1928 Douglas Dirt Track Speedway Bike

Bristol-based Douglas Foundry commenced motorcycle production in 1907 with a machine powered by a horizontally-opposed twin thus making for a slim machine with a low centre of gravity and the designs virtues were soon demonstrated in competition.
When Speedway or dirt track racing arrived in Britain in 1928 the new sport quickly caught the publics imagination. Before long almost all major UK Manufacturers listed a dirt track model. Douglas being the first marque to establish dominance.
The company’s inline twins had benefited from much prior development on the Australian long tracks, but as shorter tracks became the norm in the UK, the DT5′s otherwise excellent handling could no longer compensate for the handicap of a longish wheelbase and rival manufacturers’ single-cylinder models began to exert themselves. Check out Phil Bishop on YouTube.
We bought this great example of the Douglas as it was always the one we had always wanted to own. The machine was bought from the daughter of former Speedway star Phil Bishop- ‘King of Crash’ in January 2015 and we were advised that Len Cole rebuilt the engine and looked after the bike for Phil Bishop. The machine has been well maintained and shown during 2015.