Australian Whiting: The last word in motorcycle luxury

The Whiting motorcycle was conceived in Melbourne in 1912 when engineer Saville Whiting (1889-1973) designed and built an innovative spring-frame cycle with semi-elliptic leaf sprinting on both the front and rear wheels. The four-cylinder V-engine was one of the most technically advanced designs created in Australia.

Whiting was dissatisfied with the handling and comfort afforded by pre-World War One motorcycle design and believed they could be improved to cope with the rough roads of Melbourne with the addition of front and rear suspension.

‘The Motorcycle’ exhibition was in Brisbane’s Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) from 28 November 2020 until 26 April 2021.

Whiting 1914

The Whiting spring-frame motorcycle was designed in Melbourne in 1914. Its most unusual feature is the semi-elliptical leaf suspension at both ends; the rear using a swinging arm system which Saville Whiting patented. The motorcycle was designed to withstand poor-quality roads and the first motorcycle consisted of a Douglas engine, he produced a second machine powered by a John A Prestwich (JAP) V-twin engine.

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Specifications

Country: Australia
Power: 4 hp
Engine: 494 cc James A. Prestwich (JAP) side-valve V-twin
Designer: Saville Whiting
Production: 1914

Interesting facts

In 1913 the Whiting was put to the test on Mount Misery, near Diggers Rest in Victoria, on a road known for its rugged terrain of rocks, rabbit holes and tree roots.
Saville Whiting and the prototype Douglas-engined machine in front of Mount Misery / Courtesy: Lowe Family Collection
Saville Whiting journeyed to London in 1914 with the hope of commercialising his design; however, the outbreak of World War One that same year dashed his dreams. Returning to Melbourne in 1919, he pursued his ambition of manufacturing the motorcycle and purchased a disused factory in Richmond. Funds soon ran out, however, following the production of a single example of a third variation of the design, incorporating a V4 engine designed by Whiting himself.
In 1915 Motor Cycling magazine UK proclaimed the Whiting ‘the last word in luxury’ for its front and rear leaf suspension.
In 2018, the 1919 Whiting V4 was featured on one of four vintage motorcycles stamps produced by Australia Post.