DOT might not be a name you're familiar with but the company has a long history and is now back with two bikes, one a cafe racer and one a scrambler. Deep pockets required!

The DOT Motorcycles Name Revived

To call a motorcycle DoT, which stood for Devoid of Trouble, at the very beginning of the motorcycle industry in England at the turn of the 20th century was typical of the promotional talents of those early pioneers.

In 1903, Harry Reed opened his business in Manchester, England, fitting proprietary engines into frames of his own manufacture. And that is basically how the company survived until 1978, albeit with a break from motorcycle production between 1932 and 1949 when the company survived on contract work and then war work.

In the 1950s and '60s, DoT motorcycles were very successful in trials and scrambles events, using Villiers two-stroke engines. When the supply of these dried up in 1968, the company struggled on until 1978 when motorcycle production stopped and changed to the manufacture of DOT-Armstrong suspension units for cars and motorcycles.

Fast forward to 2021 and a new pair of DoT motorcycles is due to go on sale imminently. While it is unlikely that DoT will be challenging the likes of Triumph, Norton and the recently announced BSA, it is yet one more British manufacturer that has been resurrected from the ashes of a once-dominant industry.

The two motorcycles use the engine from the Kawasaki Z650, which a parallel twin engine, producing 67bhp and 47lb.ft of torque. It is housed in a bespoke tubular steel chassis, suspended on Showa fronts and back and stopped by Brembo. Kerb weight is 169kg and they both run a minuscule 10-litre petrol tank.

There are two models, the sporty, cafe racer Reed Racer and the scrambler-styled Dot Demon. Built to order in Manchester, DoT enlisted the help of Guy Martin to help develop the bikes.

Being completely hand-built to order, there is a high degree of personalisation available.

"We’ve got CNC machines, we’ve got autoclaves, so we can make all the parts in house," Dot’s Dr Anthony Keating told MCN. "Customers can have whatever colours they want." The suspension will also be set up and sprung for the owner before delivery.

They will certainly be rare on the roads - DoT reckons it can manufacture 60 bikes a year - and they will certainly be expensive. The Dot Demon scrambler start at 18,500 Pounds Sterling and the Reed Racer starts at 21,000 of the same currency. But what price exclusivity?