Kōrero: Motorcycles

Mr Henning (left) and Mr Service of Auckland pose with their De Dion two-and-a-half horsepower motor tricycle. The first manufactured motorcycle introduced to New Zealand was a one-and-three-quarter horsepower De Dion motor tricycle, made in France. It was imported by Christchurch man William Acton-Adams in 1899. It cost him £100, packing was £3, freight £8 10s., and customs duty £22. In 2022 terms the total cost was around $28,000. Acton-Adams sold the bike a year later for £55.