Description
This motorcycle is Lot 32 to be auctioned by Bonhams at The Spring Stafford Sale (The International Classic MotorCycle Show) on April 25th & 26th, please see the Bonhams Motorcycles Website for full details.
Auction Timings:
Lots 1 - 94 are to be sold from 14:30 on Saturday 25th April 2026.
Lots 201 - 353 are to be sold from 11:30am on Sunday 26th April 2026.
Public Viewing:
Available 25th & 26th April 2026 from 09:00 until 17:00, at The Staffordshire County Showground (The International Classic MotorCycle Show).
The Connoisseurs Collection, Part II
** c. 1951 Suzuki Power Free**
Registration no. not registered
Frame no. M6269
Engine no. none visible
** The Lot is from outside the UK. Shippio Ltd must automatically uplift this Lot after the auction, complete all post sale import or export customs administration, and store this Lot until it is customs cleared. A compulsory fee of £350 + VAT will be added to the buyer's invoice for this. This Lot cannot be collected from the auction venue by the purchaser or any alternative transporter.
If the Lot is to stay in the UK or is not exported within 90 days of sale, Import VAT at 5% on the hammer price is payable.**
Michio Suzuki's company started life as a manufacturer of looms for the silk-weaving industry before being commissioned to make munitions during WW2. Forced to diversify after 1945, Suzuki manufactured all manner of goods before Michio decided that his bicycle would be a more practical means of transport if it had an engine. Many small startup enterprises had begun manufacturing bicycles and ultra-lightweight machines using war-surplus engines, but Suzuki believed the way forward to to design and build his own, even going so far as to make his own magnetos and carburettors. Suzuki decided that his engine - a 36cc two-stroke single known as the 'Power Free' - would be mounted in a bicycle frame in what had long been established as the ideal position: in the middle of the machine just above the bottom bracket.
Launched in 1951, the Power Free clip-on engine was swiftly enlarged to 50cc and upgraded with a two-speed gear. A 60cc version known as the 'Diamond Free' arrived in 1953 and would prove to be an enormous success, with thousands sold every month. These humble clip-ons paved the way for Suzuki's first complete motorcycle in 1954, although the company's early models were marketed under the 'Colleda' name.
Apparently an older restoration, this particular Power Free is mounted in a Mitsuba Super bicycle. The engine turns over.
Offered unregistered and without documents. Following a period of inactivity, this motorcycle will require recommissioning and/ or restoration to a greater or lesser extent before returning to the road and thus is sold strictly as viewed. Prospective purchasers should satisfy themselves with regard to this motorcycle's completeness, history, authenticity, originality and mechanical condition prior to bidding.
Key not required
All lots are sold ‘as is/ where is’ and Bidders must satisfy themselves as to the provenance, condition, age, completeness and originality prior to bidding. Visit the Bonhams Motorcycles website for all pertinent auction information.
