Demonstrated to the British military in the Summer of 1908, the Wilkinson motorcycle failed to impress the authorities, despite optional accessories including a Maxim machine gun mounted on the handlebars.

[3] Undaunted, the company continued development and exhibited a new version a year later at the Stanley Cycle & Motorcycle Show at the Agricultural Hall, Islington, London in 1909.

[1] The unsuccessful military prototype was originally powered by an air-cooled transverse V-twin, but a new engine was developed at their Oakley works in Chiswick[3] for the luxury production Wilkinson in December 1911.

Redesignated the 'TMC' (for "Touring Motor Cycle"), the Wilkinson TMC was one of the top of the range motorcycles built before the First World War.

Wilkinson had also diversified into light car production by this time and designed a substantial enclosed sidecar with leaf spring suspension as an option for the TMC.