Manufacturers History

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Last update: Jan. 18, 2009 
Current number of Manufacturers listed --- 1,337

How many of them ring a bell?

 Unless I consider the source very reliable, I don't add an entry unless it can be verified by at least three sources.
(Which usually conflict with each other in some way, so the verification only means  that it probably did exist.) 
Entries with a ? means the motorcycle has conflicting,  incomplete or suspect information.

Sources

A

Aaen Racer, designed by Olav Aaen in the 1960's. It's unclear how many, if any, were produced
AAR Finland, Ice racers. Jawa engines
Abell USA, 1901 - ?, Rollin Abell built a steam powered bicycle and patented the coaster brake around 1901
Abako Germany, 1923 - 1925
ABC England, 1913 - 1921?, All British Engine Company Had a transversely-mounted flat twin engine in 1918? 1919?
ABC England, 1919 - 1924? All British Cycle Co.
ABC Germany 1922 - 1924? A.B.C. Werke in Berlin
ABC USA, 1901 - 1902, The American Bicycle Co. built motorcycles as the American Cycle Manufacturing Co.
Abbotsford England and Australia, early 1900's
Abendsonne Germany, 1930's
Aberdale England, 1930's - late 1950's?, Aberdale was run by the Levy bros. and bought Bown Cycles from William Bown in the late 1930's. Aberdale built a second plant around 1949 that was called the Bown Cycle Co. LTD. that produced Bown badged autocycles and motorcycles They still sold Autocycles/Mopeds using the Bown name until 1957? 1958? that were built in Germany by Fichtel & Sachs
Abe-Star Japan
Abingdon England
ABJ England, 1949 - 1954? Started by A B Jackson from Raynal Auto. Villiers engines
ACE Motorcycles Bill Henderson Of Henderson Motorcycles started the Ace Motor Corporation in 1920 in Philadelphia. They had a four cyl. engine like the Henderson's but were lighter. They built the XP racers, Sport and Street Aces. Indian bought the rights to ACE in 1927, after Henderson was hit by a car and killed while testing an Ace Sport in 1922   see Henderson
Achilles Czechoslovakia
Achilles Germany, mopeds 1953 - 1957,Sachs engines. Sold to Norman Cycles Ltd in England
Ackland England
Acme England, 1902, became Rex-Acme 
Acme Motorcycles Australia 1940's?? Not affiliated with Acme England. Built by Bennett & Wood in Sydney, used Villiers engines. There were also two other companies in Australia that used the Acme name in the early 1900's
ADB USA, 1993, California, American Dirt Bike Co. Rotax Engines
Ader France
Adler Germany, Adlerwerke Frankfurt. Adler started in the 1870's building bicycles and sewing machines. They built their first motorcycles around 1900 but stopped production in favor of building autos and trucks in 1907? After WWII they rebuilt their factory which had been destroyed in 1944. Auto production was deemed too expensive so they tooled up to make motorcycles starting around 1949. They lasted until 1958 
Adly Taiwan, 1978, built by Her Chee, scooters, motorcycles and ATV's
Adma Germany, 1924 - 1926
Adriatica Italy, 1979? 1980? 250cc Grand Prix racer
ADS
Advance England
AEL England
Aeolus England, 1913? - 1917?, built by William A. R. Bown, (Bown Ltd)
Aeon Taiwan, Mopeds, scooters
AER England, 1937 - ? A. E. Reynolds either built them and or assembled and rebadged Scotts as AER? see Scott
Aermacchi Started as an airplane manufacturer in 1912. Started making motorcycles in 1950. Aermacchi set many world records and partnered up with Harley Davidson in 1960 and took over Harley's light weight bike production when Harley stopped their small bike line, commonly known as the "Hummer", around 1965 or 1966. Aermacchi was bought by Cagiva in 1978
Aero Australia
AFT Customs USA, They build "Harley" style customs using "metric" engines
AGF France, post war to about 1956
Agrale Brazil, Agrale manufactures some parts and assembles and distributes Cagiva, Husqvarna and MV Agusta under license from Cagiva who owns all three names 
Agrati (Garelli) Italy, Small cc scooters
Aiglon France, 1900? 1908? - 1953 or 1954, 1955? Bought by Peugeot in the 1920's but still carried the Aiglon badge 
Airman USA
Airmoto Italy
Airolite England
Ajax England, Made in Birmingham from approx 1922 - 1925. Villiers and Blackburn engines
Ajax England, The Stevens bros. built engines using the Ajax name for AJW and others for a short time in the 1930's?
AJP Portugal, They make motocross bikes with Casal engines 
AJR England
AJS Was created by the four Stevens Brothers, who started the Stevens Motor Manufacturing Co. in 1899 to build engines and A. J. Stevens & Company in 1909 to produce motorcycles. The AJS came from Albert John (Jack) Stevens' initials. They built their first AJS in 1910 (1911?), a 298cc side valve engine motorcycle. They possibly experimented building motorcycles as early as 1897. They had a semi-partnership with Wearwell motorcycles in 1901 with the production of the Wearwell - Stevens motorcycle and with Clyno Motorcycles for a while around 1910. In 1931 Matchless Motorcycles Ltd purchased the AJS name and manufacturing rights. The brothers then started Stevens Brothers Ltd. in 1932 to produce Stevens Motorcycles. The AJS name later became part of AMC and then when AMC folded it was merged with Villiers to become Norton/Villiers (NV)  the group that owned BSA/Triumph started to fail around 1973 and NV bought them and became Norton Villiers Triumph (NVT).  They built trail bikes using the AJS badge until around 1974, some (or all) using Villiers 250cc Starmaker engines (apparently the "Stormer" trail bikes had engines up to 400cc, I am not sure of the engine maker). At least one model was called the FB-AJAY The FB standing for the initials of Fluff Brown who purchased the company around this time. Today there is an AJS Motorcycles Ltd in the UK that is a importer and dealer, selling mostly ATV's and small cc motorcycles made in China and also spare parts for the Stormer dirt bikes. They sell a street bike badged as an AJS but I am not clear who makes it
AJT 
AJW  England, 1926 - 1953?, Arthur John Wheaton Used Ajax (built by the Stevens bros), Anzani and JAP engines up to 996cc. The AJW name has been used by at least three owners up into the 1980's?
AKD England, 1926 - 1933, Abingdon King Dick Co. started as a tool maker in 1856, briefly made motorcycle engines and complete bikes and now still makes tools. The King Dick name came from the owners bulldog
Akkens England
Alba Germany, 1919 - 1924
Albertus Germany, 1922 - 1924
Alcyon France, 1904 - 1956
Alecto England, early 1900's
Alert England
Alfer Spain, Supermoto and enduro bikes
Algat Italy, Scooters
Alp England, 1913 - 1916, English branch of Swiss based Moto-Reve. Beta of Italy now makes a model called Alp
Alpino Italy
Alldays England, Early 1900's - 1927?, Alldays & Onions made motorcycles, 3-wheelers and autos. Some were used by the postal service. Alldays-Matchless??
Alligator USA, The Alligator is a project that Dan Gurney has been working on since 1979. The current stage is the A4A, which has carbon-fiber bodywork, a single-sided swing arm (with in-arm shock), fuel injection and built around a Honda XR600cc single engine. The object is to have a very stable cornering machine that will go 150mph. Update: 2005 the Alligator A6 is available for purchase, $35,000. They pumped the XR600 up to 670cc and added a reworked cylinder head to get 70hp out of the single and they cut the total weight of the bike to 320 lbs
Allon England, 1915 - 1926, Made by Alldays
Alma France, 1950's?
Allright Germany, 1901 - 1928, they were also sold as Tiger, Roland, Vindee and VS in various markets. They used JAP, MAG, Kelcom and other engines
Allstate Sold by Sears Roebuck department stores. They were made by Cushman, Puch, Gilera? and Vespa
Altena Dutch, 1900 - 1906, Altena from Haarlem made the first Dutch motorcycle that used a Dutch made frame and engine. 
AMAG Swiss, 1950's?
Amag Germany, 1924 - 1925? Allg. Motorfahrzeug Berlin
Amazonas Brazil, 1978 - 1990, made by Amazonas Motocicletas Especiais Ltda. Used a 1600cc VW car engine. Not a very well engineered motorcycle. In 1991 a Brazilian VW powered motorcycle called the Kahena began being made, possibly with the same tooling? 
Ambassador England, Bought by DMW in 1965
Ambra Germany, 1921 - 1926, The Carl Brandt Motor Company in Berlin
AMC England, Associated Motor Cycles Ltd. Is the name eventually used, until it ceased to operate in 1966, by the Group that ended up with the rights to AJS, Matchless, Norton, James, Francis Barnett, Enfield, Indian, Douglas?, Vincent? and ? They were taken over by "Manganese Bronze Bearings" who then formed NVT
AMC USA, The Allied Motors Corp. Had a 1000cc V-Twin around 1915
1918 America USA, They were replicas of a 1918 Harley Davidson. They had a one piece frame that incorporated a non-detachable side car. They used a Harley Evo type engine with electronic ignition and disc brakes. The gas tank on the bike was used to hide the electronics. The real gas tank was under the seat of the sidecar. The builders sent Malcolm Forbes a brochure hoping he would be interested in one, his secretary sent back the brochure with a note saying "Mr. Forbes only buys new motorcycles..."  They must have been made in the 1980's as Forbes died in 1990. They were forced to stop making them because of a threatened lawsuit by Harley.  About a dozen were built. The jigs and molds were later sold to Arlen Ness 
America USA, 1904 - 1905?
American USA, 1901 - 1902, The American Cycle Manufacturing Co. was taken over by Pope. The American name was used by at least five other early builders plus at least a half a dozen later Harley clone fabricators 
American USA, 1913 - ? Also sold as Armac 
American Board Trackers USA, Hanebrink Technologies was started by Dan Hanebrink. They sell complete motorcycles and custom parts. They make several street legal vintage board track racer look alike motorcycles. Very good looking with all or most design and manufacturing done in house.  
American Dirt Bike USA, California (ADB)
American Eagle USA, 1966 - 1970's?, The name that Sprites, made in England, were sold under in the U.S. One model was the American Eagle 405 Talon  see Sprite
American Eagle USA, Harley style clones, was founded in 1995
American Iron Horse USA, Fort Worth, Texas. Harley style clones, S&S engines up to 113"
American King V USA, Sells kits and complete motorcycles using Chevy small block engines, up to 525 hp
American MotoScoot
American Quantum USA, Harley clones. Now owned by Performance Cycle Inc.
American Rocket USA, 1950's, Indian engine
American Thunder USA, Prior Lake, MN. Harley Clones, sell complete bikes and kits. Revtec engines
American X England, 1910-1930, British Excelsior's were rebadged by the U.S. importer in Chicago because American Excelsior had the rights to the Excelsior name in North America
AMI Germany, 1921 - 1925, AMI-Auto-Motoren-Ind. Berlin
AMMEX  see Islo
Ammon Germany, 1923 - 1925? Ammon & Co. Berlin
AMO Germany, 1920's and again in the 1950's
AMS Spain, 1954 - 1965
Ancilotti Spain, 1967 - 1984
Andrees Germany, 1920's
Anker Germany, 1949? - 1953? Sold in 1952 and moved from Bielefeld to Paderborn, produced until 1958?
Anthony USA
Anzani British Anzani Engine Co. a subsidiary of Anzani France, was established in 1912 in London. They made engines for airplanes, cars, motorcycles (up to 998cc), boats, and equipment. They when out of business in 1980
Anzani France, Engine builder
A.P. USA, 1901, Possibly the first "motorwheel" for bicycles
Apache USA, 1907-1911, Thor engines
Apfelbeck Speedway racers, JAP engines. Ludwig Apfelbeck? 
Apollo Sweden, 1950's?, M Berlin & Co, Mopeds
Aprilia is the second largest manufacturer in Europe. The made over 290,000 scooters in 1997. They race Grand Prix and have won at least 9 world titles in three classes. Has raced in the World Superbike Series since 1999.
AR USA, 1997, They make street legal flattrack type bikes using Yamaha 650 engines. They were AR Streetracker but are now called Robinson Streetracker
Arbinet France, 1907? - 1934
Arco Germany, 1922 - 1931
Ardent France, 1950's?
Ardie Germany, 1919 - 1958, Early models used 305 to 350cc two strokes and changed to around 350 to 1000cc JAP engines in the twenties. After WWII they used their own two strokes and later, engines and parts from Durkopp who bought them out in 1955, but still used the Ardie name
Argeo Germany, 1924 - 1927, Argeo Fahrzeugwerk Berlin
Argyle USA, 1957 - 1961, by C&E Manufacturing, small folding scooters 
Ariel was founded in England in 1898. Who hasn't heard of an Ariel Square Four? The 997cc engine is a legend. Later taken over by BSA in 1940's and discontinued in 1965
Aristos Germany, 1923 - 1924, Aristos Motorfahrzeugwerke Berlin 
Arlen Ness USA, Custom Harley clones
Armac USA, 1905, St. Paul, MN - 1906-1913, Chicago. Singles & V-twins. Sold to AMC
Armstrong England, Armstrong manufacturing bought Cotton in 1980. In 1984 Armstrong bought the rights from the bankrupt Italian SMW company to build the SMW Tornado. The Armstrong MT 500 is used by the English, Canadian and Jordanian armies. 506cc Rotax engines. Armstrong quit producing bikes in the late 1980's or early 1990's and sold the rights to build the MT350 to Harley Davidson which still uses Rotax engines.
Arno England
Arrow USA, 1909 - 1914, Chicago
Arrow Canada, Arrow Custom Cycle, Harley Clones
Ascot England, 1905? - ?
Ascot Pullin England, 1928 - 1930?
ASL England, early 1900's
Aspes Italy
Astoria Italy, 1947 - 1958, Made by Virginio Fieschi with engines designed by Alfredo Bianchi 
Astra Italy, 1931? 1933? - 1951, Used imported Arial engines
Atala Italy, Small cc scooters. see Rizzato
Atco USA, 1912, made by the Auto Trading Co.
ATK became the second major American motorcycle company in 1983. They build a variety of off road bikes. Rotax engines. Joined in a partnership with VOR in 2001. Purchased rights and inventory from Cannondale in 2003
Atlantic Germany, autocycle early 1920's
Atomette England, 1921 - 1922, a three wheeler with two wheels in front, Villiers engine
Auranthetic USA, Was a small electric motorcycle produced in the 1970's
Aurora USA, Iowa, made small engines used for motor bicycles
Aurora USA, Illinois, Aurora Automatic Machine Co built their own Thor motorcycle and sold parts to other companies that assembled them and sold them as American, Emblem, Light, Rambler, Racycle, Warwick, Thor-bred, Thoroughbred, Reading-Standard, 
Aussi Australia, Aussi-Also
Austin USA, 1868,  Steam
Austria Austria, 1903 - 1939?
Austro-Motorette Austria
Auto-Bi USA, 1901 - 1909, made by E.R. Thomas in Buffalo, NY. Floyde Clymer had a dealership for them in Colorado at age 12. Thomas built the first prototypes around 1900 and they were called "Thomas". The company sold frames, engines, bicycle kits and complete Thomas motor bikes. They also had an Auto-tri and an Auto-quad. In 1908 they added a bicycle kit called the Buffalo. In 1909 the Auto-bi name was replaced with Grayhound. In 1912 Glenn Curtiss took over Greyhound
Auto-Bike USA
Auto Car 1919-1924, Philadelphia, PA - 1925, Blossburg, PA - 1926, Detroit
Auto Cycle USA, Not to be confused with the generic term "autocycle" which is used to describe a lightweight motor cycle with pedals
Autocylette USA, 1921? - 1924?, Autocylette Manufacturing and Sales Corp. Also sold as Pam
Autoette USA
Autoflug Germany, 1921 - 1923, Berlin
Autoglide USA
Autoglider England, 1921 - ? 
Autoped USA, 1914 - 1926?, 1915 - 1921? Scooters, made by the Autoped Company of America then became part of the American Ever-Ready Company. Some were sold as EverReady Autoped. They were designed by Hugo Gibson and for a short time, by Joseph Merkel who had built the Flying Merkel 
Auto-Fauteuil France (Holland?), Early 1900's
Auto-Four USA, 1971? The Gelbke Auto-Four was made by Bill Gelbke, Chevy 4 cyl engine and automatic transmission. Only 7 or 8 were made 
AutoMoto France, 1930's?
Avanti India, Monto Motors makes Mopeds and small motorcycles that are exported world wide. Recently started a joint venture with Renault 
Avenger USA, built by American Dirt Bike
AVG USA, Makers of kit three wheelers using VW engines
AWO Germany, 1949 - 1961, AWO Simpson

B

Babetta Mopeds made by Jawa
BAC see Meier BAC
Bad Nun USA, Florida, Harley Clones, "California style" choppers
Badger USA
Baier Germany, 1924 - 1929, Baier-Motorenbau Berlin
Bajaj India, Started importing vehicles in 1948, started building two and three wheelers in 1959, has a partnership with Kawasaki
Bakker Holland, Makes frames and uses engines built by Yamaha, BMW, Harley, and others
BAM Germany
Bantamoto England, 1950's?  A cyclemotor or autowheel that could be bolted to a bicycle frame.
Barb Austraila
Barber USA, 1904? Barber Special? Albert or William Barber? New York
Barigo France, Rotax engines
Barnsley England, late 1890's
Barr Steam powered
Bartali Italy
Bastert Germany, 1949? to 1956?, made by Helmut Bastert in Bielefeld. They made bicycles, motorcycles and Scooters. They started making their "Das Einspurauto" scooter in 1951 using an ILO engine
Bat England, 1902?
Batavus Dutch, Started making bicycles in 1904 and small motorbicycles and mopeds from the 1930's to about 1984 
Battey USA, Sumpter Battey patented a rotary engine for a bicycle in 1895. It's not clear if any were built
Bayern Germany, 1923 - 1926
Baylis Thomas
Bayley Flyer USA, 1914 - 1917
Baysdorfer-Dumbleton
B&D Czechoslovakia (BD?)
Bean USA?
Bearcat USA, 1900's, If any were made
Beard & Able USA
Beare Australia, Malcolm Beare designed a "six stroke" engine based on the Ducati V-Twin. He designed a new cylinder head that has intake and exhaust ports in the sides (like a 2 stroke engine) of what is basically an extension of the cylinder. Above this is a small crankshaft that drives a piston up and down past the ports at half engine speed. The area between the engine piston and this small piston becomes a variable combustion chamber and has quite a few advantages over a standard 4 stroke engine. It is patented and a new head using this concept could be designed for any engine. UPDATE 6-16-2008: I received the following letter from the Managing Director at Jack Brabham Engines. " Dear Sir, We notice you have an entry for "Beare" Australia. The technology and patents were sold by Malcolm John Beare to this company in May 2004. The company holds patents in various markets throughout the world including the USA. The re-assignment of these patents can be accessed by the USA Patent Office database. We have taken Mr Beare to the Federal Court in Australia after he advertised something he does not own. The reference is Federal Court Australia NSD 2132 2007. We would be pleased if you would delete this insertion for "Beare" as it is incorrect". There seems to be a little animosity by Brabham Engines toward Beare. Actually the "six stroke" has been around in various forms for almost 90 years with dozens of patents issued and many engines commercially produced, mostly for marine use. I do not believe that my listing of Beare is incorrect, I listed his name here before 2004 and he did design the technology that he sold to "Sir" Jack Brabham Engines as shown on their company website as follows. (I find it funny that they refer to Beare  only as "inventor" and not by name.} From their Website:  ""Dual Piston Internal Combustion Engine" (US Patent 5713314 and various major market countries including Australia) Assignment document shows transfer of ownership for example: US patent assignment.doc This four stroke engine head design uses a piston and ports very much like a two stroke engine to replace the over head valve system that is found in four stroke engines today. Jack Brabham Engines Limited has owned the technology since May, 2004 when the inventor sold the technology in exchange for shares in this company. The patents in various overseas countries as well as Australia have been re-assigned in the company name."
Beau Ideal England, 1904, Beau Ideal Cycle company. Used 3.5hp Fafnir engines
Be-Be Germany, 1924 - 1927, The Berlin-Burger EisenWerke in Berlin
BeBe USA see Premier
Beeston England, 1898 - ? Beeston Cycle Co
Bekamo Czechslovakia and Germany, 1922 - 1925?  1923 - 1930?
Bellini Italy, Paolo Bellini, manufacturer of the Bellini engine for speedway racers
Benelli Italy, Started in 1911 by six brothers. They had many racing championships building both racers and street bikes. In 1948 Guisseppe Benelli broke away and started his own company called "Moto B" (Motorcycle Benelli) that later became Motobi. After Guisseppe died, the family bought Motobi. Benilli/Motobi was sold to Alesandro De Tomaso in 1971 (De Tomaso also bought Moto Guzzi about this time) and it built a six cylinder street bike called the 750 sei in 1972. In 1989 Benelli was sold to the Selci Corp. and they built only small cc scooters until 1996 when it was sold to Andrea Merloni. Merloni builts Benelli/Motobi scooters from 50 to 250cc and in 2001 introduced the Tornado 900 TRE and a racing version the WSB Tornado, to compete in Superbike competition. 
Benda Bermuda, 2005, Bermuda Motorcycles imports Chinese motorcycles, scooters and sells them as Benda
Bercley Belgium, 1905 - 1909, Designed by Gustave Kindermann,they had a 616cc V-Twin engine in 1905 
Bergfex Germany, 1904 - 1909, Berlin
Berini Dutch, small motorbicycles 
Bernadet France, 1940's - 1950's? Scooters
Berneg Italy
Bernet France
Beta Italy, Established in 1904, won world trials championships in '87, '89, '90, '91, '97, '98, '99
BFG France, 1980's?, 1300cc Citroen car engine
Bianchi Italy, Started in 1897 by Eduardo Bianchi. Had a 650cc V-Twin around 1916, stopped motorcycle production in 1967
Bi-Auto-Go USA, 1913, an autocycle with a 323 cu in eight cylinder engine, resembled a two wheeled car with training wheels (outriggers) that retracted at speed, had a body w/doors and a motorcycle fender on the front wheel
Bi-Car USA, 1912 - 1914?, Four cylinders, The Ner-A-Car used many of the aspects the Bi-Car
Big Bear Choppers USA, Big Bear Lake California, Harley Clones, complete bikes and kits. S&S engines up to 145 cu. in. with 180 hp
Big Brute Canada, API Racing builds motorcycles with Chevy V8 or V6 engines. They also sell mini bikes called Little Brute with various engines sizes up to a  20hp, 570cc Briggs and Stratton V-twin
Big Buffalo Germany, Manufactured by Güstrow Motocycle GmbH uses a small block Chevy  V-8 engine. It is badged as an Indian
Big Daddy Choppers USA, Ripley TN, Harley Clones, Revtech engines
Big Dog USA, Wichita, Kansas Big Dog® Motorcycles L.L.C. manufactures a line of 5 HD Clone cruisers with retail prices ranging from $18,900 to $26,900. (1999)
Bimota This Italian motorcycle company has survived by copying other company's engine designs or using other peoples engines. BIMOTA SET A 202.247 mph LAND SPEED RECORD On September 26, 1998, at an event sanctioned by the East Coast Timing Association at the Maxton Air base facility in North Carolina, the 200 mile per hour barrier was officially broken for the first time by a gasoline powered, normally aspirated motorcycle. The bike was a Bimota SB6 Powered by the Suzuki 1100cc engine
Binks English, Early 1900's
Binz Germany, 1954 - 1956? 1958? Binz made truck bodies and auto parts. They also made a small in-town scooter with a 50cc Sachs engine and two speed gear box for two? to four? years
Bismarck Germany, 1904 - 1956
Bleha Germany
BMW Germany, Bavarian Motorcycle Works (Bayerische Motoren Werke) started in 1923
Boar USA, Harley clones
Boge Germany
Bohme Germany, 1925 - 1930, Built by Dr. Martin Bohme in Berlin
Bohmerland Czechoslovakia, 1920 - 1939, First motorcycle with electric starter
Boisselot USA, 1901 - 1903, The Boisselot Automobile and Special Gasoline Motor Company built engine kits for bicycles
Boland USA, 1903? - ?
Bond England, 1950's, Built Scooters
Boom Trikes Germany, VW powered trikes
Borile Italy, They make a 500cc single in 2000
Boss Hoss USA, 1990, They make Chevrolet V8 powered bikes up to 502 cu. in. with 502 hp., using a two speed automatic transmission w/reverse in Dyersburg, TN
Boudier France
Bourget USA, Harley clones, S&S engines up to 126 cu. in.
Bovy Belgium, 1906 - 1930's 
Bowman USA, 1905? The Bowman Automobile in New York, may have produced motorcycles
Bown England, 1913 - Taken over by Aberdale in the 1930's. Started by William A. R. Bown. Built the Aeolus and the Bown autocycle.  Aberdale built a second plant around 1949 that was called the Bown Cycle Co. LTD. that produced Bown badged autocycles and motorcycles 
Boxer France, Voxan
Blackburne English Engine manufacturer, quit making motorcycle engines in 1937.
Blackhawk
Black Diamond
Blake Australia, 1919?
Blata Italy, Motorized scooters and minibikes
Bleha Germany
Blucher Germany, 1938?
Blue Bird Australian, 1920?
BM Czechoslovakia, Speedway bikes
BM Bonvicini Italy, 1950 - 1972?, Mario Bonvicini was a successful motorcycle racer before WWII. He later built lightweight motorcycles using engines of his own design and also ones made by ILO and NSU. He made 50cc and 175cc racers and also mopeds. The frames for BM Bonvicini were made by Verlicchi, who is still in business in Bologna.
BM Moto Italy, 1982? - 1988?, Made mopeds. It is unclear if there was any relationship with BM Bonvicini 
Bohme Germany, 1925 - 1930
Bombardier Can-Am motorcycles made in Canada. Rotax engines
Borile Italy, Started by Umberto Borile in 1988, their first motorcycle was the Piuma 520, a single cylinder, four stroke, 500 cc, off road bike
Bowman
Bradbury England, Bradbury and Co. were making sewing machines in 1852, they made their first motorcycle in 1904 the company closed in 1923
Bradford
Bradley
Brand Germany, 1925 - 1930, made by Brand and Sohn in Berlin, also called B&S 
Brandenburg USA, 1901 - 1915? Thor engines
Breed
Breeze USA, 1905? Breeze Motor Company
Brennabor Germany, 1902 - 1912, The Brennaborwerke in Brandenburg started making bicycles in 1893, motorcycles in 1902 and cars in 1908. Stopped motorcycle production in 1912 to concentrate on cars. Apparently Brennabors were made again around 1933? - 1940? but it is unclear to me if they were made in the same plant
Breton France
Bridgestone Japan, 1949 - 1971, Displacements: 350cc, 200cc, 175cc, 100cc, 60cc, 50cc,  They began exporting to the U.S. in 1963, Rockford Motors of Rockford, Illinois was the original importer. Motorcycle production always took a back seat to producing tires at Bridgestone. While the motorcycle division was profitable, all of the money it made went back into the company's main division's account. Bridgestone quit making motorcycles in 1971. It is said that other manufacturers threatened to stop buying Bridgestone tires if they continued making motorcycles. They sold all of their tooling to  BS Tailung in Taiwan who continued to make motorcycles and export them to the U.S. where they were sold by Rockford Motors using the Rockford badge. BS Tailung closed in 1975 and all production stopped  
Briggs-Stratton USA, In 1918? 1919? Briggs and Stratton bought the A. O. Smith Company, the makers of the Smith Motor Wheel. They improved the engine to their own design but they were sold as both Smith Motor Wheel and Briggs & Stratton Motor Wheel until 1925?, when the Smith name was dropped. Today they are the largest producers of small engines
Britten Motorcycles are made in New Zealand by John Britten. State of the art, extremely high tech. The 1998 Britten V1000 had a 999cc 60 degree V-Twin engine that put out 166 hp @ 11,800 RPM! and the bike only weighed 304 lbs.
Brondoit Belgium, 1924-1929
Brough-Superior England, George Brough started making motorcycles in 1921. Maybe the most coveted motorcycle ever made, it was called the Rolls Royce of motorcycles. Only about 1000 of them still exist. They used JAP, Motosacoche, Matchless, Barr and Stroud and other engines until 1935, from then on they used only Matchless motors. A perfect one will sell for upwards of $100,000. Almost every piece on them was hand made, nuts, bolts, fittings. What do the former heavy weight boxing champion George Forman and T. E. Lawrence (Lawrence of Arabia) have in common? Forman named all four of his sons George and Lawrence named all eight of his Brough-Superiors George. Lawrence was killed in 1935 while riding George VII. They stopped production in 1940
Brown England
B&S see Brand
BSA England, Birmingham Small Arms company built weapons until around 1910 when they started making motorcycles. They made many well known models. "Gold Star", "Bantam", "Victor", "Royal Star", "Thunderbolt", "Lightning", "Firebird", "Rocket". They purchase Sunbeam around 1938, Ariel in 1944, then Triumph and eventually merge with Norton - Villiers to become Norton - Villiers -Triumph (NVT)
BSA Regal England, After the formation of NVT, William Colquhoun formed a company and got the rights to the BSA name around 1975 and made light weight bikes using Rotax, Yamaha and Morini engines. In 1991 this BSA Company was merged with Andover Norton International Ltd and in 1994 was bought by newly formed BSA Regal Group. They make the Gold SR 500 on a one off basis for individual customer orders only
Bucker Germany, 1922 - 1958, They made their own frames but bought most of the other components. Used engines made by Bekamo, Villiers, Blackburne, ILO, JAP, MAG, Columbus and others
Buckeye
Buell USA, Eric Buell started putting Harley motors in roadrace type frames and selling them in the early 1980's.
Buffalo USA, see Auto-bi
Buffalo USA, 1981 - 1990, The Buffalo Motorcycle Works Corp produced several prototypes for testing with 500, 750 and 1000cc singles in them. And some prototypes with 90cu in. V-twins. The Corp was dissolved before production started 
Bull Dog England
Bullock Australia
Bultaco Founded in Spain by Francisco Bulto in 1958. Won many a world title
Butler Petrol-Cycle England, 1884 - 1896, Edward Butler patented a gasoline fueled two stroke twin tricycle and showed it at the Stanley Bicycle Show in 1884. For the next ten or twelve years he made improvements to his design, changing to a geared drive four-stroke water-cooled engine that ran at about 600 rpm. He is credited with inventing or developing the spark plug and coil ignition, magneto and the spray jet carburetor, as well as the word "petrol" His "Petrol-cycle" was broken up for scrap in 1896, the few remaining pictures of this first British motorcycle are in the Science Museum in London, England
Butterfield (Willis 4) USA, Late 1960's early 1970's?, Butterfield owned Jacks M/C in Fresno California, a Ducati, Moto Guzzi , BMW Dealership, Willis worked with him in the mid 60's into the 70's. They built a complete motorcycle made to accept a 1500cc Volkswagen engine and used a BMW /2 transmission. The bike looked very much like a R60/2 BMW and was available as a kit or complete motorcycle. They are the best looking motorcycle I have seen that incorporated a VW engine. Apparently Butterfield and Willis had a falling out and a lengthy court battle ensued over the rights to the motorcycle and Willis won. Willis used a badge for them that said "Willis 4's"  it resembled the BMW badge so closely that BMW threatened legal action.. Willis died shortly after. Approximately 100 were built. see picture


C

Cabri France, 1950's, Made by Bernadet, Scooters
Cabton Japan, 1954 - 1960
Cagiva Italy, Started in 1950 as a small machine shop. They entered the motorcycle business in 1978 when they bought the Aermacchi factory from AMF-Harley Davidson, Italy. They now own Ducati, Moto Morini, Husqvarna, MV Agusta and others. Around 1999 Cagiva restructures and changes the corporate name to  MV Agusta S.p.A.. In 2004 Malaysian  carmaker Proton buys a controlling interest in the company 
Califfo Italy
Caille
California USA, California Motor Company of San Francisco started in 1901, in 1903 the Consolidated Manufacturing Company in Toledo, Ohio, bought the rights to the California motorcycle and made the Yale California
Capriolo Italy
Calthorpe England, 1909 - 1938, Calthorpe was owned by George Hands in Birmingham. Early models, used a 3.5hp White & Poppe engine. After WW 1 he used engines made by Villiers, JAP, Peco, Blackburne and Precision. Around 1925 they started making their own 348 overhead valve and 500 overhead cam engines. The Ivory model was introduced in 1928 and was built until 1935. They also made a "Speedway Special" racer
Camden
CanAm In 1974 the factory team won National motocross plates #1, 2, 3. and set a speed record at Bonneville of 136.5 MPH with a 125cc bike.
Canda USA 1901?
Cannondale Connecticut, USA, Started making bicycles in 1983. Made their first motoXer in 1999. Filed for bankruptcy  in 2003, sold inventory and name to ATK
Caproni Italy, Gianni Caproni started producing airplanes around 1908. Started making motorcycles in Arco after WWII until 1962. NSU engines? Caproni-Vizzola?
Carabella Mexico, They used Jawa and Minarilli engines and also made their own two strokes. I think they are still made. They made a lot of mopeds and scooters as well as dirt  and small road bikes. I think the small scooters used Suzuki engines. I don't know if they built the other engines under license or if they imported them. They exported to the US for a while around the 70's
Carefree USA, Harley Clones
Casal Portugal, Started using Zundapp engines in the 1960's but now make their own
Cazenave France
CCM Canada, 1908 - 1912, The Canadian Cycle and Motor Company modified their bicycle frames and inserted a 230cc Swiss Motosacoche engine 
CCM UK, Started in 1971 by Alan Clews, they make competition motocross, trail and supermoto bikes
Ceccato
Cemec France, produced bikes from 1948 - 1955? 1951 - 1958? Bought by Ratier in 1958?
Centaur USA,
Century England, 1899 - 1905? 1902 - 1905? 
CF Italy, 1928 - 1970
Chaise France, 1921 - 1939, Built engines for motorcycles, boats and aircraft
Champion USA, 1911 - 1917?, The Champion Motor Car Co. of St. Louis made a motorcycle much like the Militaire ( possibly under license from Militaire). It had a 1281cc inline four engine w/shaft drive
Champion USA, Builds racing frames for Flattrack, TT, Speedway
Chater Lea England, built motorcycles and many components used by other bicycle and motorcycle builders
Chell England, 1939, Chell Motor Company Ltd, Villiers 2 stroke engines
Chicago 400
Chinese Motorcycles...
1950 - 1980 
In order to meet the demand of the army, the PLA Beijing No.6 Automotive Works began to develop motorcycles in 1950. It used German Zundapp K500 motorcycles as the prototype and patterned bikes after it. The first five motorcycles were developed in July,1951. They were named "Jing Gang Shan". 4248 motorcycles were turned out by the end of 1954. The production was stopped in 1955 when the works was incorporated in the new Beijing No.1 Automotive Accessory Factory.
1981 - Now
The Chinese motorcycle industry began to develop rapidly after the country underwent some political reforms that allowed companies to open up to the rest of the world. This period underwent three "Five Year Plans". The Main Engine Displacements now made are 50,60,70,80,90,100,125,150 and 250cc.and at least one 750cc. In 1997 there were 2000 different models with production of around 7,000,000 bikes.
Many of the Chinese companies now have facilities in Taiwan also
Some of the major brands in China are:
Chang Jiang Makes a 750cc bike with sidecar that is copied after a prewar BMW R71, a 250cc that is a replica of a 1950's Jawa 353, a Solex moped replica and assorted mini bikes & ATV's
China, Chongqing Union Co
Cixi
Ek Chor
Geely
Hainan Sundiro
Han Wei, Small folding bikes
Huari Jincheng
J&D
Jialing
Jianshe
Jing Gang Shan
Jowe
Kangda
Kinstar
Lifan, Builds engines for many of the other companies 
NFY
Pekin 
Power JZ Power Machinery
Qingqi
Shanghai Xingfu
Taizhout
Tigereye, Yongkang Tigereye Industrial Co
Time
Wuyang-Honda, A long term partnership with Honda
Xingyue
Yamalee
Zhejiang Bohui
Zongshen
There are new Chinese companies starting up so fast that I cannot keep up with them. Go to the sources at the bottom of the page and go to EBig China for more information. There are over 400 manufacturers listed there
Chiorda Italy, a bicycle company that made mopeds from around 1952 - 1957 in 1954 they had a model that had an overhead valve 100cc vertical twin. Taken over by Bianchi ?
Cimatti Italy, small cc motorcycles and mopeds
Clark England, 1967 - 1968? Small motorized bicycle made by Clark Masts
Clemcut
Clement France, early 1900's, Made a bicycle engine kit. There was a subsidiary in the USA that sold engine kits and complete bikes
Cleveland England, 1911 - 1914, Precision engines
Cleveland USA, 1915 - 1929, Bought Reading Standard in 1922. Had a 996cc inline four in 1928
Cleveland USA, Harley clones
Clinton Tower
Clyno England, The Clyno Engineering Co. made motorcycles from 1910 until 1916 - 17?. The first models used Chater Lea frames and engines bought from the Stevens Brothers (later of AJS). The same year they bought Stevens Manufacturing Co. and all of the machine works that went with it. Motorcycle production stopped in favor of car production
CMR France, 1945 - 1948, Flat twin engines. Bought by Cemec
Cnopm Russia
Cobra USA, North Lima, OH. Makes small motocross bikes for kids. Cobra owns the 50cc 4-6 stock class
Cockerell Germany, 1919-1924
Colibri Sweden, 1915? - 1923? Made a clip-on motorwheel that was designed by Emil Jern that was called the Furir, Jern sold the rights to the engine and the buyers built the Furir engines and later a complete autocyles. The company changed the name to Colibri around 1919 and later built a 250cc twin motorcycle 
Cole England, Howard Cole manufactured his own engines based on the JAP race engine around 1972, they were used in speedway and grass track racers
Columbia
Comet USA, Chicago, 1911, produced a board track racer
Comet Italy, 1950's
Commander England, Early 1950's, Autocycles with Villiers engines
Comerford England, 1920's - 1930's Comerford-Wallis Engineering Co.Ltd Speedway bikes, JAP engines
Condor Swiss, 1901 - 1978, Built motorcycles using various engines until the end of WWII when they started producing their own engines from a 250cc single to a Transverse flat twin, 600cc? 680cc? that was used by the Swiss Army in the 1940's. In the 1960's they stopped making their own engines and used other makers such as the Ducati 250 single engine that they enlarged to 350cc and used in the Swiss Army's Condor A350 from 1973 to 1978 when the factory closed
Confederate USA, Harley Clones 
Copeland Steam Motorcycle United States, 1885. Lucius Copeland put a steam engine on a Star (large wheel in front, small wheel in back) bicycle in 1885. Around 1888 he built a steam tricycle using the same type of engine. The engine and boiler of the Copeland steamer are in the Arizona Museum at Phoenix
CoprChoppers USA, Tony Martinez builds one off custom choppers in Denver. Nearly all parts are fabricated in house. Uses Engenuity engines
Cooper USA, see Islo
Copr Choppers USA, Harley clones
Corgi UK, 1945?, built by Brockhouse it was a civilian version of the Welbike
Coronet England, 1903 - ? Coronet Motor Co.
Cossack Russian, It's actually a Dnepr that was imported to England by a company named Nevil and sold there, some were exported to the U.S.
Cotton 1920-1934 and again 1954?-1964?, Francis Cotton was an English racer who developed stronger frames than the usual bicycle frames of the time. He patented, and started building and selling his triangulated cross braced frames in 1914. Around 1920 he started to manufacturer motorcycles himself. The first Cottons used 269cc Villiers engines. TT racing success in the twenties made a reputation for the company, and in its first 11 years the company turned out over 6,000 motorcycles. They used Villiers, Blackburne, Anzani and JAP engines over the years. Armstrong now owns the rights to the Cotton name
Count's Kustoms USA, Harley Clones
Coventry-Eagle Was a turn of the century (the twentieth, that is) English builder that used JAP engines and lasted into the late 1930's
Coventry-Victor England, 1918 - 1939, Built motorcycles and three wheelers but known mostly as an engine manufacturer 
CPI Taiwan, Scooters and motorcycles
CP-Roleo France
Crawford USA, 1912?, Michigan
Crescent USA, Crescent Auto Manufacturing produced a motorcycle engine in 1902. Western Wheel Works made the Crescent motorcycle in 1905 - 1906, I'm not sure if there is a connection  
Crocker USA, 1933 - 1942, Al Crocker worked for both Thor and Indian, then bought an Indian Dealership in L.A. In 1933 he debuted his 30.5 ci engines that were designed and manufactured by Al in his machine shop and put them in frames that he built. They were raced successfully on Speedway tracks until the end of the 1934 season when JAP engined bikes started to dominate. He then concentrated on building street machines. Crocker's early road bikes (1936 - 38) had a Hemi head 61 cubic inch engine. In 38 he switched to the parallel valve head but stock displacement was still 61 ci. He did however build many engines to spec. and some of them were as big as 90 cubic inches. 
      A new Crocker Motorcycle Company was started in 1997. It was officially incorporated in January 1999. In 2002 Crocker was trademarked throughout North America and Europe. Crocker Motorcycle Company produces parts that are exact reproductions of original pieces. They use computer coordinate measuring and CNC machining techniques to ensure the exactness of each piece to make it possible for a restorer to complete a high quality restoration on an orginal bike and their goal is to make it possible to build a complete bike using only their parts.
Crosley England, Long time car maker, they stopped production of autos during WWII to work on the war effort. Around 1939 they were contracted to build both 2 and 3 wheeled motorcycles that were powered by pre-war Crosley opposed two cylinder, air cooled engines and were shaft drive. They also built small tracked vehicles 
Crouch USA, 1905 - 1908, 32.5cu single, belt drive
Crown
Cesepel Hungary, ? - 1975?
Cucciolo Italy, A bicycle engine kit made by Ducati
Culp
Curtiss USA, 1902 - 1911 or 1912, The G.H. Curtiss Manufacturing Co was started by Glenn Curtiss later of the Curtiss airplane fame. For the first few years they were called Hercules, then the name was changed to Curtiss in 1905?. Glenn Curtiss rode a V8 powered one to 136 MPH in 1907, setting a world speed record for land vehicles that would stand for 11 years. Even though they were producing 1000 bikes a year, Glenn's involvement with his company started to decline in 1909 when he decided to pursue airplane development. The company went through many hardships over the next few years as their production slowed. Another firm that he was a partner in, the Marvel Motorcycle Co. started in 1910 and continued to sell motorcycles badged as Marvel for a few years. He was involved in the end of the Grayhound Co., at the time of his involvement it seems that they were only producing sidecars
Cushman The Cushman Motor Works of Lincoln, Nebraska, started building engines around 1902 and built complete motorscooters between 1936-1966. Sears sold them as Allstate from 1951 - 1961 They also imported and sold Vespa. They still make golf carts and industrial vehicles 
Custer Chair USA, In 1916, Inventor, Levitt Luzern Custer started the Custer Specialty Company making, among other things, both gasoline and electric powered trikes called the Custer Chair and gasoline powered scooters. The electric model was used as one of the first powered wheelchairs. Custer Specialty was in business until 1965. The patent for the gasoline Wheelchair was not issued until the end of 1942, but advertisements for it say they started making them in 1916 and when they were first made he called them the Custer Car
CVS
CWS Poland, Started in 1932 building motorcycles, mostly for the army. They became Sokol in 1936. The factory was destroyed by the Nazis at the end of 1939 and production started again in 1947. Sokol was taken over by SLH in 1948 and stopped production in 1950 
Cyc-Auto England, 1934 - 1958?, Cyc-Auto Limited built the first British autocycle (A bicycle that was manufactured with an engine attached)
Cyclemaster England, 1950?- 1960? Built a complete powered wheel that was substituted for a bicycle's normal rear wheel.
Cyclemobile
Cyclemoto Peugeot
Cyclemotor Canada - USA, 1914 - 1925? Sold as Evans Powercycle and Stock in the later years. Cyclemotor is also a generic term for any add on engine for a bicycle
Cycle Scoot
Cycles Delight USA, Harley clones
Cyclone Sweden?, 1910?
Cyclone USA, The first Cyclone was introduced in 1912 or 1913 by the Joerns Motor Manufacturing Co. It had a 996cc overhead cam V-twin designed by Andrew Strand that did very well in racing competition, but the company was only in business from 1911 - 1915? - 1912 to 1917?
Cyclone USA, Harley Clones
Cyclotracteur France, 1914? 1918? - 1923. Autocycles, bicycle frames with front wheel drive engine kits
Cyril Huze USA, Harley Clones
CZ (Jawa) Frantisek Janecek started making motorcycles in 1929 in Czechoslovakia. They are famous for their Speedway and Ice racing bikes

D

Daelim Korea, Started in 1962. They make around 300,000 scooters and motorcycles a year.
Danuvia
Daihatsu Japan
Daimler Germany, Gottlieb Daimler (not Otto) put a 1/2 horsepower, 1 cylinder, 265cc four stroke engine in a wooden chassis with wooden wheels and steel tires in 1885
Dalesman England, 1969 - 1974, Motocross bikes with Sachs engines
Dandy Czech
Datzman Germany, 1984? Speedway racer, GM engines
Day USA, Early 1900's, Kelcom engines
DayStar USA, Harley Clones using TP Engineering engines and Transmissions
Dayton England, 1913 - 1961, Dayton Cycle Co Ltd
Dayton USA, Dayton, OH 1914 - 1918?  The company was originally the Davis Sewing Machine Company until 1888, when George P. Huffman purchased all the assets of Davis and added bicycle manufacturing in 1892. In 1914 they built a twin cylinder? motorcycle and in 1916 added a motor wheel kit developed by George Gorman called the Gorman Motor Wheel. Apparently motorcycle production stopped in 1918. Davis built bicycles for Harley Davidson from 1917 until 1922 when the company closed it's doors
Daytona Harley Clones
DB Italy, 50cc full competition junior motocross bikes.
De Dion Bouton France, 1890's?, Single cylinder tricycle in 1896, built engines for bicycles. A U.S. company in NY built engines under license
De Hinde see Hinde
Delaware
Delkron Ohio, USA, based shop that produces V-Twin engine/trans. components 
Della Ferrera Italy, 1909 - 1948?
DeLong USA, 1901 - 1903, The Industrial Machine Co.
De Luxe England, 1920's, Made by A. E. Bradford 
DeLuxe USA
Demm Italy, 1950's - 1970's?, Mopeds and 50cc racers
Demon England, Innovation Imports sells Chinese motorcycles, electric motorcycles, scooters, Atv's badged as Demon
Denali USA, Makes a line of electric motorcycles
Denco  New Zealand, Bob Denson in Christchurch, NZ builds complete Speedway race engines and engine components for race and street bikes
Derbi Spain, started by Simeon Rabasa Singla as a bicycle repair shop in 1922. They built scooters and motorcycles up to 600cc. In 1987 they begin selling Kawasaki products and build primarily scooters. In 2000 they build and race a very well engineered 125cc motorcycle
Derny France, 1938 - 1958, Originally made as a pace bike for bicycle racers, later they made mopeds 
Deronziere France, 1903 - ?
Desperado USA, Harley Clones - Rev Tec and TP Engineering Engines
Detroit USA, 1910?
Diamant Germany
Diamond England, 1908 - 1928, then again 1930 - 1932, JAP, Barr & Stroud and Villiers engines. Designed by A.J. Dorsett 
Di Blasi Italy, 1974, Folding scooters
Didik USA, Frank Didik makes several solar vehicles including a solar, electric, human powered motorcycle called the Sun Shark it is capable of speeds up to 40 miles per hour. It has an enclosed body with retractable outriggers 
Dilecta France, 1920's - 1939?
Dirtrax Australia, 1960's (probably 1965 - 1968) Speedway racers, Meirson (MSM) and JAP engines. A good chap named Peter Eastgate, from Australia, emailed me with the following: They were built in Oxford Street Bulimba, Queensland Australia at Bulimba Motor Cycles by Ernie Sues. He said that they were custom built for any engine but mainly JAP and Jawa. The Vintage Dirttrack and Speedway web site confirms that Ernie Sues built them and also says that only around 15 were built, but most with Meirson engines which were copies of JAP (who knows?)
D.K.R. England, 1957 - 1966, Built scooters with Villiers engines, up to 175cc
DKW Germany, Motorenwerke Rasmussen started by J. S. Rasmussen in 1906. They were making a steam powered car in 1917 the " Dampf Kraft Wagen" (DKW) and their first motorcycles in 1919. in the 1930's they combined with Audi, Wanderer and Horch to form the Auto Union AG. They were at one time the worlds largest manufacturer. In the 1950's? they merged in the “Zweirad-Union” with Victoria and Express. That group was taken over by Sachs in 1965. They lasted until the sixties and closed down but still sort of live on through MuZ, even though Sachs owns the DKW name now.
DMF Netherlands, 1939? 1940? - 1957, used Villiars and Puch but mostly ILO engines up to 250cc
DMW England, Dawson's Motor Works started making grass track racers in the early 1940's. The company was sold and became D.M.W. Motorcycles Ltd around 1945. Used Villiers, JAP and AMC engines. Bought Ambassador Motor Cycles in 1965. Around 1971 they bought the jigs from Villiers to produce spare parts for Villiers engines, and stopped producing their bikes and scooters
Dnepr (KMZ - Kiev Motor Works) Russian, started in the 1950's
Dolf Germany
Dollar France, 1922 - 1939, Used JAP, Moser and in 1933 a Chaise 750cc V-4
Dolphin 
Doodlebug USA, Beam Manufacturing in Webster City, Iowa, produced this scooter from 1946 - 1949 and possibly again? or by someone else? from 1954-1958. Distributed by Gambles Hardware and Western Auto stores. 
Dot England, Started in 1903 by Harry Reed, was sold in 1932 when Bernard Wade took over the company and Wade's family runs it today, however now they only make Dot-Armstrong shocks
Dorion France, 1931? - 1936
Douglas English, 1907 - 1957, Used by the military in WWI. Had some dirt track racing success in the 20's and 30's. Douglas was bought out by Westinghouse Brake & Signal who discontinued production to build scooters
D-Rad Germany, 1921 - 1933, made by "Deutsche Werke" Bought by NSU
Dream-Tech France, Harley Clones
Dream Toki Japan, They make 2 wheel drive on and off road bikes 
Driver USA
Drysdale Australian, They make a 750cc V-8 and a 1000cc V-8 engined street bike that sells for $37,000 US. It has a 17,000 rpm redline and 19,000 rpm on their race motors
DS Malterre France
Duck USA
Duesenberg USA
Ducati Italy, started building complete motorcycles in 1950. 1958 was the first year for the desmodronic valve system. They have won the World championship many times with their water-cooled four valve per cyl. 996cc V-twin. It puts out 163 bhp at 11500 rpm. They are now owned by Cagiva
Dufaux see Motosacoche 
Dukelow USA
Dunstall England, Around 1964 Paul Dunstall started building complete motorcycles that were based on Nortons, much the way Eric Buell later did with Harleys. By 1979 he had built complete "Dunstall" Nortons, BSAs, Triumphs, Metisses, Hondas, Kawasakis, Suzukis, and Yamahas. The Dunstall organization became a victim of the decline in the motorcycle market at the end of the 1970's. Dunstall sold the name in 1982. It disappeared by 1985
Durandal France
Durkopp Germany, Started around 1867 building bicycles They produced their own single, twin and four cylinder engines. They stopped motorcycle production around 1912 to about 1927, during this time they built only cars. They restarted making motorcycles but used mostly Sachs engines until around 1951 and there after used their own engines again, concentrating on scooters that they called "Diana" until 1961. In 1955 they bought Ardie, who they had previously been making parts for. They still produce sewing machines
Duzmo England, Early 1920's, Some of them were successful in early hill climb competitions 
Dyke USA
Dynacycle USA, 1949-1953, St. Louis, MO Sold 165cc engines that could be mounted on a bicycle frame and sold a complete bike for $229


E

Eagle USA, 1913?
EBS Germany
Ecomobile Swiss, 1982 - ?, Used a full body fairing that enclosed the rider, BMW engine
Economy
Ecstasy USA, Ecstasy Cycles makes Chevy V8 powered trikes
eCycle USA, eCycle plans to release limited numbers of their hybrid motorcycle in 2002. It uses a 219cc Yanmar diesel engine and an 8kW brushless electric motor drive. They are still designing their own 125cc engine. The bike is supposed to get 180mpg with a top speed of 80mph and acceleration of 0-60 mph in 6 seconds
Edmond USA, E.J. Edmond designed and built a motorcycle in 1899 using a DeDion engine, he later went to work at Auto-bi. Oscar Hedstrom from Indian motorcycles called Edmond a motorcycle pioneer
EEC Hong Kong, East Future Group makes scooters, small motorcycles, Atv's
E&F USA, see Fleming
Egli Swiss
Electra USA, 1913?, Electric
Electrobike USA, Electric mopeds
Elf France?, Made several racing models in the 1980's using Honda engines
Elf England, Early 1900's also Elf-King
Elk
Elliott 1920's?
Elswick England, 1880 - 1985?, Started by Fred Hopper as a bicycle maker and later made purpose built frames to attach Cyclemaster engines on. He was an early importer of NSU motorcycles. Around 1903?/1911? to 1921? he started making the Elswick motorcycle using Precision engines. Around 1910?/1911? until 1920? he also sold them as Torpedo motorcycles. Information on this company is sketchy, they apparently also made mopeds/scooters into the 1960's? and continued to produce the Elswick-Hopper bicycle until around 1985. A company history can be found here, at Nigel Land's site 
Emblem USA, 1907 - 1925, Emblem Manufacturing Co. Used Thor engines until about 1909 then built their own singles and V-twins up to 1255cc
EMC England, Ehrlich Motor Co. Made racers and street bikes on and off from the 1930's to the 1990's. Dr. Joe Ehrlich was the owner and designer of all the bikes at Ehrlich Motor Racing.  In the 1960’s he made some of the fastest 125cc bikes of their day. His grandson, Andrew Barnard, informed me that he passed away in October, 2003. 
Erie USA see Marvel
Esarati Esarati Electric Technologies Corp. is developing a line of electric motorcycles in 2002
Eshelman USA, Eshelman's were made by Cheston Eshelman an airplane builder and owner of the Cheston L. Eshelman Company in Dundalk, MD. the 1940's and later owner of the Eshelman Motor Co. in Baltimore MD. They made an assortment of small vehicles. Small single cylinder 3 to 8.5 hp microcars, garden tractors, golf carts, scooters, ect. The garden tractors and scooters were all probably powered by Briggs and Stratton engines like the small cars they built.
ESO Czechoslovakia, 1950 - 1963, In 1950 Jaroslav Simandl bought the rights and all of the spare parts from Josef Linhart for the JOLI engine, which was a copy of a JAP engine. They made speedway and ice racers. Taken over by Jawa in 1964
Esse motorcycles were made in Sweden in 1913 by Monark. 
E-Ton Taiwan, The Ji-ee company makes scooters and small motorcycles
Evans USA, 1919 - 1924?, Evans Power-Cycle 119cc two stroke Made by the CycleMotor Corporation who made the belt driven CycleMotor bicycle. Many Evans motorcycles were exported to Europe. CycleMotor quit making them around 1923? - 24?. They were then made in Berlin by Stock-Motorpflug A.G. until around 1933 under license from CycleMotor and sold under the name Stock. Tax records from Berlin show Stock was only in business from 1924 - 1933 so they may have started just for this venture. Maybe even using CycleMotors tooling? The later ones had around a 300cc engine with shaft drive.
Evinrude USA, The outboard motor maker also made an engine kit for bicycles. Some sources say that they only made the kit in 1936 - 1937, however, the Tillotson Manufacturing Co. lists their Carburetor as original equipment for Evinrude bicycle engines from 1929 to 1940
Excelsior England, 1896 - 1964,  British Excelsior's were rebadged as American X by the U.S. importer in Chicago because American Excelsior had the rights to the Excelsior name in North America
Excelsior Germany, 1901? - 1939, Excelsior Fahrrad Motorad-Werke in Brandenburg used JAP and other engines
Excelsior Cycle Co. USA, They built the DeLux from 1912-1915 that used a Spacke V-Twin engine.
Excelsior USA, Excelsior Supply Co. started making motorcycles in Chicago in 1907 and was purchased by the Schwinn bicycle company in 1912. They made V-twin bikes up to 1000cc. The depression started in 1929 and Schwinn stopped all production of both Excelsior and Henderson in 1931 and went back to building only bicycles see Henderson - see Super-X
Excelsior Henderson after Schwinn bought both Excelsior and Henderson motorcycle companies he called his motorcycle co. Excelsior-Henderson. see Henderson 
Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Manufacturing Company In 1999 the Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Manufacturing Company shipped its first bikes after purchasing the rights to the name. They filed for bankruptcy within two years. Swift Motorcycle Co. bought the tooling for them and are now supplying parts for them. 
Exile Cycles USA, Harley clones
Express Germany, 1901 - 1959?, The name was acquired by Sachs in 1965
Eysink Dutch, Eysink at Amersfoort started in 1897. They made cars until 1920 and motorcycles until around 1956 and then made mopeds. Over the years they used JAP, Python, Villiers, Kelecom, Minerva, and Sarolea engines. Was bought by NVT in 1975
F

Fabianski Poland, 1936 - 1939
Fafnir Germany, 1904? - ?, Fafnir-Werke was an engine builder
Fairy England, 1907?, First motorcycle made by Douglas?
Fantic This Italian company builds bikes for motocross and trials, where it has been a leading contender since it began in 1960
Far Italy, They make the Twip electric scooter
Farmbyke New Zealand, 1970's? Designed and made in New Zealand, using Suzuki parts
Farron
Favorit Germany
FB-AJS see AJS
Federation/Federal England, The Co-operative Wholesale Society was founded in 1869 by a group of retailers and manufacturers as a way to buy large amounts of goods at a lower price. Around 1920 they started making motorcycles that were called Federation and Federal using JAP and Villiers engines. They stopped around 1937
Feilbach Limited USA, 1904 - 1914, Used by the Milwaukee Police Dept.
Fenris USA, Fenris Cycle Company Clarkesville, GA. Harley Clones
Ferbedo Germany
Ferrari Italy, 1951 - 1954, No connection to the car, made by Fratelli Ferrari 128 to 248cc 
FKS
Fichtel & Sachs Germany, Engine builders
Flanders USA, 1911 - 1914, Inline four engine? Had a v-twin in 1914
Flandria Belgium, 1950's - 1981, Started by the Claeys brothers
Fleming USA, 1900 - ? The Fleming Motor Vehicle Co. built engine kits for bicycles and produced a complete motorbike in 1901. Also sold as Ellis and Fleming and E&F
Flying Merkel USA, 1901 - 1917, Was a small company started by Joseph Merkel in Milwaukee.  Sold as Merkel until 1910. Some had 1000cc Thor engines. Bought by the Miami Cycle Co. around 1911?. Merkel left the business with the sale and went to Autoped in 1913
Flink Motorcycles were powered by a Kurier two stroke engine and was the first motorcycle built by BMW in the early 1920's
FN Walter Kelicom of the FN arms factory in Belgium began making motorcycles in 1901, offered a shaft drive in 1903 and made the first successful four-cylinder motorcycle in 1910
Francis-Barnett England, Gordon Francis and Arthur Barnett got together in 1919. The wheels they used were mounted on spindles and most used JAP, Blackburn, Villiers or AMC engines. It was taken over by Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) in 1947
Freebird USA, Harley Clones
Frera Italy, 1906-1956
Freras Italy, 1920's?
Freyer & Miller
Freze Russia
FSO Poland, Polish car maker that made a trail bike in the 1970's
Force Austria
Fowler Four
Fowler Manson-Sherman
Foxinette Austria?
Francke-Johannsmeyer
Franklin
Fuki Planning Japan, Developed the first "Pocket or Minimoto bikes" in 1975 (Minimoto's are small displacement minibike sized racers with fairings that resemble full scale racers)
Furir see Colibri

G

Gambler USA, Harley clones
Garelli (Agrati-Garelli) Italian, 1913 - ? Small cc scooters
Gas Gas Spain, Started business in 1974 selling parts for trials bikes. Built their first motorcycle in 1985? 1986?. Around 1988 Merlin motorcycle closed it's doors and sold to Gas Gas
Gazelle Dutch, Bicycle maker that started making motorbicycles in 1950 and mopeds in 1954, they lasted until 1975 and now again produce only bicycles 
GD Italy, 1923 - 1942?, Founded in Bologna by Ghirardi and Dallolio. The company was taken over around 1942 and manufacturing switched to wrapping and packing  machinery
Gearless USA, 1905 - 1906?, The Gearless Motorcycle Co. Shaft drive with a variable friction transmission
Geco-Herstal Belguim, France? 1927 - 1930?, Gillet-Herstal bought French maker Gerkinet and made the Geco-Herstal
Geer
Gem MiniMoto England
Gemini see Shin San Tong
Geneva USA, Manufactured by the Geneva Bicycle and Steam Carriage Co. in Geneva Ohio in 1896. It was front wheel drive and had the steam engine over the front wheel 
Genial-Lucifer France, 1928 - 1956, Built in Paris. Used engines made by Train, Mag, Chaise and others
Gerhart Four
Gerkinet France
Germaan Dutch
Gerosa Italy
G&G Swiss, Started in 1983,  Makers of customs using Guzzi and BMW engines
Ghezzi & Brian Italy, 1995, they build a racer and a 1100cc street bike based around a Moto Guzzi engine
Giggle Tiawan, 1992, Folding gas and electric scooters
Gilera Italy, Founded in 1909 and was heavily involved in racing until the late 1950's. The company was sold to Piaggio in 1969 and they still make motorcycles and scooters using the Gilera badge
Gillet-Herstal Belgium
Gitan  Italy, 1950 - 1980?, Small mopeds, early ones used Lavalette engines
Glas-Goggo Germany, 1950? 1951? - 1956, Hans Glas, built the Goggo Scooter with 120cc,125cc, 150cc and 200cc.ILO engines. Some came with a side-car. Production stopped in 1956 when Glas decided to build a 250 to 450cc micro car that he called the Goggomobil
Globester
Gloria England, 1924 - 1925, Used engines built by a French engine company called Train who built engines for several manufactures from around 1913 until about 1939 
Gloria England, 1931? - 1933? 1932? - 1934? A inexpensive motorcycle brand built by Triumph using Villiers Engines
GM Italy, Giuseppe Marzotto started building engines for Speedway and Ice bikes in 1979. Many racers today use GM engines
Gnome Rhone France
Godden Speedway racers
Goericke Germany, 1903 - 1960
Gorman Motor Wheel USA, 1916 - 1918?  In 1916 George Gorman of the Davis (Dayton) Company acquired a patent for a self-contained motor to be fitted to a bicycle. The "Gorman Motor Wheel" slipped over the front forks and had a throttle that attached to the handlebars.
Gough England, 1901 - ? Bicycle builders Joseph and Thomas Gough built the Minerva Motor Bicycle in 1901, using a Gough frame and Minerva engine. They later built motorcycles using other engines
Grandeur USA, Jonesville, NC. Harley Clones, Complete bikes and kits. Total Performance and RevTech engines
Grand Prix see Lambretta
GrcMoto Italy, Minimoto racers
Greeves England, Started by Bert Greeves the company made street bikes, scramblers, road racers and trials bikes from 1953 until 1978. Early ones used Villiers engines
Greyhound USA, see Auto-Bi
Greyhound England
Griffon France, 1902? - ?,  Won the first international motorcycle race in 1904. The name Griffon was used by Greeves in the 1960's and 70's
Grindlay Peerless England, 1920's - 1934
Gripen Sweden
GRM USA, see Islo

H

HADC see Motosacoche 
Haggo Sweden, 1970's, Hagglunds, a large industrial manufacturer,  won a contract to build a military motorcycle. Husqvarna took over the production of the Hagglunds designed motorcycle
Haleson England, 1903? - 1914? Steam powered
Hampden
Harley Davidson If you're reading this page you already know. Also see Aermacchi  and Hummer
Harper England, 1950's Scooters
Harper USA, 1911? - ? The Harper Engineering Co. built and sold a 45 degree V-twin engine for motorcycles
Harris England, 1970's - 1980's, Cafe racer builders, using various Japanese engines
Hartford
Hausmann USA
Haverford USA, 1911 - 1924? Haverford Cycle Co. 
Haveloc Australia -Tasmania, 1903?
Hawker England, 1920's
Hawthorne
HB England, 1919 - 1923, Made by the Hill Brothers. Blackburne engines
HDT USA, Hayes Diversified Technologies started business in 1961 building mostly components for the U.S. military. In 1970 they began selling Penton motorcycles under the name METTCO. They also built components and engine modifications while working as consultants with Honda's off road racing and Enduro teams. They are now the sole supplier of motorcycles for the U.S. Marine Corps, building  engines for modified Kawasaki KLR650s that run on diesel fuel, bio-diesel or aviation kerosene 
Healing Austrailia, 1903 - ?, JAP and other engines. Rebadged as Mostyn, Bullock, De-Luxe, Blue Bird, Pearless, Big Four and more?
Heavy Duty Canada, Donny Petersen builds custom Harley clones
Hec England, 1922 - 1924, Hewins Engineering Company
Hec England, 1938 - 1940, Hepburn Engineering Company. Used Levis engines
Hecker Germany, 1922-1956
Hedlund was a Swedish company 1955 to 1987
Hedstrom USA, Oscar Hedstrom built his first motorcycles around 1898. They were tandem seat motorcycles that were used to pace bicycle races. Also called Henshaw-Hedstrom. He later went on to establish Indian with George Hendee 
Heinkel Germany 1952 - 1965, Started as an airplane manufacturer in 1922. Started making scooters and mopeds around 1952? 1954?
Helios Germany 1921-1922, was the first motorcycle made by BMW that used their own engine, a 486cc side-valve
Henderson Was started in Detroit in 1912 by Tom W. Henderson and his brother William G. Henderson, who later started Ace Motorcycles. They built mostly inline four engines up to 1340cc and was sold to the Schwinn bicycle company in 1917 and then marketed by Excelsior  which was also purchased by Ignatz Schwinn. Both bros continued to work for Excelsior, Tom until 1917 and Bill until 1920 when he left to Start Ace Motorcycles. In May, 1922 at the Tacoma Speedway, here in Washington where I live, a rider named Wells Bennet set a new 24 hour endurance record of 1,562.54 miles on a stock Henderson Deluxe. The depression started in 1929 and Schwinn stopped all production of both Excelsior and Henderson in 1931 and went back to building only bicycles
Hemingway USA
Herring
Hercules USA, 1902 - 1905?, The name Glenn Curtiss used for the first motorcycles he made. see Curtiss
Hercules Germany, made their first motorcycles in 1904. Taken over by Sachs around 1964 and then sold several more times over the years. Sachs built bikes and sold Yamahas and other makes under the name Hercules until around 1995
Hercules W2000 Germany, Was the first production rotary motorcycle in 1974. It had a Wankel engine and was made by Sachs and was also sold as DKW because Sachs owned the name.
Hercules Australia
Hero India, Started in 1956 as Hero Cycles and became the largest bicycle maker in the world. Majestic Auto Limited was established in 1978 to build the Hero Majestic Moped. In 1984 Hero Honda Motors Limited was formed in a partnership with Honda. They manufacture mopeds and small motorcycles up to 100 cc. Including models called Panther, Stalion, Ankur and Gizmo. In 2002 the Hero Group has 18 divisions and has an annual gross earnings of over $1.5 billion  U.S.
Hesketh England, 1981 - 1983
H&G Australia, They build the Sporton, a Harley Sportster engine in a copy of a Norton featherbed frame
H & H
Highland Sweden, 1997, They build a 950cc V-Twin dirtbike as one of their models
Hilaman USA, 1906 - 1912? The A.H. Hilaman Co.
Hildebrand and Wolfmuller In 1889, Heinrich and Wilhelm Hildebrand of Munich made a prototype motorcycle using with a small steam engine. After their prototype steam motorcycle, the brothers joined with Alois Wolfmuller to manufacture a design patented by Wolfmuller and Hans Geisenhoff in 1894. It is considered to be the first production motorcycle, it was made in both Germany and France until 1896. The engine was a twin cylinder, water cooled, four stroke with 1488cc. The pistons traveled together (firing alternately) with their connecting rods pushing cranks on the rear wheel, like a locomotive engine. The rear wheel acted like a flywheel and it used rubber bands to pull the pistons back up the cylinders. There are still many examples of the Hildebrand & Wolfmuller "Motorad" in the Deutsches Zweirad-Museum, Neckarsulm, Germany, the Science Museum in London, England and the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit
Hinde Netherlands 1893 - ? Bicycle and machine factory "de Hinde" owned by van Gink, Ott Bultman & Co in Amsterdam. They advertised in 1899 with the slogan "Everybody can build an engine" and offered an engine of 1 1/2 or 2 HP. Dion Bouton, all in rough castings of the finest quality iron and aluminum, which you had to machine and assemble yourself, it came with a precise drawing, all for the price of 43 Dutch guilders.
           In 1936 G.C. Schulze, an Amsterdam firm tried their luck with the brand name "de Hinde" a 60,100 and a 120cc two stroke model were offered, all with ILO engine. How long they stayed in business is not known here (Thanks to Albert Krijger for the information)
HKS Japan, Hasegawa Kogyu Seisakushu made engines for race bikes in very small numbers in the 1980's
Hobart England, 1920's?
Hodaka was a joint venture between Japanese engine builder Hodaka and American produce distributor Pabatco (who was later bought by Shell Oil)  that started shipping bikes in 1964 and lasted until about 1979. They started the street/trail bike craze. They had some of the best model names like, Wombat, Combat Wombat, Super Rat, Road Toad and Thunderdog   see Yamaguchi  and "Ode to Hodaka" in the sources
Hoffman Germany, 1949? 1950? - ? Made motorcycles and then bought the rights to produce scooters under license from Vespa
Holden Motor Bicycle England, 1896 - 1902, Brig. Gen. Sir H.C.L. Holden had a four cylinder design in 1896. It used the same inefficient design that Pennington and Hildebrand Wolfmuller and others used with the connecting rods directly driving the rear wheel 
Holder
Hold Up Choppers France, Harley Clones, RevTec engines
Holley USA,  In 1897 George and Earl Holley a single-cylinder three-wheeler. They started the Holley Motor Co. in 1899 to build engines and then started producing motorcycles around 1901 using Holly engines on frames made by the Olive Wheel Co. but stopped making motorcycles in 1903. They bros also produced a few cars. Their fame, however came from carburetors. Who hasn't heard of a Holley Carb? 
Honda Japan, Started by Soichiro Honda and was making motorbikes in 1946. Entered the U.S. market in 1959
Horex Germany, 1923 - 1959, Engines were made by Columbus - 250 to 800cc. For a time Horex was sold as Zundapp when Zundapp was having production problems. In 1958 or 1959 Horex's manufacturing plant was bought by Mercedes and motorcycle production was stopped
Hosk Japan, 1953 - 1957, They built 195cc to 500cc motorcycles, both two and four stroke. Before their demise around 1957 they copied a German Horex 500cc single overhead cam twin and started producing them but ran into financial problems and were bought by Showa who produced the 500 and also designed a 650 based on the same engine. Around 1960 Showa was purchased by Yamaha. In 1968 they used the 650 design and started selling the XS1 650 twin and began exporting them around 1970. They were very nice motorcycles for their time and Yamaha sold a bizillion of them through about 1985  
HRD England, Started by Howard Raymond Davies in 1925, he won the 1925 Isle on Man Senior TT on one. Originally HRD created three racing models using JAP engines. The company went bankrupt in 1928. The name was later sold for the price of 500 pounds to Phil Vincent who produced the Vincent HRD 
Hudson England, (New Hudson?) 1914?, Used to deliver mail in England
Hulsmann Netherlands, 1939 - 1955, Started making bicycle frames in 1904, started making motorcycles in 1939 using Villiers engines from 125 to 225cc. Some of the early models ran the exhaust through the rear frame tubes 
Humber England, 1899? - ?, Built motorcycles and cars
Hummel Bremen Germany, 1950 - 1955 - 56?,  Motorcycles, mopeds/scooters. ILO engines. Apparently most of their bikes were badged and sold as "Sitta".  I think that Hummel's were last sold in '54 or '55 and Sitta's in '55 or '56. DWK got the rights to the name around that time and used the name for a time.  Using possibly Sachs engines?
Hummer USA, 1948 - 1965, made by Harley Davidson, first called the model 125. Hummer is the name usually associated with this line of bikes which had several different models. It was a copy of a German DKW. BSA made the same bike and called it the Bantam. The design was taken by the allies after WWII
Hunwick Hallam is an Australian Superbike manufacturer. The Hunwick Hallam X1R has a high tech frame, carbon fiber components and a 1000cc V-twin engine that makes more that 170 hp at the rear wheel 
Hunwick Harrop Australia, They make limited production cruisers 
Hurley-Pugh England, 1904 - 1943, established in by Sir John Hurley and Alaric Pugh. The Excalibur model had a 1212cc side valve single engine. They made a military model in the 1930's called the "Wildebeeste Cavalryman All-Terrain MkVIII" that had a single track in place of the rear wheel. The details are sketchy but H-P was somehow associated with the Spagthorpe Motorcycle Co. :~)
Hurricane Japan, 1953-1968, manufactured by Fuji Kogyo (Fuji Heavy Industries) . The engine was a 346cc overhead-valve single
Husaberg Sweden, Was started in 1988 by a group of former Husqvarna engineers and make top of the line off-road and enduro four stroke racers
Husqvarna Sweden, Started production in 1904? and was bought by Cagiva (now called MV Agusta) in 1986. Sold by MV to BMW in 2007
Huy
Hyosung Korea, 1978, affiliated with Suzuki 


I

Ideal Jawa India, Started in 1961 in collaboration with Czechoslovakian Jawa Limited until 1968. Badges their motorcycles as Yezdi
IKH Russian
ILO Germany, Engine builder with plants in Hamburg and Pinneberg, the Hamburg plant was destroyed by allied bombing 
Imme see Riedel
Imperia Germany, 1920's - 1930's
Imperial USA, 1902? - ?, Some had a 90 degree v-twin. They were made by American Cycle Manufacturing Co.
Indian USA, Started in 1901 by George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom in Massachusetts. They battled with HD on the race track and in the marketplace. The company was taken over by a British company called Brockhouse in 1950 and then combined into the English AMC group who stopped its production in 1953. I think Harley Davidson ended up owning the rights to one form or other of the Indian name? Sometime in the 1990's a merger between the Indian Motorcycle Company Inc., American Indian Motorcycle Company and California Motorcycle Company acquired enough of the rights to the name to start producing new motorcycles in 1999? as the Indian Motorcycle Corporation. They went out of business in 2004? A new company called the Indian Motorcycle Company now has the rights and is in pre-production in 2005 and hopes to start producing motorcycles in 2006 (Somewhere in this mess there is also an Indian Motorcycle International, LLC, I don't know who the hell they are?)
Indian Enfield England, With the end of production of the "real" Indians in 1953, Brockhouse/AMC started selling Enfields as Indians until 1959 or 1960
Independence USA, Tucson AZ, Harley Clones
Industrial? USA, 1903, Syracuse, NY?. The antique literature website shows a listing for this motorcycle, I have not been able to confirm it from any other source. It is not listed in the NY State Museum's history of the NY motorcycle industry
Invincible Australian, 1920's, JAP engines
Irbit Russian built, also sold as Ural
Island Hopper USA, Manufacture fold up bicycles with electric or Tecumseh Viper 2 hp gas engines
Islo Mexico, late 1950's, Made off-road motorcycles using engine parts made in Italy and later, engines by Sachs. Imported  into the USA in the early 1970's by Cooper and sold as Cooper. One story is that a man named Cooper who worked for or was a dealer for Maico tried to get Maico to make an Enduro bike with no success. He contracted with Islo in the early 1970's to produce an Enduro and also an MX. 
Islo also made a trials bike from 1971 - 1975 called GRM (Grapevine Racing Motors) that was imported to the USA, for Bill Grapevine, who designed the bike. ISO also made? or just supplied the engines for California's Jones Motorsports who had the AMMEX motorcycle. It is unclear if Jones made the frames and engine modifications or had the whole bike produced in Mexico. Jones was also a dealer for Cooper. The Islo manufacturing facilities and name were bought by Honda around 1982 
Italemmezeta Italy
ItalJet Italy, Mini bikes, scooters, motorcycles
Italvel Italy, Electric scooters
ITOM Italy, 1944?, 45? to late 1960's. Originally made a bicycle engine kit, later made mopeds and very successful 50cc racers 
Iver-Johnson 1907-1915, Iver Johnson Arms & Cycle Works. Fitchburg, MA., up to 1090cc V-Twin
IWL Germany, 1955 - ? Industrie Werk Ludwigsfelde built scooters
Ixion
Izh/Planata Russian, Started in the 1930's, I believe it later became Ural
Izh Iran, The Izhroosta Co.

J

JAC Czechoslovakia
Jack and Heintz USA, 1950's? Motorized bicycles
James England, Started in 1902 and was very successful until the 1920's when their factory burned. They made lightweight bikes for the military during the second world war. Taken over by AMC around 1960 and continued in limited production until around 1964 -1966? 
James A Smith England, 1904
Jamathi Dutch
J.A.P. J.A. Prestwich of London manufactured engines from 123cc to 1098cc which were used by many motorcycle builders. JAP built their own motorcycles from 1904 to 1908, from then to 1945 they built only engines
Jawa CZ
JB Special USA, 1950? It's unclear if this motorcycle was built in the U.S. (it may have been made in Franklin Square NY) or was imported and rebadged by Joe Berliner . Berliner later Imported motorcycles built in Germany with Sachs engines and sold as Je-Be and JBK? In 1967 (and, or, before and after that date) the Berliner Motor Corporation of Hasbrouck Heights, New Jersey, had a deal with AMC and sold Norton and Matchless and also Moto Guzzi and Ducati.
Jeepette USA, 1943? - ? Small scooter that had a single cyl 5hp 21 cu. in. engine that used parts from a ford flathead engine, piston, valves, timing gears ect. they were made by L Ronney and Sons in Los Angeles
Jefferson USA, 1913? see Waverly
Jewel USA, 1908?
Jincheng Singa
Jing Shing Taiwan, Scooters
Joerns (Joerns-Thiem) USA, 1911? - 1916? Fred Joerns from  St. Paul, Minn. bought the Thiem Mfg. Co. from  Edward A Thiem around 1911 and it became the Joerns-Thiem Motor Mfg. Co. They built the Thiem motorcycle and the Cyclone which was sold as made by the Joerns Motor Mfg. Co. see Cyclone
Jonghi France, 1930 - 1956? 1955? Built motorcycles using single cylinder engines that were as big as 348 cc. Jonghi merged with Prester in 1935 or 1936. and were sold as Prester Jonghi from 1935? 1936? to 1939. The smaller cc two stroke Prester was still built and sold as Prester in the same period. During WWII the brothers Eichel that owned Prester died in Hitler's concentration camps. SATAM bought out Jonghi and they were sold after the war as just "Jonghi". I believe that the Prester line was also continued after the war??
Johnson Motorwheel USA, Chicago 1918? Bicycle engine kits
Johnson England? 1901? - ?
JOLI see ESO
Jordan Taiwan, 1997, Scooters
Joybike England, 1958? 1959? - 1961? Mopeds made by H V Powell Ltd
Juckes England, 1902 - 1925, T. C. Juckes owned the Efficient Engineering Company, they built their own engines and gearboxes
Junak Poland, 1954 - 1965, Closed due to pressure from the USSR, who's grand plan said that motorcycle production should be left to the USSR, East Germany and Czechoslovakia
Junior Canada, Harley clones, S&S engines
K

Kaestner Chicago
Kahena Brazil, 1991 - ?, Like the earlier Amazonas, it used a VW car engine
Kane Pennington USA, 1895?
Kannon England, They make V-6 and V-8 Chevy and Ford powered bikes
Kasea Korean
Kanuni Turkey, This company started importing MZ's in 1987, after MZ became MuZ the old plans and machinery were shipped to Dudullu, Istanbul and are sold as Kanuni
Kawasaki started producing motorcycles when they bought out Meguro in 1963. Their first Model was the W1 (K1) Introduced in 1965 and sold in the U.S. in 1966, the W2 in 1967 and the W3 was last produced in 1974. It had an Air-Cooled , 4-stroke, Twin OHV 496cc ?? engine mounted in a double-cradle frame. It was a copy of a BSA A7 The following Correction is from John Strohl Ex-owner of a W2-SS : W1, W2, and W3 Kawasakis were sold as 650cc although they actually had a 624cc displacement. They were similar to the A10 but were based on A7 tooling that Meguro bought from BSA. Kawasaki started out as the gearbox maker for Meguro but bought them out and began motorcycles
Keating USA, 1901 - 19??, Keating Wheel and Automobile Co
Kendal England, 1927? Scotts that were modified and rebadged and then sold as Kendal or Kendal Scotts
Kenilworth England, 1919?-1924? A small scooter with around a 150cc engine and a variable speed drive 
Kent Australia, 1910 - 1920?
Kenzler-Waverly USA, 1910-1914, Used Waverly engines
Kerry England, Belgium?  1902 - 1914?, Kerry made motorcycles and sidecars. There was also a Kerry-Abingdon made in partnership with Abingdon motorcycles. May have been a Belgium made motorcycle but sold by the East London Rubber Co. I have seen pictures of a Kerry speedway racer that was probably from the 1970's but I am not sure if it is the same company
Kettenkrad Germany, Was a tracked military motorcycle that was conceived by Heinrich Kniepkamp. Most were produced by NSU
Kiefler USA, Early 1907 - 1912?, Kiefler Motor Works had a 5hp single in 1909
Kievlyanin Russia?
KillaCycle USA, A one off electric motorcycle built for drag racing. It set a world record for electric powered bikes in Aug. of 2000 with a run of 9.45 seconds at 152.07mph. The battery powered motor uses 624 batteries that put out 312 volts and 3600 peak amps. A new more powerful one is under construction in 2002
Killinger & Freund Germany, 1938, a prototype with front wheel drive. It was shown in the 1938 Motorrad magazine
Kinetic India, 1972, Mopeds to 124cc Motorcycles in partnership with Hyosung 
Kirby Special English racer Alf Hagon built light weight racers with JAP engines, he won eleven national titles with them
Kirkham USA, 1903 - ? Kirkham Motor Manufacturing Co. Built engines for the first Curtiss Hercules motorcycles and produced a limited number of complete motorcycles
Kleinschnittger Germany, 1950's? This car maker made a short lived scooter using a 50cc ILO engine
KMZ Dnepr
Kobas Spain, 1970's - 1980's, Racers using Rotax engines
Kodiak USA,. 1999, Custom Harley Clones
Koehler Escoffier France, They built some street motorcycles, but are best known for their limited production machines mostly for racing. Looks along the lines of a Brough-Superior they were a work of art. Thirteen of them were made between 1927 and 1935 they had a four stroke 45 degree V-Twin, 980cc engine with 2 Amal carburetors, and a four speed gear box. They started out with 35hp but after racer Georges Monneret had his hand with them they put out 78hp on alcohol and a top speed of around 125mph
Kokomo USA, Kokomo, IN
Komar Poland, 1960 - 1974
Komet Germany? France? 1902
Kossm Korea, Korea Special Small Motors started making three wheeled scooters and utility scooters in 1988
Kramit Italy, builds competition motocross bikes
Krauser Germany
Kreidler started making bikes in 1951 in Germany and stopped in 1983. Garelli rebadged some of their small cc bikes as Kreidler until around 1988
Kreidler Florett Holland, They have four models that are produced in limited numbers. A Taiwanese company also makes a line that uses the name
Kroboth Germany, 1950's?
KTM Austrian, Hans Trunkenpolz started a motorcycle sales and repair shop in 1934 selling DKW's. Introduced their first production series of KTM motorcycles in 1953. They won the first 5 places in the 2001 Paris to Dakar Rally
Kulture USA, 1909 - 1917, The Deninger Cycle Co. perhaps made their own motorcycles or just rebadged others such as Manson and Emblem with the Kulture badge
Kumoto started in 1997, they are assembled in China with engine parts imported from Honda
Kurier Germany, In 1920 Kurt Hanfland developed an engine called the Kurier that was used BMW's Flink motorcycle and others
Kymco Taiwan, Founded in 1963, they made their first bikes in 1970, Kymco is one of the world's largest manufacturers of ATV's, Scooters and Motorcycles. They are also assembled under license in Argentina and sold as ISMA 

L

Lady Belgium 1924 - 1939? Rudge, Villiers, JAP engines. Also built Speedway bikes
La Foudre France, 1902?
Lambretta Italy, 1947? 1948? - 1997? Ferdinando Innocenti was an Italian industralist, he started production of metal products in 1926. After WWII he saw the need for cheap transportation for the working class. After a few setbacks, due to financial problems following the war, the first scooters were finished in 1948?. They were very successful for many years. During the 1950's they were also produced under license in France and by NSU in Germany. Following the death of Ferdinando the company slowly declined and in the early 1970's the assembly lines and machinery were sold to Scooter India where production continued until the late 1990's being sold as "Grand Prix" 
La Mondiale Belgium, 1923 - 1934
Lamson
Landgraf
Langford
La Ray USA, 1940's? La Ray Powercycle was a motorized bicycle
Laurin and Klement Austria, Early 1900's (1899? - 1908?)
Laverda Italian, opened in 1949 and still is produced
Lea Francis England, 1911 - 1937, Started by Richard Henry Lea and Graham Inglesby Francis. They also built cars
Leader
Legnano Italy, 1954 - 1968,  Mopeds, Sachs, Demm and Minarelli engines. The bicycle company Legnano was started or purchased  by Emilio Bozzi in 1908. He also had the rights to the Wolsit name and apparently produced a motorized version of the Wolsit bicycle in the early 1900's. He possibly sold the rights to the Wolsit motorbike to NSU in 1932?  Moped production stopped in 1968 but bicycle production continued and the company was purchased by Bianchi. The Legnano name is now owned by Cycleurope?
LDE England, 1951
Lech Poland, 1929 - 1932, The first Polish motorcycle? 
Lectraa USA, 1995, makes electric motorcycles powered by a brush-less Variable Reluctance "VR" motor that has no magnets. Made by Electric Motorbike Incorporated (EMB) 
LEM Italy, They make high end mini dirt bikes and off road racers for kids, since 1974
Leo
Leopard German Panthers were badged as Leopard's when they were sold in England because Phelon & Moore (P&M) owned the rights to the Panther name in England
Levis England, 1911 - ? Built motorcycles and sold engines
Lewis USA
Liberty
Light Thor-Bred see Aurora 
Lightning USA, V-8 trikes
Lilac Japan, see Marusho
Lincoln Elk England
Linto Italy, 1970's, The Linto 500 racer used two Aermacchi 250cc engines that were coupled together
Lion-Rapide Belgium, 1938 - 1957, Sachs, Villiers engines. Also produced a model called the Salira
Lito Speedway bikes and engines
Little Giant England, 1913 - 1915
LLoyde Germany
Lohmann Germany, Made a bolt on engine for bicycles
Lohner Austria, 1950's
Lomart USA 1970's?, mini-bikes
Long USA, 1880, steam tricycle
Lot Poland
Lube Spain, 1947? 1949? - 1966, NSU engines until 1964, unclear what engines after that
Lucznik Poland, 1938 - 1939
Lunford USA, 1916? - ?
Luquin Coudert  

M

Mabeco Germany
Mack
Maely USA, 1970's - 1980's? Ken Maely built frames and engines for speedway racers. 
MAG see Motosacoche 
Magni Italy, Starting in 1947 Arturo Magni worked for the Gilera race department and then went to work for MV Agusta in the 1950's where his race team won 75 world championships. Around 1977 he opened a shop to convert street motorcycles, much like Dunstall. He has made Magni MVs, Moto Guzzis, BMWs, Hondas
Maharashtra India, Scooters. Entered in a joint venture with Bajaj in 1975 and was later taken over by them
Maico Germany, 1933 - 1987? Made motocross bikes, scooters and had a few passenger motorcycles along with a short lived attempt to make a micro-car
Maico Netherlands, Started production in 1999 or 2000? They make a 250, 380 and 500cc dirt bike and scooters
Majestic France
Majestic England, 1935, part of OK-Supreme
Malaguti Italy, started making 38cc scooters in 1955??
Malanca Italy, 1956 - 1986? made mopeds 
Maltby USA, 1901? - 1903?, Maltby Automobile and Manufacturing Co
Malvern Star Australian, 1938? - 1952, Autocycle or Auto-bike as the Aussies call them. Some had 98cc Villiers 2 stroke engines  
Manco USA, Mini bikes
Manet Czechoslovakia, started making bikes in 1947
Mansen-Marsh
Manson USA, 1905? - 1908?, Chicago, Thor engines
Marathon
Marks
Marman USA, Motorized bicycle
Mars Germany, 1921 - 1950's? Started as a bicycle maker in the 1870's. In 1921 they made a 1000cc motorcycle using a Maybach flat opposed engine. They later made scooters with Sachs engines
Mars England, 1920 - 1923
Marsh USA, 1900 - 1905, see Metz
Martinsyde England
Marusho Japan, 1950 - 1967, Marusho Motorcycle Industrial Co was started by Masashi Ito, who is recognized as one of the pioneers of the Japanese motorcycle industry. Most models were sold as Lilac. They made a 500cc flat twin with shaft drive that was copied after a BMW/ 2 engine that was sold as both a Marusho ST and a Lilac R92 in the 1960's
Marvel USA, 1910 - 1913, The Marvel Motorcycle Co. was started With Glenn Curtiss as one of the major partners. It was the successor of the Motorcycle Equipment and Supply Co. that built the "Mesco" engine kits and complete motorbikes in 1905 and in 1906 through 1909 used the name "Erie".   see Curtiss
Mas Italy
Matchless Started 1899 in England. Became AMC and then Norton Villiers
Maverick see Shin San Tong 
Maxim
Maxus Hong Kong, Make scooters, Atv's electric scooters and motorcycles up a 250cc 4 stroke dirt bike
Mayo
Mazzilli Italy
MB USA, 1916? - 1920?
MBK France, Scooters
MBS Germany, they make a 650cc sport in 2001
MCC USA, Minneapolis Custom Cycle, Harley clones
McDonald
McEvoy England, 1925-1929, Built by Michael McEvoy. They used Villiers, Anzani, JAP, and Blackburne engines ranging from 172cc to 998cc 
McKenzie England, 1920's?
Meadowbrook USA, 1904 - 1906, Meadowbrook Cycle Co.  
Mears USA, 1901? - 1903?, The Mears Cycle Machine Co. built engines and possibly complete bikes 
Mecky
Mega Germany, Chev V-8 bikes
Megola Germany, Had a racer with a 640cc, 14hp 5cyl engine mounted so that the front wheel rotated around it. Designed by Friz Cockerel the front wheel was geared so that it spun six times slower than the crankshaft. The were push-start only. Around 2000 were made between 1921-1925
Meier BAC France, 1925 - 1938, Louis Bac built the BAC as a pace motorcycle for bicycle track races in 1925. The design was later improved and called the Meier BAC using a 2400 cc OHV V-twin
Menns Van Horn
Meguro Japanese, Meguro first started producing motorcycles back in 1909 and modeled its K1 after the BSA A7 as a replacement for their single cylinder Meguro Z7. In 1960, Meguro Works entered into a deal with Kawasaki Aircraft Co. Ltd., and merged in 1963. The K1 was developed and produced by Meguro, but it was sold by Kawasaki Motor Sales Co.
Meray Hungary, 1920? - 1936? Used Zedel, Blackburne, JAP, Sunbeam, Villiers and other engines
Merch Performance USA, Manufacture V-Twin engines up to 131 cu. in. 
Mercier France 1950 - 1965?
Mercury England, Mercury Industries started making bicycles in 1947. They started making small cc Villiers powered motorcycles in 1956, added a Villiers powered scooter in 1957. All production stopped in 1958
Merkel USA, 1901 - 1910, Joseph Merkel built motorcycles and motor wheel attachments called the Merkel Wheel (1902?) and later, around 1916, the Merkel Motor Wheel see Flying Merkel
Merkel Motor Wheel USA, 1916 -1918, The Merkel Motor Wheel Co. Inc. built an engine (the engine was possibly built by Hendee) for a bicycle that came on a replacement rear wheel with fuel tank, brake and fender. The Motor Wheel sold for $75.00 in 1917 (the first model year). Other sources say that Merkel built none of the parts for the motor wheel but rather purchased them from suppliers and only assembled and sold it. Bought by Hendee (Indian) around 1919. Hendee sold them under the Indian name
Merlin Spain, 1982? - 1988, Run by Ignacio Bulto, sun of the founder of Bultaco. Sold to Gas Gas in 1988?
Merlonghi
Mesco USA, 1905, Made an engine kit for bicycles and a few complete motorbikes. see Marvel
Messerschmitt Germany, 1950 - 1961? A fully enclosed three wheeler originally designed and sold without an engine by a former engineer at Messerschmitt. In 1950 a 175cc Sachs engine was added. It later got financing from Willie Messerschmitt and was marketed as the Messerschmitt Kabinenroller with a 200cc Sachs engine
Metisse England, Started in 1958, Make race and street motorcycles, frames and rolling chassis
Metz USA, Early 1900's, Charles Metz started the Waltham Manufacturing Co. in Waltham, Mass. that made bicycles and produced Orient motorcycles from 1898 to 1904 using Astor engines. He left Waltham in 1902 and started building Metz motorcycles and joined in a partnership with Marsh motorcycles around 1905 and created the American Motorcycle Co. in Brockton Mass. to make the Marsh-Metz also known as MM. Waltham became known as the Metz Car Company.
Metz Michaelson
M.G.C. (Marcel Guiguet) France, 1929-1936. About 250 were produced. Some of them had a dash with a speedo, clock, and amp and fuel gauges. Could be ordered with up to 600cc JAP engines
Miami USA, Early 1900's, Miami Cycle Co. The Miami Power Bicycle
Michaelson see Minneapolis
Michaux-Perreaux Steam Velocipede France, 1868-1869. Based on a Michaux "bone-shaker" bicycle, this machine was fitted with a small Perraux steam engine and had bicycle pedal cranks . It is in the Musee de l'Ile de France. A tricycle version of the Michaux-Perraux was also built
Michigan
Micro-Machine Brazil, they make a motorized bicycle and a small scooter called the Walk Machine with a 37 cc motor
Midget Bicar England - USA, 1904 - ? The Midget Bicar was made in the U.S. only in 1908 - 1909
Midual France, Started developing its first bike in 1992, they use a water cooled 900cc flat twin engine that makes 90 hp
Miele Germany 1953 - 1962, They make one of the worlds best vacuums now?
Militaire USA, 1911 - 1917, In 1911 The Militaire Auto Co. made what they called, a two wheeled auto that had an aluminum body and had outriggers. It soon lost the body and went through a series of reorganizations and company names. In 1917 they became the Militor Corp. and dropped the Militaire name in favor of Militor. After several more company name changes, production of the Militor stopped somewhere around 1924  
Militor USA, 1917 - 1924? see Militaire
Miller USA, Harry Miller, famous as engine builder and designer in American race car circles in the first half of the twentieth century, mounted a single cylinder engine on a bicycle frame around 1895. Maybe the first gas powered motorcycle in the U.S. 
Minarelli Italy, They built a 50cc grand prix racer and other small cc bikes
Minerva Belgium, 1901 - 1909, Minerva made their own motorcycles, bicycle engine kits and sold engines to other motorcycle builders. In England, bicycle builders Joseph and Thomas Gough built the Minerva Motor Bicycle in 1901, using a Gough frame and Minerva engine
Mini-Motor England, A bicycle engine kit
Minneapolis USA, 1908 - 1913, Started by four brothers, the Michaelson Motorcycle Company had two separate lines, the Minneapolis (under the Minneapolis Motorcycle Company badge) and the Michaelson. Both motorcycles came with either a single or twin cylinder engine. The single was made by the Michaelsons and the twin was a Spacke.  They also made a service three wheeler with two wheels in front in 1909
Minsk Poland, I think that this bike was originally a DKW and was moved to Minsk, Belarus in 1945 by the Soviets. They also make models called Motobeno and Regent for export
Mirage Canada, Harley clones
Mitchell
Mival Italy, Mopeds
MM Italy, 1924 -1957? 1964?, Became Moto-Morini? Update 2007, I received an Email from a gentleman who owns a 1955 MM 250. Still not sure if the company closed in 1957 or 1964, as I have conflicting information. From his Email: MM Bologna Italy) were not Taken over by Morini. Alfonse Morini was a partner in MM company till he left in 1937 to found his own company. MM continued to produce quality motorcycles on a small scale till 1957. Kind Regards, Roger Moss  
MM see Metz
MM Battery ?
Mobylette France, 1950's - ? Mopeds made by Motobecane
Modenas Malaysia, has a partnership with Kawasaki 
Moj Poland, 1937 - 1939
Mojave
Monarch USA, 1912 - 1915, Formerly Reliance motorcycles, the Ives Motorcycle Corp which purchased Reliance was never financially successful. They produced motorcycles and sold complete engines to some small car makers and sold their last bikes in 1915. They had a 10hp V-twin in 1913
Monark USA, built complete motorized bicycles
Monark Swedish, 1913-1926, Sold as "Esse" then changed to the Monark name 1927-1975
Mon-Auto USA, 1915 - 1920, The Gibson Mon-Auto Company made a 2.5hp mini-bike designed by Hugo Gibson who had also made the Autoped. Also called Gibson Mon-Auto
Mondial Italy, Started in 1948, winning many championships. Went down hill in the 1960's. The name was brought back in 1997 in Argentina,  But I think the name is owned by Italy's KL Motorcycle who sells a scooter (maybe built in Argentina?) using the Mondial badge
Monet-Goyon France
Monnot
Montgomery England, 1902 - 1939?
Montgomery-Ward USA, Sold motorcycles made by Benelli and Gilera and ? in the 1960's. Their ID tags read -"Wards Wheeled Goods"
Montesa Spanish, started in 1944
Monotrace France, Autocycle 1920's
Moore USA, 1917 Autocycle
Morbidelli Italy,Giancarlo Morbidelli made limited production grand prix racers in the 1970's. They now make a 848cc water-cooled V-8 production motorcycle that makes 120 hp @ 11,000 rpm
Morgan England 1930's? Three wheeled, 1100cc Jap engines 
Morgan USA, 1901 - 1902, The Morgan Motor Co. made engine kits for bicycles
Morini Italy, Morini Franco Motori has been making engines for many companies since 1954
Morris-Corkhill USA, 1902 - 1903, Joshua Morris started building and selling engines around 1900 then joined with Thomas Corkhill to form the Morris and Corkhill Motor Cycle Co. Also known as M.C.
Morris County Choppers USA, Harley Clones
Morse-Beauregard
Moser Swiss 1905 - ?
Moskva Russia
Mostyn Australia, 1920's, Mostyn Cycle Works
Moto B Italy, see Benelli
Motobecane (Motoconfort) France 1923 - 1983 
Moto Beta
MotoBi Italy, see Benelli 
MotoBorgo Italy, 1906? 1908? - 1926, made motorcycles with with single cyl, intake over exhaust engines up to 828cc. They later made a V-Twin also. They still produce pistons and associated parts but are now owned by Federal-Mogul  
Motoconfort France, Made by Motobecane
Moto Gori Italy, 1971 - ? 
Moto Guzzi Italy, started production in 1921 
Moto-Islo see Islo
Motom Italy, 1947 - 1972
Moto Martin France
Motormaster
Moto Morini Italy, Started in 1937 when Alfonso Morini left MM. Built their first 72 degree V-Twin in 1971? 1973?, bought by Cagiva in 1987
Motopede New Jersey, Made by George Wacker 
Moto-Raycycle
Moto-Reve Swiss, 1904 - 1924?, Sold complete motorcycles and engines. They had facilities in Italy, where Guiseppe Gilera apprenticed, and in England where they made the Alp
MotorMaster USA, 1938 - 1939 or just 1939? Cleveland Welding Co. created a division called the Roadmaster Bike Co. to built the MotorMaster Motorbike, a bicycle fitted with the two stroke Evinrude engine kit. (see Speedibike) It is unclear if Roadmaster built the frames or just fitted the engine to a frame they purchased
Motosacoche Swiss, The French born Henri and Armand Dufaux brothers built their first bicycle with a removable engine of their design in 1895 in Geneva and started H&A Dufaux & Co in 1899. In 1903 they founded the Company "Motosacoche SA" to produce and sell engines to pay for their real passion with aviation. They built airplanes and a helicopter prototype with a twenty cylinder engine which lifted off of the ground in 1905. They sold motorcycles using the name Dufaux and HADC (for their companies initials) and built and sold the MAG engine. The company was run for many years by Osborne Louis de Lissa, an engineer and racer.  The company closed in 1956
Moto-Scoot USA Chicago Ill. 1936 - 1948?
Mototrans Spain, 1957 - bought by Yamaha around 1983 and closed
Moto-villa Italy
M-Star Was a short lived attempt to bring Maico back
Munch Germany, 1966, has a Buell looking sport bike called the Mammut 2000 that has a transverse, in-line four, dohc engine with 2000cc and 260 hp 
Mustang USA, 1946 - 1965 Small motorcycles with Briggs-Stratton, Villers and their own engines
MuZ came after WWII and the mess we left in Germany with the Soviets controlling half of the country. Was DKW, Izh, IFA-DKW, MZ and finally MuZ after the fall of the wall ....I think? 
MV Agusta Italy 1945 - 1977 The rights to the name were sold to Cagiva  see Cagiva
MZ Germany (Motorrad-und Zweiradwerk) Was started in 1956 when the Soviets dismantled DKW. In 1992, after reunification, private investors restarted the MZ production. Hong Leong, a company from Malaysia, bought MZ in 1996. I have read that they recently started using the DKW emblem on some of their bikes, maybe they got the rights to the name from Sachs??

N

Nanfang
Narcisse France, 1950 - 1953
Nash Motorcycle Company USA, Vancouver, WA. Harley clones
Nelk USA, 1946-1948 
Neracar USA, 1922 - 1928, Made by the Ner-a-car corporation in Syracuse NY. Was designed by Carl Neracher who had worked as designer for Cleveland motorcycles. It was also produced in England until 1926
New Courier England, Built a powered three wheeler in 1899. see Olympic
New Era England
New Hudson England, early 1900's, New Hudson Ltd. The New Hudson badge was used on motorcycles and autocycles off and on until 1958
New Imperial Early British Co. bought by Triumph
New Map France, 1920 - 1954? 1958?, Built motorcycles with displacements ranging from around 100cc to 998cc and mopeds/scooters as small as 48cc. Engines were purchased from many builders
Niemen Poland, 1934 - 1939
Nimbus Denmark, 1932? 1934? - 1960, Made by Fisker & Nielson. Air-cooled, 750cc inline four cylinder. They were one of the first or the first motorcycle to use a telescoping front fork
Nioga USA, 1903? The Nioga Cycle Works possibly produced a motor bicycle
NMI Iran, started in 1985. They make scooters and small cc motorcycles. Their top of the line is the Nami - CG125 P with a 124cc 4 stroke single
Norman England, 1938 - 1964, Norman Cycles Ltd. They also built Rambler and Rudge Autocycles. Around 1957 they bought the tooling to make the German Achilles motorcycle
Norsman USA, 1999 - , A former fabricator for AR Streetracker started his own business building streetrackers
Norton James Norton Started in 1901, combined with Villiers and Triumph to become NVT. Norton reemerged in 1998 as Norton Motors International. They have a new model that has a V-8 engine and is supposed to have 225hp and will go 200+ mph ... we'll see
Norton Rotaries used Sachs Wankel engines in the 1980's. I think BSA and Triumph tried these engines also
NSU Germany, 1901 sold in 1957
NSU USA
NUT English, 1910 to about 1930. Newcastle-Upon-Tyne used JAP engines
Nut USA?
NV Sweden, 1926 - 1960,  NV (Nymans Verkstäder which means Newman's workshop) was a bicycle maker in Sweden. They also made outboard engines, mopeds and motorcycles, they either merged or were bought out by Monark in 1960 and became MCB (Monark Crescent Bolagen) I think that NV may had previously bought out Crescent and may have called itself Crescent at the time it changed to MCB?
NVT (Norton, Villiers, Triumph) The group that was formed when "Manganese Bronze Bearings" took over both Villiers in the early 1960's and AMC in 1966 they also had the rights to Eysink, BSA, Ariel and others. It was an attempt to keep the British motorcycle industry alive. It came apart in the 1970's and the government temporarily bailed them out
Nzeta New Zealand, They make scooters


O

Oakes USA
OD Germany, 1920's - ? Built by Willi Ostner in Dresden, Ostner Dresden, OD. Used MAG and other engines
OEC  England, 1901? - 1954, Osborn Engineering Company. Frederick Osborn started with bicycles and built motorcycles, starting by some accounts in 1901, 1910 by others. These early motorcycles were possibly just called Osborn (or was this a different motorcycle?) He used Blackburne engines and he stopped making motorcycles in 1914? 1911? Again, not clear. His son John, started OEM again (or took over the business, not clear if they ever really went out of business?) around 1920 and started producing motorcycles again, stopped making them for a while either in 1930? or started making them again in 1930?? At any rate production stopped again for awhile. He started producing the OEC-BlackBurne engine around 1921? They used the OEC-BlackBurne and JAP engines in the racers that they made and introduced the duplex steering system made by Fred Wood in 1927. In 1926 chassis builder Claude Temple set a speed record of 121mph using a OEC-BlackBurne engine. (Temple had set a record at Brooklands of 109mph in 1923 using a 1000cc Anzani engine) OEC also built the Whitwood monocar from 1934 to 1936 with engines ranging from 150cc? 250cc? to 1000cc.  They stopped all production in 1954.
OK England, early 1900's, Became OK-Supreme
Okay USA,1916 - 1917, Built a motor wheel for bicycles
OK-Supreme England, 1927 - 1946
Oakes USA, ?
Olympic England, Frank Parkyn built a few motorcycles in the early 1900's and then stopped until 1919. Built motorcycles using the New Courier name in 1922 closed in 1923
Olympus Japan
Omega England, had a factory in Hillfields in 1909. Designed by A.J. Dorsett 
Opel built motorcycles long before GM took them over
Orbit England, 1919 - 1924, Used Blackburne, Bradshaw and their own engines. Designed by A.J. Dorsett 
Orient Orient-Aster see Metz
Orionette Germany, 1921 - 1925
Orle Poland, 1933 - 1934
Oscar Italy
Oscar England, 1950's, A prototype scooter, never put into production
Ossa Spanish, 1951 - 1984
Otten Dutch, 1900? 1901 - 1911
Over Japan
Oz USA, They make a 1/2 scale mini-bike that has chopper styling and a 150cc engine
P

Pacer Italy, Mopeds
Pak-Jak USA, Made by JW Black owner of Paradise Motors in Paradise CA. A primarily off road scooter similar to a tote goat. It may have been funded by the author, Earle Stanley Gardner of the Perry Mason Book fame for Baja exploration. Mr Black and Mr Gardner were friends and Gardner owned at least two Pak-Jaks. They used an air cooled Briggs 3.5 horse engine, a 15 inch rear car wheel with a paddle tire. They used a Centrifugal clutch with a belt drive to a jackshaft then two more chain driven reductions to achieve a final drive ratio of about 40 to 1, with a top speed of about 8 miles an hour. Thanks to Larry Lassiter, who owns JW Black's personal Pak-Jak, for the information
Paloma France
Pam USA, 1921? - 1924?, Made by the Autocylette Manufacturing and Sales Corp.
Pannonia
Pansy USA, 1905? NY?
Panther English, 1900-1967. Panther motorcycles were manufactured by Phelon & Moore (P&M) They patented the idea of using the engine as a stressed member of the frame in 1900. They were first to offer a two speed gear with chain drive as standard equipment in 1904. In the 1950s Panthers had a good reputation but by the mid 1960s they were outdated and could not compete with the Japanese. P&M was absorbed into the IMI group 
Panther Germany, 1933 - 1955
Panzer USA, Organized in 1996, Harley Clone custom bike maker that uses The "Neo-Pan" a redesigned engine that resembles a Pan Head
Paramount Custom Cycles USA, Aaron Greene builds custom Harley clones
Parkin-Leflem
Parkyns-Bateman England, 1881, Steam tricycle
Parilla Italy, started after the second world war until the late 1960's
Patee USA, 1901 - 1902? The Patee Bicycle Co. tried their hand at motorcycles after buying Joshua Morris' (Morris-Corkhill) engine business, but it was short lived
Paton Italy
Patria Spain, 1928 - 1936
Patria Germany, Made by WKC (Weyersberg, Kirschbaum & Cie) a German manufacturer of quality bicycles and weapons. They were located in Solingen Germany. They made four stroke motorcycles from around 1925 to 1927, I'm not clear if they made their own or used Sachs engines. In 1949 they started to make mopeds using ILO engines continuing only until 1950 or 1952
Pedigree USA, Custom scooters
Peerless USA, 1913 - 1916, Boston, They had singles and v-twins 
Peerless SD USA, see SD
Peerless England, 1905 - ?, made by Bradbury and Co. Also Australian?
PEM USA, 1911 - 1912? Waverly Mfg Wisconsin
Pen Nib England, 1919 - 1925, Made by H. W.  Boulton, they used Royal engines
Pennington United States and England, 1895 - 96? 1900?, Designed by E.J. Pennington, an American promoter, It was designed in the United States, and was built by the Hitchcock Manufacturing Co but was also produced in England
Penton USA, 1967? 68? - 1977,  John and Ike Penton started the Penton Brothers Motorcycle Agency in 1950 selling many different brands of motorcycles over the years. In 1967 after many years of off road racing successes John went to KTM, in Austria, with his plans for an enduro bike. Somewhere around 25,000 in the USA and 70,000 total bikes were sold with the Penton badge before John Penton sold the rights to KTM in 1977
Peraves Swiss, They make a bike that is fully enclosed, with retractable outriggers and uses a BMW engine
Performance Cycle USA, New York, Harley Clones
Perkun Poland, 1938 - 1939
Petro-Cycle England, 1939? Autocycle with Villiers engine
Peugeot France, 1902 - 1980
PGO Taiwan, Scooters
Philips England, 1934, Wal Philips designed and commissioned Blackburne to cast the parts for a speedway engine for him. The engine was called the Phillips Whirlwind and was a takeoff of the JAP design, only two were produced
Phoenix USA
Phoenix England, Early 1900's, Phoenix Motor Cycle Works
Phoenix England, 1950's Scooters with Villiers two stroke engines
Piaggio Netherlands, The Vespa and Gilera
Piatti England, 1957? - ? Designed by Vicenzo Piatti and made by Cyclemaster. Scooters
Pierce USA, 1909 - 1914, George Pierce, owner of the Pierce Arrow Automobile Company, and the Pierce Bicycle Company, started making the Pierce Four motorcycle in 1909. A single cylinder model was added in 1910. 
Pigon Japan
Pioneer Royal Pioneer?
Pirate Milwaukee Motorcycle Co, early 1900's
Pirol see Schweppe
Pitbull USA, Florida company building Harley Clones, 117" S&S engines 
Playboy
P&M Phelon & Moore sold some of their Panthers in Europe using this name because of the German Panther. They also made models called Panthette, Red Wing, Red Panther
PMZ Russia, 1935 - 1939
Podkow (Podkowa) Poland 1938 - 1939, Villiers engines
Pointer Japan
Polaris Makers of the Victory
Polini Italy
Pope USA, 1911 - 1918, They had a 998cc v-twin in 1914
Powell USA, 1937?
Powercycle see Evans
P&P Speedway bikes
Praga Czech, Had a 500cc DOHC engine in 1927
Pratt-Four
Premier England, 1908 - 1910? Started as the Hillman and Herbert Cycle Co. and later became the Premier Cycle Co. Began making motorcycles in 1908 using White and Pope engines.  They were purchased by Singer in 1920
Precision England, 1912 - 1920, made and sold engines and produced at least one model of their own motorcycle. 
Premier USA, Premier Motor Corporation imported a mini bike in the late 60's? early 70's, that they called the Premier BeBe. It had a 48cc? 50cc?  two stroke engine and your choice of  either a 4 speed or automatic transmission. It was manufactured by Moto Beta
Prester France, 1930? - 1955? see Jonghi
Pro 1 USA, Harley clones
Progress Germany, 200cc motorscooters
Promot Poland, 1966 - 1974, Made by PZM (PZInz?)
Proton KR England, GP Motorsports UK is an independent GP racebike builder. Run by Kenny Roberts they have designed and built a racer with a 990cc, 60 degree V5 four stroke engine that puts out over 200 hp at 15,000 rpm. It's major sponsor is Proton, Malaysia’s number one automobile manufacturer. They also make a 498cc V3 two stroke
P-T USA, 1898 - 1903?, P.T. Motor Co. 
Puch Austrian, Established in the 1890's and made their first motorcycles in the 1920's?. At one time they had a twin cyl. engine that ran both pistons off of a single Y shaped connecting rod. The motorcycle side of the company was bought by Piaggio in 1987. At one time sold as Sears Allstate
PZInz Poland, 1930 - 1939, Built motorcycles and sold engines. Later known as PZS..?

Q  

Quadrant England
Quantel England
Quasar England

R

Rabbit Japan, 1946-1968, scooters, built by Fuji Heavy Industries. Had engines up to 250cc. Fuji also built the Hurricane motorcycle from about 1953 to 1968 
Rabiniek Germany, 1930's - 1958, Sachs engines
Radior France, 1920's?, JAP engines
Rambler England, 1950 - ? Rambler was the name Norman Autocycle used on exported bikes
Ranger
Ratier France, 1946 - 1962? 1959 - 1962?, They had BMW "Boxer" style opposed twin engines of their own manufacture. Acquired Cemec Motorcycles in 1958?
Razoux
Reading Standard USA, 1905? Early models used Thor engines. Bought by Cleveland motorcycle in 1922, Cleveland sold the last Reading Standard in 1923. Some had an 1170cc V-twin, see Aurora 
Racycle USA, 1900's Miami Cycle Co. Thor engines 
Raleigh England, Their first motorcycle was a bicycle frame with a 2 hp German Schwan engine built in 1899. The company's focus was mostly 3 wheel utility vehicles but built motorcycles off and on until the 1950's? 
Ransom USA, They build custom street bikes using "Harley" type styling with "sport bike" engines like the Suzuki GSX-R750. Very unique bikes
Raynal England, 1936 - 1950,  Autocycles with Villiers "Junior" engines 
Ready Belgium, 1924 - ?, NV Ready Motor Co
Red Horse USA, Red Horse Motorworks, Lenexa KS, Harley clones
Regas USA, The Regas Vehicle Company built it's first motorcycle around 1900 using a DeDion engine. Before they stopped making motorcycles in 1903 they also used Patee and or Fleming engines
Regina Horex
Reliance USA, In 1903 the Reliance was Introduced by the Empire Motor Cycle Co., which soon changed to the Reliance Motor Cycle Co. The company had financial problems in 1911 and was purchased by it's former director Willis Ives. Ives restarted the production of motorcycles in 1912  under the Monarch name. see Monarch
Rene-Gillet France, closed in the early 1960's
Rex (Rex Coventry) England around 1904, joined with Acme of England around 1922 and became Rex-Acme
Reynolds Special See Scott
R&H England, 1922 - 1925
R&H USA?, 1905?
Rickman England, 1957 - ? made mostly dirt bikes using their frames and other manufacturers engines
Ridley USA, They make 3/4 scale bikes that look like a Harley and use 465 to 570cc V-Twin engines and an automatic transmission that their ads describe as "Gas & Go. There isn't a clutch to mess with or shifter to be confused by." How convenient, I always get confused by that pesky shifter
Riedel Germany, 1947 - 1951,  (The following information was provided by Rainer Heise) Norbert Riedel (*1914 - 1963) was an engineer at Ardie, Victoria and (German) Triumph in the Thirties. In 1947 Riedel established the Riedel Motoren AG [Riedel Motors (AG stands for joint-stock company)] to produce the IMME. Development of the IMME (proper name IMME R100) began in 1947, production started in June, 1949, and Riedel went broke and into receivership in October, 1951. Until then about 12,000 IMME were built. The chassis consists of three parts: main frame, swing arm and front wheel carrier. The (single) swing arm is supported on the main frame as a two-armed lever, carrying the engine/gearbox unit in front and the wheel in the back. The chain did not run in a tunnel, but there was a chain guard above the chain. The chain came from the gearbox sprocket and went right to the rear sprocket wheel. The chain tension was adjusted by shifting the engine/gearbox unit forward or backward. The rear axle was attached to the exhaust pipe. If the exhaust pipe got hot, the chain tension was getting tighter. So there was no constant tension on the chain. The front fork had only one leg and was kind of a girder fork with spring and friction damper. The pivot point for the rear suspension was under the drivers left heel and not in the front of the engine. With the star-shaped grip the friction damper of the rear suspension was adjusted. Both wheels had the same dimensions and were interchangeable easily. All tubes used on the bike had the same diameter because of a shortage of materials. The design was so strange, even the battery had a triangular form. Because of lack of money no 150 ccm twin two-stroke model saw the market. The rumor is that only 25 were built.  The R100 had an air cooled two-stroke engine, bore 52mm (2,04”), stroke 47 mm (1,85”), capacity 99,8 ccm, 4,5 PS (3,2 kW) @ 5.800/min; [PS (Pferdestärke) = HP (horsepower )] 3 speed gearbox, compression ratio 7,0; weight appr. 66 kg (145 lb); fuel consumption 104 mpg (2,7 l/100 km)
Rieju Spain
Rikuo (Rukuo?) Harley sold manufacturing rights to the Japanese Sankyo Pharmaceutical Company around 1929. They built flathead Japanese Harleys for a short while from design details supplied by HD
Riley England, 1903? - 1908?, Riley Cycle Co. Ltd. was founded in 1890? as a bicycle maker. They started producing a powered quadricycle, and a tricycle (or tricar as they called it, with two wheels in the front), both called Royal Rileys' in 1899. Their first purpose built motorcycle was in 1903, using an engine of their own design, they also used De-Dion engines. Motorcycle production stopped in 1908? and bicycles ceased around 1911, so the company could concentrate on auto production
Riotte USA, 1895?, Carl Riotte designed a small kerosene burning engine that was attached to a bicycle
Riverside Montgomery Ward stores sold scooters and motorcycles using the Riverside badge. The scooters were made by Mitsubuishi and Benelli made the motorcycles   see Silver Pigeon
Rizzato Italy, 1978?, Ceasar Rizzato started building bicycles in 1921 and started making Rizzato and Atala Mopeds in 1978? (maybe as early as 1968?)
Robbins USA 1950 - Builder Coy Robbins customizes motorcycles for his own use only.  
Robinson see AR
Roc France, Race chassis builders
Rockford USA, 1972 - 1975, sold models called Chibi, Taka and Tora   see Bridgestone
Roehr USA, They have their first prototype done, the RV500cc two stroke, it has 102hp and weights 325lb
Rokon USA, Started making 2 wheel drive bikes in the late 1950's
Roland Made by Allright
Rollaway USA, Rollaway Co. 1919 - 1921, made bicycle engine kits 
Romet Poland
Roper England, 1901 - 1905
Roper (steam) USA, 1867, Made by Sylvester Roper, it was probably the first motorcycle. Made about the same time as the Michaux-Perraux in France.  The coal fired steam engine unit is part of a specially built chassis rather than an add-on and had no pedal crank. Roper also built a four wheeled "steam carriage" and exhibited both at fairs and circuses for a number of years. He suffered a heart attack while riding one at a show in 1896 and died. One is in the Smithsonian Museum
Rossija Russia, 1903?
Rotax Austrian engine builder
Roth Germany, Willy Roth made a four valve cylinder head conversion for Jawa race engines around 1974 and then later built his own complete longtrack  four valve race engines, the first was the Mk2 
Roto Gannet England, 1971? Rotary
Roton Australia, 1990? Rotary engine. Brian Crighton, who had worked on Norton's rotaries, started the company
Roussey France, 1950's, Scooters
Royal USA, 1901 - 1910, In 1909 - 1910 they made the Royal Pioneer who's exhaust ran out through the frame tubes
Royal Enfield England, The Enfield Cycle Company built their first motorcycle in 1900 and used their own and other makers engines until around 1927? and then used only their own. The first Enfield "Bullet" was built in 1932. The last Enfields were made in England around 1970... But, in 1955 they set up a plant in India to assemble and later build bikes for the police and army. When the parent company went bust, Enfield India just kept on making the 500cc Bullet. In 1990 Eicher Goodearth, an international corporation that imported and sold tractors and then built tractors in India, bought 25% of Enfield India and by 1994 owned 60%. They changed the name back to Royal Enfield in 1994. Bavanar Products Ltd., a distributor for Eicher's products in the UK, filed for registration of the trademark "Royal Enfield" in 1992 and Enfield's cannon logo in 1995. They apparently did this because Eicher had had problems trying to get trademarks on other products in the UK. After Bavanar got the rights, they then "assigned" them to Eicher (who probably paid Bavanar well for them). There was a court case in July 2000 that disputed Bavanar/Eicher's right to use the name. David Mathew Holder, who, in 2000, owned the Velocette Motorcycle Company, claimed that his father had purchased the rights to the name. In 1971 Velocette had acquired Enfield from Enfield Precision Engineers. Velocette went under later in 1971 and was bought by a C. C. Cooper Ltd. who then sold it to David Holder's father. Holder made replacement parts for Enfields DBA, Aerco Jig and Tool. The court found for Bavanar because they said that Holder's company was called Velocette, that they never really publicly advertised with the Enfield name and there was no clear proof that Enfield Precision had passed the trademark on to Velocette in the first place or Velocette to Cooper or Cooper to Holder. Update 2006: According to the family that owns Burton Bike Bits.net, there apparently has been new information uncovered and there may be another attempt to claim the rights to the Royal Enfield name by the Holder family
Royal Ryder USA, Webster, NY. Harley Clones, S&S engines
Rover English car builder that made motorcycles from around 1902 - 1925
Rovena cycles were produced from 1963-1968. Two-stroke motorcycles, built by Sanglas using twin-cylinder 249cc and 323cc Hispano-Villiers engines
R-S
RTX England, Dirt bikes
Rudge England, 1894 - 1939, the Rudge Whitworth company, 250 to 500cc. four valve IOE motors. Bought by Raleigh
Rudge Wedge England, 1902 - ? Harry Rudge and C. Wedge built motorcycles for a while and then built only bicycles
Rugmobile (Ruggles) USA, 1902 - 1909, H.B. Ruggles designed and produced the Rugmobile and the Ruggles. They had step through frames for "rider comfort"
Rumi Italy, 1950 - 1960's? Made motorcycles, scooters. Their factory racer won the Italian National Championship in 1954
Rush Belgium, 1921 - 1930?
Rys Poland, 1958 - 1963
S

Sachs Germany, takes over Hercules in 1963 then in 1965 takes over Victoria, Express and DKW. They had a 1000cc bike in 2000 
Sadran Spain
Safticycle
Salsbury USA, Late 1940's, They had a 320cc scooter
Sarolea Belgian, 1896, They built motorcycles and sold single and V-Twin engines. They also made 2 stroke engines. They merged with Rene-Gillet around 1960
Sampson Australia, 1920's?
Sanglas built 295cc to 497cc motorcycles in the 1940s and 1950s, used by the Spanish police. In 1981 the last Sanglas motorcycle was produced and Yamaha took over the company
Sanyang (SYM) Tiawan, Sanyang also owns Wuxi Futong Motorcycle Company on the mainland and VMEP in Vietnam
Sar Germany 
Sar Italy, 1920 - 1926
Saxonette Germany, 1938 - ?, The Schweinfurterwerke manufactured a complete rear wheel assembly that used a Fichtel and Sachs engine and was sold as an option by at least two dozen different bicycle makers 
SBM USA
Schickel USA, 1907 - 1924, Schickel Motor Co.
Schliha Germany, 1930's Some of their bikes had 500 to 600cc engines, which were very large for two strokes of the time  
Schuttoff Germany, Bought by DKW in 1928
Schweppe Germany, 1949 - 1954?, Started using Sachs engines and then used 200cc Kuchen made motors. They were first sold as Schweppe and at some point were sold as Pirol or possibly Schweppe-Pirol
Scootamota England, 1919 - ?, Sold in the U.S. as Scootamotor?
Scorpa France, Started making trials bikes in 1992
Scott British, 1908 to 1950 Founded by Alfred  A. Scott, they built street bikes and very successful racers with names like the Super Squirrel (1925) and Flying Squirrel (1926). They had a kickstarter mounted to the rear wheel to start the 2 stroke watercooled twin in 1910. Scott machines won the Isle of Man in 1912 and 1913. Scott also built bikes for Kendal and a Scott dealer named A. E. Reynolds that were sold as Reynolds Specials and maybe AER?. The rights to the name were purchased in 1950 and Scotts were produced again around 1956 until the late 1960's. A reproduction Scott, called a Silk Scott, was built for a while in the 1970's 
Scout
Scripps-Booth
SD USA, 1901? - 1911, George Dewald built a shaft drive motorcycle in 1901. In 1909 he formed the S.D. manufacturing Co. with Jacob R. Spangler. The SD stood for Shaft Drive. They were sold as SD, SDM and Peerless SD 
SDG Hong Kong, SV Group Co. Limited makes scooters and builds engines
Sears USA, Sold it's first motorcycles in 1909 or 1910. Until around 1916 they sold Sears badged motorcycles made by Thor and Excelsior with v-twins and some with Spacke singles. I think that some Gilera built Motorcycles were sold as Sears in the 1960's
Seeley England, Built racers
Segale Italy
Sertum Italy, Founded in 1922 by Fausto Alberti, closed in 1953 
SFM Poland, 1958 - 1965
Shacklock England, 1916, Transverse V-twin
Shang Wei Tiawan, Electric Scooters, also has a plant in Morocco
Shaw USA, 1912 - 1914, The Shaw Mfg. Co built clip-on bicycle engines before and after they tried complete bikes for two years
She-Lung Tiawan, Electric Scooters
Sherco Spain, 1999, Trials bikes
Shin-Meiwa Japan
Shin San Tong Taiwan, 1969 -1972, Built mini bikes under license from Yamaha and exported them as Maverick and Gemini 
SHL Poland, 1938 - 1970, Suchedniowska Huta Ludwikow stopped production during the war in 1939 and started again in 1947. It took over the Sokol badge in 1948 both went out of production in 1950. The SLH badge was used again from by KZWM from 1955 to around 1970
Showa Japan, 1948 - 1960,  made engines, and complete motorcycles. Purchased Hosk motorcycles in 1957, was taken over by Yamaha in 1960 after doing the design work for the engine that would become the XS-650 Yamaha
Sik-n-Twisted Psycles USA, Harley clones
Silk England, 1970? - 1979
Silver Pigeon Japan, 1946? 1947? - 1964? 1966?, The Silver Pigeon was made by Mitsubishi starting right after the war. Probably because there wasn't a big call anymore to make fighter planes. They made scooters until around 1964 some sources say 1966, possibly they stopped making them in 64 but they were still selling inventory in the US until 66?. They had various size engines up to around 210cc both 2 and 4 stroke. I think that all of the US imports were 4 stroke and either 124cc or 190cc depending on the model. They were imported into the US by Rockford Scooter in Rockford Ill. starting around 1957. Rockford sold them as Silver Pigeon and they supplied them to Montgomery Ward who sold them as Riverside.
Simo Spain
Simplex USA, Made the Servi-Cycle in Louisiana 1935 - 1960, built scooters until around 1975
Simplex England,
Simplex USA, 1906 - 1909, The Prospect Motor Manufacturing Co 1906-07 and then the Prospect Motor Co. 1907-09. They built or imported and assembled? motorcycles with Sarolea engines and then Peugeot engines. Around 1907 to 1908, they built under license? or just assembled and sold Peugeot motorcycles that were sold as Simplex-Peugeot. They once again started building their own bikes using Buchet and Peugeot engines before they closed in 1909 
Simpson Germany, 1949 - 1961, AWO Simpson
Sinclair England
Singa Jincheng
Singer Hillfields England, 1909? 1900 - 1915?, made motorcycles and cars
Skootmobile USA
Skipee Australia, An electric prototype three wheeler designed by Dimitris Skoutas
SM Poland
Smart France, 1922 - 1927
Smith Motor Wheel USA, 1914, built by the A.O. Smith Co in Milwaukee, it was a detachable engine and drive wheel for bicycles. They had purchased the rights to the design from the maker of the British, Wall Motor Wheel. The company was bought by Briggs & Stratton around 1918? 1919?. They were sold as both Smith Motor Wheel and Briggs & Stratton Motor Wheel until 1925?, when the Smith name was dropped
Schneeweiss Austria, Speedway Racers
Snell
Snob Germany,1921 - 1925
Sojuz Russia
Sokol Poland, 1920's? see CWS & SHL
Solex France, 1945 - 1988, (Velosolex) Motorized bicycles. Now made again in Hungary
Solvay France, 1905?
Spacke USA, Spacke Machine Co. Made engines and possibly their own "Deluxe" motorcycle around 1913
Spagthorpe England, Years unknown, From all owners reports it is one of the most magnificent motorcycles ever built. A very versatile bike to use on snipe hunts. I would trade all of my motorcycles just to get my hands on one. I am looking for the Papillion model that I believe was made in their French production facility  : ) 
Sparkbrook England, 1912 - ?  Had a factory in Hillfields
Sparta (Spartamet) Dutch, Bicycle maker that made mopeds and motorcycles with Villiers engines in the 1950's 
Speedibike USA, 1932? - 1937? Evinrude Motors Company (actually owned by the Outboard Motors Corp. or OMC, as of 1929) built a bolt on engine kit from 1929? to 1940?. In 1936 and 1937 they may have also sold a limited number of bicycles that were already fitted with their two stroke engines using the Speedibike name?. Tillotson Manufacturing Co. lists carburetor parts numbers for Evinrude engines for bicycles from 1929 to 1940 and parts numbers for the Speedibike from 1932 to 1937, leading me to believe that they started making a bolt on engine in 1929. ymmv  Note: Ole Evinrude sold the Evinrude Motors Company in 1913. The new owners got the rights to the Evinrude name. In 1920 Ole Evinrude started a new company called ELTO (Evinrude Light Twin Outboard). In 1927 Briggs & Stratton bought the Evinrude company and the name. In 1929 Briggs offered a merger to Ole and they formed OMC. With this information, the first bicycle engines probably were built by the original Evinrude company, then owned by Briggs, and then continued being built by OMC
Spiral
Sprite England, 1960's early 1970's, Motocross bikes, used several makers engines including their own 405cc that was a copy of a late 60's Husqvarna engine. They used a twin down loop frame. Built in the midlands. Also sold in the U.S. as American Eagle
Spondon England
Stahl
Standard Germany, 1922 - 1924, They made motorcycles as well as three wheeled trucks
Stanger England, 1921 - 1924, They had a 538cc two stroke, but it would over heat and was not successful 
Star England, 1899 - 1913? The Star Cycle Company made motorized tricycles and motorcycles. They sold the French made Griffon and then produced the Star - Griffon
Star-Griffon see Star
Starlin 
Stearns USA, 1901? - ?
Steed (Surgical Steed, Steed Musclebike) USA, Harley clones. Started by John Covington in California around 1989 building customs. He moved his business to Arizona around 1991 and in 1994 he applied for and received a manufacturers license from the federal government granting Covington the authority to apply Federal Vehicle Identification Numbers to motorcycles sold as the Steed Musclebike® motorcycle. Steed Musclebikes use Delkron cases and other quailty engine components and they have a 114cu. in. engine with dyno results showing over 130hp and 130ft/lbs torque 
Steffey USA, 1900-1905, Philadelphia PA on Brown street, first model was 1 1/4 hp, water cooled 4 stroke, chain drive .
Stellar USA, 1967 - 1973?, Mini-bikes
Sterzi Italy
Stevens England, The Stevens brothers from AJS Started Stevens Brothers Ltd. in 1932 and  made Stevens motorcycles from 1934 to 1938 when the war effort stopped them. They Produced engines for many builders starting in the early 1900's
Stevens USA, 1952? - ? I.R. Stevens in New York. A folding mini bike with a two stroke engine. It is unclear if they were built by Stevens or someone else and sold as I.R. Stevens. The patent for the design was filed for by Keith T. King from Colchester, Ill. in 1949 and was granted in 1952 
Stewart New Zealand, Scooters
Stock Germany see Evans
Stormer England see AJS
Stratton USA, 1901, Stratton Motor Bicycle Co.
Stricker Germany
Strokers Dallas USA, Rick Fairless, Harley Clones  
Stylson France, 1930's? 
Styria Austria, Early 1900's, Made by Puch
Suddard
Sundiro Hainan Sundiro Motorcycle Corporation
Sun England, 1911? - ? The Sun Cycle & Fittings Co. Ltd
Sun England, 1950's, Scooters
Sunbeam England, John Marston Ltd made their first motorcycle in 1912, it was designed by Harry Stevens (Stevens bros). They sold bikes to the British, Russian and French armies. They were bought out by Nobel Industries in 1919. AMC England bought the motorcycle division in 1936. It was eventually sold to BSA
Superia Belgium, 1960's? - ?, Started when the Claeys brothers that started Flandria split up, used Sachs engines
SuperVee USA, 1985 - An after market engine. 90 degree V-twin that used Chevrolet small block V-8 engine parts
Super-X USA, 1907? - 1931, The American Excelsior company started in 1907, I'm not sure when they started to export them but when they did they were forced to rebadge them as Super-X because the English Excelsior Co. had the rights to the Excelsior name in Europe. Super-X was also one of their model names
Suzuki started making motorcycles in 1952
Svalan Sweden, 1950's? P&M (Panther) sold parts to them that were assembled in Sweden and sold as Svalan
SVM Started when SWM closed 
Swift USA, Phoenix, AZ. Harley Clones. Swift Motorcycle Co. uses S&S engines. They purchased the tooling from the defunct Excelsior-Henderson Motorcycle Company after making about 2000 Super-X's. Swift is going to supply parts for the Super-X's 
SWM Italy 1953 - 1984
T

Taglioni see Tornado
Tami Korea, Folding scooters
Tas Japan, Built small engines that mounted on the front wheel of bicycles. Sold as Spitz, Bike Bug, Sears Free Spirit
Tatran Czechoslovakia, 1950's? -1960's?, Scooters
Teco Germany
Temple England, 1930's?
Tempo Norway, In the late 1890's Jonas Oglaend started importing and selling bicycles. Under license from Schwinn in the USA, his company also started building their own parts for "The World" bicycle in the early 1900's. Around 1930? 1931? to 1932 they started producing a motorized bicycle using a 74cc Fichtel and Sachs engine on an imported German frame and then started producing their own frames. These first motorcycles were still sold as "The World" until 1935 when they started using the Tempo name, using both Sachs and Villiers engines. During WWII they produced a battery powered tri-cycle called the Tempo Elektro. In the 1950's they started producing mopeds using Victoria engines and then Sachs, Minarelli and even CZ for a while. Production was done in Sandnes Norway until 1987 and also under license in Portugal until 1990? 1994?   
Terrot France, 1920's?
Testi Italy, Minarelli engines?
TGB Taiwan Golden Bee Co., LTD started making scooters in 1978
TGM Italy, Terzi Giovanni Marchesini
Theim USA, 1900 - ? Thiem Mfg. Co., Minneapolis  see Joerns
Thomas USA,1900, see Auto-bi
Thompson
Thor The Aurora Automatic Machine Co. built engines, to the design of Oscar Hedstrom, for the first Indians. It also sold these engines to other motorcycle builders using the Thor brand-name. Reading-Standard, Racycle, Emblem, Brandenburg, Yankee and others used Thor engines or assembled complete Thor bikes and rebadged them. The first complete Thor motorcycles were built in 1907 and stopped in 1916
Thor-bred see Aurora
Thoroughbred USA, 1904, Made by Reading-Standard. see Aurora
Three Spires England, 1938? - 1940? Autocycles
Thunderbolt USA, Chevrolet 350ci V-8 with 355hp called the Thunderrod. They also build a trike
Thunder Mountain Motorsports USA, Harley clones
Tiger USA, 1906? - 1909?, The Tiger Cycle Co., Harry Gliesman sold many brands of motorcycles and one of his various companies apparently produced the Tiger Special 
Tiger Sweden, it was a re-badged Svalan
Tiger Germany, The name used on some exported Allrights
Tinkham USA
TIZ Russia, 1930's?
Titan USA, Another of the growing number of Harley Davidson clone motorcycles built with after market parts. Filed for chapter 11 in Jan. 2001
Tohatsu Japan, They built some very exotic GP racing motorcycles and small cc street motorcycles that were exported. Motorcycle production was taken over by Bridgestone in the 1960's?
Tomahawk USA, 2003, The Dodge Tomahawk was introduced at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show. It is a concept motorcycle, using a 500 hp V-10 engine from a Dodge Viper. It has two P120/60R-20 tires on 20x4 rims in front that are separated by a few inches and each has independent suspension, the rear has two P150/50R-20 on 20x5 rims. It has a manual foot shifted two speed transmission with two 110-link motorcycle-style chains on 35 tooth sprockets for final drive. Supposed to do 0-60 in 2.5 seconds. It was hand built by RM Motorsports in Wixom Mich. Dodge is seriously thinking of putting it into production with a price tag of around $250,000. Update 2005, apparently they weren't all that serious  
Tomos Slovenia/Netherlands, Mopeds
Topper Italy, 1960 - 1965, Built by Aermacchi, sold in the U.S. as a Harley Davidson Topper. It was large for a scooter, with a step through frame and a 165cc engine with a rope pull start, The only scooter ever sold by Harley. 2008, New research suggests that the Topper was not built in Italy, but in the U.S. It was being tested in the U.S. in 1959, a year before Harley teamed with Aermacchi 
Tornax Germany, 1926? - 1955 
Tornado Italy, Fabio Taglioni was the brain's behind the Ducati company's rise to world prominence in the 1950's. The Tornado was the first motorcycle that he designed before he went to work at Ducati
Tornedo Poland, 1938 - 1939
Tote Gote USA, 1958 - 1970, Trail scooters
Tough Customs Canada, Windsor, Ontario. Harley Clones
Tourist USA, 1905 - 1907, Newark NJ, Breeze Motor Mfg. Co.  500cc single 
Torpedo USA, 1901?? built by Glenn Curtiss
Torpedo England  see Elswick
Torque Tourist Same as a Tourist?
Toyomotor Japan
Trailbreaker
Train 1913 - 1939, French engine manufacturer. Made both small two-stroke and four-stroke engines up to 995cc 
Trava Italy, Speedway racer made by Renzo Travagini
Trenton USA, Early 1900's
Tribune
TriKing USA, They make trike conversions using Honda GL1200 and GL15OO Gold Wing, Valkyrie, Interstate and Kawasaki engines
Trimoto USA, early 1900's
Triumph England, Triumph registered as New Triumph Co. Ltd in 1887. Started building motorcycles in 1902 when they put a Minerva 2.25 horsepower engine on one of their reinforced bicycle frames. Triumph was sold to the "BSA Group" in 1951 and later became part of Norton, Villiers, Triumph (NVT). By 1957 the parts on Triumph, Norton and BSA were starting to be interchanged with each other. After NVT folded, John Bloor bought the manufacturing rights and the Triumph name from the bankrupt company in 1983. A new factory was built in 1990 and the company is on the upswing. see TWN
Traumannsdorf Austria
Tula Russia
Tule Trooper USA, 1960's - ?, Made in Washington State, trail scooters used quite a bit for hunting. They could be ordered with engines ranging from a 3 hp Briggs & Stratten, a 5 hp Villiers unit engine, Tecumseh and Kohler 10 hp and had several transmission options including reverse.
TVS India, Started in 1911 by T. V. Sundaram. They made their first mopeds in 1979. The formed a joint venture with Suzuki in 1982 to become TVS-Suzuki. They ended their partnership in 2000
Twin Eagle USA, Harley clones
TWN Germany, 1903 - 1957, was originally started by Triumph as Orial TWN (Triumph Werke Nuernberg). Around 1923 they broke away from Triumph. They produced at least one model that was the same as a British Triumph, but most were their own design using primarily  two stroke engines. For most of their history they were a very successful company that also produced bicycles and typewriters but never overcame their financial losses incurred from rebuilding after WWII  
U

Ultima Motorcycle Products USA, Harley Clones. They design and have their own engines built, sell kits from just frames to complete motorcycles with engines up to 127c.i.
Ultra USA, California built Harley Clones, S&S engines. They sell complete bikes and kits
Ural Russian, built in a factory near Moscow in the 1930s with help from the Germans. Then up scaled after the Soviets captured the BMW factory in Eisenach Germany and moved the machinery to a factory in Irbit USSR
URS Germany, 1960's racers designed by Helmut Fath

V

V-8 Holland, Chevy engines
Van Tech
Van Veen Dutch, 1976 to 1978, They had a 996cc Comoto (made by NSU-Citroen) rotary, a Moto Guzi frame with shaft drive and a top speed of 130mph 
Vauxhall England, 1922 - 1923, English car maker Vauxhall, tried motorcycles briefly but decided it was not a good financial move for the company. They had an inline four cyl. 945cc OHV engine. Only a few were built 
Vee Two Australia, Started out making dependable engine parts for Ducati's. They started making complete motorcycles in1987. All of their machines are based around  Ducati engines but most of the internals of the engine are made by Vee Two. Models include the Alchemy and Squalo
Velocette England, 1905 - 1971
Velocipedraisiavaporianna (Steam) Germany and France, 1818, It used a steam turbine in each wheel instead of the usual piston steam engine. The vehicle was tested in the Luxembourg Gardens in Paris on April 5, 1818, but was invented in Germany
Velosolex see Solex
Vengeance USA, Riverside CA, Vengeance Performance Products, Harley Clones
Vento USA? Manufacture motorcycles, scooters, ATV's. Engines are made in China by Qianjiang. They also sell under the names Visao and BKM
Veremati Italy
Verhovina Russia
Vespa Piaggio
Victor (Coventry-Victor?)
Victoria Germany, 1901 - 1958, at one time or another they used FN, Columbus, BMW, and other engines. Had a supercharged engine in 1925. They were taken over, along with DKW and Express, by Zweirad-Union from 1958 - 1965 and then by Sachs
Victory USA, Made by Polaris, has Harley styling. They produce their own ohc, four valve per cylinder, 92 cu. in. V - Twin engines. Started development in 1993 and rolled the first one out in 1998
Villa Italy, Motociclette Villa
Villiers England, The Villiers Engineering Company produced engines from about 1911 until NVT died in the 1970s
Villof Spain
Vincent-HRD Phil Vincent started making bikes in 1937, stopped around 1955. The HRD name was dropped in 1950. Models include the Comet, Rapide, the Black lightning racer and the famous Black Shadow (a street version of the Black lightning) 
Vincent Motors USA. a San Diego company, is bringing back the Vincent motorcycle marque. They acquired the rights to the name in 1994 and started building prototypes in 1998, spending about $2 million on four of them
Vindee Made by Allright
Viper USA, Harley Clone made in Plymouth Minnesota. 128 ci V-Twin
Vis Fabrik Germany, 1920's? Built the Vis-Duplex that had a 496cc two stroke engine
VMEP Vietnam, Vietnam Manufacturing and Export Processing Ltd. It is a subsidiary of Taiwan ’s Sanyang Motor Group
Vneemotoprom Russian rotary motorcycles
Vogelbilt USA, Vogelbilt Corp has a prototype retro looking bike with Harley styling but using an electric motor with a top speed of 80 mph that they call the Electric Hog
Voloci USA, A small electric motorcycle made by Nova Cruz Products, Inc.
Vor Italy, Vor Motori was started in 1998, motocross and supermoto joined in a partnership with ATK in 2001
Voskhod Russia, 1966
Voxan France, 1995
VS see Allright
Vulkaan Holland, 1911-1927, Bicycle and Motorcycle factory Vulkaan, owned by the brothers Jac and Victor Fonck. They made motorcycles using French Zédel 4 stroke engines of various sizes, with both one and two cylinders. In 1915 they started importing Dayton motorcycles, and in 1916 they became agents for Cleveland motorcycles. During WWI,  Vulkann production stopped because of the unavailability of the French engines. After the war they started selling the British Cedos motorcycles, initially 2 strokes but after 1925 also 4 strokes, but sales did not go as well as expected and in 1927 Vulkaan ceased to exist. (Thanks to Albert Krijger)

W

Wabo Dutch, 1950's
Wagner USA, 1904 - ? Minneapolis
Wall England, 1910?1912? - 1925?, Made an engine kit for bicycles called the Wall Motor Wheel, possibly the first "motorwheel" The USA rights to it were sold to the Milwaukee based A. O. Smith Company around 1913 and after some changes it was sold as the Smith Motor Wheel. A. O. Smith Company was later sold to Briggs and Stratton around 1919
Walter Germany, 1903 - 1942?
Wanderer Germany, 1902 - 1929 They had engines between 616cc, and 750cc. The buyer could order either 2 or 4 valve per cylinder motors. 
Waratah Australia 
Warwick
Wasp England 
Wasson
Waverly USA, 1905 - 1913, Had 500cc OHV single. Also made Jefferson, PEM and sold engines
Wearwell England, The Wearwell Motor Carriage Company opened in 1899 and released its first motorcycle in 1901 using engines built by the Stevens bros. they were sold as Wearwell - Stevens. Later they made new models using the name Wulfruna and Wolf until about 1922. The company was acquired by the Waine brothers in 1928 and they started producing Wolf badged motorcycles around 1931 until the start of WWII
Welbike UK, 1940, collapsible military scooter
Wendax Germany, 1930? - ?
Werner France, 1897 - 1908, The Russian brothers Werner, built and had patented the cradled frame engine location that most motorcycles now use, in 1901. They had a front wheel drive bike in 1898 but decided that it would improve handling to mount the engine between the wheels
West Coast Choppers USA, Custom V-Twin Choppers by Jessie James
Westfield
Westlake England, Speedway, longtrack engines
Westover
WFM Poland, 1951 - 1965, Took over Sokol in 1951
Whipple USA, 1905 - 1907, actually a tricycle with two wheels in front, Aurora Mfg engine
Whiting Australia-England, 1915 - 1920?, Saville Whiting designed several motorcycle prototypes but could never get them put into mass production in England or Australia. They used engines made by Douglas, JAP and the last used a V - Four of Whiting's design
Whizzer USA, 1939 - 1964, Motorized bicycles
Widmayer USA, 1901, If any were produced?
Wild West Motor Company USA, San Diego CA, Harley Clones
Wiking Sweden, They build cruisers using an 1845cc, aluminum, air cooled inline four 
Wilkinson England, 1903 - 1914?, Wilkinson Sword Co., Made a touring bike that had a water cooled inline four engine with shaft drive in 1913
Williams USA, Patented in 1915, J.N. Williams built a radial three cyl. engine that was put inside the rear wheel on several prototypes. I have been told that he also patented a variable displacement engine but it is unconfirmed here. The only known example of the Williams "Clady's" is in the Glenn Curtis Museum
Williamson England
Willis 4 see Butterfield
Wilson
Winged Wheel England, A bicycle engine kit made by BSA
Wisconsin Wheel Smith Motor Wheel?
Wizard
Wolf see Wearwell
Wolsit see Legnano 
Wood USA, 1914?
Woods
Woods-Meagher USA
Wooler English 1920's -? John Wooler. One model was called the "Flying Banana" because of it's strange styling and yellow tank
World "The World" see Tempo
WSK Poland 1954 - 1985, Wytwornia Sprzetu Komunikacyjnego
Wulfruna see Wearwell
Wul-Gum Poland, 1937 - 1939, Sachs engines
Wysecycle USA
X

Xingfu China, Shanghai Xingfu

Y

Y2K USA, Made by Marine Turbine Technology. Weighs 460 lbs and has an Allison Rolls Royce 250 Gas Turbine that makes 320 hp with 286 hp at the rear wheel and 425 ft lbs of torque. It has an estimated Top Speed of 250 mph, 1/4 Mile: 9.80 @ 160 mph, 0-200 mph in 15.0 seconds. All with a modest price tag of only $150,000. Jay Leno of course had to have one
Yale USA, 1902 - 1915, their first bike was the Yale-California
Yale-California USA, Consolidated Manufacturing Company in Toledo, Ohio, 1902 - 1915, Bought the rights for the California motorcycle
Yamaguchi Japan, 1955 - 1963, Yamaguchi began a trading partnership with Pabatco, an Oregon based fertilizer and produce distributor around 1961. Pabatco set up over 400 dealerships for the motorcycles and traded produce for them to get around currency exchange restrictions that were in place at the time. By 1963 they had a thriving business and had imported over 5000 motorcycles. In April of 1963 Yamaguchi stopped production and closed shop. Pabatco made an offer to Hodaka, who had been making the engines for Yamaguchi. Pabatco would design and market the bike and Hodaka would manufacture and assemble them. 
Yamaha Japan, Made their first bikes around 1955
Yankee (Ossa)USA, 1969 - 1977?? The 500cc engines were made by combining two single-cylinder, 2 cycle, air-cooled 250cc Ossa engines into one twin with a common crankshaft and cases. 
Yankee USA, 1920's
Yankee USA, 1903 - 1908, Charles Haberer used Thor parts and assembled motorcycles and sold them as "The Yankee" until Thor started building their own motorcycles. He then became a dealer for Thor
Yezdi see Ideal Jawa
Young Rider Italy, Competition mini bikes

Z

Zanella 
Zanzani Italy, Build Motobi replicas 
Zap USA, 1994, Electric bicycles, scooters,trikes
Zedel Swiss, 1901? - 1914? Zedel Motoren manufactured engines used by many builders
Zehnder Swiss
Zenith England, 1914?? 1000cc. JAP engines
Zero Japan, Zero Engineering, founded by Shinya Kimura makes Harley clone type customs
ZID Russia
ZipCycle USA, Motorized Bicycles
Zuch Poland, 1938 - 1939
Zundapp Germany, 1921 - 1984 
ZSS Poland 
ZZR Poland

The terms used to describe various types of powered two wheeled vehicles have been been re-defined through time, the characterizations below are currently the generally accepted definitions

Autocycle: Originally the same as motorcycle, came to define a light framed purpose built cycle with pedals and a small cc engine, usually under 100cc, but some used larger engines
Cyclemotor/Motorwheel: An engine that that can be fitted to a bicycle frame to create a motorized bicycle. They usually came in kit form and included controls, gas tank and sometimes a transmission. Some came as a complete front or rear-wheel assembly  
Mini-bike/Pit-bike: A very small cycle, originally most used a centrifugal clutch and no transmission, many newer ones use small cc motorcycle engines and transmissions
Mini-moto/Pocketbike: Very small replicas of a full sized motorcycle with full fairings that are usually raced
Moped: A term that came to be used in the 1950s for an Autocycle that was under 50cc.
Scooter: A small motorcycle, usually with wheels smaller than 15", and a step-through frame. Most have the engines near the rear wheel

   Web Sources: 
Many of the web sites and books listed below contain information on different motorcycles that conflict with each other and also with some of the information that I have found. They contain many motorcycles that I do not have listed because I have not verified them through other sources. I have many motorcycles on this list that are not in any of the books below, that I have verified.
Who is correct, hell who knows? Some of it gets pretty confusing

Ace Motor Corporation
Adelaide Institute Newsletter 258  (Forget the politics, read about the bikes)  
Amercian Board Trackers
Antique Literature Homepage
Antique Small Engine Collectors Club
Canadian Vintage Motorcycle Group National Page
China motorcycle.com
Classic Bikes
Cotton Motorcycle Homepage
Crocker Motorcycle Company
Cybermotorcycle.com
Dan Gurney Alligator Motorcycles 
EBig China
Glenn Curtiss Museum
Harley Topper Club
HDT
Hurley-Pugh
Ian Chadwicks Britsh Motorcycle History
Lambretta Evergreen
Lectra electric motorbike
Mustang Motorcycle Club
National Autocycle & Cyclemotor Club
Norwegian Tempo Club
Ode to Hodaka
Schouwer-Online
Scripophily
Spagthorpe Motorcycles
Steed Musclebikes
The Panther Page
The Polish M/C Group
The Workshop
Vintage Dirtrack and Speedway Motorcycles
Wolverhampton History and Heritage

   Other: 

Harley Racers - Allen Girdler (owner of an iron XR-750)
Marques of Distinction - John Carroll & Jim Glastonbury
The History of the Motorcycle - Hugo Wilson, RD Press.
The Encyclopedia of Motorcycles - Roland Brown
The Ultimate Motorcycle Book - Hugo Wilson
The Motorcycle Industry In New York State - Geoffrey N. Stein - New York State Museum
The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle - Hugo Wilson
Various business and tax records
Wheels and Wheeling - The Smithsonian Collection of Automobiles and Motorcycles. - S.M. Oliver & D.H. Berkebile.
And many others that escape me

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