In 1895, the German Hildebrand-Wolfmuller motorcycle was demonstrated at Coventry, and the following year EJ Pennington was experimenting with two machines of his own design at the Humber works. However, the first successful commercial models were made by HJ Lawson at his British Motor Syndicate factories, the New Beeston Cycle Company and the Motor Manufacturing Company; these early designs were mostly tricycles.

By 1900, many more manufacturers had entered the field, and Messrs Perks and Birch tried the idea of placing the whole mechanism inside the back wheel, a development which foreshadowed the "Cyclemaster" of 50 years later. The Coventry - Birmingham - Wolverhampton area became the centre of the industry, and there were 22 motorcycle firms in Coventry alone in the year 1905. With some ups and downs, improvements in design and a general expansion took place until the First World War; Triumph were selling over 300 machines a year and Rover 1400 per year, before production was interrupted. A few models were produced for military purposes but were severely limited until 1919, when a variety of new designs came on the market.

In 1922, Coventry's 20 manufacturers included only eight survivors of the early days, and the introduction of price cutting and cheap low powered machines drove several more out of business. BSA took over from Triumph as leaders in the industry, and the number of producers dwindled throughout the 1930's as competition from the motor car made itself felt.

Triumph moved to a new factory at Allesley in 1942 and 8 years later Coventry Eagle and Francis-Barnett were their only competitors in the Coventry area; these two have since removed to Smethick and Birmingham respectively, and Triumph is now part of the BSA group.