1912 Peerless 500cc Motorcycle

Description

One of the pioneering Australian motorcycle firms, Peerless were manufactured by Messrs A G Healing & Co. of Melbourne, Victoria, who initially sold proprietary engines and frames before moving to full production.  According to Robert Saward’s excellent reference book “A-Z of Australian-Made Motorcycles 1893-1942”, the 1910 Peerless used a German-made Fafnir 3 ½ hp overhead inlet valve single cylinder engine mounted in a frame made up of Chater Lea components and a flat tank but, from 1912 onwards, A G Healing began making their own frames.  To generate publicity, a Peerless successfully attempted the Australasian 24-Hour record, policeman Bill Peverill covering 522 miles in the allotted period.  By this stage the Fafnir engine was a side-valve unit, also rated at 3 ½ horsepower.  Designed to cope with the generally atrocious local riding conditions, Peerless employed a dust proof engine, semi-automatic drop-feed lubrication and a larger capacity fuel tank with a novel reserve feature, along with additional ground clearance.  The Bosch magneto was also mounted high-up to avoid dirt and dust, while the carrier was hinged to facilitate easy removal of the rear wheel.  The A G Healing factory in Elizabeth Street reportedly employed 55 staff, making it the largest motorcycle operation in the country at the time, with distributors all over Australia.  A G Healing continued making bikes until 1923, ultimately using JAP twins and a saddle tank in place of the distinctive rounded-top flat tank used on earlier models.  Any surviving Peerless is a rare bike and we understand as few as four or five 1912 models remain extant, making this a wonderful opportunity for the collector of veteran motorcycles and a living piece of Australian two-wheeled history.