321:
29:
235:. The last motorcycle produced by the company, the 1955 Dragonfly was an all-new motorcycle built to use an improved version of an existing engine. Despite its riding comfort, which was "equal to a car's", it did not sell well, and only 1,457 Dragonfly motorcycles were produced before the company was taken over and production ended in 1957. Very few Douglas motorcycles survive today.
344:
As well as suffering from production delays, the
Dragonfly was bigger and heavier than its predecessors and was very expensive. It was also noisy and acceleration was rather unpredictable. Douglas decided to concentrate on importing and license building
263:
while in development and was based on the Mark V Douglas and an earlier 500 cc (31 cu in) prototype. Aiming to overcome the company's outdated image, designers were commissioned from the
349:
which were increasing in popularity, and only a little over 1500 Dragonfly motorcycles were ever built. While
Douglas built the engine in-house, most other parts were sourced elsewhere. The
353:
bought out
Douglas in 1956, and production of Douglas Motorcycles ended in 1957 with the final Dragonflys being sold at discount by London dealer Pride & Clarke.
336:. Although it aroused a lot of interest, Douglas' finances did not allow them to exploit demand and the Dragonfly did not go into volume production for nine months.
533:
350:
185:
507:
479:
247:
models with the engine mounted across the frame. The flat twin had been the
Douglas trademark since 1906 and had a long history of
367:
426:
400:
329:
528:
362:
284:
front suspension. The strengthened and streamlined 348 cubic centimetres (21.2 cu in) engine had a modern
328:
The launch of the
Dragonfly was the last chance of survival for the Douglas company when it featured at the 1954
151:
125:
228:
84:
39:
333:
265:
131:
243:
After World War II Douglas was in financial difficulty and reduced its output to the 350 cc
320:
503:
475:
455:
297:
74:
277:
269:
244:
144:
139:
88:
281:
156:
118:
113:
103:
248:
28:
522:
301:
285:
289:
273:
434:
293:
173:
80:
224:
309:
305:
160:
232:
43:
453:
de Burton, Simon (December 2004). "Classic Bike: Douglas
Dragonfly".
346:
319:
168:
324:
Douglas
Dragonfly in distinctive alternative factory livery
197:
5.5 imp gal (25 L; 6.6 US gal)
201:
193:
180:
167:
150:
138:
124:
112:
102:
94:
73:
65:
57:
49:
35:
332:motorcycle show in a big display held in a giant
433:. The Cosmic Motorcycle Co. Ltd. Archived from
420:
418:
280:dampers (state of the art for the time) with
8:
21:
394:
392:
390:
388:
386:
384:
382:
27:
20:
108:17 bhp (13 kW) @ 5,500 rpm
459:. Vol. 2, no. 18. p. 132.
399:Brown, Roland (November–December 2007).
163:with twin hydraulic shock absorber, rear
378:
493:
491:
448:
446:
444:
351:Westinghouse Brake and Signal Company
7:
498:Kemp, Andrew; De Cet, Mirco (2004).
209:(4.3 L/100 km; 66 mpg
79:348 cc (21.2 cu in)
184:365.6 lb (166 kg) (
14:
268:to develop a completely new open
368:List of motorcycles of the 1950s
259:The Dragonfly was known as the
534:Motorcycles introduced in 1955
296:, with bolt-through cast iron
272:of welded tubing, including a
1:
363:List of Douglas motorcycles
98:70 mph (110 km/h)
550:
40:Douglas Motorcycle Company
26:
401:"1955 Douglas Dragonfly"
470:Brown, Roland (2002).
325:
227:designed and built by
500:Classic British Bikes
403:. Motorcycle Classics
323:
266:Reynolds Tube Company
145:tubular double cradle
437:on 17 December 2005.
529:Douglas motorcycles
472:Classic Motorcycles
427:"Douglas Dragonfly"
229:Douglas motorcycles
134:, chain final drive
23:
425:Hoseason, Rowena.
326:
251:racing successes.
18:Type of motorcycle
474:. Joanna Lorenz.
221:Douglas Dragonfly
217:
216:
22:Douglas Dragonfly
541:
514:
513:
502:. Bookmart Ltd.
495:
486:
485:
467:
461:
460:
450:
439:
438:
422:
413:
412:
410:
408:
396:
245:flat-twin engine
202:Fuel consumption
176:, front and rear
31:
24:
549:
548:
544:
543:
542:
540:
539:
538:
519:
518:
517:
510:
497:
496:
489:
482:
469:
468:
464:
452:
451:
442:
424:
423:
416:
406:
404:
398:
397:
380:
376:
359:
342:
318:
257:
241:
212:
208:
189:
19:
12:
11:
5:
547:
545:
537:
536:
531:
521:
520:
516:
515:
508:
487:
480:
462:
440:
414:
377:
375:
372:
371:
370:
365:
358:
355:
347:Vespa scooters
341:
338:
317:
314:
256:
253:
249:Isle of Man TT
240:
237:
215:
214:
210:
206:
203:
199:
198:
195:
191:
190:
182:
178:
177:
171:
165:
164:
154:
148:
147:
142:
136:
135:
128:
122:
121:
116:
110:
109:
106:
100:
99:
96:
92:
91:
77:
71:
70:
67:
63:
62:
61:Douglas 500 cc
59:
55:
54:
51:
47:
46:
37:
33:
32:
17:
13:
10:
9:
6:
4:
3:
2:
546:
535:
532:
530:
527:
526:
524:
511:
509:1-86147-136-X
505:
501:
494:
492:
488:
483:
481:1-84038-433-6
477:
473:
466:
463:
458:
457:
449:
447:
445:
441:
436:
432:
428:
421:
419:
415:
402:
395:
393:
391:
389:
387:
385:
383:
379:
373:
369:
366:
364:
361:
360:
356:
354:
352:
348:
339:
337:
335:
331:
322:
315:
313:
311:
307:
303:
299:
295:
291:
287:
286:coil ignition
283:
279:
275:
271:
267:
262:
254:
252:
250:
246:
238:
236:
234:
230:
226:
222:
204:
200:
196:
194:Fuel capacity
192:
187:
183:
179:
175:
172:
170:
166:
162:
158:
155:
153:
149:
146:
143:
141:
137:
133:
129:
127:
123:
120:
117:
115:
114:Ignition type
111:
107:
105:
101:
97:
93:
90:
86:
82:
78:
76:
72:
68:
64:
60:
56:
52:
48:
45:
41:
38:
34:
30:
25:
16:
499:
471:
465:
454:
435:the original
430:
405:. Retrieved
343:
327:
290:AC generator
282:leading link
274:swinging arm
270:duplex frame
260:
258:
242:
220:
218:
157:Leading link
126:Transmission
36:Manufacturer
15:
431:RealClassic
330:Earls Court
294:distributor
255:Development
205:55 mpg
130:Four speed
81:four stroke
58:Predecessor
523:Categories
374:References
334:micrometer
308:made from
276:with twin
225:motorcycle
211:‑imp
152:Suspension
140:Frame type
50:Production
407:10 August
310:Duralumin
298:cylinders
207:‑US
159:, front:
95:Top speed
89:flat twin
66:Successor
53:1955–1957
357:See also
306:pushrods
161:Swingarm
340:Decline
278:Girling
239:History
233:Bristol
44:Bristol
506:
478:
456:Octane
316:Launch
181:Weight
169:Brakes
132:manual
75:Engine
302:heads
223:is a
104:Power
504:ISBN
476:ISBN
409:2009
304:and
300:and
292:and
261:Dart
219:The
174:Drum
119:Coil
69:None
231:in
186:dry
85:OHV
525::
490:^
443:^
429:.
417:^
381:^
312:.
288:,
87:,
83:,
42:,
512:.
484:.
411:.
213:)
188:)
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
