Spagthorpe

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The Spagthorpe Motorcycle Company is a fictional manufacturer of motorcycles supposedly from the South Coventry area of England in late August 1927.

The story goes that the founder of the Spagthorpe Motor works was Harry Shuttleworth. Harry was born in a small village in south Swaziland, after National Service in the Bengal Rifles he moved to Nottingham where under an assumed name he worked as a tea boy for George Brough. His passion for motorcycles was developed by his long term companion Jeff who once rode the Hajji railway that T.E. Lawrence blew up in the film. The 17 known Spagforth Lightning motorcycles were all built by Harry and a small band of his boys. Harry and the boys stole a component a day from the Brough factory until they had enough to build a bike. It is believed that the song "One piece at a time" by Johnny Cash was inspired by Harry's activities.

Spagthorpes all bear an uncanny resemblance to Brough Superior motorcycles, except for the ones that look like Ducatis.

One sure way of telling if you have a genuine Spagthorpe is to have the metal of the timing chain cover tested. Harry had a close relationship with a ruthless dentist who supplied used fillings; these were used to make the timing cover castings.

Spagforth is a common misspelling of "Spagthorpe."