Listing this as a motorcycle seems a bit odd since it’s clearly a two-wheeled vehicle with an engine. The trouble is, Powell Manufacturing out of Compton, California, started out making scooters, as far as their vehicle portfolio goes, after radios. Scooters are a different animal than “motorcycles”, in the sense that you sometimes step through them to sit down rather than swing a leg over them to get onto the seat, or their engines are pull-start rather than kick-start. Not always, but sometimes. This incredibly rare 1951 Powell P-81 Motorcycle is listed here on Facebook Marketplace in Alamo, California, and they’re asking $4,500. Here is the original listing.
Having been restored already and appearing in outstanding cosmetic condition, this is a motorcycle you could ride right away, between drawing crowds at vintage motorcycle events. You have to have a thing for small motorcycles to have any interest in this one, and you already know I’m a big fan of all vehicles, big or small. We don’t commute with giant motorcycles, in general, and we don’t take a Powell P-81 across the country. They each have their uses. Being a big fan of the Powell Sport Wagon pickup, having a Powell P-81 Motorcycle would be fantastic. I haven’t seen a green version before. I thought they were all black, but I could be wrong.
Channing and Hayward Powell started their business making radios after graduating from high school in 1924. In 1925, after having had an appendectomy, Hayward and his brother, Channing, took five months off to see the country. They were back in Los Angeles in 1926 and started Powell Manufacturing Co. to sell both radios and AC adaptors. By the early 1930s, they had given up on radios and turned to scooter production. They helped with the war effort during WWII and after that, had three scooters in production with names reminiscent of planes: P-47, P-48, and P-49. By the early 1950s, they turned to small motorcycles with the P-81, and this is a 1951 version of that model.
They made their own engines, and this is a 24-cu.in. four-stroke single-cylinder with around 8 horsepower, and is backed by an automatic clutch drive. An interesting side note is that this has an oil-filled frame, which means exactly what you think it means. There’s a filler cap seen in front of the gas tank, and that’s where you put the engine oil. You can see the incredible cosmetic condition of this P-81, and the seller says it has the original leather saddlebags, it starts and stops as it should, and has a title. At $4,500, you’d be hard-pressed to have a more unusual motorcycle at the next event. Have any of you heard of a Powell P-81?
I knew about the Powell Sportwagon pickup ( which I really like). I did not realize they made motorcycles. It’s a neat design and looks like a nice restoration. I like the saddlebags too. The oil filled frame is a unique idea too. This would be perfect for someone with a Powell pickup to have in the bed for display.
Oil filled frames were unusual in the ’40s and ’50s, but Trackmaster made oil bearing race frames for dirt track in the ’60s, and the BSA/Triumph combine used them from 1971 to 1983 on their singles and twins. It was a good idea, but the execution on Triumphs was a little iffy because they tended to develop leaks where the swingarm spindle passed through the backbone.
This brings back some very old memories. When these were popular I was barely a teenager and owning a car was way off. However, a scooter was a possibility, although very doubtful. Anyway I consumed everything I could find out about scooters. I wanted one but I can’t remember, if I saw one in person.
Very cool looking , like a mini Fat Boy!
Never have seen one of these. Have run across a couple of their new old cars over the years, but never the small motorcycle. Be a great little commuter bike.
Mr. Gilbertson( waving frantically) ,can I go to the bathroom before todays lesson? Sit down Howard,,,since Scottys posts generally attract all, like a moth towards a flame, Happy Fathers Day to all the dads out there, told my kids, couldn’t have celebrated it without you( boom-tis)
While the Powell cars were pretty generic, the bikes should have been more popular. At $247 new, it was cheaper than an Allstate, and since foreign bikes were generally unheard of, the market, if any, was wide open. Oil in frame indicates a dry sump motor, and being a hard tail might be a bit rough, and a limited market to begin with, it didn’t have a chance.
Now, fast forward like 70 years, short distance personalized transportation is all the rage, and this would be a perfect “anti E-bike”, something the Powell boys never dreamed of.
Dry sump was really the default until Honda came along in 1959, and rear suspension was not that common before 1950, nor universal until ’55, so this bike wasn’t really an oddball in its day.
Never heard of a Powell motorcycle, too bad I haven’t . This looks really nice, and it runs and rides. And looking at those wheels , I know where Harley got the idea for their Fat Boy disks. At the asking price, I would be surprised if this beautiful Powell isn’t already gone.
Hopefully you saw the Facebook Marketplace in the opening paragraph, Terrry? If you click on that, it shows that it’s still available.
Do you mean 24 CCs instead of 24 cubic inches?
For once, I didn’t get that wrong, darasdad…
https://www.picclickimg.com/yT0AAOSwnJdgzLGu/1949-Powell-P-81-Motorcycle-Original-Ad.webp
https://www.bike-urious.com/1950-powell-p81-custom/
http://www.finecars.cc/en/detail/car/14856/index.html#:~:text=Specifications%3A%208hp%2C%2023.94%20cu.,in%20acceleration%20and%20top%20speed.
Hmmm. 24ci = 393cc (which is how we normally refer to motorcycle engine size, right?). That cylinder doesn’t appear to be that big, but I could be wrong. Thanks!
You’re right on the money, darasdad. I see Harleys sometimes referred to in cu. in., but not many others. Thanks for crunching the numbers on the engine size! I wanted to keep it the same as what the vintage ads said, just to make sure.
Great job Mr. Scott. I have one of these in my shed as a someday project. I got started on it but a fire set me back to worse than when I started. Mine came with the original title and owners manual. There were 2 models, one was 8 horse and a 10 horse. Pretty primitive engine, exposed valve springs. These had rear brake only, no speedo. no brake light. Owners manual claims 60 to 65 mph top speed. I was told they use model A Ford valves and piston.
This was what I lusted after. A teenage cool guy a street over, had one. I was stuck on a Schwinn 3 speed.
For the price- it is probably already sold. Peanuts for the time and money spent! A unique unit. I was enamored by the Cushman Eagle as a kid, as well as the “Mustang” of similar size and solid wheels. Very interesting. Never saw one before- and I lived next door to Compton in 1950! Pretty cool!