You are here: Index — Complete Motorcycle Compendium
The Complete* Motorcycle Compendium
– D –
1885 Daimler-Einspur Wood Replica
Daelim Korea, Started in 1962. They make around 300,000 scooters and motorcycles a year.
Daihatsu Japan
Daimler Germany, Gottlieb Daimler (not Otto) put a 1/2 horsepower, 1 cylinder, 265cc four stroke engine in a wooden chassis with wooden wheels and steel tires in 1885
Dalesman England, 1969 – 1974, Motocross bikes with Sachs engines
Dandy Czech
Day USA, Early 1900’s, Kelcom engines
DayStar USA, Harley Clones using TP Engineering engines and Transmissions
Dayton England, 1913 – 1961, Dayton Cycle Co Ltd
Dayton USA, Dayton, OH 1914 – ? Manufactured a motor bicycle engine kit and a twin cylinder motorcycle
De Dion Bouton France, 1890’s?, Single cylinder tricycle in 1896, built engines for bicycles. A U.S. company in NY built engines under license
Della Ferrera Italy, 1909 – 1948?
DeLong USA, 1901 – 1903, The Industrial Machine Co.
De Luxe England, 1920’s, Made by A. E. Bradford
DeLuxe USA
Demm Italy, 1950’s – 1970’s?, Mopeds
Denali USA, Makes a line of electric motorcycles
Derbi Spain, started by Simeon Rabasa Singla as a bicycle repair shop in 1922. They built scooters and motorcycles up to 600cc. In 1987 they begin selling Kawasaki products and build primarily scooters. In 2000 they build and race a very well engineered 125cc motorcycle
Desperado USA, Harley Clones – Rev Tec and TP Engineering Engines
Diamant Germany
Diamond England, 1908 – 1928, then again 1930 – 1932, JAP, Barr & Stroud and Villiers engines. Designed by A.J. Dorsett
Di Blasi Italy, 1974, Folding scooters
Didik USA, Frank Didik makes several solar vehicles including a solar, electric, human powered motorcycle called the Sun Shark it is capable of speeds up to 40 miles per hour. It has an enclosed body with retractable outriggers
D.K.R. England, 1957 – 1966, Built scooters with Villiers engines, up to 175cc
DKW Germany, Motorenwerke Rasmussen started by J. S. Rasmussen in 1906. They were making a steam powered car in 1917 the ” Dampf Kraft Wagen” (DKW) and their first motorcycles in 1919. in the 1930’s they combined with Audi, Wanderer and Horch to form the Auto Union AG. They were at one time the worlds largest manufacturer. In the 1950’s? they merged in the “Zweirad-Union” with Victoria and Express. That group was taken over by Sachs in 1965. They lasted until the sixties and closed down but still sort of live on through MuZ, even though Sachs owns the DKW name now.
D.M.W. England, Dawson’s Motor Works started making grass track racers in the early 1940’s. The company was sold and became D.M.W. Motorcycles Ltd around 1945. Used Villiers, JAP and AMC engines. Bought Ambassador Motor Cycles in 1965. Around 1971 they bought the jigs from Villiers to produce spare parts for Villiers engines, and stopped producing their bikes and scooters
Dnepr (KMZ – Kiev Motor Works) Russian, started in the 1950’s
Dolf Germany
Doodlebug USA, Beam Manufacturing in Webster City, Iowa, produced this scooter from 1946 – 1949 and possibly again? or by someone else? from 1954-1958. Distributed by Gambles Hardware and Western Auto stores.
Dot England, Started in 1903 by Harry Reed, was sold in 1932 when Bernard Wade took over the company and Wade’s family runs it today, however now they only make Dot-Armstrong shocks
Douglas English, 1907 – 1957, Used by the military in WWI. Had some dirt track racing success in the 20’s and 30’s. Douglas was bought out by Westinghouse Brake & Signal who discontinued production to build scooters
D-Rad Germany, 1921 – 1933, made by “Deutsche Werke” Bought by NSU
Dream Toki Japan, They make 2 wheel drive on and off road bikes
Driver USA
Drysdale Australian, They make a 750cc and a 1000cc V-8 engined street bike that has a 17,000 rpm redline and 19,000 rpm on their race motors
DS Malterre France
Duck USA
Duesenberg USA
Ducati Italy, started building complete motorcycles in 1950. 1958 was the first year for the desmodronic valve system. They have won the World championship many times with their water-cooled four valve per cyl. 996cc V-twin. It puts out 163 bhp at 11500 rpm. They are now owned by Cagiva
Dufaux see Motosacoche
Dukelow USA
Dunstall England, Around 1964 Paul Dunstall started building complete motorcycles that were based on Nortons, much the way Eric Buell later did with Harleys. By 1979 he had built complete “Dunstall” Nortons, BSAs, Triumphs, Metisses, Hondas, Kawasakis, Suzukis, and Yamahas. The Dunstall organization became a victim of the decline in the motorcycle market at the end of the 1970’s. Dunstall sold the name in 1982. It disappeared by 1985
Durandal France
Durkopp Germany, Early 1900’s to about 1958. They produced their own single, twin and four cylinder engines. They stopped motorcycle production around 1912 to about 1927, during this time they built only cars. They restarted making motorcycles but used mostly Sachs engines until around 1951 and there after used their own engines again, concentrating on scooters. In 1955 they bought Ardie, who they had previously been making parts for
Duzmo England, Early 1920’s, Some of them were successful in early hill climb competitions
Dynacycle USA, 1949-1953, St. Louis, MO Sold 165cc engines
