Another fabled British make was the D.O.T. or “Devoid of Trouble” as the name would have you believe.
Most of the time mistaken for Cotton, the D.O.T. was yet another cottage motorcycle manufacturer that sourced its motors from other manufacturers, this time Villiers.
The last time I was at the Ventura Fairgrounds Motorcycle & Gun Show swap-meet (funny how those two go together) way in the back by the chain link fence and the port-o-cans, was some scruffy old guy wearing an Ossa t-shirt, who had a tent set up with few Dots under it for sale. I asked him if they were Cottons and he got all huffy, and immediately launched into a combination history/tirade of the DOT motorcycle:
“No these aren’t freeking Cottons, assbite, these are DOT’s. Devoid Of Trouble. The DOT motorcycle, founded in 1908 By Harry Reed.”
“DOT’s were about 110% better then those POS Cottons, in fact, Cotton copied most of DOT designs after the war. Look at the frame and the muffler, Cotton copied that, along with buying the forks from the same place DOT did. And Cotton never manufactured motors, like DOT did. Before WW1, DOT designed a two cylinder rig for the Isle of Man in ‘ought eight. Won their class too if I ‘member right.”
1920 DOT Bradshaw 250cc Four Stroke
“DOT’s were a more reliable sickle, ‘cause they used the more expensive Villiers “A” series motor that had better electrics and lower ends. In the early 30’s DOT also built a three-wheeled work truck that Cotton copied, in fact the two looked identical from a few feet away. Sometimes I don’t know if Frank Cotton and Harry Reed from DOT were the same person, but it sure seemed that way.”
The DOT Motor Truck
“Also, in the late 1950’s and 60’s DOT won more trials and scrambles events than Cotton did, were a better handling motorcycle. That’s why you can pick up an old Cotton for peanuts because they’re crap. But take this DOT Scrambler here… powered by a 197cc Villiers long-stroke motor (that was missing the exhaust system, various parts and was brown with rust)…I can get at least one grand for this thing no sweat, just for parts.”
1960 DOT Demon 250cc Scrambler. Note Starmaker motor.
“And you know the DOT factory at Mancunian Way/Chester Road at Hulme, Manchester never really closed, and you can still get new parts for ‘em. Try that with your fracking Cotton, pilgrim” 
1953 DOT SDHX4P
With that, the scruffy old guy cleared his throat and turned his attention away to his beer cooler, and made sure I knew he was ignoring me.
1966 "Square DOT" Scrambler
The DOT sure did look like a Cotton, except was done a little better in the frame & finish department. One DOT model even looked like it had some Vincent genes in it, judging by the frame design.
By then I had spent all my money on .44 ammunition and didn’t have any left to even purchase a DOT bumper sticker from the crusty old dude.
Maybe next year.
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