Not many people know about the old British motorcycle manufacturer, but let me pass along a story about their first motorcycle. Instead of a normal gearbox-based transmission, Zenith developed something called the “Gradua”, a variable pulley that could change the length of the drive belt. Competitors complained, so several racing clubs banned the bike. Zenith responded by including “BARRED” in their logo! Now that’s a great “fuck you” move.
Image from http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/3/3e/Zenith01.jpg
Eventually they moved on to using a gearbox and chain, but that’s no longer interesting. That brings us to Sinless Cycles a shop with quite an inventory of classic bikes, including this 1936 Zenith C5 Special, believed to be the only one left of this type. This bike is powered by a 500cc OHV with a four-speed transmission.
For the inquisitive, Sinless has a video of what the cold starting procedure is for the C5 Special:
This specific Zenith C5 Special (VIN: 13153) has made its way around the internet quite a bit, as it was on the block (but did not meet reserve) at Mecum Las Vegas back in January.
Find this Zenith C5 Special for sale in Woodworth, Louisiana with a BIN of $36,000 or best offer