It was the first 'battle of Britain', and a prelude to the steamroller of history that would soon overtake all the participants. The garlands accorded the World Motorcycle Speed Record holder in the years before WW2 became arguably more important than race wins for publicity, as there was no proper world championship series in the Grand Prix scene, but everyone knew who was fastest. Still, only a few factories invested the time in developing their machinery for a top-speed run, and the best results were gained using road- or track-racing engines in a modified chassis. BMW used its supercharged road racer engines (at first the WR750 pushrod engines, then their OHC 500cc motor) in longer frames with metal cladding, then developed fully enclosed streamlining by the mid-1930s. Gilera used its supercharged GP racing supercharged DOHC four-cylinder in streamlined bodywork. The British contingents - Brough Superior, Zenith, OEC, and AJS - tended to use standard frames (except OEC) with minimal streamlining, and relied on supercharged JAP pushrod v-twin engines (except AJS, who designed an OHC v-twin that was unsuccessful, but gorgeous). [For more on all these, see our series 'Absolute Speed, Absolute Power']
Joe Wright streaking down the straight highway between the towns of Montlhéry and Arpajon, France, in 1930, aboard the supercharged OEC-Temple-JAP, taking the World Land Speed Record at 130mph. The white 'stripes' on his clothing are strips of tape! Used to prevent his clothing flapping in the wind, and causing wind drag. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]1930 was a banner year for Land Speed Racing, as the absolute World Record swapped continents four times, between three different makes! The final record taken in that frenzied year was a significant advance on Ernst Henne's 137.58mph record achieved on his BMW only weeks prior, at Ingolstadt, Germany. On 6th November, Joseph S. Wright rode a motorcycle powered by a supercharged JAP 994cc engine to 150.7mph down a stretch of rod-straight concrete pavé of the Carrigrohane straight, just outside Cork, Ireland. It's a record that's still published in the official FIM register, but that account is dead wrong. Not the speed, nor the man who made the record, nor the place it was taken, but the make of the machine on which he took the record is still recorded as 'OEC-Temple-JAP', but that was a convenient lie perpetrated on that November day by all present - including the FIM timekeepers - for understandable reasons. Understandable, but still wrong.
Joe Wright's successful bid for the World Land Speed Record on the Arpajon straight in 1930, seen here at the final timing section of the flying kilometer and mile section, as sanctioned by the Motorcycle Club de France. Amazingly, spectators and press are behind a fence - a rare concession to safety in an era with no regulations [Hockenheim Museum Archive]Joe Wright had in fact taken the Motorcycle Land Speed Record with the same OEC-Temple-JAP on August 31st 1930, at Arpajon, France, at 137.32mph. Less than a month later, Ernst Henne and his BMW had the cheek to snatch the record by a mere .3mph, on September 20th. In answer, the Brits were determined to bump up the record significantly, and set about increasing the power of their supercharged JAP 994cc motors (nearly 250cc bigger than the BMW, but there were no capacity limits for the absolute speed record) to 85hp @6000rpm. They also added a few simple streamlining modifications, like tiny aluminum fairings, tape(!) over fork tubes, disc rear wheel covers, metal shrouds around the engine cases, a streamlined helmet, and careful attention to the pathetically unsafe riding gear of their very brave rider, Joe Wright. Period films at the next attempt at Cork show the team mechanic using friction tape on Wright's knitted wool sweater to keep it tight to his body in a bid to reduce air resistance.
Joe Wright being 'taped up' in preparation for his 150mph record run at Cork - note the tape already across his chest; it was also applied around his wrists, arms, and legs! He's also wearing a 'kidney belt' to support his back (and insides) on the bumpy, semi-airborne ride he experienced with his rigid-frame motorcycle. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]The O.E.C. (Osborn Engineering Company) had an unusual chassis, using its trademark 'Duplex' steering system, which steers via parallel upright tubes connected by substantial links. The forward tubes house springs, and the front axle slides up and down in slots in the tube, which negates the changes to wheelbase and trail endemic to both girder and telescopic forks. The advantage of this arcane steering system was great stability at speed, and front wheel suspension that didn't alter the steering geometry when compressed by bumps, thus providing 'neutral' steering under all conditions. In practical use, the OEC chassis was incredibly stable, although resistant to steering input from the rider! So, while potholes and broken surfaces brought no front wheel deflection, neither did a hard push on the handlebars. When asked to steer, it responded like Melville's 'Bartleby the Scrivener', and simply 'preferred not to'. Perfect for a high-speed straight-line chassis, actually.
Joe Wright in 1930 at the Montlhery speed bowl (see our film here), testing for the full-speed run on the Arpajon straightaway nearby [Hockenheim Museum Archive]Regardless the OEC's suitability and prep for the record, a pair of machines was present at Cork that November day in 1930; the OEC that had been prepared by veteran speed tuner Claude Temple, and a 'reserve' machine in case it all went pear-shaped. The second-string machine was a supercharged Zenith-JAP, of similar engine configuration to the OEC, but in a mid-1920s Zenith '8/45' racing chassis, on which Joe Wright had done considerable track time at Brooklands. But the illustrious Zenith marque was out of business in 1930, a victim of the Depression, so could provide no sponsorship to the record attempt, nor gain valuable publicity from a successful run, nor pay bonuses or salaries for any helpful staff who built/maintained the machine. While Zenith would be rescued from the trashbin of bankruptcy in a few months, and carry on making motorcycles until 1948, the reorganized company did not include its former star-making General Manager Freddie Barnes, never ever sponsored another race team, attempt, or rider.
Joe Wright at Brooklands ca.1928, aboard the unsupercharged version of his racing Zenith, while he rode under the tutelage of Zenith maestro Freddie Barnes. Zeniths gained more 'Gold Stars' for 100+mph laps at Brooklands than any other make, and Wright had considerable experience with his Zenith at Brooklands. [Hockenheim Museum Collection]November 6th was an unlucky day for the OEC, as the Woodruff key fixing the drive sprocket to the crankshaft sheared off, and the OEC was unable to complete the required two-direction timed runs to take the Record. The engine shaft drove the supercharger as well as the primary chain/gearbox, and was a one-off for which there was presumably no replacement, and there was no time to repair the damage.
A compelling shot of Joe Wright on the Arpajon straight on the OEC, with Claude Temple adjusting the machine he'd developed and tuned for land speed racing. Temple had himself held the World Land Speed Record in 1923 (108.48mph), aboard the Temple-Anzani double-overhead camshaft V-twin he'd developed, which was sadly destroyed in the National Motorcycle Museum fire in 2003. The collection of vertical tubing seen here is the 'Duplex' steering system typical of OEC. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]With the OEC out of action, and FIM timekeepers being paid by the day, as well as the complicated arrangements with the city of Cork to close their road (and presumably police the area), a World Speed Record was an expensive proposition for a small, private team. Thus having a 'backup bike' was a sensible preparation, although this attempt at Cork may have been the only instance in which the second-string racer was of a completely different make! Imagine Ernst Henne bringing a supercharged DKW as a backup in case his BMW broke; simply unthinkable!
The evidence (1): Wright sits his OEC, which has been further modified from its Arpajon form with minimal streamlining to the forks, frame, and engine casings, with a small fairing added atop the forks. Wright's supercharged Zenith sits behind the OEC, clearly visible with its own minimal streamlining; note especially the distinctive square fairing panel on the front forks. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]But, the British motorcycle industry at the time was very close-knit, sharing both engine tuners and riders, and the factories competing for top speed glory were very small - the annual output of Zenith, Brough Superior, and OEC combined probably equalled a month's production at BMW, or less. They competed on friendly terms for national prestige, while the largest British factories (BSA, Triumph, Ariel), nearly ignored speed competitions such as the Grands Prix and Land Speed racing. Plus, the successful speed merchants used the same engine - JAP pushrod v-twins - so a tuner could easily take development ideas from one make to the next. Thus at Cork, the engine for the OEC was in the same configuration and state of tune as the Zenith, and both had a chance at the record, as events would prove.
The Evidence (2): Wright's Zenith being prepared by a pensive looking mechanic in the same location at Cork for the record run, after the OEC was out of action. Note the taped-up fork blades, crude enigne fairings, and disc rear wheel cover. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]In the event, Wright did indeed set a new Motorcycle Land Speed Record with his trusty Zenith at 150.7mph, although the press photographs and film crews of the time were solely focused on the magnificent but ill-fated OEC, as Zenith was out of business and OEC paying the bills. Film footage of the record run clearly show it's the Zenith at speed, and the OEC is nowhere but in the set-up shots. Scandalously, everyone present at Cork played along with the misdirection that the OEC had been the machine burning up the timing strips, and the Zenith was quickly hidden away from history, a situation which still exists in the FIM record books!
The Evidence (3): period photos of the record run at Cork, including film archives, show the Zenith at speed, not the OEC. Note the square metal fairing on the forks - this is Wright taking the record [Hockenheim Museum Archive]Photographs from the actual event show the Zenith lurking in the background, while Joe Wright poses on the OEC, preparing himself for a blast of 150mph wind by taping his leather gloves to his hard-knit woolen sweater, and wrapping more tape around his turtleneck and ankles to stop the wind stretching them, and dragging down his top speed. His custom-made teardrop aluminum helmet is well-documented, but the protective abilities of his woolen trousers and sweater at such a speed are dubious at best...but there were no safety requirements in those days, you risked your neck and that was that. Nowadays such speeds are easily reached on a hot road bike, and Wright's efforts might seem quaint, but he was exploring the outer boundaries of motorcycling at the time, and was a very brave man.
A clearly uncomfortable Joe Wright with the OEC at the Olympia Motorcycle Show in 1930, with the OEC touted as the World Record holder, which it was not! But OEC was in business, while Zenith was temporarily out of business [Hockenheim Museum Archive]Of course, not everyone present was comfortable with deception, and letters from the period in the trade magazines made a note that the attribution was incorrect. The subject would come up decades later in the 'letters' page of the VMCC magazine, when the existence of the record-breaking Joe Wright Zenith was discussed, and one correspondent set the record straight. The location of the Wright Zenith was a rumor for decades, but the passage of time revealed its existence, and now the bike is in fully restored condition, and is occasionally shown at events. The OEC is also in fully restored condition, after a long life of modifications; after Cork it was sold to a team who used it as a mule for a supercharged Austin four-cylinder engine in an unsuccessful record run. The chassis was later stretched and installed i
n 'streamliner' bodywork by Bob Berry, and sat in the Pendine Museum for many years. While that bodywork is in its original form, the OEC chassis was rebuilt, and the machine is in its original 'Montlhéry' configuration. Both the OEC and the Zenith are World Speed Record holders, but if motorcycles could talk, I bet the Zenith would have something to say to the OEC...
The supercharged World Land Speed Record Zenith-JAP as it exists today [Hockenheim Museum Collection]
The OEC-Temple-JAP at the 2014 Concorso di Villa d'Este, where it appeared in a remarkable display of World Speed Record motorcycles of the 1920s and '30s. [BMW Classic / Concorso Villa d'Este]
When the sport of dirt track (later called speedway) left American shores and reverberated back from Australia in the mid-1920s, it was suddenly a big deal, everywhere in the world. The old board track racing days were over, as they were simply too dangerous for riders and spectators alike, and their popularity faced with a withdrawal of support from the sanctioning bodies of racing. Speedway riders recaptured the public's attention, using spectacular broadsliding techniques to slide around circular or oval tracks while hard on the gas, and many credit Sprouts Elder as the man who perfected the form, and brought it to Australia on a racing tour. Traveling to Australia, New Zealand, and South American in the winter months meant these riders could work all year 'round, and while at first (1925-28) Douglas flat-twin racers were the bike to beat, it wasn't long before Indian and Harley-Davidson offered their own specialized dirt-track racers in single- and twin-cylinder form.
August 'Blick' Wolters aboard Don Johns' 1915 single-cylinder Cyclone, still a force to be reckoned with in 1927. Shot Jan 8 that year at Ascot; the Don Johns Cyclone twin is still extant, somewhere: it was stolen form the collection of Jeff Gilbert. [Bonhams]There was a time in these early years when successful riders could earn a significant income from racing, especially as crowds at some venues could exceed 30,000 people. These riders were superstars in the most popular motorsport of the day, and Sprouts Elder, Joe Petrali, the Milne brothers, were household names. These publicity photographs are a terrific record of these racers, as all are shot between 1927-1933, the glory years of American speedway racing, and the dawn of American factory participation in this relatively new sport.
Johnny Krieger in 1927 at Ascot, with what looks like a modified football helmet made entirely of leather. Riders knew the need for head protection, but the science (and manufacture) of protective gear lagged far behind the 100+mph speeds of their racers, with tragic results. [Bonhams]These photographs, captured at the Bonhams Las Vegas sale, were part of an album of publicity photos showing 1920s/30s California racing history. They were obviously collected by a fan (or promoter), and show a few of the most famous and successful professional dirt-track and hillclimb racers working the West Coast tracks at the time.
Johnny Duke at Ascot in 1929, aboard a mashup: a Harley-Davidson Peashooter chassis with a racing AJS K10 overhead-camshaft 500cc motor - tricky stuff! [Bonhams]Legendary salt flats racer Sam Parriot pictured here at the Laguna Beach hillclimb ca.1930, undoubtedly aboard an Indian, although he'd switch to Crockers in the later '30s [Bonhams]Another shot of August 'Buck' Wolters on the Don Johns Cyclone single-cylinder board track racer, in 1927 [Bonhams]Joe Petrali aboard, of course, a Harley-Davidson, the marque he was faithful to, and set American land speed records with, and raced with great success. This is a 1927 'Peashooter' dirt track racer at the Ascot track in Los Angeles, 1927 [Bonhams]
A very famous photo, rarely identified; Bo Lisman in 1934 with his speedway riding gear up top, but no jacket. With cinders or dirt flying, face protection was essential - even the best racers weren't always out front! [Bonhams]An all-Indian racing team at Ascot in 1927 [Bonhams]Joe Petrali with an interesting helmet in 1928, that looks quite modern, and is probably made of a varnished fabric (proto-fiberglass) shell, with a cork and leather lining - a step in the right direction for rider safety. Ex-Air Force goggles were common, as they had shatter-proof lenses. A close look at Joe's face reveals a mass of reconstruction and scars from racing spills - but he still looks like Humphrey Bogart! [Bonhams]1930; Jack Milne and Karl McCoy (in uniform) attend a JAP-based speedway racer [Bonhams]An unknown rider at the Colton raceway in 1928, with a leather flying helmet, not much good in a crash [Bonhams]Miny Waln at Ascot in 1929, with his Indian OHV single-cylinder racer, in amazing company - note the amazing Miller race car behind him on the right, and other dirt racing cars in the pits, from the era when GP/Indy cars ran on dirt and pavement! [Bonhams]Legendary racer Sprouts Elder, whose book 'Thrilling the Millions' outlines his pioneering speedway riding in the mid-1920s, around the world. This shot is from 1933, when team riding was well established, with sports contracts etc [Bonhams]August 'Blick' Wolters at Ascot in 1929 with his Harley-Davidson Peashooter [Bonhams]Joe Petrali in another shot aboard his Harley-Davidson Peashooter in 1928 [Bonhams]Racer Jack Milne in civilian gear in 1934; a country boy making good on the racing scene, when riders on early speedway venues could make a significant income [Bonhams]Tuffy Jacobs aboard an Indian OHV single at Ascot raceway in 1929. Note the Harley-Davidson JD with zeppelin sidecar (#3) in the background! [Bonhams]Sprouts Elder also in 1933, with a different helmet and team jersey [Bonhams]Sign on the dotted line, son! Impresario, publisher, motorcycle manufacturer, and future felon, our own beloved Floyd Clymer ready to manage the career of a racer, ca.1930. [Bonhams]Bill Church in 1928 at the Colton raceway in Southern California, aboard an Indian OHV 500cc racer, which has a very different from their Prince OHV roadster; the racer has a bronze timing cover that hides a twin-cam setup inside, while the barrel and head are also different from the roadster. [Bonhams]Joe Petrali in 1927 aboard a Harley-Davidson Peashooter [Bonhams]
Brothers Armand and Henri Dufaux were the sort of artist/engineer/inventors one finds all over the world in the late 1800s, when motorized transport was a field open to anyone with an idea for making wheels or wings move. As no 'pattern' or 'best practices' had been settled in the fields of autos, motorcycles, or planes, in their mechanical function, principles of physics, or their motive power, inspiration and weeks of labor in a workshop might result in the founding of an empire, or a whole new genre of transportation.
Born in France (Chens sur Léman), the sons of Baroness de Rochefort Luçay, Henri (b. Sep 18, 1879) was a talented painter, studying at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, Florence, and Geneva. Armand (b. Jan 13, 1883) studied mechanical engineering, and by 1898 the brothers had built their first clip-on engine for a bicycle. A year later they founded HADF (Henri Armand Dufaux Brothers) with Francis and Edward Cuillery Demole, based in Carouge, a suburb of Geneva. The Dufaux brothers, while French, had long family ties with Switzerland, and Geneva specifically, as their grandfather Henri Rochefort took refuge there after escaping exile (as immortalized by Manet) by Napoleon III during the Second Empire of France, for demanding restoration of the free press, and democratic life in general.
Escaping tyranny by rowboat: the Dufaux's grandfather immortalized by Edouard Manet in 1881, 'L'évasion de Rochefort'. Henri Rochefort was a member of the Paris Commune, and was banished to New Caledonia after the fall of his political movement in 1871, but escaped and made his way to Switzerland. [Kunsthalle Zurich]In 1898 the brothers Dufaux designed their first light motorcycle engine, which could be attached to a bicycle. By 1900 they patented a 1/4hp motor, which could propel a bicycle to 21km/h. The brothers were naturally interested in competition, and Armand won his first motorcycle race at Clement-St-Cergues in 1901. The name 'Motosacoche' (literally, 'engine in a bag') appeared on their work in 1903, and was coined from their enclosure of their clip-on bicycle engine within a metal shroud. Motosacoche Dufaux and Co. (MSADC), a public company, was established in 1905, with a further factory shortly built in Turin (Societa Meccanica Italio-Ginevrina - est. 1908), and another satellite factory in Lyon. Clearly the little engines were popular!
The Motosacoche; a small engine unit within a metal shroud, attachable to any standard bicycle. [The Vintagent Archive]Motosacoche was also established in England, initially as H&A Dufaux England Ltd. Osborne Louis de Lissa was their sales agent from 1908, and established the little 1 1/4hp motocyclette in competition around England, with JS Holroyd ('a great pedaller' - and he would have been!) and de Lissa himself as 'works' riders. The reliability of the little machines gave them a series of gold medals in 'road' trials, and at times theirs was the only machine to make the course, as in this photo at Amulree Hill during the Scottish Six Days Trial, with Holroyd aboard.
JS Holroyd's performance in road trials in the early years proved the reliability of the Swiss motor. [The Vintagent Archive]While they produced a fantastic moped, Motosacoche the company was growing and clearly needed to expand into the proper motorcycle market. Motorcycles Acecas Geneve (MAG) was founded around 1908 to sell 'loose' motorcycle engines to other manufacturers. The MAG engine was known for its excellent construction, and some of their models produced power on par with JAP, the gold standard at the time. In Britain from the 'Noughts through the 1920s, the MAG engine was used by Brough Superior, Matchless, Zenith, Royal Enfield, etc. In Europe, the MAG engine became, like JAP in England, near ubiquitous in the industry, powering the likes of Standard, Neander, Condor, Dresch, Monet Goyon, etc. MAG became a very successful company, with tens of thousands of motors sold.
A period advertising poster, suggesting the world's militaries might be interested in a powered lightweight motorcycle. This poster was clearly produced before 1914! [The Vintagent Archive]Simultaneously with the expansion of their motorcycle business, the brothers Dufaux, who were equally interested in flight, directed more of their personal attention to building airplanes and helicopters. As early as 1904 they built model helicopters and planes with variable-tilt propellers, and invented the concept of the 'VTOL' airplane. Their model helicopter of 1905 was demonstrated at the time as 'proof of concept' for the founders of European aviation: Louis Bleriot (who also made motorcycles), Alberto Santos-Dumont, Clement Ader, Henri Farman, Gabriel Voisin, Captain Ferber, etc. The Dufaux brothers tasted success in airplane flight in 1909, becoming the first Swiss plane to fly with a pilot aboard.
The Dufaux brothers with their pilotless helicopter of 1905; the first successful powered flight in the world. [The Vintagent Archive]As with another motorcycle pioneer, Glenn H. Curtiss, the lure of wings proved greater than wheels, or at least was the next big challenge captivating the world's attention. In 1909 the brothers sold their percentages of Motosacoche to pursue aircraft manufacture. Henri worked in aviation through the 1920s in France, before moving to the automotive industry, where he invented a hydraulic shock absorber for automobiles in the 1920s, which were widely used in the industry.
Armand Dufaux in 1910 with one of the brothers' biplanes, with a 7-cylinder radial engine. [The Vintagent Archive]Armand gave up the motor/flight business entirely and returned to his paintbrush by 1913, teaching at the Ecole des Beaux Arts in Paris, his lifelong passion - and that was a very long life indeed, as he only died in 1980! Today the brothers Dufaux are recognized as real pioneers for their vision, and success in the earliest days of the motorcycle and aircraft industries. Their actual first helicopter model can be seen in the Arts et Metiers museum in Paris, while their Motosacoche and MAG handiwork can be seen at just about any European motorcycle show.
A patent drawing explaining the Motosacoche concept, with fuel and oil containers, and a battery for ignition. The engine pulley drove a belt drive to the rear wheel, with a jockey wheel bolted on the frame seat tube for tensioning the belt and providing a freewheel. [The Vintagent Archive]Paul d'Orléans is the founder of TheVintagent.com. He is an author, photographer, filmmaker, museum curator, event organizer, and public speaker. Check out his Author Page, Instagram, and Facebook.
Slogdesign is a German industrial design company, and developed the new FEDDZ e-Bike, a completely re-thought version of an electric moped with a top speed of 45 km/h, and a range of 60km. It's not simply a rehashed moped with batteries, or a bicycle with an add-on, it's an integrated design that points the way forward for the industry. Slogdesign developed an open chassis which includes the interchangeable battery with a low centre of gravity. The battery is installed in a box protecting it from rain and muck and theft; to remove the battery for charging, simply unlock it and lift it out. The battery can be charged if the box remains in the two-wheeler, or out of the bike, and plugs into an ordinary socket.
The FEDDZ uses a magnetic plug connection, making it easy for the cord to 'find' the battery even in a dark storage area. When braking, reverse motor effort can recoup up to 15% of the battery power; the battery is made of high-performance lithium-ion cells , and an intelligent battery management system (BMS) uses integrated performance electronics, all originating from German technology.
The FEDDZ chassis is adjustable for rider height and sitting position, as the saddle is height-adjustable, and the foot rests can be either front-mounted or set in a sports/agility mode, while the 40mm high-riser handlebar provides for ergonomic variability. When parked on the sidestand, 'kickstand' appears on the display panel, and the twistgrip connection is blocked for safety.
The FEDDZ is bluetooth compatible and has its own smartphone app; a USB port exports data for remote maintenance and diagnosis, for servicing and is activated with an RFID (radio-frequency identification) chip card. The FEDDZ can be custom ordered via their website in any paint color, along with special equipment like foil-wrapped sidecovers, colored belt straps, cargo bags, plus painted or transparent side covers. It's a sleek new urban commuter!
The life story of Aloha Wanderwell is worthy of the movies, as she lived a life of intrigue and adventure. She was 'the most traveled woman in the world' in the 1920s and '30s, and apparently the first woman to circumnavigate the globe by automobile. She was also a pilot, and a dab hand with an Indian motorcycle, which accompanied her and husband Walter Wanderwell on their travel tours of every continent. Luckily, she made films of her adventures traveling the world in the 1920s and '30s, and it was her movies that caught our attention, as the Academy Film Archive (think Oscars), compiled some of Aloha's donated footage into a short film of her remarkable life.
A publicity poster from 1930 [wikipedia]Aloha was the stage name of Idris Welsh, born in Winnipeg, Canada, in 1906. She spent her early years with her mother and developer step-father on Vancouver Island, but the whole family moved to Europe during WW1, where her step-father was a lieutenant in the Canadian Expeditionary Force. He was killed at Ypres in 1917, and Idris was sent to various boarding schools (in Belgium and France) to 'tame her tomboy tendencies'. At 16 (in 1921), she answered an ad for a woman with "Brains, Beauty & Breeches – World Tour Offer For Lucky Young Woman…. Wanted to join an expedition… Asia, Africa…" and took a job as Wanderwell's translator (she could speak fluent French), secretary, and a driver of the three vehicles on the his round-the-world tour.
Walter Wanderwell's trip was part of a 'Million Dollar Wager', effectively a race between Ford-sponsored teams driving Model Ts around the world, the winner being the team visiting the most countries. Wanderwell's expedition was partly subsidized by lectures and film presentations along their route, as it left Nice, France, and traveled through Africa, the Middle East, Asia, and North America. Not long into Idris' journey, she took the stage name Aloha Wanderwell, even though Walter was married at the time; he soon divorced his wife, although he didn't marry Aloha until 1925, in Riverside, California, partly because the FBI was planning to arrest him for violating the Mann Act, which prohibited crossing state lines with a woman for 'immoral purposes'. Walter's real name was Valerian Johannes Pieczynski, who had spent the bulk of WW1 in an American jail as a suspected German spy!
'Captain' Walter Wanderwell on the Indian-supplied 101 Scout, and a uniform of his devising (since he spent WW1 in an American prison as a suspected German spy) [National Motorcycle Museum]Traveling overland in the 1920s was extremely difficult, and it's no wonder the expedition took four-and-a-half years to return to its starting point at Nice. Roads were poor or nonexistent in many places, there were often no maps, and gasoline was rare. Moving across Africa between 1926-28, they were forced to use crushed bananas for grease, and elephant fat in their crankcases. During the trip, Aloha gave birth to daughter Valri (1925) and son Nile (1927), who accompanied their parents on the journey. By 1929 they'd visited 43 countries, and donated their Model T 'Little Lizzie' to the Henry Ford Museum. Sadly, Henry Ford had Little Lizzie and 50 other cars in his collection scrapped during WW2 to supply metal collection drives. The Wanderwells settled in Miami in 1929.
"In Paris, France, our motorcycle temporarily engulfed with a sidecar to take care of the transportation of 3 members of our expedition + driver on the journey from Berlin through Switzerland to Calais." The Scout transformed with white paint into a publicity vehicle; the WAWEC was Walter Wanderwell's international goodwill organization (Work Around the World Educational Club), inspired by the League of Nations. [National Motorcycle Museum]The expedition's Indian Scout motorcycle was apparently supplied by Indian themselves, as mentioned in a letter to the Indian Motorcycle Co. in Jan.1931. When the initial expedition was finished, the Scout was displayed on a red carpet in the Indian factory lobby, along with posters, letters, and photographs of the journey. Aloha's letter to the factory (reproduced here) includes a note that Indian also would supply an outboard motor for an Amazon expedition, where Aloha would travel only with a native stenographer/translator and a film camera in search of a pair of female warrior tribes living on an Amazon tributary!
Aloha Wanderwell's letter to the Indian factory, with details about their upcoming Amazon expedition, as a plea for an Indian outboard motor! A hard look at her Amazon film should reveal if Indian complied with the request. [National Motorcycle Museum]The letter from Aloha to the Indian factory (Attn: W.S. Bouton) is part of a trove of documents and photos donated to the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, by Aloha herself, later in life. The photos used in this article (and Aloha's notes from the back of the photos) are all from that trove, and used by kind permission of the National Motorcycle Museum. They had lain forgotten in the NMM's archive, until Aloha's family at the Richard Diamond Trust and www.alohawanderwell.com alerted our Editor for Film, Corinna Mantlo, about their existence!
"Arrived in Milano after a trip along the French and Italian Rivieras, zigzagging around the Alps." [National Motorcycle Museum]The Wanderwells indeed visited Brazil in 1930 and '31, where Aloha earned her wings, learning to fly a seaplane nicknamed 'Junker'. They explored the interior of the Amazon jungle, landing on the Amazon and Paraguay rivers, and were the first Europeans to encounter the Bororo people, after a forced landing, whom the crew filmed extensively. Their silent film 'The Last of the Bororos' is part of the Smithsonian Institution's Human Studies Film Archives. Ostensibly the group was looking for the lost explorer Colonel Percival Harrison Fawcett, who was searching (and perhaps found) the 'Lost City of Z.'
"Sometimes the pilot, and sometimes the tandem rider." Aloha Wanderwell in her Brazilian piloting uniform, ca 1930. Adventuring was an excuse for a cool outfit in the 1920s and '30s! [National Motorcycle Museum]The couple was planning a trip by boat to the South Seas in 1932, and purchased a 110-ft yacht, 'Carma.' It might have been mis-spelled karma, though, as Walter was murdered on the boat on Dec. 5, 1932, the day before they were to sail. While a former team member who'd caused previous trouble was arrested, he was acquitted by a jury (he had an alibi), and no-one was ever convicted of the murder.
The Wanderwells visiting an Indian dealership, presumably where they received their 1928 Indian Scout [National Motorcycle Museum]Aloha later remarried, to Walter Baker, and the couple also traveled extensively, making films and giving lectures of their travels. Aloha wrote an autobiography in 1939, 'Call To Adventure!', which was republished in 2012. Aloha worked in radio and print journalism and eventually ended up in Newport Beach, California, where she lived to 90 years old. She had made a dozen films, was a motorcyclist, driver, pilot, explorer, author, and all-around pioneer, living a remarkable life that's simply not possible today. Here's to Aloha, our lost heroine, now lost no more!
"A Zulu rickshaw boy at the controls after a dash across Karoo from Cape Town to Johannesburg and Durban." Note the rifle scabbard on the front forks - useful in case of an elephant charge - which happened! [National Motorcycle Museum]The Wanderwells [National Motorcycle Museum]"A water hole in Portuguese East Africa, with Shangaan natives." [National Motorcycle Museum]The Wanderwell route around the world [National Motorcycle Museum]"Every station town has a similar 'square' and several such towers" Location unknown - presumably Italy [National Motorcycle Museum]"In Portuguese east Africa", presumably a hunting camp [National Motorcycle Museum]"Our first 'bag' in Africa" [National Motorcycle Museum]"Getting 'dolled up' for another jaunt - a little paint always improves her appearance." [National Motorcycle Museum]"Crossing a dried-up river bed in Portuguese east Africa. It was the first time motor vehicles had ever attempted to cross from the Tinfofo river to Sabi; 110 miles as the crow flies - covered in 3 1/2 months." [National Motorcycle Museum]"A typical camp, without tents or beds. Egypt." [National Motorcycle Museum]A typical poster advertising a speaking engagement in eastern Europe, where the Wanderwells could fund their journey [National Motorcycle Museum]"On the Spanish highway - girls repairing the roads." Note Walter with a movie camera. [National Motorcycle Museum]Aloha Wanderwell in her swashbuckling 'adventurer' getup of leather jerkin and robust belt for hanging pistols and equipment. Her ringlets and Marcel wave were high fashion in the 1920s.[National Motorcycle Museum]
We've been following the exploits of motorcycle builder Zoe David on Instagram (@zoesecretplans) since we met her at Wheels&Waves in 2017, in the company of Frank Chatokhine and a very nice Trackmaster BSA racer. We found out she's a trained architect, who's been spending more time with a wrench in her hand than at her drafting table recently, and was very proud of the BSA she'd helped build at Atelier Chatokhine. We recently noted on her Instagram feed a string of interesting photos of Zoe riding and visiting motorcycle shops in Vietnam and Taiwan, which piqued our curiosity, so we asked her a few questions about the trip.
[Nine David]You recently visited Asia - where did you go?
I went to Vietnam first, the country where I lived for 8 months (two years ago) and where I have so many feelings and good memories. And then I flew to Taiwan, where my sister lives.
[Nine David]What were you looking for?
At first I wanted to visit my sister who lives in Taichung as a student. But I'll never be a tourist, I can’t travel without a goal. As I said, I lived in Vietnam and met a lot of people there, and many interesting ones with motorcycles. They taught me how to make do with what you have, and stop asking for more, and that everything is possible even if you have nothing. They gave me a lot, so I wanted to give back to them, and tell their stories in Europe.
[Nine David]Whom did you visit?
I first visited Binh, a Vietnamese builder, who's absolutely unbelievable. He looks like a man who never leaves his workshop, he's even told me that sometimes he doesn't feel human, because he doesn’t really need social interactions. He works on old Ural side-cars and other Byelorussian motorcycles, like the Minsk. He Machines parts as well, he makes his own frames, is really good with metalworks, and a good welder and mechanic…and he works on the floor. This guy is one of the most important people I’ve ever met.
[Nine David]In Vietnam I also met ConxArt, a group of 11 people working and living together, including Le Cong and a French guy, Mario, at the head of this association. They work together; Mario specializes in metalworks and Le Cong is more a mechanic, the others are people who had talent but never found a place in the outside world. Most of them are really young, and they doen’t all work in the workshop; some of them are tattoo artists, some of them are painters, but they all have a place in the crew. They work mostly on Minsk and small road bikes from Asia, and like to transform them in a vintage enduro style.
[Nine David]In Taiwan I met Simon, a good guy who helped me find a bike and meet the local builders. His friend Andy organizes a kind of flat track race in the middle of nowhere, and hundreds motorcycles are meeting in Taichung for this every year. At first it was just for fun with friends, now it’s growing every year.
[Nine David]Then I met Allen at Notorious Custom, who makes some really beautiful Choppers, far from the city and far from the media and the Internet. All the people who know him is because 'a friend of a friend is a friend of his.' He works mostly on Harley-Davidsons. He builds his own frames, his gas tanks, his 'fonderie', and machines his own parts. Another real guy and absolutely kind. He took us to temples and to visit the city, we spent the whole day together and met again the next day because my clutch was dead and I had to leave my bike there. I had to come back the day after, and he invited us (Simon, my sister, and me - the crew) to come with his biker friends to the barbershop to drink beers. It was an incredible day and I got tattooed there haha, they called their tattoo artist and he came for me. These people are the kindest people I’ve ever met, always helpful.
[Nine David]In Taiwan I met 6 biker girls as well, because I wanted to know their feeling about the custom culture there. To modify a motorcycle in Taiwan is absolutely illegal, even the shape of the seat is regulated. Motorcycle culture isn't really popular and I didn’t really understand why. That’s why I needed to know more, and why the girls are more exposed to social problems. We spent a crazy day together and had a wonderful ride; it seems that everything is fine for them, even if they're always fighting more than the boys to prove themselves.
[Nine David]After that I met 'One Hand Made,' he's one of the best builders in Taiwan, a specialist in metalworks. He had a big crash when he was a road racer, and he has a badly injured arm, which is why he called his workshop ‘One hand made'. He used to work for 'Rough Crafts Motorcycles', but decided to work for himself after getting fed up with no recognition for his work.
[Nine David]Let’s talk about the last builder I met in Taiwan: Rough Craft. I can’t tell you how much I was disappointed in meeting him. He is all I hate…I assumed he had a workshop (of course), but we met me in an office with 4 computers. In speaking with him I understood that in fact Rough Crafts was just about story telling and communication, he does nothing on the bikes, not even mounting a rear light. He hires other builders to do the work for him. I mean why not, but the real problem is that he couldn’t remember the name of the guys who made the tank or the pipes of the bike he was talking about. He complained that they take too much time to do their job, saying that they are 'lazy people.' He doesn't understand the motorcycle passion, he doesn't have any motorcycles because he ‘doesn’t need one'. So my sister and I were really surprised to meeting this most famous builder in Taiwan … but it highlighted something about the other builders, and now I know there are two kinds of people in motorcycles.
[Nine David]Are there many women riders in Asia ?
There are not a lot.
The first thing is that women are raised to be reasonable and girly. In Vietnam and in Taiwan (maybe less so) the troubles girls have when they ride motorcycles usually involve their mothers worrying about them finding a husband or to have a bike crash. So there aren't a lot of women riders, but the ones that do are really tough-minded and strong women. I was really happy to meet them and to share. It was a great moment - it’s not really my cup of tea doing 'girls' things, but (I don’t know why) I had the instinct that this time it would be important to find women riders.
[Nine David]What’s the custom/racing scene like where you visited?
I think they're not really involved yet in the motorcycle culture [as we know it] to really describe what they like or don't. I think they're influenced by what we like in Europe and US, and they try to follow the flow with different government rules and different budgets. They don’t have a lot of motorcycles there, but there are more and more new bikes arriving from brands like BMW, Ducati, Yamaha, and Honda, but no real vintage bikes (only ex-military bikes in Vietnam) because it was forbidden in their country to have big bikes; they've only recently been made legal.
There are racing federations in both Vietnam and Taiwan.
[Nine David]What did you see as a tourist that you loved - would you recommend a motorcycle holiday there ?
I can talk more about Vietnam than Taiwan, because I used to travel all around Vietnam by motorcycle. I think the most beautiful part of Vietnam is the extreme north of the country, near the Chinese border. What you need to know before you visit is that you won’t go fast, you can’t ride as you'd ride in your country, because if you do that you will die; the traffic is completely crazy. Frank met me there, and before he arrived I told him to keep one thing in mind: "ride as if all the other people on the road want to kill you, and you’ll be safe".
[Nine David]Even he was scared in the mountains, with the buses. You have to adapt your riding to the circumstances; for example a bus passing another bus, which is passing yet another bus, and you're approaching them all! Sometimes during the night people drive on the wrong side of the road without any lights. You just have to think seriously about that beforehand. But then you'll see absolutely fabulous, crazy landscapes in the mountains...even more than the seaside, which has been too transformed by humans to my mind. But people are so generous and kind there. You won’t be alone, ever.
[Nine David]I think the most beautiful thing I've done in my life was to ride from the extreme north of Vietnam to the extreme south, passing by the Mekong Delta, and finishing at Phu Quoc Island. I would recommend it to anybody who loves riding motorcycles, and can handle the rain, mud, and danger. The only problem is to find a good, a safe motorcycle; most of the time I’d recommend a 250cc bike, as you won’t need more power, but most of the time they're in really bad condition.
[Nine David]Your public profile is growing since you started racing. Are you still an architect, or did you give up you career to become racer/mechanic ?
I think I have a problem; I just need to do what I want. It’s quite impossible to make me do something I don’t like, which is a real problem in our business world. I found my architecture projects quite boring, and I had the opportunity to join an amazing project building a BSA Trackmaster flat-track racer with Atelier Chatokhine, so I didn’t even think about it, and started working with them. I’ve never been more happy in my life than when I started working there; I work with my soulmate and my best friend and in my passion. Motorcycles - I think it’s a chance that everybody would like to get.
Zoe David racing a Rickman-Triumph Tiger 100 at Punk's Peak during Wheels&Waves 2017
I’m still an architect, but I accept only projects that make me happy, and I work full time at the Atelier Chatokhine as a mechanic and on their PR. I've also done designs for women's clothing for Gentlemen’s Factory, and many other things.
I love racing but I can’t tell if I’m a 'real racer', I really love flat track racing and sprint races, and I think that 2019 is going to be the year I try road racing! I'm actually building a Triumph for that. I think that I just live fully …
Working with Frank Chatokine [Laurent Nivalle]Are there other women who inspired you, or is this totally you own journey?
Every true person I meet is an inspiration, the people I work with, my family, my boyfriend … I think it’s my own journey because I just follow my dreams and that’s it … I don’t try to be like someone else.
What’s next for Zoé ?
We invited David Aldana to try the Trackmaster BSA we built; he's coming with us next week to the MCN festival, and we'll spend 5 days together - it’s going to be so cool! Then I think we'd better get back to machining parts at the workshop.
We'll fly to L.A this summer to return the Velocette racers we revived for Richard Vincent [after they were displayed at Wheel&Waves in 2017]. I want to try the DTRA championship maybe in 2019...and I have another bike in preparation, a road-racing Triumph T110.
I would like to design more clothes for girls for other brands, because there isnt' a lot of choice for us for riding gear. I think I can’t see further into my future haha!
They're at the top of the money tree today, as evidenced by filling 2 of our 'World's Most Expensive Motorcycles' spots. It's a status George Brough would have loved, as his Brough Superiors were the most expensive motorcycle in the world when they were new. In today's Gilded Age, the super-rich are happy to write checks for half a Million dollars for an SS100...because it takes 20 or 30 times that to buy a car of similar status. Whether George's bikes were truly 'superior' to his rival's machines is open to argument, but the truth is, a 1920s Zenith big twin with a JAP KTOR racing engine would likely sell for more than a Brough Superior today, simply because they're far more rare, and have a better record as track-racing machines. Nonetheless, the renown of the Brough Superior is a reflection of several qualities George possessed in abundance; he was a superb rider, one of the best motorcycle stylists in the history of the industry, and equally important, he was simply a genius at PR.
My favorite shot of William E Brough, father of George Brough, enjoying a beer in his retirement, in 1927 [Brough Superior]But George didn't emerge fully-formed from the head of Zeus; his father, W.E. Brough, was also a motorcycle manufacturer of great renown, and an engineer of some skill, who built his own engines, among other things - something his son rarely did. Some might say William Brough was a Real motorcycle maker, while his son was a clever assembler of components, but the rules in those early years were different than the post-WW2 era, and most manufacturers used bought-in components (engines, gearboxes, wheels, forks, etc) to assemble their machines. The arrangement of a machine's frame and tinware created a marque's 'identity', of equally validity to a marque which made its own engines and gearboxes. This was in large part due to supplies of 'loose' sporting engines by JAP, MAG, Rudge, etc, which had performance on par with any other engine. By the mid-30s, when such engines were no longer competitive in racing, they quickly lost favor with manufacturers; even Brough Superior switched from JAP to AMC V-twin engines, which were hardly sporting, but were sophisticated and reliable, and thus Broughs became Grand Tourers in the end. Other marques relying on purchased motors either disappeared, or built their own engines, and after WW2, the era of the bought-in engine was over.
Young George Brough just after winning the London-Edinburgh race for the third time on one of his father's machines, a single cylinder 500cc Brough. Yes, George could ride, and his father's bike was reliable [Brough Superior]William E. Brough emerged in the Pioneer era of motorcycling, and was a perfect example of a Victorian engineer; innovative, a clever designer with high standards, and modest. He built his motorcycle in 1902, and his first production machines appeared in 1908, which were well-built and conventional, with a standard of fit and finish to rival top-tier competitors Sunbeam and AJS. He used single-cylinder and V-twin engines, but was later convinced of the rightness of the flat-twin engine, which was vibration-free. In the early 1920s, Douglas flat-twins emerged as serious speed machines, and in 1922 a Douglas was the first motorcycle to record 100mph in Britain (with Cyril Pullin aboard), so Brough's move to this engine type was timely.
A Brough catalog shot of their 500cc flat-twin ca.1922 [Brough Superior]Dave Clark, a well-known Brough Superior enthusiast of many years' standing, found a unique example of a W.E. Brough Model W engine at the Spring 2012 Bonhams Stafford auction, and here relates the tale of creating a motorcycle around his purchase. I've edited his account for brevity - there's a lot more technical information about building his own 'D' section frame tubing and making lugs etc, which can be found via the Brough Superior Club newsletter, or via Dave himself.
George and Mrs Brough - his mother! Aboard a V-twin Brough with wicker sidecar [Brough Superior]A BROUGH REBORN by Dave Clark
"I usually look through auction catalogues to see if any Broughs are listed, and the Bonhams Stafford October 2012 catalogue had Brough Superiors, but I hadn’t given much thought to the OHV 500cc flat twin W E Brough engine listed in the automobilia section. “Good external condition, and turning over with some compression.”
Dave Clark with his restored 1922 Model WS Brough [Dave Clark]I looked again and noted that the engine had no number; I’ve dealt with several W E Broughs, and knew where the engine number should be. With interest growing I rang Bonhams, who confirmed no number anywhere, and the bike was from the granddaughter of a Brough factory electrician. The only person who might know something was Barry Robinson; I had hardly finished the story when he told me exactly what the engine was – a factory works racer which had been on display in the Brough Superior factory canteen, after being cosmetically restored by Ron Storey. It was the only WE Brough factory racing engine known, and anyway there are only 14 W E Broughs on the BS Club register.
From the Nov 20, 1922 edition of The Motor Cycle, a photo of the Model WS Brough 500cc flat twin of exactly the type restored by Dave Clark [The Motor Cycle]I could never think of buying a Brough ‘Superior’ racing engine - I would be blown out of the water by big money collectors. But I asked everyone I’d spoken with to please keep this information quiet. Initially I thought a maximum bid of £6000 would suffice, but I set my bidding increments on a spreadsheet, and could see the final totals with commission and VAT. I registered with Bonhams for phone bidding; came the day and I was watching the auction online, and finally got the phone call…Lot number 11 came up... bidding started at £10,000. Going up in £500 steps, by the time it had got to £14,000, I was literally shaking with excitement, or was it fear? The bids kept going and at £16,500 I went for one last bid, to £17000. I heard the auction room go very quiet, and then the wonderful sound of the hammer. The Bonhams chap on the other end of the phone said, "We've got it."
The Model WS Brough engine as seen in the Bonhams Stafford sale catalog [Bonhams]Also I had taken a real step in the unknown, what if the engine internals had major problems? I collected the engine from the Bonhams depot in North London, and spent time looking it over; eventually I took off the front head and cylinder for a peek inside – and had a wonderful surprise - standard bores, plus the crank and rods were quite highly polished; it all looked good.
The very engine - at George Brough's feet! Here on the display from the Brough Superior engineering works' canteen in the 1950s, when motorcycles were no longer made, but the factory did specialist machine work. The bike is, of course, the prototype Brough Superior 'Golden Dream' flat-four cylinder 1000cc tourer (Colleen Edwards aboard) [Dave Clark]Barry Robinson kindly sent a 1923 Model W catalogue photo, and a finely detailed 1922 picture of a similar machine. The 1922 machine had 26”x 2.75” wheels, the other 26” x 3”. Howard Wilcox also gave me a catalogue reprint; I then scanned the model W photograph found in Ron Clark’s book ‘The Rolls Royce of Motorcycles’. These few photos were all I had, there was no chance whatsoever of finding correct frame; I would have to build one.
What we have come to! A steering head lug from a Brough motorcycle, recovered from the demolished concrete foundation of the Brough Superior works, when the grounds were built over as housing units [Dave Clark]Still, John Wallis provided a genuine Brough steering head casting! This had been used as scrap-fill for the concrete extension to the Vernon Road works in the 1930s, probably after William Brough died. In the 1980s, Mike Edwards was at Vernon Road, when part of the site had been sold off to build houses, in what is now Kingfisher Court. The yard was being broken up, and various castings emerged from their concrete tomb, mostly Brough Model G steering heads, but there were flywheels and a cylinder too, and my Model W steering head.
Laying out tubing over a life-size frame drawing, developed by enlarging period photographs to life size, using 'known' measurements as a guide (wheel diameter, engine width, etc) [Dave Clark]To replicate the frame, I scanned the 1922 image into Photoshop, tweaked it to remove distortion, then drew it up life-size on white board. I was able to check known measurements (the engine, gearbox and wheels) as I gradually built up the drawing, which occupied many hours, scratching my head over the details in between the gearbox and the rear wheel. I kept a pad by my bed and woke during the night quite a few times to scribble down possible solutions; I probably redrew the gearbox/frame part at least 6 times, when I realised a measurement or some other requirement had not been taken into account.
A 1922 photo of the Brough racing team - Freddie Stevenson in the center, whose machine almost certainly housed the Model WS engine. The other two riders are Brough agents [Dave Clark]One aspect of my frame showed clearly in the picture from Ron’s book; the saddle tube lug forks into two, totally unlike any other WE Brough frame. That Model W, registration AU 6012, was ridden by Freddy Stevenson in the 1922 Edinburgh trial.
The timing chest of the Model WS Brough, showing the lovely Victorian script of the logo [Dave Clark]I had to make everything; the frame, the D-shaped tubing to build the frame, the lugs, the Druid side-spring forks, the exhaust pipes, the saddle, the chainguards, tool boxes, etc. The petrol tank is quite unlike any other Brough, and I suspect George Brough influenced its design [George is generally credited with introducing the ‘saddle’ tank we know today – pd’o]. It has an oval-section body, with tapered tails and what I can only describe as a shark-type nose piece. When all the components were built, after a considerable time, or so it seemed, all the parts were back from the painters and the platers. Assembly went quickly, and I only needed to file a shallow scallop in the offside rear engine plate to clear the exhaust pipe.
The frame as it took shape, with the crankcase in place [Dave Clark]The controls are different from original; I used a Bowden quadrant-type for the front brake, and an Amal internal twistgrip for the throttle. A firm in called Motomania in Czecho makes excellent quality repro levers; you can find them on the internet (www.motomaniastore.com). I had made all the cables and chains before things went away for plating; eventually I wheeled the bike outside, filled it with petrol and oil, and primed the oiling system. I flooded it, and run-and-bumped down the garden path. I got some hiccoughs showing it was going to fire, and eventually it did, but not too well. Checking everything over, I readjusted the tappets - still not good.
Progress, as the tank and engine are assembled [Dave Clark]Perhaps the Amac carburetor? I built up a type 6 Amal from new bits; next try it went! It was very noisy with straight-through pipes, and it started to smoke….I tried to leave as much original kit inside the engine as possible, but the original rings needed to go. The heads and cylinders can be taken off with the motor in the frame; I had new rings installed in just under two hours. Starting was much improved…I just need to quieten it down a bit. Next on the agenda is the Kop Hillclimb at the end of September. Probably the last time a W.E. Brough ran up Kop was in 1922, when a team from Nottingham competed in the ACU quarterly trial. And that will be about it for this year. The Brough is indoors for the winter, so I can sit on a crate and look at it.
Starting to look like a motorcycle... [Dave Clark]To quote the Motor Cycle review for the 1922 Olympia show, "The model in question is one of the best-looking machines in the show, having a nickel-plated tank with rounded corners and of course the long separate exhaust pipes ending in an aluminum fishtail, which all good sporting models should have." The Brough Model W is very low, with a saddle height just under 29” and the weight is less than 200 pounds. All the effort has been worthwhile, and those who have seen it think it stunning [as do I – pd’o]. One thing, it will never leave these shores while I am still about."
The completed machine - quite a looker! [Dave Clark]The 1922 ex-factory racer Model WS Brough [Dave Clark]
The sounds of industry are alive in our two car garage-turned-workshop here in sleepy Shadow Hills, Calif. Intertwined with bird song, passing delivery trucks, and windchimes in the breeze, you can hear hammering, then drills, then metal turning in the lathe. Alp Sungurtekin is applying the finishing touches to a pre-unit Triumph motorcycle with a familiar design that - strangely - has never existed until now. His 'California Twin' concept is an 'imagined alternative factory design' from the pre-1956 era; a period-correct design study that might have been produced at the Meriden Triumph factory for the American market. In designing his alternative Triumph, Alp took the whole design into consideration, including bike geometry, the balance of lines and curvature, period correct paint & pinstriping etc.
While the 'California Twin' is a retro-fantasy what-if design from Alp Sungurtekin, both the bike and model/author Jalika Gaskin would have blown minds in 1956! [Alp Sungurtekin]The project began with a matching Triumph crankcases from 1956, and factory rigid frame castings/lugs. The T110 pre-unit engine/gearbox combo had already been rebuilt by Alp to complement the redesigned (but stock-appearing) rigid frame. That frame is slightly longer and lower than the original Triumph rigid chassis, to suit our long and straight American roads. The steering head is a later swingarm-type headstock, which gives a slightly more stretched-out rake angle when combined with 'offset' rigid-frame type fork triple trees; combined with a slightly longer wheelbase, the chassis gives better handling at high speeds than the original Triumph frame.
[Alp Sungurtekin]The exhaust pipes are considerably more streamlined that stock pipes, and feature progressive compound bends which Alp made freehand, by packing the tubes with sand and very slowly heating/bending the pipes. All sheet metal components are hand fabricated from aluminum sheet, with the exception of the front fender, which was fabricated from steel, to act as a fork brace and add to front end stability. Only a hammer&dolly and English wheels were used to shape the metal.
[Alp Sungurtekin]The fuel tank has an edgy vibe, with an elongated top panel with a steep downwards slope, while the oil tank has its own design reflecting a period style. Other design choices made in honor of the era are the script and pinstriping on the tanks, which were used for only two years by Triumph factory while still at Coventry before WW2, and date from 1935-1936, with some alterations to suit the shape of the tanks. Although this bike was made with speed in mind, the perfect choice for brakes had to be the 1-year-only Triumph 8” 'Pie Crust’ hub.
Alp reckons the engine is identical to his 130mph Bonneville Triumph motor...[Jalika Gaskin]The tanks and fenders allow the negative spaces in the frame to be filled tightly, and give a compact and sporty appearance...an ode to both Triumph’s racing legacy and that of the Alp & his team. This motorcycle was built to race the land speed trials in the Vintage Class at both El Mirage Dry Lake and at the Bonneville Salt Flats. To further this concept, a small Lycette saddle with a custom designed ‘Bum Pad’ were used; the pad isn't intended for passenger use, but for top speed racing, when the rider needs to slide his/her body back over the rear fender in a crouch, for aerodynamic advantage. The saddle and pad are made of elk leather, chosen for durability, flexibility and its beautiful grain, which will become more visible with wear.
[Alp Sungurtekin]With all these elements combined in this single concerted effort, Alp Racing & Design provides a glimpse into a possible past today, with a street-legal racing machine built for the American market. It's a new-vintage Triumph that's simultaneously strong, fast and classic.
Too much awesome for one small photograph...Jalika Gaskin and the California Twin. [Alp Sungurtekin][Alp Sungurtekin]
"The motorcycle jumps, then intoxicated with joy, hurls quivering on the dusty road. / I run and run, but I never seem to be fast enough, and I want to increase speed by angrily pushing on the lever. / The machine restores its strength and doubles its speed / Now wheels don’t touch the ground anymore: they fly, and fly…" ['Aeropoet' Bruno Giordano Sanzin, 'In the Arms of Speed the Goddess' (1924)]
Mario Sironi's 1918 drawing 'Uomo Nuovo' (New Man)
The Italian Futurists, a group of artists devoted to speed, noise, technology, youth, and violence, were the first and only modern art movement to embrace the motorcycle as subject matter. Don't take it too personally, though, as they equally celebrated cars, planes, and trains too, and while each of those continued under the spotlight of later art movements (think Surrealist trains, Vorticist planes, and Pop Art automobiles), the motorcycle was never again included in any significant way into the Modern Art canon. What the Futurists loved about motorcycles was an abstract love for speed and noise, and at least in some cases (as our opening poem illustrates), the actual experience of having a motorcycle between your legs. That subjective experience apparently ceased to be of interest to later painters and sculptors, although writers, photographers, musicians and filmmakers have celebrated the motorcycle extensively in the past 100 years.
Ivo Pannaggi's 1931 Painting 'Centauro' (Centaur)
So, we thank the Futurists for digging 'our thing'...but who were they anyway? The seed of Futurism was planted literally 'by accident' in 1909, when Filippo Marinetti drove his car into a ditch to avoid a pair of cyclists, and was thrown into a drainage channel. He emerged transformed - baptized by the automobile - and immediately began formulating an ideology celebrating the tools of the future, and their implications for society. His 'Futurist Manifesto' arrived on the doorstep of the Italian and French bourgeoisie in 1909, via two popular newspapers (Gazzetta dell'Emilia in Bologna, and Le Figaro all across France), who published the tract on their font pages. It was immediately the talk of the town all over Europe, as the Futurist Manifesto was the first art manifesto published in the 20th Century, although not the first art manifesto - painter Gustave Courbet wrote a Realist manifesto in 1855, and initiated a déluge of artists making quasi-political statements in a numbered list. Courbet was inspired by a very long tradition of political manifestos, which date back a thousand years, and includes the Declaration of Independence.
Fortunato Depero's amazing 1914 painting 'Futurist Motorcycle', which bears a stunning resemblance to the Bat Cycle of the Batman TV franchise of the mid-1960s
Motorized vehicles were relatively new in 1909, and all types were worthy of the Futurists' attention, despite their wobbly beginnings at this early stage. It may seem quaint to read the Futurists' nearly hysterical engagement with what appear today as slow and clunky vehicles, but artists see beyond the literal, and are typically first to read the social undercurrents beneath any new technology or social trend. So it was with the Futurists, who foresaw enormous changes ahead for an individually mobilized society, where the barriers of distance are eradicated, and the whole world is suddenly within reach. They proclaimed the transformation of society, and they were correct, sometimes disturbingly so.
Mario Guido Dal Moro's 1927 collage/painting 'Motociclista' (motorcyclist)
The Futurists were poets, painters, sculptors, and performance artists, who broke the rules of printed texts with their published writing, scattering words across a page to evoke chaos or excitement (see Zang Tumb Tumb), and inventing sound-poetry to imitate the sonic landscape of the modern era (you can hear Marinetti's amazing sound poetry here). Their public performances and rule-breaking on the printed page (which Marinetti called 'words in freedom') were a huge influence to later art movements like Dada, but the Futurists weren't interested in chaos for its own sake (like Dada), art for art's sake, or psychology (like Surrealism); they were trying to capture a new energy in the world through art.
Ugo Giannattasio's 1923 painting 'Motociclisti' (motorcyclists) where Cubist influences are clear
While the Futurists were an art movement initially, it wasn't long before their aggressive energy, exhortations to violence, and ardent nationalism found a connection with contemporary politics. "We will glorify war—the world's only hygiene - militarism, patriotism, the destructive gesture of freedom-bringers, beautiful ideas worth dying for..." Marinetti founded the Futurist Political Party in 1918, which he then merged with Benito Mussolini's Fascist Party, as they thought (and fought) alike, landing in jail together more than once at pro-Fascist demonstrations before 1920. Marinetti even co-wrote the Fascist Manifesto with Alceste De Ambris in 1919, and similarities between his two great manifestos puts a damper on the nutty charm of the Futurist Manifesto.
Giacomo Balla's 1913 painting 'Noiseforme Rumor di Motocicletta' (noise-form of the sound of a motorcycle)
The Futurists' fascination with propaganda and visual messaging had a lasting influence on graphic design, especially the commercial work of Fortunato Depero, whose posters for Campari and Bianchi, and covers for Vanity Fair, are the stuff of legend. His painting style was a great influence on other artists as well. Other significant Futurist artists included Umberto Boccioni, Carlo Carrà, Giacomo Balla, Gino Severini, Ugo Giannattasio, Mario Sironi, and Gerardo Dottori. Of all the Futurists, it was Ivo Pannaggi who really dug bikes the most, and carried on painting them in a Modernist style into the late 1930s, by which time the Futurist movement was politically unpopular, as Modern Art was considered 'Jewish' in Germany, and Hitler pressured Mussolini (who really didn't care what kind of painting Italians did) to join his suppression of Modern Art. While the Nazi party had denounced Modern Art since the 1920s, it wasn't until 1937 that an amazing collection of 650 confiscated paintings and sculptures were exhibited in Munich at the 'Entartete Kunst' (Degenerate Art) exhibit...which was probably the greatest Modern Art exhibit of the 20th Century, despite its chaotic display and insulting labels. Despite the fact that Marinetti had a hand spawning Fascism in Italy, Hitler's pressure on Mussolini to toe the party line meant the Futurism was suddenly at the end of its tether in 1937, despite Marinetti's protestations that 'There are no Jews in Futurism!" Revolutions eat their children, and their artists, too.
Fortunato Depero's 1923 painting 'Motociclista Solido en Velocita' (motorcyclist solid in speed), which later infrared light studies showed to be an advertising proposal for Bianchi motorcycles, presumably rejected.
MANIFESTO OF FUTURISM
We want to sing the love of danger, the habit of energy and rashness.
The essential elements of our poetry will be courage, audacity and revolt.
Literature has up to now magnified pensive immobility, ecstasy and slumber. We want to exalt movements of aggression, feverish sleeplessness, the double march, the perilous leap, the slap and the blow with the fist.
We declare that the splendor of the world has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed. A racing automobile with its bonnet adorned with great tubes like serpents with explosive breath ... a roaring motor car which seems to run on machine-gun fire, is more beautiful than the Victory of Samothrace.
We want to sing the man at the wheel, the ideal axis of which crosses the earth, itself hurled along its orbit.
The poet must spend himself with warmth, glamour and prodigality to increase the enthusiastic fervor of the primordial elements.
Beauty exists only in struggle. There is no masterpiece that has not an aggressive character. Poetry must be a violent assault on the forces of the unknown, to force them to bow before man.
We are on the extreme promontory of the centuries! What is the use of looking behind at the moment when we must open the mysterious shutters of the impossible? Time and Space died yesterday. We are already living in the absolute, since we have already created eternal, omnipresent speed.
We want to glorify war — the only cure for the world — militarism, patriotism, the destructive gesture of the anarchists, the beautiful ideas which kill, and contempt for woman.
We want to demolish museums and libraries, fight morality, feminism and all opportunist and utilitarian cowardice.
We will sing of the great crowds agitated by work, pleasure and revolt; the multi-colored and polyphonic surf of revolutions in modern capitals: the nocturnal vibration of the arsenals and the workshops beneath their violent electric moons: the gluttonous railway stations devouring smoking serpents; factories suspended from the clouds by the thread of their smoke; bridges with the leap of gymnasts flung across the diabolic cutlery of sunny rivers: adventurous steamers sniffing the horizon; great-breasted locomotives, puffing on the rails like enormous steel horses with long tubes for bridle, and the gliding flight of aeroplanes whose propeller sounds like the flapping of a flag and the applause of enthusiastic crowds.
Fortunato Depero's 1927 cover for Olimpionica magazine
All other major art movements of the 20th Century virtually ignored the motorcycle as subject matter, although they occasionally appear in an individual artist's body of work (see our Billy Al Bengston article here). Perhaps the dynamism and danger of motorcycling became too closely associated with the Futurists, who were the last to celebrate any kind of machinery as romantic. More likely, such optimism was simply considered naive after two World Wars, and as the novelty of personal transport wore off, becoming an ordinary part of life. Despite their politics, the imagery produced by the Futurists remains among the most exciting and visually inspiring interpretations of the motorcycle ever put to canvas.
Gerardo Dottori's painting 'Motociclista' (1924)
The Fondazione Prada in Milan is currently hosting a terrific exhibit, 'Post Zang Tumb Tuum. Art Life Politics Italia: 1918-1943' which includes significant Futurist art, including the fabric-collage of Depero shown below. It's a fascinating piece of curation, eschewing a lot of art-talk about the work itself, and replacing the usual wall panel discussion with a timeline of political events between those dates. Reading the wall text a bit like watching a film of a cataclysmic accident, in which you know the ending, but must read the particulars in horror.
Fortunato Depero's fabric collage (quilt?) at the 'Post Zang Tumb Tuuum' exhibit at the Fondazione Prada. Ivo Pannaggi's 1937 painting 'Motociclista' (motorcyclist)Roberto Marcello Baldessari's 1916 painting 'Motociclettista Urbano Velocita'Mario Sironi's 1924 painting 'Motociclista' (motorcyclist)
If nests are where eggs incubate, The Quail Motorcycle Gathering is a time capsule destined to fly…
“Are you going to the “Quail” this weekend?” Paul d’Orleans asked whilst meticulously folding an omelette in his kitchen, a few days before one of California’s most prestigious motorcycle events. “My father is over from France, ‘might be a bit tricky” I replied. “Bring him along, he will love it!” affirmed Paul handing me a perfect, fluffy, golden buttery motorcycle seat made from California’s finest organic eggs.
Paul d'Orléans holding court in his Puch silk threads at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2016
Indeed, my father didn’t just love it, he was transported to a period of time in motorcycle history that he had long forgotten about. More of a car enthusiast than motorcyclist, he still earned his two wheeled stripes in the early 60’s on a Vespa, a Triumph and a Norton. Respect.
The Quail certainly delivered beyond our wildest expectations, as I drove down from SF, hoping Paul’s “quail eggs” would taste as good as his omelette.
Consider the classic definition of the California Quail: “a handsome, round soccer ball of a bird with a rich gray breast, intricately scaled underparts, and a curious, forward-drooping head plume. Often seen scratching at the ground in large groups or dashing forward on blurred legs, California Quails are common but unobtrusive. They flush to cover if scared, so approach them gently.” You’d be hard pressed to figure out wether it refers to the bird or a motorcycle. Rarely have I seen such a concentration of vintage motorcycles, classics from the 70’s and 80’s, customs, collections and more in one “park fermé” on a Saturday afternoon. Motorcycles that I had read about in books as a teenager, many I had fantasized about in auction catalogues over the years, featured in documentaries and private collections I thought were just too fantastic to exist… What a nest!
The Quail is an understatement in motorcycle fanaticism.
4 cylinder 1065cc “Militaire” circa 1915 at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2016 [JP DeFaut]
A walk through history, a time capsule of engineering, a bygone era as well as an outlook on the evolution of motorcycles, their design, their aesthetic and most of all, their presence in a world where technology and performance has often taken the spotlight. Turn of the century board track racers, some in their original, unmolested condition were really a sight to see.
Britannia’s finest were on their best behavior at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2016. A 1950s Norton International keeps a 1960s Triumph T100SS company [JP DeFaut]As expected, there was an impressive British selection with Triumphs and Nortons, some too oil-free to be believed. A one-off 1950’s Harley caught my eye and the owner carefully talked me through it’s history. As a recent rider of the R60 and the like, the German air heads were also there in full flight, not forgetting Scottie Sharpe and his harem of R69s.
Twin Turbo BMW R100 by Boxer Metal at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2016 [JP DeFaut]There were a few custom bikes that hatched out of their shells in time, namely The twin turbo BMW Boxer Metal creation that looked even better in the flesh than on social media.
A reassuring exchange with Walt Siegl about Ducati 900ss flat slide carburetor setup was a great way to end my time in the egg basket. As much as these machines held court like sculptures in a museum, the real takeaway from this clutch of chics were the people. From all over the world and all walks of life, enthusiasts, builders, engineers, riders and collectors alike admired, studied carefully, took pictures, selfies, notes, conversed, debated, argued even on the spec, authenticity and value of these often immaculate if not perfect machines. Regulars and newcomers alike, Curt Relick has been a judge since the beginning; Paul d’Orleans was only MC’ing this year, but a fixture nonetheless in his Mrs’ Puch silk shirt; Keanu Reeves was quietly observing the hardware as he weighed in his Arch KR model 1 into the public eye.
Thor board track racer circa 1909 at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2016 [JP DeFaut]As well as the pen, the surroundings were equally inspiring. I don’t play golf, but what a place of beauty. The whole landscape leading up to The Quail Lodge was very picturesque. The car park or bike park as it should be called reminded me of “The Goodwood Revival” in Kent back in England: there are as many beautiful things to see outside as there are inside the event itself.
Seeing riders parading these epic machines with sound, smoke and the occasional back fire was an unexpected bonus that kept adding to the time traveling sensation.
Rare! 1942 flat-twin Harley-Davidson XA at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2016 [JP DeFaut]
The cherry on the cake for the old boy was a tough one: amongst all this memorabilia, he was most impressed with a BSA Bantam from 1950’s, painted red in the original GPO colors, an homage to the British Postman delivery vehicle from a bygone era that my father remembers fondly. His girlfriend, a keen golfer was also impressed with the whole thing. When she sat down for “a proper lunch” with table cloths, napkins, fine crockery and silverware, The Quail was truly cooked to perfection.
Author JP DeFaut greets the owner of a BSA Bantam 'GPO' (Post Office) at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering 2016. [JP DeFaut]
Some artists favor a demure profile. Olivier Mosset is one of those: elusive yet bona fide. Tutto d'un pezzo, as we say in Italian. He spends much of his time traveling. "I am semi-retired," he says, though regularly partakes in projects, exhibitions, and collaborations around the globe.
For the occasion of Exposition de groupe—an exhibition which took place at The Kitchen in early December—Mosset traveled to New York from his adopted home of Tucson, Arizona and spent a month catching up with the city's art scene. I heard of his visit through curator Peter Scott (who wrote an essay on his work for GREY IX) and intended to plan a time to meet, but I later acquiesced to the artist's notorious elusiveness. During his stay, we serendipitously met at press presentations, gallery openings, and exhibitions around town. One of those encounters happened one damp fall morning in the Upper East Side during a press preview for French artist César.
Olivier Mosset takes over the French Embassy with motorcycles and his white minimalist paintings
Some gallery visits later, we discussed our common passion: motorcycles. Exposition de groupe featured a complementary exhibition at the French Embassy, including four of Mosset's custom choppers surrounded by a series of his white monochromes. Hosted by Sophie Claudel, Cultural Attaché at the Embassy, the bright second floor suite of the mansion became the background for a conversation on motorbikes and art. Looking at the exhibition affiche on Fifth Avenue showing Mosset's Panhead in front of a Michelangelo replica, Mosset commented, "It was fun to shoot the bike there because, you know, we can have a Michelangelo next to my bike but I'm sure Michelangelo could have never had a bike like that."
The semantics surrounding motorcycles are charged and evocative. A motorbike is rarely a mute tone in an artwork, and not an acquiescent visual material to deal with. Mosset's motorcycles have no desire of becoming an artwork, a sculpture—they can and will be ridden out of the gallery space. The earnest adherence to their original purpose is what makes them art on their own terms. There is a sense of playful austerity in this disposition, Mosset concedes, while bending down to clean motor oil leaking from his Panhead on the immaculate parquet floor.
Jeffrey Schad and Vincent Szarek, High Lil' Pony, 2011. 1969 Triumph Tiger, 39 cubic inches, 650 cubic centimeters.
Do you remember the first time you rode a bike?
It was 1969, or something like that.
How old were you?
Twenty-five, twenty-six. I used to have motorcycles, yes, I was interested in that but I used to separate the art and motorcycles. I did not talk about it, actually.
Did you consider that just part of your private life?
Yeah, exactly. Then people like Steven Parrino, Sylvie Fleury, came about—and today you can show anything, and it’s all right. The first time I showed motorcycles and paintings they were motorcycles by Indian Larry, the customizer. At one point he fixed an engine for me, and I said, "Do you want to show the motorcycle in some Manhattan gallery?" and he said, "Yeah, yeah." Then he died in a motorcycle stunt, and I forgot about it, but his shop went on for a little while and I talked to the lady there, saying that we talked with Indian at one point about this—it was a casual conversation. But she said, "You know what, we still have the motorcycles, so if you still want to do it we can do it." And that’s the first time I did.
Was it your idea then to show them in a gallery?
It’s because the motorcycles were amazing. Indian Larry, he’s kind of a legend. Also, at the same time—I have to try to remember, it was maybe even before then—I had a conversation with Steven Parrino, who was also interested in this "‘bikers culture," or whatever you call it. There was a show in Switzerland—a promenade, outdoor sculpture thing—where they often invited the same people, and I thought, if I was to be invited again I'd build a motorcycle and show it there—which I did.
Left: Olivier Mosset, Jeffrey Schad, and Vincent Szarek, Panhead, 2011, 1965 Harley Davidson FLH, 74 cubic inches, 1200 cubic centimeters.
This one was a nice motorcycle, but it did not have any paperwork or anything, it was just running. I thought that as a gesture, in the art world, it was cool but really just ok... it was not a great motorcycle. Vince Szarek, who painted all these here, at one point said, "You know what? I painted a motorcycle for a friend of mine, you should see it"—or something like that—so we went to see Jeffrey. It was his motorcycle that Vince had painted. At that point I said I had a '65 Panhead, and maybe we should customize that. That’s what we did. My idea was to do it nicely, to do a motorcycle that we could show in a motorcycle show—which is exactly what we did.
This would be your main bike.
Yes. In fact I drove it before it was customized from New York to Arizona, to Tucson, passing by Sturges, and it broke—you know, they’re old and they all have problems. There’s this culture of customizing, and keeping the quality. I am friends with all these people, we have a little bit of the same style, kind of a fifties type of radical motorcycle.
That’s how it started. We showed the Panhead in a couple of group shows, and then I had a show in a gallery in LA, where we showed Jeffrey’s Rootbeer, Vince’s Triumph, and mine with these monochrome paintings. When Sophie Claudel asked me to do something here, I was happy to add one bike by John Copeland, so it’s not exactly the same show we had in a LA. These bikes exist in different worlds. They are exposed in different venues—a motorcycle show vs. an art gallery—and people, in turn, perceive them differently too.
All these people are artists—John Copeland is a painter, Jeffrey is a photographer…
True. They’re just appreciated in different ways. In here, they stand as an artistic statement, whereas in a motorcycle show people would probably get more excited about the mechanics.
Jeffrey Schad’s lace paint job on your Panhead is very well done.
The lace thing is something they used to do in the fifties. In fact we also did a car, a ’65 Bel Air, Vince and Geoffrey worked on it and painted that with lace. We showed it in Tucson, and here in New York in a bar for a while, and we drove around with it. The plan is to ship it to France now because I’m having a show in Paris, and I’ll bring the car.
The decision to include bikes and cars in your art shows was organic then, it wasn’t something you just decided overnight.
No, it was because of Indian Larry, and the bikes… not just that, I always knew there was an aesthetic quality in motorcycles. You bring these bikes on the streets and people will stop and look at them.
When did you make the connection between the two practices?
It was the conversation with Indian Larry at the beginning. It was also because of people like Sylvie Fleury who showed the cars, and in a way César’s art too. It is because of the aesthetic quality that these motorcycles have that these things are possible, that they can be shown in a gallery.
How was it working with Indian Larry?
He was good. He was a good mechanic. He didn’t do any design for me, he only worked on the engine.
Peter Scott, who wrote an essay on your work for GREY IX, mentions how there’s sometimes confusion in the art world p the 'artwork versus industrial design' debate. He cites the example of The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition at the Guggenheim. Care to comment?
Well, first of all, I think they had more visitors than they ever had before [at the Guggenheim]. I knew Krens, he sent me the catalogue and it was great. It was a gesture to show a history of the motorcycle in a museum like the Guggenheim, which It’s a big ramp actually. I thought it was big, but I have seen motorcycle shows that were as impressive. There is the Motorcycle Museum, there’s something in Milwaukee...
What I was interested in is that these motorcycles are customized, painted by an artist... it’s a different thing. They’re not the ones you can go and buy in a shop. There is some kind of artistic work on these. Actually some at the Guggenheim were too—you had bob jobs, a couple of Panheads—though they re-did the Easy Rider Panhead because the original one was stolen...
Look, this is an actual leaf.
It looks like a marijuana leaf.
That’s what it is!
Where do you keep the bikes when they aren’t traveling around the world?
In Brooklyn, these people work out in Bushwick.
How do you like working from your Tucson studio versus your New York one?
Well, in Tucson... I have motorcycles there, I have nice cars… and in Arizona you don’t need a helmet!
In a few states outside of New York you don’t.
It’s good though, you should not have any accident because it’s trouble. I woke up in a hospital one day in Paris… though I had a helmet.
I grew up riding with a helmet in Italy, but the feeling is very different when you ride without one.
It’s old school.
It depends on the roads too, it’s a different style of riding from what I’m used to. Going on road trips with motobikes in Italy... there’s some serious curves there. Are you into the biker club's scene at all?
I was. When I was younger in Paris that was the scene. These people became Hell’s Angels, though I knew them before. I still have friends there—in fact that’s why I keep a motorcycle in Paris—but I’m getting a bit old. I don’t ride at night anymore.
Motorcycle ambulances were an innovation in WW1, used by the British, French and American militaries, as well as non-governmental support groups like the Red Cross. In the 'Teens, four-wheeled ambulances were very heavy, underpowered, poorly suspended, and used solid tires, making them slow, unwieldy, bumpy, and likely to get stuck in rough, muddy going common in Europe near battlefields. Smaller, lighter ambulances were required, and motorcycles with sidecars were found very useful near the front lines to move wounded soldiers away from the heat of battle.
Masonic Ambulance unit for France. Members of the Masonic Ambulance Corps, organized in San Francisco, California, in front of the City Hall in that city on the first leg of a journey that eventually landed them at the front in France. The men are here shown leaving for their camp at American Lake, Washington, for their training. Capt. Rawlins Cadwallader of San Francisco, was the head of the unit which consisted of four doctors, 119 enlisted men, 12 ambulances, 3 motor trucks, and four motorcycles. Summer 1917 [National Archive]While movie histories favor front-line heroics mingled with the horrors of battle, the reality is, war is organization. The infrastructure behind battling armies is far larger than their fighting front, and supplying, clothing, directing, feeding, arming, transporting, communicating with, and keeping soldiers healthy is an enormous task. It's how supply companies like Bechtel and many others, in a long chain stretching back to the oldest conflict of armies thousands of years ago, have got incredibly rich, because private contractors have always been the military's back story. And private contractors supplied motorcycles, and motorcycle ambulances, for various militaries during WW1.
"Off for a day's work. A surgeon of the American Ambulance Field Service mounted on a motorcycle, leaving for the front to administer aid to the wounded. Feb 1918" Note: the machine is a 1917 Indian Powerplus and sidecar - Indian had a far larger share of US military contracts than any other make, as they were a much larger company than any other American brand at the time. [National Archive]Among the earliest sidecar ambulances were first used on Redondo Beach, California, way back in 1915. They were found useful for getting to drowning victims quickly over the sand, where previously rowing teams had used whaleboats to reach victims, which took far longer to drag across a miles-long beach. Even earlier, the Knightsbridge Animal Hospital and Institute in London tried sidecar ambulances for animal transport as early as 1912, a system still in use into the late 1930s.
"Camp Cody, New Mexico. Red Cross Pass Office and Information Bureau, Base Hospital at Albuquerque" Note; the machine is a 1917 Indian Powerplus and sidecar [National Archive]During WW1, American forces and the Red Cross used Indian and Harley-Davidson motorcycles for ambulance and medical transport duties. Both makes had reliable motors and 3-speed gearboxes with robust clutches, and were very lightweight, compared to liter-capacity machines today - well under 400lbs. What their wounded passengers suffered while bumping along the muddy tracks of Flanders should be balanced against their likely fate without these light-duty transfer vehicles, which was prolonged suffering and likely death. It was found that the faster an injured soldier was treated, the more likely he was to survive, so getting them away from the front as quickly as possible was crucial. This is a point discovered by every medical service during the war, an example of which was our 'Angels of Pervyse' article on this very subject.
"Motorcycles used to rush field aid to the wounded. Motorcycles are used to rush surgeons to seriously wounded troops. Photo shows a motorcycle mounted surgeon about to leave an ambulance dressing station in answer to an emergency call." Note: 1917 Indian Powerplus and sidecar [National Archive]The organization of care for the wounded at the battle front was roughly as follows: only a few feet from the front lines were various Aid Posts with a chief Medical Officer, his various orderlies and stretcher-bearers, who waited to attend the wounded. Sometimes these were in ruined buildings (as with the Angles of Pervyse), or trenches, or even shell holes. In action, the RAP was situated a few metres behind the front line, this could have been in a dugout, in a communication trench, a ruined house, or a deep shell hole. These first-response medical personnel basically first aid posts, so soldiers could return to fighting immediately.
An Indian Powerplus ambulance in 1918 [National Archive]In more serious cases, they staunched bleeding from large holes and lost limbs, and these soldiers were usually taken by stretcher to Collecting Posts or Relay Posts, where teams of stretcher-bearers would walk, sometimes for miles, to a road that could carry a vehicle. Once in an ambulance - motorcycle or car or horse-drawn - the wounded were taken to Casualty Clearing Stations, which were semi-hospitals with capacity for 200 or more wounded.
"American Red Cross Ambulance men in Italy." Note: Ernest Hemingway wrote about his time as a volunteer in an Italian Red Cross unit during WW1, in the north of the country, in his book 'A Farewell to Arms.' The motorcycle is probably Italian - perhaps a Frera as seen here in this Arditi photo. [National Archive]There was limited treatment, but some surgeries were carried out when possible, and usually such stations were grouped in threes or fours, and worked in a relay system, closing down when full, and sending the wounded down the line to the next tent, and re-opening when the first batch had cleared out. The soldiers could he held for as long as four weeks, after which they were returned to battle, or taken via Ambulance Trains or Inland Water Transport to a proper hospital. Of course, these front-line facilities had limited capabilities compared with today, had poor anesthesia and no antibiotics, so their locations tend to be marked by military cemeteries filled with soldiers who didn't survive their treatment.
"Motorcycle with stretcher attachment used for Red Cross work. Photo shows a phase of Red Cross work being executed in maneuvers at Van Cortlandt Park, New York." Note: the motorcycle is an Indian Powerplus [National Archive]These photos are part of our ongoing series from the National Archive, which are mostly unpublished, and certainly not seen for nearly 100 years. They're a fascinating trove of information about motorcycling's past, how they were built and used and tested in the best and worst situations, and we'll continue digging into various archives for more articles on The Vintagent.
The US Army Motorcycle Ambulance Corps field outfit, powered by a 1917 Indian Powerplus [National Archive]"A motorcycle sidecar outfit used in France for jitney service" Note: this is an Indian Powerplus sidecar, seen in Paris [National Archive]Members of the American Red Cross with their Red Cross Harley-Davidson and sidecar. used to transport medics and medicine to difficult spots [National Archive]
When the USA declared war on Germany (although not on the Central Powers) in April 1917, there was an unprecedented scramble to fill the requirements for modern warfare. Among the novelties: motorcycles that were used for messenger duties, or as mobile gun platforms, or even highly mobile (and highly uncomfortable) ambulances. While President Woodrow Wilson had expanded the navy in the 'Teens to protect the supply chain selling American-made goods to the British and French, he hadn't built up ground or air forces, thinking this would deter the USA from joining the war that had already cost millions of lives.
"Harley-Davidson motorcycles, some with side cars on the road, manufactured by the Harley-Davidson Co, Milwaukee Wisc. for the War Department. Aug 26, 1918" [National Archive]With the US suddenly on a war footing, all the major manufacturers (and some minor ones too) were invited to submit motorcycles for testing, as tens of thousands of motorcycles would be required for war. European armies were using hundreds of thousands of motorcycles by 1917, but the initial American order was low; only about 20,000 motorcycles. That number would increase over time, and to secure more orders, Harley-Davidson offered clever enticements like free training at mechanic's schools for servicemen. Indian Motocycles won the largest contracts at first, as they were a much larger company than Harley-Davidson, but Milwaukee was well represented in the war.
"Model 18-F three-speed twin, Prest-O-Lite attachment and side car." Note the acetylene generator on the rear rack, the nickel-plated tire inflator on the fork, and the speedometer; a fully-equipped machine. [National Archive]These photographs are part of our series of images discovered in the National Archive on their 100-year anniversary. They've never been published as far as we know, and represent the US Gov't keeping tabs on the manufacturing processes and products of its military suppliers. This series shows Harley-Davidson motorcycles and sidecars on display and in use by the US Army, in many different configurations, almost as a rolling catalog on a military base! Take a look at our other articles from 1918 here.
"Harley-Davidson motorcycles, some with side cars on the road, manufactured by the Harley-Davidson Co, Milwaukee Wisc for the War Department. Aug 22, 1918" Note: this shot is either New Jersey or Maryland [National Archive]"Harley-Davidson motorcycle with side car and two cases for holding rifles, manufactured for the War Department by the Harley-Davidson C, Milwaukee, Wis. Aug 26, 1918" [National Archive]"Harley-Davidson Motorcycles, some with side cars on the road manufactured by the Harley Davidson Co., Milwaukee Wisconsin, for the War Department. Aug 26, 1918" [National Archive]"Types of Harley-Davidson motorcycles manufactured for the War Department by the Harley-Davidson Co, Milwaukee Wis. Aug 26, 1918" [National Archive]"First Motorcycle Battery of N.J. using a Colt-Martin rapid fire gun. 1917" Note: the same surrey-top observation car can be seen in most of these photos. The fields suggest someone will be pushing up daisies soon! Pictured at the Washington Barracks, D.C. [National Archive]Close-up of a Harley-Davidson rider in the woods of Maryland in 1918. "Harley-Davidson motorcycles, some with side cars on the road, manufactured by the Harley-Davidson Co, Milwaukee Wisc. for the War Department. Aug 26, 1918" [National Archive]"Harley-Davidson motorcycles, some with side cars on the road, manufactured by the Harley-Davidson Co, Milwaukee Wisc. for the War Department. Aug 22, 1918" [National Archive]"Fleet of motor trucks and motorcycles parked on the grounds at Washington Barracks, D.C." [National Archive]
Esteemed French photographer (and Vintagent Contributor) Laurent Nivalle visited the workshop of Atelier Chatokhine in the village of Ouerray recently, to document the resurrection of the Richard Vincent racing Velocette MSS. This historic machine was raced in Southern California in the mid-1960s by Richard, who lived in Santa Barbara and was a surfer, photographer, filmmaker, pilot, and motorcycle racer in the golden days of the 'Endless Summer' generation. We documented some of Richard's story on The Vintagent with our short film 'The Ended Summer', by David Martinez, and Richard's motorcycles and surfboards were exhibited at Wheels&Waves California in 2016, and Wheels&Waves France in 2017.
Zoe David tightens the axle nut on the MSS as the chassis is cleaned and refreshed - not restored [Laurent Nivalle]Richard's Velocette racer is a very special and historic machine, with a Lou Branch cylinder head of the type that was later adapted by the Veloce factory for its 'Thruxton' production racer. The head is easily recognized, with a huge 1 1/2" Amal GP racing carburetor angling down towards the inlet valve, stuck out on an extended inlet tract. The setup gives an ideal 8" distance between the carb's fuel jet and the inlet valve itself, and the valves in the head are set at a shallower angle than the Venom head; the result is a significant horsepower increase, with much better breathing than a standard Velo head, and is the reason why a Velocette Thruxton won the Isle of Man Production TT in 1967, with a motorcycle design that was essentially 15 years old, barring that head, which had come from California race tuners!
Frank Chatokhine looking after the MSS, with Cyril Dubois looking on [Laurent Nivalle]It isn't known how many such cylinder heads were built for racers by Lou Branch (the LA Velocette importer) between 1962-5, when the factory began offering its own version, but there can't be many! Richard's machine has a fantastic patina, being totally original and as-last-raced from 1967, when he was drafted into the Army. A rocket blast in Vietnam put Richard in the hospital for a year, and injuries to his arm and eyes meant he was no longer able to compete at the level he wanted, so he laid up his Velocette and Triumph racers for almost 50 years, until he was prompted by his son to literally drag them out of the barn!
The special Lou Branch cylinder head can be seen clearly; it's welded-up, not cast as with the later Veloce version. The frame of this Velocette racer is basically stock, although the fork internals have been re-valved, and the shocks are aftermarket [Laurent Nivalle]Bringing the Velocettes (and Richard's photography and films) to light is an ongoing project at The Vintagent, and it's inspiring to see his motorcycles brought back to life at Atelier Chatokine (for the Velos) and the workshop of Hayden Roberts in Ventura (for the Triumph). Give our film a look, enjoy Laurent's photos, and there's more to come!
The engine revealed; the flywheels have been narrowed and skimmed to keep the rims out of crankcase oil, for less oil drag at high revs. The piston is significantly domed for high compression [Laurent Nivalle]The Velocette M-series engine is built like a watch, with fine-pitch helical cut gears in the timing chest, and plenty of oil circulation on the camshafts, which are at the top of the timing case, with short aluminum pushrods. Robust enough for 100mph for 24 hours! [Laurent Nivalle]Banging out the custom-made short reverse-cone megaphone exhuast [Laurent Nivalle]Frank Chatokhine assembling the forks with new rubber gaiters [Laurent Nivalle]Zoe David adjusts the tachometer drive; it's a trick to align the drive tang into its mating slot in the magneto nut, in order to install the timing cover [Laurent Nivalle]The gearbox reavealed: the four-speed Velocette 'box was designed in 1933, and was basically unchanged until the factory closed in 1971. Thus the internals from a 1971 gearbox can be directly slotted into a 1934 model - which makes finding spares very straightforward. It's the smoothest and lightest-shifting of all British gearboxes [Laurent Nivalle]Cyril Dubois installing the original fiberglass rear fender made by Richard Vincent, who used his surfboard-making skills on his motorcycle! The '100' number is his original [Laurent Nivalle]Checking the 'truth' of the frame before the swingarm is installed; as the Velocette swingarm is a 3-piece assembly, an accurate point of reference is required to properly align the two tapered legs of the swingarm, which clamp onto a hard-ground tube running in bronze bushes within a frame lug. Velocette invented the swingarm frame as we know it in 1937, for the factory racers and MkVIII KTT model, and the M-series street bikes use identical geometry to Velocette's GP racers. Which is why Velocettes handle so well - lots of racing experience, and feedback from riders like Stanley Woods! [Laurent Nivalle]50 years of caked-on grease, which acted as a protective coating. [Laurent Nivalle]If the frame isn't straight, the bike will never handle properly; likewise with steering head and swingarm bearings, which are easily rectified on old machines like this; infinitely repairable, definitely not disposable technology. It may look 'black' not 'green', but it was designed to last forever [Laurent Nivalle]Zoe David works on cleaning grime from the gearbox, in preparation for a rebuild [Laurent Nivalle]Removing the gearbox cluster with gears and shifter forks in place [Laurent Nivalle]Cyril Dubois at work [Laurent Nivalle]The Atelier Chatokhine team (minus papa/founder Roland Chatokhine); what a pleasure to dig into an interesting vintage racer! [Laurent Nivalle]Assembling the rocker arm cover, held on by small screws [Laurent Nivalle]Atelier Chatokine in the house! [Laurent Nivalle]
The first known depiction of a motorcycle celebrates a demonstration of a steam-powered 'drais' (pedal-less bicycle) in the Luxembourg Gardens of Paris, on April 3, 1818. The contraption, dubbed a Vélocipédraisiavaporianna (steam-powered drais), is depicted in a period lithograph, with minimal text explanation, nor even the name of its German builder. Some historians consider the lithograph a joke, as no other documentation of this event has been unearthed to date, but the context of the drawing, and its technical details, suggest it was certainly possible, and it would not have been the first steam-powered vehicle in Paris in that era.
What's widely acknowledged as the world's first self-propelled vehicle was a steam trike built in 1770. Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot built his 'Fardier a vapeur' (steam cart) after several years of experiments with models, including a smaller version of his Fardier built in 1769 as a proof-of-concept. The question of how to translate the pushing power of a steam jet into forward motion had yet to be addressed, even though the power of steam to move objects was first described by Vitruvius in the 1st Century BC. It's generally agreed that Cugnot was the first to successfully translate the power of steam into mechanical motion, with power enough to carry a passenger. In the 1700s and 1800s, France was truly the land of invention, where the first internal-combustion automobile was built in 1807 by Isaac De Rivaz, and the first internal-combustion boat demonstrated to Napoléon that same year, built by Nicephore Niépce, who was also the inventor of the first fixed photographic process (the Daguerreotype) in 1837. Thus, France is the place one would most likely find a depiction of the first motorcycle, as it was the hotbed of vehicular invention. Of course, an artist might also make fun of this situation!
Cugnot's 'Fardier á vapéur' in 1770, built as a military workhorse, and kept intact out of respect that it did indeed work.
Cugnot's original Fardier still exists, and can be visited at the Musée des Arts et Metiers in Paris, where it has sat since 1800. The Revolutionary government of France created this museum to science in 1794 in a deconsecrated church, as part of their rejection of religious dogma in favor of scientific fact in the Age of Enlightenment. The French calendar was changed to a decimal system in 1793 (which lasted 12 years), and the 'metric' system of measurements adopted in 1799, which has since become the system of measures used worldwide. The transfer of the Cugnot's fardier from the National Armory to the Musée in 1800 was part of a continued celebration of science in Revolutionary France that continued under Napoléon when he assumed power in 1804, and beyond. While the anti-monarchist Revolutionary government stripped Cugnot of the royal pension granted him by Louis XV in 1772, Napoléon restored his reputation and pension before Cugnot died in 1804. A replica of Cugnot's Fardier was built in 2010, and I was privileged to witness it in action that year in Avignon, as seen below in my YouTube video.
Thus, steam-powered vehicles had been around for 50 years before our steam drais supposedly appeared, and the technical details on translating steam from a boiler into rotating wheels was understood, even if no particular system was settled on. Cugnot used an inelegant ratchet system in 1769, although the steam piston engine had been invented by Thomas Newcomen in 1712, and vastly improved by James Watt in 1781. Watt's engine design was efficient and kept the steam in a closed system, which meant a motor could be run reliably without constant attention or constantly varying steam pressure; his design formed the basis of reliable power and electricity supplies which formed the heart of the Industrial Revolution.
So, was a crude steam-powered motorcycle built in 1818? The lithograph notes that the 'startling machine' was intended to replace horses, while mocking its builder's claim of speed, reliability, acceleration, lightness, etc. Obviously this machine was nowhere near a replacement for the horse, but the reference has significance for that historical moment, at the end of a 3-year stretch of severe climate change brought on by the 1815 eruption of Mt Tamboura in Indonesia. 1816 was the 'year of no summer', a time of famine in Europe and all of the Northern Hemisphere, as the dust from Tamboura added to dust from the 1814 eruption of Mt Mayon in the Philippines, creating an aerosolized sulfate layer in the stratosphere. The result in Western Europe was food riots in 1816 and '17, and a significant decrease in the horse population as they became targets for food. Thus the 'en cas de mortalité des chevaux' (in case of the death of horses) was a real fear, and a German inventor would be motivated to use current technology to 'remplacer' (replace) the horse.
Was the lithograph a joke? It's impossible to say for certain today: there's enough detail in the drawing to suggest it was a real machine, or that the artist had enough familiarity with steam power to include petcock valves and steam pipes along with the burner/boiler on the machine. No indication is made on how the steam was translated to forward motion; small turbines in the wheel hubs? We simply don't know. But it's certain that, at least, the idea of the motorcycle as a powered two-wheeler emerged in 1818. The first known, and still extant, steam motorcycles were built nearly simultaneous in both Paris and Boston in 1869, by Louis-Guillame Perreaux and Sylvester H. Roper, respectively. So, is the motorcycle 200 years old today, or 150 years old next year?
The Michaux-Perreaux steam bicycle of 1869, as seen in 'The Art of the Motorcycle' exhbition at the Guggenheim Museum in 1998.
The greatest innovation in World War 1 among the 'Big 3' motorcycle companies trying to secure government contracts, was the offer by Harley-Davidson to provide training schools to military mechanics. The schools would instruct recruits on how to repair motorcycles in the field and in military workshops...and of course the demonstrators they provided to work with were Harley-Davidsons! It was not only brilliant marketing to the military, training was also truly necessary for maintenance and repair, as military recruits were generally ignorant of mechanical matters, or had never worked on a motorcycle before.
"Studying the different parts of the motor at the School for Motorcycle Mechanics. 5-8-19" The motorcyle in this case is a Harley-Davidson Model 18-F, the standard military machine offered in green! Harley-Davidson switched its color from Renault Grey to Olive Green in 1918, and didn't use other colors for several years after the War was over. [National Archive]The military couldn't simply drain American industry of skilled mechanics to keep its motorcycles, trucks, tanks, and planes running. Since the run-up to WW1 was so sudden, and the relationship of the military to machines relatively recent (barring the navy of course, which had been using steam engines for 50 years already), an offer from an independent company to set up a mechanics' training scheme must have been a welcome offer.
"Tearing down a motor at the School for Motorcycle Mechanics. 5-8-19" [National Archive]Yet another effect of training thousands of recruits to work on Harley-Davidsons was creating familiarity and brand loyalty with Harley-Davidson motorcycles. It can't be a coincidence that Indian's peak year was 1911, when it was the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, while Harley-Davidson's peak years were yet to come. H-D would never be the 'world's largest' though, as European, then Japanese manufacturers held that title forever after.
"Explaining the parts of a motorcycle at the School for Motorcycle Mechanics" [National Archive]Enjoy these remarkable photos from the National Archive, which have never been published as far as we know. They're an amazing glimpse into motorcycling 100 years ago! Follow our articles in the National Archive series from 1918!
"Instruction on the operation of a motorcycle at the School for Motorcycle Mechanics" Note - it must have been a chilly May day in Milwuakee, where this photo was taken - the riders wear matching knit caps! They might have been provided by family, or by a knitting scheme set up by soldier's support groups back home. The machine is a well-used 1918 Model 19 with electric lighting and a Klaxon horn, and of course a Harley-Davidson sidecar [National Archive]"Instruction on the parts of the motorcycle at the School for Motorcycle Mechanics" Note - the light was poor in the room, with just a few light bulbs and a window at one end. Stay awake, boys! [National Archive]"Putting the motor on the framework of the motorcycle at the School for Motorcycle Mechanics" [National Archive]
Of the 'Big 3' American motorcycle manufacturers responding to US Military requests for motorcycles, it was Harley-Davidson that gave the matter the most thought. Every manufacturer had a good motorcycle to offer, and none were specialized at the kind of harsh service required by the military. Then again, motorcycling in the USA in 1918 was a pretty rough business, as paved roads only existed in the center of towns, and roads didn't even exist in many parts of the West.
"Manufacturing motorcycles and sidecars. 20,000 Harley-Davidson sidecars can be turned out in 12 months time by the Harley Davidson Factories. This is the final assembling operation on the sidecars. Manufactured in the plant of the Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Milwaukee, Wis.. Nov 19, 1918. [National Archive]Thus, every American motorcycle was prepared for rough duty. And every manufacturer was prepared to do what it took to supply the military, as it meant good business...if the price was right. Apparently the military quartermasters weren't willing to give carte blanche for extravagant military deals in WWI - unlike scandalous $5000 hammers today! The military was looking for good value from manufacturers, so squeezed them a bit on the price. As well, the Big 3 were competing against each other for contracts, so needed to keep prices in line.
"Assembling Room. 1918." [National Archive]Ultimately it was a matter of survival for each company to secure a contract for military motorcycles, whether large or small. The boys at Harley-Davidson, though, came up with a more attractive deal than Indian or Excelsior, which included free motorcycle service training schools for military mechanics, among other perks. The Milwaukee crew gave the best sales pitch, and secured the biggest contract.
"Battery of four-spindle automatic screw machines manufactured in the plants of the Harley-Davidson Motor Co., Milwaukee, Wis." [National Archive]These are photographs taken by US Gov't inspectors, who visited the Harley-Davidson factory in 1918 to monitor the production methods and facilities of Harley-Davidson. The documentation of the Harley-Davidson factory, testing regime, and schools is far more extensive than with Indian and Excelsior, which must reflect their larger share of military motorcycle contracts.
"View of shipping platform of Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Seven [rail] cars can be accomodated at one time." [National Archive]These photos have recently been scanned by the National Archive and have never been published, as far as we know. They're a fascinating look into a lost industrial past at the Milwaukee Harley-Davidson factory, 100 years ago.
"Operator sandblasting sidecar frames. Note that he is not exposed to the sand blast at any time. In the plant of the Harley-Davidson Motor Co. Milwaikee, Wis. Nov 19, 1918." [National Archive]"Close-up view of special sandblasting machine, showing how one compartment can be loaded while parts in other compartment are being blasted inside of the machine." [National Archive]
"Enamelling room showing dipping tanks." Note - each manufacturer used multiple methods of painting - dipping, spraying, and brushing. [National Archive]"Battery of light automatic screw machines." [National Archive]"Heavy automatic screw machines." [National Archive]"Gear shapers working on transmission parts." [National Archive]"Enameling room; spraying motorcycle forks." Note: the second method of painting - spraying - as used on the forks. [National Archive]"Cylinder machining room." Note; the Harley-Davidson factory was built of brick, and has far less natural light than the reinforced concrete Excelsior and Indian factories...[National Archive]"Heat treating department; there are 40 furnaces in dep't" The dungeon of Hades! It must have been infernally hot in that room...[National Archive]
The response of the US government to the declaration of war against Germany in April 1917 was astonishingly rapid. Virtually overnight, 4 Million men were drafted, and military contracts handed out to every likely contributor to the war effort, including the motorcycle industry. By 1917, after the 'terrible 'Teens' leveled the majority of American motorcycle factories (due to rising material and labor costs), only the Big 3 (Excelsior-Henderson, Indian, and Harley-Davidson) were able to supply motorcycles in large quantities required. Smaller brands also supplied machines (like Cleveland's little two-stroke single) in miniscule quantities.
"Women's Machine Gun Squad; Police Reserves, New York City. Pracitising with Lewis machine gun to be sent to the front. The killing range of this gun is two miles, and it fires about 500 shots per minute. Capt. Elise Reniger, manning the gun, Miss Helen M. Striffer on the rear seat, and Mrs. Ivan Farasoff driving" [National Archive]The Excelsior and Henderson brands had both been incorporated under Ignaz Schwinn's two-wheeled Chicago empire by October 1917 (read 'The Big X and the Big 3' for more) but at the start of the war only Excelsior was under Schwinn's control. The Henderson Motorcycle Co. was struggling with a red balance sheet and was unable to capitalize on military contracts to stay afloat a few more years, although after the Schwinn takeover a few Henderson 4s were adopted for military use. When US inspectors documented the factory and testing regime at Schwinn's Chicago factory, only Excelsior v-twins were built there, and these are the machines documented in the National Archive.
"Demonstration of the Excelsior motorcycle" [National Archive]These photographs - to the best of our knowledge - have never been published previously (except in our Excelsior-Henderson story here), and document mostly the testing regime of the day: find a nasty place to ride, and have at it! Excelsior V-twins are very tough motorcycles, and were faster than both their Indian and Harley-Davidson rivals in 1917/18 in production form, so would have been the bike to have in WW1! While the British rode Douglas, Triumph, and Trump singles and v-twins, an Excelsior of this era would have walked away from them all. Enjoy the photo series!
"Manufacture of motorcycles for the US Army at the plant of the Excelsior Motor Manufacturing and Supply Co., Chicago Ill. Assembling Department." Note the massive new reinforced concrete factory, built by Schwinn in Chicago as the home of his newly acquired Excelsior brand. [National Archive]"Manufacture of motorcycles for the US Army at the plant of the Excelsior Motor Manufacturing and Supply Co., Chicago Ill. Motorcycle engine testing department. Capacity 100 motors per day." [National Archive]"Motor cycles for the Army manufactured by Excelsior Motor and Equipment Co, Chicago, Ill. Testing for uphill on rough rocky ground." [National Archive]"Photo shows an Excelsior motorcycle with the side car, used by the New York National Guard. 1917." [National Archive]"Demonstrating the Excelsior motorcycle." [National Archive]
