Silk Engineering - History

History

Silk was founded in the late 1960s by George Silk, a Scott motorcycle enthusiast who worked for Derbyshire Scott specialist Tom Ward. George Silk developed a racing motorcycle by fitting a Scott engine into a Spondon frame. Following some success with a Silk Special at the Barbon Hill Climb in 1970, Silk began planning a road-going prototype with his business partner Maurice Patey. They set up Silk Engineering and began providing a spares and repair service for Scott motorcycle owners. They also offered a range of modifications to improve the reliability and performance of Scotts, as well as improving the lubrication and gas flow. Silk exhibited the prototype at the Racing and Sporting Motorcycle Show in London in 1971. Orders exceeded his capability to produce them but he hand-built 21 Silk-Scott Specials between 1971 and 1975. The supply of Scott engines was limited, therefore customers were asked to find their own.

Matt Holder, who had bought the rights to the Scott engines, disputed the use of the Scott trademark and prevented Silk from making Scott engines under licence, forcing Silk to develop his own. A new two stroke engine was developed by David Midgelow (from Rolls Royce engineering) and George Silk, and they had assistance from two-stroke expert Gordon Blair of Queen’s University, Belfast, who optimised the porting with the aid of specialist computer programs.