JES were motorcycles produced from 1909 to 1924. The name came from the initials of John Edwin Smith of J. E. S. Motor Works of Gloucester.
1909 JES was first offered as an auxiliary motor set to fit within a bicycle frame and drive the rear wheel by belt. The engine was a 1hp, 116cc four-stroke with a front-mounted gear-driven Fischer magneto, and the whole machine was a bicycle with braced forks and a fuel tank hung from the top tube.
The JES continued in this form for many years and was also built and listed as the City and the Imp.
1913-1917 For a list of the models and prices of motorcycles see the 1917 Red Book
1920 The engine was enlarged to 142cc and inclined in the frame, but the original simple concept remained.
1921 Added to the list was a 170cc two-stroke miniature motorcycle with two speeds and a vertical engine.
1922 A single-speed version appeared.
1923 The four-stroke was dropped, but the single-speed two-stroke ran on with a three-speed version. To these were soon added a lightweight with four-speed chain-transmission and the choice of 247cc two-stroke or 249cc ohv Blackburne engines - a move to more conventional machines.
1924 The company acquired the Connaught marque of Birmingham, and for that year there were just two lightweight models. One with the 247cc two-stroke, but the other with a 348cc sv engine. Both had three-speed Burman gearboxes and chain-cum-belt drive. The auxiliary motor set was re-introduced. This was a 123cc two-stroke engine, chain drive and in either gents' or ladies' style of bicycles frame. It was also available as a conversion kit. The make did not survive beyond the end of that year.
See Also
Sources of Information
- The British Motorcycle Directory - Over 1,100 Marques from 1888 - by Roy Bacon and Ken Hallworth. Pub: The Crowood Press