F. E. Baker Ltd

Founded in 1906 by Frank Edward Baker, the company produced motorcycle engines under the Precision trademark until 1919.

Precision engines were used by a wide range of motorcycle manufacturers in the United Kingdom and in other parts of the Commonwealth and were also used in cyclecars.

Frank Baker's engine production business grew at a fast rate, and in 1911 they added an 'excellently equipped fitting shop at the works of Messrs Webley and Scott' and by the 1911 Olympia Motorcycle Show in London there were 96 motorcycles with Baker's Precision engines.

This had front and rear suspension, unit construction, and a pressed steel petrol tank that formed part of the frame.

[5] Differences from the UK engines included round cylinder fins instead of square and an external flywheel.

The "Green" engine was unusual in that it was water cooled but with heat exchangers mounted directly on either side of the cylinder.

[8] The 170cc engine had the unusual characteristic of horizontal overhead valves located at the rear of the cylinder, as well as unit-construction (see images).

The 225cc Precision 2-stroke engine that appears against 3 different manufacturers in the November 1914 buyers guide (see info below) also appears in the 1915 Buyers Guide in the model by Grandex and in a short article on 1916 Torpedo motorcycles in November 1915,[9] suggesting this engine did enter into production, though production may have been restricted due to the war effort.

This was facilitated by companies that provided engines, forks, seats, gearboxes, magnetos, lights and belt drives, allowing the frame maker to assemble his motorcycle.

One of the main engine suppliers was JA Prestwich Industries (known as JAP), and to some extent F. E. Baker were targeting their market.

In November each year the Motor Cycle show was held at Olympia, and a Buyers Guide published which in most cases revealed the engine supplier used by the companies, enabling an idea of the large number of motorcycles using Precision engines in the UK.

[10] Other makes of motorcycle to use Precision engines before WW1, include Zenith, Cleveland, New Imperial, Coventry-Eagle, Armis, Chater-Lea, S. G. Neal (Neal Precision) and in Australia A. G. Healing had distribution rights for the engines, making their own motorcycles under the tradename 'Peerless', but also supplying others such as Vivian Lewis Ltd, and Bullock.