At one time F E Baker’s Birmingham-based Precision company rivalled J A Prestwich as a supplier of engines to Britain’s motorcycle manufacturers. The first Precision engine went on sale in 1910, but it was not until after WWI that the firm got around to building a complete motorcycle. Launched as the ‘Beardmore Precision’, the Scottish Beardmore engineering group having gained control of Baker’s company, its first machine was a 350cc two-stroke featuring leaf-sprung suspension front and rear. The range expanded to include sidevalve models of various capacities, a Barr & Stroud sleeve-valve-engined 350, and overhead-valve and overhead-cam works racers. Although production models gained an enviable reputation in the trials events of their day, the racers faired disastrously at the 1924 Isle of Man TT, the debacle prompting Beardmore to close the ailing firm. This Beardmore Precision 250 was once owned by VMCC founder C E ‘Titch’ Allen and was previously on display at Stanford Hall Museum. The machine features an inclined single-cylinder four-stroke engine with external flywheel and ML magneto, Sturmey-Archer transmission with hand gear-change, chain drive, luggage carrier, two leather panniers, bulb horn, band brake to the front wheel and drum brake to the rear. The presence of a navigation map roller confirms active use in vintage events. MoT’d to March 2005 and not used since, the machine is offered with Swansea V5C.