyond its initial White & Poppe-powered design, although further technical and commercial details are not established by the supplied source.
Sources1 sources
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