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Zenith Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer established in Finsbury Park, London in 1904. Zenith motorcycles used engines from various suppliers, including Precision, Villiers and JAP. Under chief engineer Frederic "Freddy" Barnes, Zenith developed the "Gradua" gear, a variable pulley which adjusted the length of the drive belt by sliding the rear wheel backwards or forwards in the slots. This gave Zenith a great advantage which competitors claimed was unfair and many clubs banned the Gradua Zeniths, who simply included the word "Barred" in their badge.
In the 1930s Zenith hit hard times and closed down production, but the name was bought by Writers of Kennington, who had been one of their main dealers, and production restarted at the Hampton Court factory in Surrey. The Second World War stopped production again, but they managed to stockpile enough 750 cc JAP engines to continue straight after the war. JAP had ceased production, however, therefore once the last engine had been used it was the end of the line for Zenith and they finally closed in 1950.
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