It's summertime, and a young man's fancy turns to... attaching rockets to his motorcycle! Except, in each of these cases, a middle-aged man is actually behind the project, which lends a Freudian question mark to their motives...
Fritz von Opel, the grandson of the Opel company founder, with his amazing rocket-boosted Opel Motoclub in 1930, which was a Neander built under license. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]Fritz von Opel was the grandson of Adam Opel, the founder in 1862 of the Opel bicycle and sewing machine factory, which moved into automobile production in 1899. In the 1920s, the factory adopted Fordian mass-production techniques, and sold an early 'people's car', the Tree Frog (Laubfrosch), sold in any color you liked as long as it was green lacquer. By 1928 Opel had a 37.5% share of the German auto market, and was the largest exporter, which attracted investment from General Motors, who were looking for a foothold in Europe. In 1919 GM bought 80% of the company, and 100% of it in 1931. The Opel family took in $33.3Million from the sale of the factory, making them among the wealthiest families in Germany.
If you're not scared, you're not paying attention. The Motoclub in its original six-rocket form. The Opel looks fairly standard, but we can't see the gearing behind the rocket mounts. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]Wealthy families tend to produce cavalier offspring, and the 1920s was a heyday of Gatsbian conspicuous consumption, with a newly created international press corps to spread their antics far and wide. And Fritz von Opel (the family gained a title in 1917 for services to Germany) was a risk-taking, dashing, and flamboyant extrovert in the finest 1920s style. With his slicked-back hair, owlish glasses, love for adventure, and access to amazing vehicles, he appeared to be a unique mix of a dashing Jazz Age playboy and Teutonic rocket scientist, which in fact describes him perfectly. Fritz leveraged the family fortune into a personal campaign of well-publicized adventures using cars, motorcycles, boats, and airplanes.
Looking like a character in an Expressionist film, Fritz von Opel was certainly an intense figure. [Wikipedia]In 1928 he began attaching rockets to racing cars, a special high-speed train car, an airplane, and a Neander/Opel motorcycle. The bike in question was an Opel MotoClub 500SS to which 6 solid-propellant rockets (with a thrust capacity of 66lbs combined) were attached. The rider activated the rockets with a foot pedal, after using the motorcycle's engine to reach 75mph; Opel calculated that 220km/h (132mph) was then possible. The World Motorcycle Speed Record in 1928 was held by O.M. Baldwin on his 996cc Zenith- JAP, at 124.5mph (taken at Arpajon, France): theoretically, the World Record was within reach!
Making a lot of smoke in front of a crowd of 7000, with 12 rockets. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]On May 19, 1928, the rocket-boosted Motoclub (dubbed 'the Monster', for obvious reasons) was demonstrated at the Hamborner Radrennbahn, with much smoky drama, before a crowd of 7000. In early testing, it was clear six rockets didn't give enough boost, so Opel doubled down on the concept, adding 12 rockets for the demonstration. He seriously considered an attempt at the absolute World Motorcycle Speed Record, but simply strapping on rockets isn't a guarantee of success even in a straight line. In truth the boost was unpredictable and frightening, and the ordinary roadster motorcycle chassis, even if if was a fine specimen like the Neander design, was asking for stability issues. The German racing authorities thought so as well, and forbade the use of the rocket-cycle for a speed attempt, on the grounds of safety.
And you thought the bike was trouble: the racing car was far more dramatic: this is his second iteration of the concept, the Ope RAK-2, which reached 143mph. Look at those skinny 1928 tires! [Opel Archives]Fritz von Opel attached rockets to cars: the RAK-1 and RAK-2, as well as two aircraft (also RAK-1 and 2), and a rocket train that reached 157mph, but crashed. He also raced boats in this intense period of activity, 1928 and '29, but left Germany by 1930, spending his time in Italy, the USA (in 1940 even) and Switzerland, where he died in 1971. Fritz von Opel was the original Rocket Man.
The Opel RAK-2 car in profile, with a very innovative set of wings to keep it all on the ground. [Opel Archives]The world's first rocket-propelled aircraft, the RAK-1, which was destroyed in a crash before Opel could fly it. [Opel Archives]Smoke and speed. Had he persevered, no doubt von Opel would have taken the World Record, but not in Germany. The concept was sound, and many speed records have been taken by rocket-boosted cars. [Opel Archive]For our Road Test of a 1930 Neander (without rockets!) take a look here.
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.
Is the Auerberg Klassik hillclimb the finest vintage motorcycle event in Europe? If you were there, as I was this year, it certainly felt like it. Good vibes, great bikes, perfect weather, charming village, challenging course, excellent organization, beautiful outfits, smiles and rising throttles and German beer and what else could you want? We'll follow up with a proper story on the event, but for now, photographer Uwe Rattay was kind enough to share some of his photos from the weekend. It's bi-annual, so mark Sept 2021 on your calendar, and be there!
10,000 reasons why he liked it: Paul d'Orleans and Sandra 'RetroCat' with the incredibly rare 1925 Sunbeam 'Crocodile' overhead-camshaft 500 he rode, courtesy the Hockenheim Museum Collection [Uwe Rattay]Mid-course, a series of straights, gentle bends, tricky decreasing-radius corners, and hairpins, made for a challenging regularity run. [Uwe Rattay]Women and men raced, solo and sidecar, and all were given an enthusiastic send-off, and cheers from the crowds lining the course. [Uwe Rattay]Sidecars from pre-war BMWs to post-war 'worms' made for exciting spectating in the tight corners. [Uwe Rattay]Vintage dress is encouraged, making the Auerberg the Bavarian version of the Goodwood Revival, with no 'tiered access', no velvet ropes, no helicopter billionaires, no look-at-my-money bullshit. An event for the people. [Uwe Rattay]How fast can you go? As fast as you want, if you can be consistent, and don't crash! There were few 'incidents', and the event ran smoothly. [Uwe Rattay]The lady in disguise - no flaming silver torpedo? Amelie Mooseder is normally on the start-line, but her Spitfire dragster is post the 1979 cutoff date for the Auerberg. [Uwe Rattay]Not quite original, but definitely period. Berhard Elflein's Indian 101 Scout with real brakes! [Uwe Rattay]Another day, another Sunbeam. This Model 9 gets a shove from Salzburg restoration expert Gernot Schuh (who revived my old supercharged Zenith 'Super Kim' - read the story here). [Uwe Rattay]It's all in the details. 'Revolutions in the Hundreds' sounds like a history of the 1960s. [Uwe Rattay]The reception from the crowd made for an all-smiles event. [Uwe Rattay]Neither aerodynamic nor a safety feature, a grand beard is nonetheless a welcome accessory on an ancient machine. [Uwe Rattay]Between the bales: lots of good viewpoints along the route, if you wanted to climb the hill! [Uwe Rattay]The mix of riders' ages was refreshing, from young to old, and plenty in between, with men and women taking the handlebars, even of sidecars. [Uwe Rattay]The landscape is incredible: from gently rolling farm country to mountains, with a 1000-year old church at the summit, and an inn serving lunch to racers at the end of the climb. [Uwe Rattay]Check out more of Uwe Rattay's photography here!
Vintagent contributor and film partner David Martinez made the 9-hour trek from his home in San Francisco to the Bonneville Salt Flats for the first time last month. Like anyone with a visual orientation, the place wowed him: "It's impossible to take a bad photograph there." He also dug the scene - speed nuts laboring for months builing machines, and risking their safety to break records, addicted to the sheer glory of going fast, with little hope of reward barring recognition from their peers.
A Triumph Speed Twin in the morning light, ready for a run. [David Martinez]David spent time with 'Slim' Jim Hoogerhyde's equipe, and Alp Sungertikin's team, and got to know a few of the regulars who ply their skills on the salt. They were generous with their time despite ever-present struggles with technical problems, time pressures, and exposure to the sun and heat. About the salt this August: it was crap. Soft, wet, and rough, it played havoc with cars and motorcycles, and many of the faster runners were loathe to risk life and limb on the unpredictable surface. Several cars went into high-speed spins, and some folks went home rather than push harder, hoping for better on the next organized run in September.
The salt this year has been atrocious: wet and loose and bumpy. Not how it clings like snow to the underside of boots. [David Martinez]The salt is a strange surface in the best of times, hardly smooth and surprisingly greasy. We imagine tabletop-smooth whiteness, which might happen twice in a lifetime, but mostly, the surface is a chaos of riffles and bumps, which need to be leveled, sorta, by heavy dredges pulled across the surface, creating semi-smooth runways for the record breakers, on the long 'international' course, or the shorter course for slower machines. Regardless the quality of the salt, it's always highly corrosive, and gets into every cranny, so everything touching it requires many hours of cleaning to avoid rapid corrosion. Better than wet sand, I suppose, as it gives a much larger surface to play with at Bonneville, but it's nothing like traction and smoothness available on asphalt.
A classic Bonneville shot of a streamliner headed out on a run, into the vast unremarkable whiteness of this alien landscape, with only far distant markers to guide you. [David Martinez]Enjoy these photos from David Martinez' first encounter with this fascinating tribe of speed freaks. And check out his work: he's directed 3 films for TheVintagent.com: 'The Ended Summer', about surfer and motorcycle racer Richard Vincent: 'Model X', a test ride of a 1933 Matchless V-twin: and 'Summer Ride', about the 2017 Wheels&Waves festival in Biarritz. We're currently discussing a new short film about the Vincent Black Lightning - check out his videos, and stay tuned!
'Slim' Jim Hoogerhyde was the first man to break 200mph on an electric motorcycle, and is a tech inspector for the SCTA. [David Martinez]Team Lowbrow Customs prepping for a run with their lowdown Triumph. [David Martinez]Tyler Malinky had salt-related issues with the handling of his Lowbrow Customs Triumph, and crashed out, breaking a few bones. He'll be back. [David Martinez]An Aermacchi single and Triumph twin in the glorious sunshine of the Bonneville Salt Flats. [David Martinez]Cyrillic messages carved into the engine case of this DKW RT125 or derivative - H-D Hummer or BSA Bantam. Neither of those was ever supercharged, though! [David Martinez]The pilot of the Cyrillic DKW, likely come from abroad to run the legendary salt flats. [David Martinez]A supercharged Velocette KSS readies for a run. Not many records were set this year, the salt was nobody's friend. [David Martinez]Lower and lower: a 3-wheeler kneeler almost invisible on the surface. [David Martinez]Experiments in chassis design are common at Bonneville, including this ultra-stable and ultra-low hub-center device. [David Martinez]Alp Sungertekin, a young legend on the salt who's gained wisdom and guidance from the old timers on the use of nitro, but has brought his own ingenious designs to the table, and won. He currently holds the world record for fastest unfaired Triumph pushrod twin - 175mph. See his 'Asymmetric Aero' build from our Custom Revolution exhibit here. [David Martinez]This year, Alp built a Triumph for Bryan Thompson, and the team used Bonneville to sort out carburation and ignition issues. [David Martinez]The Thompson Cycles Triumph built by Alp Sungertekin. The bike will head to the Mooneyes show in Yokohama this year. [David Martinez]A Confederate Hellcat on a high speed run. [David Martinez]Cars too! Like this cool early 1950 Mercury coupe hot rod. [David Martinez]More hotrod action, plus accomodation! [David Martinez]An Indian Chief modified for speed. [David Martinez]Jalika Gaskin, Alp Sungurtekin's crew chief, and wife, gleaming in the sun. [David Martinez]
It was the Indian Chief that caught my eye, and the irony that a pureblood native Peruvian was riding it in Cuzco in 1934. There’s always a story behind such a photo, as not may Native (South) Americans are photographed on motorcycles in the first half of the 20th Century: large motorcycles were an expensive luxury, so this fellow must have been successful.
Mario Perez Yáñez poses on Martin Chambi's c.1925 Indian Scout on the streets of Cuzco, Peru. [MartinChambi.org]So Martin Chambi proved to be, extraordinarily so, both in his own lifetime and beyond, as a chronicler of the people of Peru for over 50 years, in a stunning body of work that’s been celebrated from MoMA to National Geographic. Martin Chambi was born a peasant in 1891 (Nov 5 – a Scorpio) near Lake Titikaka. His father worked in a gold mine for the Santo Domingo Mining Company, where young Martin first encountered a photographer documenting the mine in 1905. This inspired a move to Arequipa, where he became a pupil and studio assistant to photographer Max T. Vargas, where he learned the trade. His obvious talent led to his first exhibition at the Arts Center of Arequipa in 1917. He was then 26, married to Manuela Lopéz Visa, and had two children, Celia and Victor, and chose to move shortly after to Sicuani, where he opened his own photographic studio.
Portrait of a native man wearing a typical Andean chullo knit cap. [Martin Chambi]Sicuani was then a prosperous town as center of industrial production of alpaca and llama wool, and Chambi’s studio was successful enough to prompt a move to Cusco in 1920, where he opened a new studio, and had three more children – Julia (a photographer who became the Chambi archivist), Angelica, Manuel, and Meri. He remained in Cusco for the rest of his life, where he developed his huge body of work, and was able to explore the breadth and depth of the Peruvian people and their culture.
A wedding party emerges from the candle-lit darkness of a church in Cuzco. [Martin Chambi]As well as a portraitist and visual ethnographer, he worked as a photojournalist for the Peruvian newspaper La Croníca, and for newspapers and magazines around the world, such as Variedades y Mundial, La Nacíon (Buenos Aires), and the Feb 1934 National Geographic. His work was exhibited in art galleries in La Paz in 1925, Santiago de Chile in 1936, and finally at MoMa in New York in 1979, after an effort was organized by his son Victor to have his archive of 30,000 glass and film negatives preserved in association with volunteers from the EarthWatch Foundation, under the direction of photographer and anthropologist Edward Ranney.
Martin Chambi at Macchu Picchu, which was 're-discovered' (and plundered) in the 1860s/70s, after laying hidden for nearly 300 years. The Spanish never found it, so unlike most Inca cities, it remained unmolested. [Martin Chambi]Of his luminous body of work, Martin Chambi said:
“I have read that in Chile they think that the Indians have no culture, that they are uncivilized and intellectually and artistically inferior to white people and European people. I think the graphical evidence proves different. It is my hope that an impartial and objective group examines this proof. I feel I am a representative of my race; my people speak through my photographs.”
An pedal-organ player in an acoustically friendly niche. [Martin Chambi]
Chambi’s photographs are a window into a seemingly magical lost world of Andean Indians still living near the ruins of their ancient, magnificent civilization, who seem not to have been bowed by the colonization of their lands, but exist with a unique identity within a new context. There are giants, grand structures, amazingly dressed locals, organ players, miners, potato farmers, ordinary children, policemen, and of course Chambi himself, who projects a stunning wisdom and warmth. Many of his earliest photos (6000 of them) are on glass plate negatives, and glow with detail (the silver-saturated collodion used to coat glass plates capture far more detail than gelatin film stock, as the plates are larger, and the silver particles 1000X smaller).
A native boy in warm clothing. [Martin Chambi]The lenses used in Chambi’s large-format bellows cameras of the 1920s and ‘30s were already antiques, and the softness of the images they produce is more visually akin to the work of Edward Curtiss than August Sander. Curtiss was an outsider looking in on Native American culture in the early 1900s, and August Sander (working in the late 1920s/30s) was a peer of the Germans he famously photographed in their working attire, while Chambi was the Native American insider looking deeper inside his own culture, with a warm and loving eye that eluded both his obvious photographic parallels. But Chambi had a poet's eye, and his images are imbued with mystery and depth, suggesting a world we cannot know but will be endlessly fascinated watching.
Here Chambi addresses the camera directly from his Indian - one of very few motor vehicles on the roads in Cuzco. [Martin Chambi]I've only seen two Chambi photographs of himself on his Indian, in the same location but at different times. The motorcycle must have been a treasure and a source of tremendous pride, as there are very few vehicles of any kind on Cusco’s roads in his photos. He photographed very few vehicles, at least, and that he chose to photograph only himself with a vehicle was a warmly humorous message, ‘owning’ the questionable branding of a North American capitalist enterprise as a badge of success, and identity: an Indian on the move.
'Two Giants'. [Martin Chambi]A woman in typical Peruvian dress. [Martin Chambi]The family of Ezequiel Arce with their potato crop. [Martin Chambi]A man carrying a ceramic pot. This is likely an early glass plate image, as the collodion process is sensitive to the UV spectrum, which makes skin with a high melanin content appear as shiny black, much like the photos of Edward Curtiss. [Martin Chambi]A costume party. [Martin Chambi]The empty streets of Cuzco, a combination of Spanish colonial and adapted Inca stonework. [Martin Chambi]A reed-built boat on Lake Titicaca, in the shape of a tiger. [Martin Chambi]For more information and photos, visit the Martin Chambi Archive here.
A short history of the little-known Bilbao Tourist Trophy race, held on Aug 14th and 16th, 1932.
One of the first Spanish riders at the Isle of Man TT, in 1914: Luis Arana and his Douglas. [The Vintagent Archive]
Since 1907, the Tourist Trophy race has been held on the Isle of Man, between Great Britain and Ireland. The current course, established in 1911, crossed through towns, going up and down the only mountain on the island, which thirty-three miles long and thirteen miles wide. The first Isle of Man TT was held on May 28, 1907: the circuit was 15 miles and 10 laps, in an urban circuit closed to the public. The English decided to organize a race on this island because open road races were banned in Great Britain, and since 1903 the blanket speed limit was 20mph. As the Isle of Man has its own Parliament and laws, there were no such limitations on speed or public racing events, and the government there proved amenable to the idea of racing (both cars and motorcycles) as a possible tourist attraction. How right they proved to be, as the race is currently attended by tens of thousands of fans, and provides the bulk of tourist income to the Island.
Santiago Herrero racing an Ossa two-stroke single at the 1970 Isle of Man TT [Pinterest]
On June 10, 1970, racer Santiago Herrero died while racing on the Isle of Man, which deeply impacted the Bilbao motorcycle community: he was a person closely linked to motorcycling in Bilbao. But the love of motorcycling goes way back in Bilbao, including racing at the Isle of Man TT: Pedro Sorriguieta and Luis Arana participated in the 1914 Isle of Man TT. Together with other partners they created the Bilbao Sports Club with its own premises to promote the love of motorcycling. Sorriguieta was a model of expertise and softness while Luis Arana was a force of audacity and energy, destroying and burning his motorcycle frequently, seemingly unable to move forward with the same agility of his thought.
Pedro Sorrigueta at the 1914 Isle of Man TT [The Vintagent Archive]In a telegram sent to his family Pedro Sorriguieta once noted of his race: "Broken gearchange and a blowout, but I have reached the first of my team and I have qualified in the eighth position of the general." Luis Arana, in a cablegram sent to the newspaper Euzkadi, reported he was "third in the last lap, but had a fall caused by a collision with another racer, which disabled his motorcycle, and came in fifteenth place." These two bikers, along with the shirtmaker and tailor Rodolfo Cardenal, who was champion of Spain in 1915, formed the Bilbao Sports Club.
Members of the Pena Motorcycle Club horsing around for a club photo in the 1930s - BSA, Ariel, Douglas, and AJS machines are clearly visible. [Cesar Estornes]The Club germinated a group of good and excellent riders years later: first of all Alejandro Arteche the motorcycle master, Oswaldo Filippini (the dentist), Eduardo Rubio, Fernando Ripalda, and Juan Palacio. There were others with more national and international renown such as Luis Bejarano, the manufacturer of the house Lube, Ortueta, and Alejandro Arteche. The Peña Motorista was founded in 1926 and took on an official charter in 1927. In 1928 it organized small races without official sanction, which woke up Bilbao racer fans, a hobby which had been asleep since the time of the Bilbao Sports Club. In 1929, they officially organized races including the fifth Cuesta de Castrejana hillclimb, the first Circuito de Getxo-Berango (Vizcaya Championship) and the first Cuesta de Cristo hillclimb. Races they organized for 1930 included the sixth Cuesta de Castrejana hillclimb, the Ordiuña hillclimb, the second Circuito de Getxo-Berango. In 1931, they organized the seventh Castrejana hillclimb, the third Circuit ode Getxo-Berango, the second hillclimb Cuesta de Cristo, etc.
A very wet hillclimb in Spain...yes there is 'rain in Spain', and it falls mainly in the mountains! Senor Andorilla- Luis Martin LaFont, principal organizer of the Bilbao TT [Cesar Estornes]In the year 1932, the club organized the First Tourist-Trophy in Spain, at Bilbao, as well as the Championship of Spain for 250cc and 350cc machines. The Peña Motorista was formed by many members of the Bilbao Sports Club, such as Eduardo Lastagaray, José María Picaza (Excelsius journalist and expert in the motor world), Eduardo Rubio, Gregorio Pradera, Jacinto Miquelarena (sports journalist), Juan Palacio, Luis Arana and many others who put dedication and enthusiasm to motor racing.
Senor Andorilla- Luis Martin LaFont, principal organizer of the Bilbao TT [Cesar Estornes]But one of them stands out above all, he was nicknamed "Andorrilla" and his name was Luis Martín Lafont. He plied his trade at number 8 Carrero St., "Tailor made clothing, fancy ties, novelty socks, good tastes and not expensive." This man was the organizing soul of all these motor races, supported by a good staff of employees. He was one of the founders of the club and was then honorary president. Andorilla told many anecdotes of motorcycling, such as when British racing superstar and Norton team member Jimmie Guthrie arrived in Bilbao to race, and demanded more money to race than had been agreed! Lafont replied: "Well, don't race, but this conversation will be made public tomorrow, that the famous racer got scared and didn't participate in the race." Another rider named Alegre, who was full of enthusiasm but with empty pockets, arrived convinced that he was going to win a prize, but won no title or prize. Andorrilla gave him money from his pocket to return home.
Local Spanish riders of the Peña Motorista c.1931, including l. to r. Ortueta (on a Rudge Ulster), unknown on a Rudge Ulster, Bejarano on a Douglas TT Model (with Brampton forks), and Palacio on a Douglas T6 with sidecar racing forks.[Cesar Estornes]On Saturday, September 13, 1930, a tribute was given to Luis Martín Lafont, of the many he would receive throughout his life, with the assistance of the president of the Peña, Mr. Francisco Ibarra, at the Torróntegui Hotel at 9.30pm. The guests participated with joy and good humor, with this excellent menu: Ox-Tail soup,Lobster Parisien, chicken en Cocotte, French peas, house made ice cream and pastries, fruit and coffee, and sangria. The rider Juan Palacio supplied the red wine and spirits, and the whole meal was offered for the economic price of 18pesetas. Hungry yet?
Spanish rider Fernando Aranda and his Rudge Ulster racer [Cesar Estornes]The Bilbao TT, August 14th and 16th, 1932
Martín Lafont finalized the preparations for this important race, held on the 14th at 3.30 in the afternoon. The organizers were assured the presence of several professional English racers, especially from Norton and Rudge, who have promised their best men. French riders included Clermont, Nandon, Lafon, Terige, Boulanger and more. The President of the Italian Federation promised to send Alfredo Panella, Ricardo Brusi, Carlo Fumagalli, who would be accompanied by their 250cc and 500cc Moto Guzzi racers. Contacts were made with DKW for their star riders as well. Two Portuguese riders particpated as well: Jorge Black, the Portuguese champion with a 500cc Rudge, and the engineer Feixeira with a 350cc Norton. Among the Spaniards wre Fernando Aranda, JMA, Manuel Alegre, Ernesto and Joaquin Vidal father and son, Ignacio Faura. from Biscayn came Luis Bejarano with a Douglas, Alejandro Arteche and Careaga, both with a 500cc Ariel Red Hunters. Madrid's Santos Mateo rode a 500cc Moto Guzzi.
Fernando Aranda and Javier Ortueta. [Cesar Estornes]The Bilbao team worked with total activity to have the circuit ready for the August 11th and 12th practice period. The grandstands were raised in Basurto, in front of the hospital, and were admirably located, picking up a wide field of vision. The price for bleacher seating was 7.50pesetas, and 60pesetas for a box: there were six entrances to the field. The winner's trophy cup was donated by the President of the Spanish Republic, Mr. Niceto Alcalá Zamora, while the City Council donated the Junior trophy and the Provincial Lightweight trophy. These trophies were replicas of those awarded for the Isle of Man TT. Bilbao Mayor Don Ernesto Ercoreca delivered the trophies to the winners.
Professional racer Graham Walker of the Rudge factory team, the year after he won the Isle of Man Lightweight TT on this make. [Cesar Estornes]The champion rider Arthur Simcock arrived, made his entrance through the Achuri train station, and awaiting him at the platform was Careaga, Arteche and Palacio. Simcock was the earliest of the arrivals, on August 6, and stayed at the Carlton Hotel, and he retired early at nine o'clock at night and says: "I have to prepare my body and my machine for tomorrow's training." This is inconceivably early for the Spaniards, who usually don't dine until 10 or 11pm! Rumors swirled of the arrival of Felice Nazzaro the Italian champion and Grahan Walker, who replaced Ted Mellors in participating in the 250cc and 500cc events.
Ernest Loof and his Imperia in the wet 350cc race. Loof raced Imperia and BMW motorcycles, and contributed to the design of the BMW 328 sports race car. Postwar, he was co-founder of the Veritas race car company.[Cesar Estornes]In the garage of Alejandro Arteche the motorbikes of the English and Catalan racers rest until the day of the race. The Portuguese racer Black made the trip from Lisbon with some friends, bringing his Rudge motorcycle in his car. José Miguel Careaga, known by the nickname of "Morrosko" is a solid proponent of Ariel, but he had an absence of something and that something he carried in his heart: the loss of his dog called "Techi," who traveled thousands of kilometers on the tank of the Careaga's motorcycle. Techi will not do it again, leaving his master in the greatest grief.
A sea of umbrellas in the stands for the 250/350cc Bilbao TT. [Cesar Estornes]As the the '32 TT was the first time it was held in Spain, it was important for motorcycling due to the importance of this competition in the motorcycle world. Fans came from all over Spain and abroad. On August 14th, from five in the morning onward it rained until shortly before starting the race, continuing with more or less intensity and did not cease until the end of the race. In spite of everything the audience was numerous, which looked in the stands and surroundings to be a sea of umbrellas.
A wet start to the 250/350cc Bilbao TT. [Cesar Estornes]The two displacements of 250cc and 350cc came out, with the larger bikes starting first, then a minute later those of 250cc. This is the list of participants of the 250cc race, held over 15 laps with a total 135.75km:
#1 Graham Walker, English - with a Rudge #2 Edmond Boulanger, French - with a Terrot #3 Marcel Clermont, French - with a Rudge #4 Antonio Moxó , Spanish - with a Rudge #5 Emilio Tintoré, Spanish - with a Dunelt #6 Valerio Riva, Italian - with an Aquila #7 Francis Beart, English - with a Cotton #8 Leo H. Davenport, English - with a New Imperial
Winners: First Walker with 1h.43m.10s won the T. Trophy trophy of the Vizcaya Provincial and a cash prize of one thousand pesetas and one hundred pesetas for the fastest lap. Second Moxó with 1h.43m.47s. Champion of Spain, Minister of Public Works Cup (Indalecio Prieto) and four hundred pesetas in cash. Third Davenport with 1h.44m.22s. and a cash prize of three hundred pesetas.
A wet hairpin bend proved slippery and took down several riders. [Cesar Estornes]In the displacement of 350cc, 17 laps with a total of 153.85km:
#19 Sid Gleave, English- with a New-Imperial #20 Arthur Simcock, English - with a Velocette #21 Fernando Aranda, Spanish - with a Rudge #23 Roxey, Spanish - with an AJS #24 Marcel Goedhuyss, Belgian - with a Norton #25 Eric Fernihough, English - with an Excelsior #27 Felice Nazzaro, Italian - with an Aquila #28 Ernest Loof, German - with an Imperia #29 Ernesto Vidal, Spanish - with a Norton #30 André Naudon, French - with a Velocette
Graham Walker winning the 250cc race on his Rudge. [Cesar Estornes]350cc race: Aranda had a bad start, started late and was unlucky. He left the race, it was the rain that soaked his magneto and produced ignition deficiencies. The English do not neglect these things, as they are more accustomed and take precautions. Ernesto Vidal had a mishap and collided with another motorist and was in fifth place. In the first round, Loof stood out and made his machine respond very brilliantly. He was the favorite, the German champion, a modest boy and with great sympathy, he put the audience in his pocket and won the race, followed by the Italian Nazzaro, with Eric Fernihough third. The English riders Arthur Simcock and Sid Gleave both had falls and retired.
Ernest Loof of Niendorf and his 350cc racing Imperia - note the strutted Druid racing forks with speedometer clamped to the fork tubes. [Cesar Estornes]First Loof with 1h.51m.12s. won the T. Trophy trophy of the Bilbao City Council and 2750 pesetas in cash and 100 pesetas for the fastest lap. Second Nazzaro with 2h.3m.25s.with a cash prize of 1,100 pesetas. Third Fernihough with 2h.5m.35s. 825 pesetas cash prize.
On the second day, August 16th, 1932, the 500cc race was held, with 18 laps and a total of 162.90km. 29 riders were registered: #1-Manuel Alegre (England) with a Rudge #2-Manuel Ruiz (Spain) with an Ariel #3- Valerio Riva (Italy) with an Aquila #4-Joaquín Vidal (Spain) with a Norton #5- André Naudon (France) with a Velocette #6-Alejandro Black (Portugal) with a Rudge #8-Marcel Goedhuyss (Belgium) with a Norton #9- Alejandro Arteche (Spain) with an Ariel #10-JMA (Spain) with a BSA #11-Ernest Loof (Germany) with an Imperia #12- Craker (Spain) with a Norton #14 -CT Atkins (England) with a Cotton #15-Graham Walker (England) with a Rudge #16-Luis Bejarano (Spain) with a Douglas #17-Ignacio Faura (Spain) with a Rudge #18- Eric Fernihough (England) with an Excelsior #19-Jean Terigi (France) with a Rudge #20-Leo H. Davenport (England) with a Sunbeam #21-Fergus Anderson (England) with a Cotton #23-Emilio Dubois (Spain) with a Sarolea #24-Edouard Lafon (Belgium) with a Soyer #25- Marcel Clermont (France) with a Motosacoche #26-José Miguel Careaga (Spain) with an Ariel #27-Clemente Picas (Spain) with a Motosacoche #28-Juan Gilí (Spain) with a Rudge #29-Giovanni Paze (Italy) with an Aquila
Eduardo Rubio on a Velocette KTT, perhaps one of three delivered originally to dealer Manuel Conto of Madrid? [Cesar Estornes]On this second day, the riders were much faster, and the enthusiasm from the public also grew. The departure was spectacular, as it was clogged by a dog! Aranda lost several minutes and Anderson had to stop because of a machine breakdown. In the second circuit Aranda is in the lead due to the mechanical failure of Castrejana, but Walker is standing out from the rest of the group.The audience is already focusing on these two runners - Aranda and Walker. Ortueta from Madrid left on the third circuit due to a break in the gearchange, and in the fourth circuit Luis Bejarano retired, the great Basque hope. Alejandro Arteche stopped on lap 16 due to breakdown. Walker is placed at the top of the race and it takes Aranda a minute to follow. A win by Walker, followed by Fernando Aranda.
Alejandro Arteche and his Ariel Red Hunter, which was a popular club racing machine. [Cesar Estornes]Classification of the 500cc test: First Graham William Walker time 1h.45m.0.6s. Winner of the President of the Republic trophy, 3500 pesetas cash prize and 100 pesetas for the fastest lap. Second Fernando Aranda time 1h.46m.47s. Winner of the Spanish Champion Cup for 1932. 1400 pesetas cash prize and 500 pesetas for the Spanish Championship. Third Joaquín Vidal time 1h.50m.36s. 1050 pesetas cash prize. The fastest lap was given by Walker at 96,304kmh.
A grainy picture of the start of the 500cc Bilbao TT. [Cesar Estornes]Thanks to Frank Charriaut at MotArt for the article!
As we enter the third fiscal quarter of 2019, we’re seeing an even greater influx of activity in the EV realm as the emerging sector continues to pick up steam. This week we were treated to a number of noteworthy happenings including yet another stunning ebike from Curtiss, a sleek new electric enduro from university students in Spain, more involvement from auto-makers, and a host of new prototype and future production models from France, Germany, Russia, and China.
Spanish Students Build Off-Road E-Racer
Students of Elisava University in Barcelona with their Eray off-road prototype. [Eray]Created by a dozen design and engineering student’s from Barcelona’s Elisava University, the Eray is a fully electric off-road motorcycle built to compete in the 2019 Barcelona Smart Moto Challenge in Catalonia. The Spanish students designed the cutting edge machine from the ground up before 3D printing and custom producing all the necessary parts. The Eray also sports a 7-inch screen and a smart-phone connected app. A lot of attention also went into the MX-style machine’s ergonomics, which were fine-tuned in a long-term study.
The subject of deep research, the Eray project is a practical proposition. [Eray]Overall the Eray sports a remarkably finished aesthetic. Everything from the bodywork, to the seat, to the frame, to the headlight all possess a factory-level finish. And not only is the Eray a looker, but the thing also boasts high-end running gear and solid performance chops — both of which it will need when it goes head-to-head with the other electric two-wheeled student-made creations at the 2019 BSMC.
Universities have been at the forefront of ebike technology for decades, building land speed racers and now off-roaders: surely a sign that the technology is growing in interest to researchers. [Eray]Of course, it’s not just the existing manufacturers and startups that are spearheading the evolution of the electric motorcycle. The work being done at Elisava University is just the latest example of college students continuously pushing the EV technology envelope. In the last decade, we’ve seen numerous universities like MIT, Ohio State, the University of Nottingham, andKingston University, all design and build their own electric race bikes to compete in high-profile events like Pikes Peak and the Isle of Man (Zero) TT.
Curtiss Takes Aim At H-D With New eBike
The Curtiss Psyche has hallmark design cues from the hand of former Confederate designer JT Nesbitt. [Curtiss]For the third week in a row, Curtiss has pulled the cover off yet another new motorcycle. Dubbed, the “Psyche”, the bold new machine has a design just as unique as the Zeus and Hades, however, the Alabama-based brand says its latest bike will be markedly more affordable at “only” $30,000.
With dramatic shapes and an architectural silhouette, the Psyche looks like no other ebike. [Curtiss]The fact the Psyche is priced in the same ballpark as Harley’s new Livewire is no coincidence, and Curtiss is squarely taking aim at the MoCo. The Psyche affords a 160-mile range, an “approximate weight” of 375lbs, and will reportedly be sold with either a 36kW (48hp) or 72kW (96hp) motor.
The Psyche, if built, would be a striking addition to the street bike universe. [Curtiss]Like the rest of the new models in the Curtiss lineup, the Pysche is constructed around a skeletal, tubular frame and swing-arm with a suspended powertrain, bobber-style saddle, girder-inspired front-end, and heavy use of carbon fiber. Curtiss has yet to release specs on the drum-shaped batteries or charge times, though it did announce the Psyche is slated to go on sale sometime in the Fall of 2021.
Malle Mile Festival Goes Electric
Over the weekend at the Malle Mile Festival in London, a fun new event was added to the lineup called the “Midnight Mile”. One of just eight events, the nighttime event consists of sprint races in the dark across a dirt course only lit via colored glowing orbs. The riders are also covered in glowing neon kit, giving the races a video-gamey feel, only furthered by the exclusive use of electric bikes. As electric motorcycles continue to become more prevalent, we’ll surely start seeing more and more grassroots electric race events and classes popping up, which is definitely a good thing.
Audi Enters The eScooter Game
Audi enters the EV market with the 'e-tron' four-wheeled scooter. [Audi]This week high-end automaker, Audi, revealed its own take on personal, battery-powered, urban mobility with what it calls the “e-tron” scooter. The four-wheeled device is operated via a single handle with a twist-grip accelerator and also features a fear foot-operated brake, and a quad-micro LED headlight and tail/brake-light situation. The 26lb machine has a joint at the base enabling it to fold up for easy storage or carrying. The range on the last-mile machine is 12.5-miles, as is top-speed. The battery and electronics are neatly tucked inside the neck of the steering handle, which also shows battery-level via a glowing circular display.
The minimal information feedback on the 'e-tron'. [Audi]The e-tron isn’t expected to go on sale until 2020, and when it does it will reportedly carry an MSRP of €2,000 (or $2,240). Two-grand gets you a lot in 2019, and will almost certainly only yield even more in 2020. A brand new Grom-style electric from the California Scooter Company called the City Slicker retails for $2,495 — only $250 or so more than the e-tron, granted the latter sports Audi logos, and that’s worth a lot to some people.
Bio-Hybrid Introduces New Micro-Vehicles
The new Bio-Hybrid micro EV. [Bio-Hybrid]A German company, Bio-Hybrid revealed its new zero-emission urban mobility platform this week, showing off two versions of its pint-sized electric car-bicycle hybrid. The modular vehicle platform features pedals assisted by a 250-750watt motor that goes up to 15.5mph before cutting off. Because of the minuscule powertrain, the Bio-Hybrids can be operated in most regions without any license, registration, or insurance. Plus, they only take up a fraction of a regular parking space and aren’t much wider than your average bicycle.
Two Bio-Hybrid models, for passengers and cargo. [Bio-Hybrid]The two variants produced thus far are a passenger model, which has tandem, two-person seating, and a cargo version, which is a single-passenger model with a large pickup-style cargo area in back. Thanks to a large roof and windshield, these stable, four-wheeled “bicyicars” can be piloted in any weather. The German outfit definitely has a unique concept on its hands, which blends a variety of benefits borrowed from other contemporary city-focused electric transports. It should be interesting to see how the public reacts to the novel machine, and whether or not it’s widely embraced.
IndieGogo’s Ultra-Trick Pedal-Assist “Ultrabike”
The Ultrabike is a sleek, well-designed ebike. [Ultrabike]While electric pedal-assist bicycles are nothing new, they are becoming increasingly sophisticated, as evidenced by this week’s reveal of the new Calamus One “Ultrabike”. The sleek custom-cast unibody frame is coated in a premium automotive-grade paint job and hides all the internal cable and wiring, as well as an array of high-tech features. The Ultrabike comes with blindspot detection, which alerts the rider via haptic feedback in the handlebars. Bar-end turn signals and a color touchscreen are also standard fare, and the bike is Android-enabled, meaning its weatherproof screen can run Android programs like Google Maps. Plus the system supports multiple rider profiles and real-time diagnostics, though the latter won’t get much use considering how little maintenance the Ultrabike requires.
Simple and clean design, with minimal maintenance expected. [Ultrabike]Another trick feature is the pedal-assister’s biometric fingerprint scanner which unlocks the ebike and turns off its alarm. And with built-in alarm and GPS, Calamus’ ebike has a 4G anti-theft tracker and geofencing capabilities. Making the two-wheeler even more impervious to thieves is its special patent-pending “security fastener” system used in the Ultrabike’s construction, making it exceedingly difficult (if not impossible) for individual components to be removed with conventional, non-specialized tools. The Ultrabike is sold with one of three Bafang mid-drive “Ultramotors”; a 250W; 500W, or 750W unit. The smallest of the trio offers a top speed of 20mph, while the 750W motor tops out at just under 30mph. Buyers can also choose from either a 504Wh or 674Wh battery — both of which are housed in the down-tube and easily removable — that affords a range of up to 60-miles. The hardtail frame is paired with a front mono-shock and a sprung saddle, and braking duties are handled by hydraulic discs front and back.
Triple disc brakes, 30mph top speed, $2300 price tag - what's not to love? [Ultrabike]At the moment, the Ultrabike is still in the crowdfunding phase on IndieGogo, however, the company is offering pretty significant discounts to early buyers/investors. Right now Ultrabikes can be purchased for between approximately $2,000-$2,300 depending on the battery and motor, which is supposedly 35-40% cheaper than the eventual retail price. As of the time of writing, the Berlin-based outfit has raised just north of $113K, 452% of its original goal, so there’s a very decent likelihood the Ultrabike will see production.
Rizoma Design Challenges Award Mini Ebike First Place
The Tryal ebike is a good design winner. [Tryal]Back in April, premium Italian parts and accessories purveyor, Rizoma, launched a design challenge, inviting designers, students, and engineers to digitally submit their concepts for “the future of motorcycling” in one of two categories; aftermarket product design; and motorcycle design. Some of the submissions were pretty stunning, but ultimately the moto design class went to one Erik Askin for his bike, dubbed the “Tryal”. As mentioned, the basis for the design is centered around the future of motorcycling and Askin believes the industry’s survival is hugely dependent on bringing new riders into the fold. So instead of focusing on uber-high performance, or wildly aggressive aesthetics, the RISD alum and associate design director by day set out to pen a fun, super approachable offering with a “friendly” and inviting appearance.
Make it fun and they will come. The Tryal embodies good design principles. [Tryal]The result is the Tryal, and it’s as cute as it is easy to pilot. The fully-electric little runner travels on spoked 14-inch wheels and boasts a comfortable, upright riding position. Anyone, regardless of experience (or lack thereof it), can hop on and go with confidence. Askin’s modern mini features a triangular frame that houses the powertrain and links to fore and aft suspension (a mono-shock and inverted fork). It also has a pint-sized single-piston hydraulic Brembo disc brake out front. Other elements such as the flat seat, bobbed fender and swooping bracket, and customizable DOT matrix headlight set the Tryal apart from other existing micro ebikes and escooters. There’s no word on what Askin or Rizoma have in the works for the Tryal in the future (if anything), but at the very least the highly publicized mini ebike will hopefully inspire and influence future designs.
France’s New Woodclad eCruiser
Sci-fi shapes with organic materials: the Newron from France. [Newron]Curtiss wasn’t the only one to pull the cover off a radical electric cruiser this week, as France’s Newron unveiled its own extreme battery-powered cruiser design. The star of the show is a large cylindrical battery unit that runs parallel to the frame. Rows of backlit, color-changing LED strips wrap around the barrel-shaped cell housing, giving the scoot a thoroughly futuristic vibe. The sci-fi-inspired battery is enclosed in a wooden chassis that’s paired with a metal single-sided swing-arm and a girder fork in the front.
While the battery enclosure is the LED-lit showboat, the sweeping wooden chassis is surprisingly strong. [Newron]The sweeping shape of the timber frame on the French ebike provides a surprising amount of strength and structural integrity while mimicking the silhouette of an early 2000’s chopper. The lower wooden section caps off the bottom of the machine and matches the round shape of the wood on top. The use of wooden components on motorcycles is becoming more and more popular, with noteworthy custom builders like “George Woodman” heavily utilizing the material, as well as on electric motorcycles like the breathtaking Essence E-Raw. It’s definitely a unique design, and according to Newron, it’ll be partnering with the Advan Group and Dassault Systems to deliver one dozen examples to a few lucky customers in 2020.
Russia’s Bonkers “Electro Horse” Three-Wheeler
The Elektro Horse: a robust Russian trike. [Anton Filipenko]While arguably more ebicycle than emotorcycle, another ebike reveal from this week was Anton Filipenko’s “Electro Horse”. The rather unusual machine is built around a stellar one-off tubular frame married to a conventional telescopic front-end off a mountain bike, while out back the Russian fabbed up a pair of swing-arms connected to a rear axle, each with their own wheel and suspension. The kooky three-wheeler has a maximum range of 105 to 125-miles, and can be fully recharged in 1.5-hours via a standard 220V home outlet.
100 mile range at 50mph: the Elektro Horse is a zippy prototype. [Anton Filipenko]With full-size spoked rims and full suspension, the E-Horse is said to be surprisingly competent off-road, albeit the seating position seems less-than-conducive to off-roading. On the pavement, the thing can reach speeds of up to 50mph, too. At the moment, Filipenko is having the Electro Horse undergo the necessary testing prior to getting the green light for production, so this idiosyncratic ebike may actually see production.
NeuWai Unveils Futuristic Electric Sportbike and Cruiser
The big reveal: NeuWai shows off its new models. [NeuWai]China has been a major player at the forefront of the two-wheeled EV industry, however, it’s much more invested in small-displacement-equivalent bikes and scooters than it is full-size electric motorcycles. That’s why this week’s news of an electric sportbike and cruiser from a Chinese firm raised eyebrows. Unveiled at the recent Seoul Motor Show, Chinese marque NeuWai introduced its MF 104 and MT 104 prototypes (plus two electric scooters; the CN 104; and CL 104).
E-zee rider? The MT104 is a bruiser of a cruiser. [NeuWai]The MF 104 is a modern take on a sporty electric, with a Buell-style frame that runs diagonally across the entire bike from the swing-arm to the nose, which almost resembles a futuristic Suzuki Katana shape. Hanging from the chassis and enclosed in polished metal covers is the MF’s 19kWh battery and a motor with 25 continuous kW’s and 40 peak. The MF is reportedly good for a top speed of 124mph and a range of 93-miles.
On the sportier side: China's laws restricting IC vehicles in cities leave the field wide open for larger electric bikes. [NeuWai]The cruiser-style MT 104 gets the same 19kW battery as its sportbike brethren, though it has a slightly less powerful motor with 20kW continuous and 35kW peak. Top-speed is 93mph and a single charge will cover a maximum distance of 87-miles. Like the MF, the MT is a modern interpretation of the classic cruiser genre with more than a dash of sleek contemporary visual traits. Unlike the sportbike, the MT offers seating for two, as well as a much more laid-back, relaxed riding position.
The MF104 in profile, with an interesting, if heavy-looking, architecture. [NeuWai]NeuWai is owned by Songuo Motors Co, which is a large Chinese company focused on the development and manufacturing of EVs of all shapes and sizes, with more than 600 employees, more than half-a-dozen separate facilities, and some seriously deep pockets. With Songuo and its extensive resources fully behind the MF/MT 104 project, NeuWai should have everything it needs (and then some) to bring these futuristic full-size ebikes to market by their scheduled shipping date of Q1 or 2020. There’s a decent chance the initial release will be limited to NeuWai/Songuo’s native Chinese market, though based on the fact the western markets purchase a whole hell of a lot more sportbikes and cruisers than in the east, it wouldn’t be surprising to see the MF and MT eventually comes to European and American shores.
China already dominates the EV market, with over 3 Million ebikes already zipping around its roads. Will the entry into big-bike turf put them at the top of this market too? [NeuWai]
This was my 30th running of the annual Velocette Owners Club of North America summer rally, traditionally a 1000-mile tour of the West, which has meant back roads from LA to Vancouver, and Alberta to New Mexico. It isn't required that one own or ride a Velocette, but it's encouraged, and while I own several, my partner Susan prefers the comfort of our '65 Triumph Bonneville, at least until we buy a touring Velo (all mine are racers). The VOCNA is the only vintage motorcycle club in the world that has traditionally run rallies of this length, although the Australian VOC has followed suit for many years, after a few of their members made the big trip to join our event.
Susan regards the slopes of Mt.Shasta in her custom Triumph jacket (painted by me), with her '65 Bonneville. [Paul d'Orleans]This year the rally was centered at Mt. Shasta, a jewel of the Cascade mountain range, one of a chain of dormant volcanos stretching from Mt Lassen all the way into Canada, across 3 states. 'Dormant' doesn't mean dead, as the Mt St Helens eruption 39 years ago proved, and the number of hot springs near all these peaks reminds us the earth moves on geologic time, and change is the only constant. We may not see another eruption in our lifetime, but can clearly see the record of past events near Mt Shasta, with lava flows and major explosions changing the landscape for hundreds of miles, some with still no vegetation after hundreds of years.
Evidence: an enormous pyroclastic flow of pure glass, mostly pumice (glass with air bubbles), but an occasional vein of obsidian in shades of black, green, and red. Glass Mountain, in the Lava Beds National Monument. [Paul d'Orleans]Age and time have taken a toll on rider participation on this rally. I was 'the kid' in 1989, when I showed up on my green Velocette Thruxton, and my girlfriend Denise Leitzel rode her blue Venom. Most of the riders were in their early 40s, while I was only 27, and Velocette had only been out of business 18 years. Now Velocette has been gone nearly half a century, and I'm no longer the kid of the group, and many of the founder members of this ride have passed away, or are passing into their 70s and 80s, with attendant physical limitations. Kudos to those who still ride, or even show up for a weekend to simply say hi.
Visit glass mountain on street tires at their wear limit, and you might get 3 flats as we did! Luckily two tires held air long enough to get back to camp, while the other needed the spare. Four new tires pronto! [Paul d'Orleans]The peak year of rider participation was in 2005, the centenary of the founding of Veloce Ltd, and although no motorcycles of that era exist, nearly 100 machines showed up at the Evergreen Lodge in Yosemite, where I organized a rally crossing 8 Sierra passes over 8000', which is very good fun. The rigors of a 1000-mile week keep any bikes older than the late 1920s at bay, and my 1933 KTT Mk4, the Mule, is among the oldest regular entrants. It's been off the rally since I attempted to run the Cannonball with it in 2012, but it will return, as it's too fun to ride to lay idle forever.
Better moments: on the narrow road leading to? What we found was a fire lookout at 6500', and that the road ahead had vanished in a landslide years ago. [Paul d'Orleans]Since club membership is aging, several younger members have taken to inviting non-Velocette owners to join the ride for fun, as the gateway drug to someday buying one. That strategem has generally worked, as watching a few dozen bikes from the 1950s and '60s burble swiftly over hill and dale is inspiring, and a beautiful sight. The chance to borrow a machine for a day or the whole week is generally all it takes to convince one that ownership is inevitable, as few motorcycles possess the charm and smooth competence of these hand-built, engineer's machines.
Pete Young on his 1938 Velocette MSS can reads signs, but followed us anyway. 'Road closed 14 miles'. It was, but it was worth the trip. [Paul d'Orleans]This year we managed to find considerable mileage on dirt roads, which I prefer, both for the challenge, and the intimacy one feels with nature, with the greenery at arm's length, and the feel of our planet's skin rolling beneath one's wheels, not the invention of Mr. Macadam. Plus, with no other traffic whizzing past, it's a far calmer riding experience, although the concentration required for surface irregularities does detract from the scenery. Our most inspiring ride was a 90-mile journey off-piste from old-growth redwood forests at sea level, up a narrow mountain path to a fire lookout at 6500', with a 360deg view for a hundred miles. As we were well off the rally route, this was an experience we could only share through photos and stories, and no vintage motorcycles had ever visited the place in ranger John's 28 years manning the post. Despite the danger and rigor, all of our batteries were recharged by the adventure, and we'd done something memorable. I encourage you to take the 'other path' sometimes, regardless getting lost, as you never know what you'll find - it will definitely be an adventure.
A 1963 Sikorsky S61N used for logging sat in a field near the Forks of Salmon road, one of the most remote areas in the state. It leaked as much oil as a British bike! [Paul d'Orleans]The Forks of Salmon road, revisited. 40 miles of winding, cliffside, one-lane road, with an unguarded sheer drop to the river. Spectacular! [Paul d'Orleans]How tall are California's redwood trees? The tallest in the world, actually: 300' on average, and about 700-1000 years old. They get bigger and older, but this is an average large grove. Each tree delivers nearly 2 million pounds of lumber, and are worth $Millions each, which is why they've needed Federal protection from logging, as very few old growth groves are left of Sequoia Sempervirens. [Paul d'Orleans]Summer is a terrible thing to waste, as are swimming holes. A remote wooden bridge across the Scott River, not far from the charming town of Etna. [Paul d'Orleans]Velocettes hold up better than sheds, because they get more love. This lovely 1963 MSS gave a trouble-free week to Olav Hassel. [Paul d'Orleans]Photographers are insufferable, always stopping to capture the inevitable rotting car-casses dotting the roadside in rural areas. This pair of 1930s Fords was especially seductive. [Paul d'Orleans]JP Defaut's ex-Swedish Police BMW R60/2 was a welcome change in its (dirty) all-white and chrome livery. [Paul d'Orleans]Scottie Sharpe's 1952 BMW R68 cuts a dashing figure anywhere. [Paul d'Orleans]A giant donut is a terrible thing to waste. Pete Young makes his desires explicit. [Paul d'Orleans]As far as the eye can see...the Siskiyou mountain range in the distance, seen from the Coastal Range. [Paul d'Orleans]Larry Luce in shades of umber, with his MSS ridden two-up all week. [Paul d'Orleans]Truly green transportation. Are raspberries the best use of a 1980s Ford Ranchero? [Paul d'Orleans]The things you find, the people you meet, out on the road. This VW trike was a family heirloom for its owner, and scooted along pretty well. [Paul d'Orleans]Some Triumphs are shinier than others. It's hard to beat a 1950s Trophy for style, although the short chassis isn't especially stable at highway speeds. Great on dirt, though. [Paul d'Orleans]Paul Adams has owned his 1961 Velocette Venom Clubman Mk1 since he bought it new. [Paul d'Orleans]It followed me home, I swear! A chance meeting at a gas pump led to a transfer of ownership of this 1964 Honda CL72: it's headed to its spiritual home, Baja Mexico. [Paul d'Orleans]His uncle raced this MSS on flat tracks in Oregon, and it's now back together and on the road, complete with TT carb and megaphone. [Paul d'Orleans]Ride 1000 miles with no maintenance? Not likely on a 54 year old bike! Just minor adjustments though, in the field. [Susan McLaughlin]Some Bar sounds nice on a hot afternoon. PS: thanks for the awesome Rascal pants, El Solitario! They're sooo comfortable. [Susan McLaughlin]A bachelor pad par excellence, with an unparalleled view: the Six Rivers fire lookout. [Susan McLaughlin]On the way up! Before the 17-mile coast back down in an hour. Mt Shasta in the background, with Blaise Descollange on a borrowed KSS. [Susan McLaughlin]Old barns and old motorcycles are natural companions. [Susan McLaughlin]
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.
This week Italian companies announce their ebike plans, a Polish startup reveals a prototype, a German company releases a model, Yamaha shows off yet another EV, more police departments go green, Curtiss unveils another wild ebike, and more. Energica & Dell’Orto Join Forces To Build New Electric Models
The Energica Esse Esse 9 [Energica]This week it is was revealed that the Energica Motor Company is partnering with fellow Italian outfit, Dell’Orto SpA to develop all-new electric powertrains to be used in a lineup of new ebikes. Unlike Energica’s existing wares, the forthcoming electrics will be small-to-medium-sized models, with an 8/11kW machine, and a bigger runner with “up to 30kW” of power. The joint agreement will combine Energica’s electric powertrain knowledge and expertise with Dell’Orto’s “production and commercial reach”, particularly in the markets in China and India where the segment is booming and Dell’Orto already has facilities setup.
Two esteemed Italian motorsports companies team up. [Energica]The new venture — which will use a 50/50 revenue sharing model — not only allows Energica to tap into a more affordable product space, but also gives Dell’Orto the opportunity to pivot into the EV game after spending more than 85-years in the internal combustion engine business. The press release makes no mention of price, but it’s assumed the models born out of this partnership will be markedly more affordable than Energica’s current crop of roughly $20K motorcycles. Energica and Dell’Orto aren’t the only Italians looking to get in early on the EV racket, with MV Agusta announcing its own plans of selling off-road ebikes under the dormant Cagiva banner back in March of 2018.
Poland’s 3D-Printed Protobike
Piotr Krzyczkowski with his Falectra 3D-printed ebike, a collaboration with Zortrax. [Piotr Krzyczkowski]As the technology evolves, 3D printing increasingly has the potential to radically alter the motorcycle world, from prototyping, to production, to customization. This week Polish designer, Piotr Krzyczkowski, showed off a 3D-printed prototype of his new Falectra ebike. The reveal of the protobike comes after two-and-a-half-years of development, and was made possible thanks to a collaborative effort with Polish 3D printing firm, Zortrax.
The Falectra ebike is real. [Piotr Krzyczkowski]Thanks to Zortrax’s 3D printing, Piotr says he was able to reduce prototyping costs by as much as sevenfold. Without the hugely reduced costs Piotr says bringing the prototype to fruition would’t have been possible, and without a prototype, a concept for a bike isn’t much more than vaporware. The high-tech Polish outfit used its special LPD (layer plastic deposition) 3D printers to make the parts which are largely composed of the company’s Z-ULTRAT filaments, a type of highly durable, heat-resistant ABS plastic blend. All of the bike’s body panels, headlight mounting pieces (and shroud), and the air inlets cooling the battery are all 3D printed.
An alternative styling study of the Falectra. [Piotr Krzyczkowski]The ebike boasts a 50-60-mile (80-100km) range, 2-6-hour recharge time, 43.5mph (70km/h) top-speed, and a 3kW, 72V powertrain with low-mounted batteries, helping to lower the 198b (90kg) bike’s center of gravity. As of now, Piotr plans on churning out an additional 10 prototype machines to undergo further testing, and while there’s no word on production, the Polish ebike is expected to go for around PLN 15,000 ($3,900). Fun fact: Krzyczkowski and Zortrax previously joined forces back in late 2016, when they came together to 3D print a set of sleek new bodywork for a Triumph Daytona 675.
Yamaha Standing Three-Wheeled Scooter
The 2017 concept version of Yamaha's tilting Tritown escooter. [Yamaha]The Japanese brand was in the EV news again this week with the release of its new standup, leaning scooter, the Tritown. First shown in concept form in 2017 at the Tokyo Motor Show, the sub-90lb (40kgs) three-wheeled machine is probably best described as a Segway that tilts. Powering the small-wheeled oddity is a 500W electric motor paired with a 380Wh Lithium ion battery. The powertrain offers a top-speed of around 15.5mph (25km/h) and a range of around 20-miles (32km). A complete recharge takes less than three-hours. Not sure who exactly Yamaha is targeting with this machine, but it’s just one more example of the Tuning Fork Company’s commitment to embracing the EV inevitability of its field.
GOVEC Unleashes ELMOTO LOOP Delivery eBike
Govec's ELMOTO-LOOP, the future of two-wheeled delivery [Govec]This week also saw the reveal of yet another new ebike that falls somewhere between a motorcycle and bicycle. Europe’s GOVEC just pulled the cover of its new ELMOTO LOOP ebike, that it’s touting as the lightest two-wheeler in the class of L1E mopeds. Because of this classification, the Loop doesn’t require a motorcycle endorsement to ride, and is legally operable with a standard drivers license. GOVEC makes it abundantly clear that it aims to target the delivery sector, and as such has built what it feels is the ideal modern delivery scoot. Despite only weighing in at around 130lbs (59kgs), the Loop is capable of hauling more than 300lbs of cargo. At the heart of the little runner is a 2kWh direct drive hub motor that affords a top-speed of 28mph (45km/h). The batteries offer a 50-mile (80km) range, are removable, and require four-hours for a full recharge.
The Loop is intended for commercial, or gig, use, with a rugged and inexpensive design. [Govec]The Loop sports a hydraulic telescopic fork up front and dual coilover shocks out back, a single disc brake fore and aft, and, unlike most other delivery-oriented ebikes, the thing features large diameter wheels for better real world performance on the street. Other standard amenities include a steering lock, USB socket, and connectivity to a smartphone app. The Loop is slated to roll into European dealerships starting in September of 2019, though official pricing has yet to be released.
Chinese E-Scooters & Tariffs
The NIU escooter charging up, and figuring out how to survive a trade war. [NIU]Over the last couple year’s China’s NIU Technologies has been expanding its reach across its own native market and Europe. The company’s affordable electric scooters make for practical modes of personal transport, however NIU is now facing a major hurdle as it aims to tap into the US market: steep tariffs imposed by President Trump and his administration. While the Chinese brand’s electric scooters regularly carry an MSRP of between $2,500 and $4,500 (in the Euro market), these same offerings are facing a 25% tariff in the USA.
The NIU escooter: will an extra $1000 for the USA market hurt sales? They are already DOT approved and ready to roll. [NIU]Adding an extra grand onto the sticker price of a sub-$5K scooter is undoubtedly a major blow to NIU, which is left with no choice but to pass the increased prices on to the consumer. NIU’s scooters already received DOT certification and it still plans on entering the American market in the Fall, though the price hike is sure to negatively impact sales for the otherwise prosperous outfit. China has emerged as a key player in the electric scooter game, and with literally millions of units expected to sell in the US over the next half-decade, it’s hard to overstate the significance of these tariffs and their repercussions.
Police Continue To Go Electric
The Zero DSRP: the silent approach to police enforcement. [Zero]This week Mississippi State Univeristy’s Police Department added one of Zero’s electric bikes to its fleet, adding to the more than 125 law enforcement agencies from 25 states around the country (and two Canadian provinces) that patrol on battery power. Electric motorcycles actually make a lot of sense for law enforcement use. They’re stealthy, easy to throw off curbs or down stairs, require minimal maintenance, and offer gobs of torque instantaneously. A little over half-a-decade-ago a couple police departments purchased Zero bikes and modified them, adding their own lights and crash protection and whatnot. This ultimately prompted Zero to release an official law enforcement-spec of its DSR model, known as the DSRP. The model has been incredibly successful, leeching sales from Harley-Davidson, and on average, seeing two police departments per month going electric. Since then Zero has added a second P-spec of its FX model (the FXP). With Harley having just released the Livewire, it should be interesting to see if police departments show interest in the Milwaukee-made electric, though it has a much heftier price tag.
The Zero DSRP in polic guise. [Zero]Zero’s bikes are cheaper, but aren’t cheap. Fortunately, law enforcement agencies are able to receive Alliant Energy Bright Ideas grants and funding to help shave off some of the MSRP on these up-specced electric patrol bikes. Make no mistake, the future is electric my friends.
Curtiss Unveils Another Concept Update
The Curtiss Hades is a huge hit on social media: will orders follow? [Curtiss]Fresh on the heels of the release of Curtiss’ new Zeus Radial V8 bike, the boutique brand has now unveiled the next rendition of its Hades model. Designed by J.T. Nesbitt, the same person responsible for the Confederate Wraith and Hellcat, the machine uses a powerful electric motor paired with a unique, bullet-shaped, underslung 399VDC, 16.8-kWh battery. Like the Radial V8, the Hades makes a whopping 217hp and an even more ridiculous 147ft-lbs of instantly tappable torque.
The details by designer JT Nesbitt are intriguing and textural. [Curtiss]The structural elements on the newest Curtiss are also pretty fascinating. The main chassis itself is slim but cleverly engineered to support the immense weight of the battery hanging beneath. The frame also features a circular cutout similar to the ones used on prior Confederate models like the P51. The front-end consists of a girder-style setup with sharp angular lines and large cutouts to reduce weight. In back there’s a matching fang-like swingarm, pivoting from the center of the motor to ensure the belt drive remains taught regardless of travel. There’s also an unusually long linkage to a horizontally-mounted mono shock above the battery.
The Hades has a unique profile: is that a battery, or are you happy to see me? [Curtiss]Another noteworthy element of the Hades is its split saddle that slopes up at the back, supporting the rider and providing just enough view underneath to spy the under-seat taillights. Carbon fiber is everywhere too, from the frame and suspension, to the robust belt cover. The Hades and Zeus will obviously be produced in extremely limited numbers, and will both retail for $75,000.
Dallas Commuter Takes Sharable Scooter on the Highway
I don’t know if this really qualifies as news, but it made headlines and it involves an electric scooter so I’ll take it. Earlier this week a video went viral of a guy riding what appears to be a Bird or Lime-style, rentable scooter on the highway in Dallas, Texas. Caught by the dashcam of a much-amused driver, the short clip shows a brave, albeit foolish man rolling along in traffic, and merging six lanes from the far left to the right. I’m not only baffled by why someone would think this was a reasonable idea, but also by why he felt the fast-lane was the best place to be while on the highway on a machine not capable of breaking 25mph.
My route to Lake Como for the annual Concorso di Eleganza Villa d'Este last month was circuitous, including side trips to Vintage Revival Montlhéry and Oxford. A museum crawl in that ancient university town netted a hot tip: if you want to miss the crowds, and spend personal time with artworks, the Western Art Print Room of the Ashmolean Museum is the ticket. With an appointment, we were able to hold original Da Vinci drawings, Turner watercolors, and Dürer drawings, examining them at our leisure, alone in a room, barring the curators. Mere days later in Amsterdam, we swam up-throng in the Rijksmuseum to see 'All the Rembrandts', or attempt to see them, which we did, briefly, before being jostled aside. Two museum experiences defined the sublime versus the ridiculous, and having once held precious artwork in your hands, the allure of battling crowds to see a painting is lost. Luxury today could be defined as privacy, and quiet.
Best of Show! Thomas Buisson shows off the family jewel: his father Dominique's 1929 Koehler-Escoffier 'Quattre Tubes' racer. Dreamy! [Paul d'Orleans]And how, you may ask, does that relate to the Concorso? Only this: you (yes you) are not invited to attend this event, and thus there are no throngs to battle on Friday and Saturday at Villa d'Este and Villa Erba, the two nexii of the Concorso weekend. True, one may attend Sunday's public day and see all the vehicles, and it's nowhere near the 'overcrowded clusterfuck' of Pebble Beach (as noted in my 2013 review for The Automobile), but Erba's 19th C. portico and lawns are no match for the grand old lady downshore for strolling between priceless vehicles. Elegance isn't an expression of wealth or the presence of money per se: it's a difficult vibe to capture, and Villa d'Este has it in spades, so adding amazing cars to the mix is a big win for event owner BMW, whose purchase 20 years ago looks more prescient annually. Good gamble on the long game, team BeeM.
Journalist and author Mick Duckworth 'splains the '68 Triumph Trident in original paint, that Giacomo Agostini received new with factory mods (rearsets, special gear ratios, tuned engine, 'Ace' bars, etc.). Now that's provenence! [Paul d'Orleans]That said, for the first year the BMW presence at the Concorso felt a bit intrusive. They've always strategically planted lineups of new or historic Rolls, Mini, and BMW models around both venues, and emceed every reveal and party with corporate execs making speeches, and taken the invaluable PR opportunity of dramatically rolling out their latest moto or auto project on Friday's cocktail reception. Their presence is unavoidable, and hey, they own the event, but we've reached a saturation point: for instance, in the moto judge's sacrosanct chamber, there were five people receiving paychecks in the room, with seven other judges. Not all were voting or sharing opinions, but if the Concorso results are to be factory-neutral, the judges need breathing room.
A 1952 Ferrari 342 America, simply stunning in blue, on the grounds of Villa Erba, with Lake Como in the background, and a willing impromptu model - BMW thankfully didn't hire any 'girls' this year... [Paul d'Orleans]So what was good this year? Dig the photos - it's always an exceptional car show, and the motorcycle exhibit this year continued an upward quality trend, after a few less than perfect seasons. Cutting to the chase, if BMW is shooting to host the finest Concorso di Moto in the world, we need to see a lot more one-off GP bikes, record-breakers, and prototypes, and a lot less production roadsters. It's a difficult ask for motorcycle collectors, who rarely seek the ego boost craved by car collectors in being included in such an event, and it might require throwing down cash to get bikes from around the world.
The essence of cool: Gordon De La Mare with his 1938 Moto Guzzi GTCL cafe racer, a factory original with magnesium racing engine and lights. [Paul d'Orleans]More importantly, Pebble Beach failed at their moto project by expecting motorcyclists to be cut from the same cloth as car guys: we're not. The flattery of being asked to participate in a Concours will get you nowhere with most motorcyclists. Whether our bullshit detector is in-born, or acquired on the saddle of a potentially lethal pleasure object invisible to 90% of road users, is immaterial. Very few old-school collectors care about shows, because their experience has proven them populated by ignorant fools who know jack about their life-long passion. Prove you know what you're talking about and why you need their machine, and you have a chance. Just sayin'.
The big reveal: BMW's concept version of the soon-to-be-produced R18 model, with 1800cc pushrod motor in an R5 'softail' chassis. "Most of this bike is on the production model, plus an airbox and mufflers, but you get a clear idea of what we'll build" said designer Edgar Heinrichs. It's already a big hit on social media. [Paul d'Orleans]No less than 9 category winners in the car Concorso were from American collectors this year, which must be a record. I explore that theme in my annual report for The Automobile this year: expect more from me in that mag soon - I've been writing for them since 2013, and more collaboration is afoot. I was happy to see three unrestored cars at Villa d'Este, all in immaculate condition, especially the Maserati Merak Spyder in metallic teal - simply gorgeous. The motorcycle exhibit had many more original machines, from a 1969 Honda CB750KO to a 1905 FN four, which were all in fine condition, if not as sparkling as the cars. Are motorcycle finishes inherently less durable?
The 'Promenade Percy' class of cafe racers, with Alessandro Altinier herding a 1957 BSA DB34 Gold Star and '58 featherbed Norton International. [Paul d'Orleans]The 'restoration question' loomed large in our jury room, and for the first time it seemed the tide had turned against restored machines, in favor of motorcycles having the good(?) fortune of being ignored for decades. This was new for me: I've sung the praises of original paint for many years, mostly in an effort to halt the tide of unnecessary and over-restorations filling the grids at motorcycle shows.
Vintagent contributor Adil Jal Drukhanawa was also present, and shows the diminute size of a 1953 Siata 300BC at Villa Erba. [Paul d'Orleans]Yes, too many perfectly good machines in their maker's original paint have had their history stripped away in favor of acrylic paint jobs and reproduction parts...but the value of a restorer's work cannot be underestimated. The best of them are the real keepers of historical accuracy, and detailed knowledge of how old machines are assembled and made to work, and a good restoration as a joy to behold. The flood of reproducers has made the work of a historian much harder, and de-valued a poorly documented restoration. Who can trust a shiny old bike these day? Lord knows what's underneath the paint, unless you've got a file of 'before' photos and a solid paper trail.
Bests of Show! Two judges of the Concorso di Moto - Spanish motojournalist Beatriz Gonzalez Eguiraun, and Italian Cosmopolitan editor-in-chief Sara Fiandri. Oh, and the Koehler-Escoffier. [Paul d'Orleans]Still, we awarded a restored machine Best of Show - a 1929 Koehler-Escoffier 'Quattre Tubes', owned by Thomas and Dominique Buisson. It's a racer, and has been timed at 107mph on various tracks, regardless its priceless 1-of-7 provenance, and rarity as one of the very few OHC V-twin roadsters built before 1930. It's elegant, mechanically bold, and very fast, and not well known aside by real connoisseurs of two wheels, and was a natural choice.
Cops! Regardless the excellent turnout for costume and 1968 Moto Guzzi V7 Police of Stefano Bartolotta, the jurors had little love for the 'Two Wheeled Guards' category...I mean, how many bikers like to see cops? [Paul d'Orleans]Since our esteemed Chief Judge (Francois-Marie Dumas) happens to be French, and a bit of a jingoist, he made sure the best machine on display was, in fact, a French bike! Can't fault him for his choice, though. There were many other exceptional machines, and my personal favorite was the 1904 Achilles, as complicated as a fancy watch, and a double handful to ride, which owner Horst Klett did on Saturday on the showbike street run, and across the gravel terrace at Villa d'Este, sans clutch or gears or brakes. Well done!
Complication! Riding the 1904 Achilles requires the skills of a clarinettist, which owner Horst Klett demonstrated admirably on the street run and flyover at Villa d'Este on Saturday. [Paul d'Orleans]The fun factor came in a batch of nine 50cc motorcycles from the 1960s and '70s, all from the Zappieri collection, many of them ridden in a noisy, smoky pack at Villa d'Este, in periodish gear, and a middle-aged hooligan vibe. Thanks for lightening up the proceedings, lads.
Hooligans! Senor Zaparelli with his collection of nine 50cc bikes livened up the proceedings Saturday at Villa d'Este. Bring the noise! [Paul d'Orleans]Amongst the dramatic prototypes, racers, and luxury expresses stood on the gravel at Villa d’Este, a solitary motorcycle lurked, and was un-remarked on, for it was clad in bodywork. The 1967 Gyro-X was a car cut in half and healed up, and is claimed to be the sole gyroscopically-balanced auto still functioning. It's more a convertible missile than a traditional motorcycle, but the fact remains, its got two wheels, mostly: why on earth it needs a complicated gyro system to stay upright begs more questions than I care to delve into, but speaks volumes about a fear of motorcycles.
After the motorcycles, the rain. The deluge began with the first car, a BMW Mille Miglia special, and continued for the rest of the automobile parade across the Villa d'Este terrace. The awnings were out, but the convertibles became water buckets anyway. "Cars aren't made of sugar," said one wag. [Paul d'Orleans]Got a fantastic motorcycle or two you'd like to present at Villa d'Este next year? Give me a shout: they're looking for top-tier machines, especially from American collectors who can foot their own bills.
Ducking out of the rain in an inappropriate hat is Bloomberg auto journalist Hannah Elliott. [Paul d'Orleans]Champion of the Villa Erba, whether his bikes win or not, is perennial supporter Benito Battilani, here with his unique second-built 1914 Bianchi C75A two-speeder. [Paul d'Orleans]Seeing double-ish: the NMoto update of the 1934 BMW R7, which sits beside it for scale. [Paul d'Orleans]When it's not raining, the view is sculpted from heaven. Lake Como with a Riva water taxi, used between Villa Erba and Villa d'Este on Saturday. [Paul d'Orleans]Got spare? Love this plexi vented sidescreen on a '54 Ferrari 340 America. [Paul d'Orleans]Sebastian messes around with a 1953 BMW R68 cafe racer, with great period accessories. Get under the paint! [Paul d'Orleans]My party suit: when asked by a Norwegian journalist what the guns were about, I replied, "A celebration of 100 years of the temporary cessation of armaments production by BMW." The suit was a fortuitous find on London's Brick Lane, and hand-painted by a local artist. [Susan McLaughlin]Ladies who Rolls. Ducking out of the rain in the most elegant of cubbys. [Paul d'Orleans]Sets hearts racing! Sofie Verheyden enjoys her moment of glory, as her 1969 Kawasaki H1 wins Class D: Trendsetters. [Paul d'Orleans]The interior of the car that should have won Best of Show: the simply amazing 1967 Lamborghini Marzal. Silver inside and out, and absolutely shouting with 1960s optimism and exuberance. [Paul d'Orleans]Dr Giordano Diena with his 1954 Taurus BB Super Sport. [Paul d'Orleans]La 'cremeuse' - the first-generation egg tank of the 1929 MGC, with all-aluminum chassis and integral tanks, in original paint. [Paul d'Orleans]As one does. a 1936 Mercedes roadster in the mix at Villa Erba. [Paul d'Orleans]Got fins? The 1964 CD Panhard LM64 has the lowest drag coefficient of any race car in history, and with its 850cc flat-twin pushrod motor could reach 135mph! [Paul d'Orleans]New York Six shooter. A 1937 Bugatti 57S originally sold in the Big Apple. [Paul d'Orleans]Wolfgang Staab's lovely 1905 FN four waiting for its moment to shine at Villa Erba. [Paul d'Orleans]Let's take a drive by the lake! A wonderful 1938 Delahaye 135M, which is in fact a regular driver for its owner Emma Beanland.[Paul d'Orleans]Got brakes? This 1906 Rene Gillet has two - both on the rear hub, and both contracting-band type. [Paul d'Orleans]The details marking this 1914 Bianchi C75A as special: unlike the production models that followed, this has an integral 2-speed gearbox, among other details. [Paul d'Orleans]Peter Ehinger with his fantastic proto-AJS, the 1901 Holcroft, from Stevens family. [Paul d'Orleans]Racers on the road! The 1953 Gilera Saturno Corse of Marc Mezey, and the R68 of Hans Keckeisen, as Moto emcee Roberto Rasia dal Polo approaches to discuss. [Paul d'Orleans]Four wheels good: the 1955 OSCA MT4 1500, and '53 1450 behind at Villa d'Este. [Paul d'Orleans]Take a bow, Carlo! The incomparable Carlo Perelli, former Chief Judge at the Concorso di Moto, is now Emeritus, but still a presence. He began working as a teenager, delivering Motoclismo magazine in 1949, before working his way up to Editor, and soon celebrates his 70th year with the magazine. An irreplaceable storehouse of anecdotes, delivered quietly as required. At the Concorso di Moto, it was the true origin of the Moto Guzzi V7: the Italian Prime Minister was on the verge of ordering a fleet of Harley-Davidsons for his escort! Moto Guzzi stepped up with a wholly new design, and the modern Moto Guzzi lineage was born. [Paul d'Orleans]
How the mighty do fall. DKW was once the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world, but hard economic times in the German motorcycle market in 1956 led to the eventual demise of this once enormous, and very famous motorcycle factory. DKW's heyday was the 1930s, when it had grown from tentative steps in the late 'Teens to produce small two-stroke bicycle motors of 122cc, to ride the wave of motorcycle popularity in 1920s Germany, to becoming the largest in the world by 1931. This growth was ill-timed, coinciding with the Depression, but a clever tie-up with car manufacturers Audi, Wanderer, and Horch - creating Auto Union - saved all these companies, and placed them in an advantageous position for the economic revival of the mid-1930s. DKW's supercharged two-stroke racers of the 1930s were miracles of complication and development, with 5-piston 'twin-cylinder' supercharged twins taking wins on tracks all over Europe, including the Isle of Man TT in 1938. DKW's racing department had 150 employees in 1939, surely the largest for any motorcycle factory pre-war (and maybe post-war too!), although their brilliant work was dispersed during WW2, and the ban on supercharging by the FIM post-war.
The 1954 version of DKW's 3-cylinder two-stroke racer, with one horizontal cylinder and two vertical. This is the first iteration of the second series machine, designed byHelmut Görg ('George' in English) in early 1954. [Paul d'Orleans]Germany was banned from international racing competition until 1951, and their first racing machines for that season were single- and twin-cylinder two-strokes, designed by Erich Wolf. Without forced induction, Wolf could not find the power he needed from his two-stroke, although he tried everything: disc valves, different piston shapes, different cylinder barrels and heads, and extreme light weight. Fitting an expansion chamber exhaust made a big difference for 1952, and marked the beginning of the science of two-stroke tuning using exhaust resonance, which would reach its peak in the 1980s and '90s, as GP racing became synonymous with the two-stroke howl.
The source of the din! An extremely compact, air-cooled triple. Note the hand-made nature of the whole machine: the rough welds for the frame and fuel tank, and the beautiful hand-hammered aluminum tank. [Paul d'Orleans]DKW also unveiled a 3-cylinder machine in 1952, with two upright cylinders and one forward-facing horizontal cylinder, which had echoes of their extremely complex 1930s racers of similar architecture. This time, the forward cylinder wasn't a 'ladepumpe' supercharger, but a working unit, which required a few interesting tricks with the crankpin positions to deal with the fierce vibration inherent in two-stroke multis (a trick Japanese companies poached for their own two-stroke triples and fours). The new motor had three 116cc cylinders, making a 348.8 capacity, and used a six-cylinder magneto from a BMW 328 for sparks, driven at half speed. Three Dell'Orto 28mm carbs fed the motor, and 3 crude expansion chambers helped breathing, while a 4-speed gearbox was kept within the small unit-construction crankcases, which fitted neatly in the chassis of the 250cc twin racer.
The devil is in the details! The triple air lever for the 3 Dell'Orto carbs, which apparently only August Hobl truly mastered. Love the hand-cut nature of this one-off device, with every file mark visible, and not polished out - because why bother on a racer? [Paul d'Orleans]The 1952 3-Cylinder DKW wasn't a huge success, although it looked promising, and had a good turn of speed, albeit without reliability. Veteran DKW star Ewald Kluge took 6th at Solitude in front of 400,000 spectators, in spite of a broken shoulder blade after a fall, while Siegfried Wünsche took 7th at the Barcelona GP. For 1953, designer Erich Wolf made changes for more power, and better reliability, including an oil pump for direct injection. At the season-opening Isle of Man TT, he was seen testing his own machines at over 100mph in his rolled-up shirt sleeves, and no helmet! The 350 triple was an incredibly loud machine, as noted in the press of the day, as Motor Cycling notes: "Ouch! What an attack on the eardrums as No.90 Siegfried Wünsche's DKW screams up to its high pitched war song!" That ear-splitting noise was the basis of the racer's enduring nickname, 'Singende Säge' (Singing Saw)... or chainsaw, if you prefer.
Rev-counter, clip-ons, steering damper, and very useful earplugs! Note smooth fork triple clamps, fuel tank breather hose, and very hand-made fuel tank. [Paul d'Orleans]The 3-cylinder racer needed a redesign to be competitive with the best of Italy in the mid-1950s, and luckily, the factory was in a position to invest money in racing. Sales of DKW motorcycles and cars were booming in Germany's 'economic miracle', and its workforce had doubled to 10,000 between 1950 and 1954. That year, Robert Eberan von Eberhorst was hired as Technical Director, after a stint at Aston Martin and BRM, and he transformed the racing department by putting Helmut Görg in charge of all racing activities. It was decided that the 3-cylinder racer held the most promise for GP success, so the single- and twin-cylinder two-strokes were dropped, and Görg himself totally redesigned the engine from first principles. The new crankcase was narrower, for better gas compression, and the flywheels of the six-piece crankshaft were full circle to further increase internal compression. Flat-top pistons were used instead of Wolf's deflector pistons, and the cylinder heads used a squish band for better combustion. The length and shape of the expansion chambers was recalculated, and it was found that among the most critical pieces of tuning was the location of the rubber-mounted float chambers feeding the Dell'Orto racing carbs.
A new magnesium 2LS front brake for '54: by the next year enormous hydraulically-operated brakes were used. Note the short leading-link forks, with springs inside the fork leg, and the hydraulic damper rod external. The brake hub has a shrunk iron liner inside an aluminum half-hub, while the 'other' half of the hub is magnesium, as is the brake plate. Note also the grease nipples for teh axle and brake arm pivots - extravagant (and very German) details for a machine only running for a few hours at a time for the longest races (ie, the Isle of Man TT). [Paul d'Orleans]The new engine had a reduced maximum RPM (10.5k instead of 12k) for more reliability, the ignition was switched to a coil and points, the gearbox gained a cog for 5 speeds, and the front fork was changed to a very light, and very strong short leading-link item, with stronger magnesium brakes. Unusually, each carb was equipped with an independent air slide control controlled via three levers mounted on the left handlebar. It was said only one rider was truly capable of using these levers: August Hobl, who took the 350cc German Championship in 1955, and took third in the 350cc World Championship. That year the magnesium brakes grew larger and were hydraulically operated, and the machine was equipped with an aluminum 'dustbin' fairing. For 1956, the 3-cylinder racer was further refined, giving a reliable 46hp at 9700RPM, and a top speed of over 140mph. Hobl took second place in the World Championship, but hadn't ridden in every Grand Prix, as the German motorcycle industry was in a crisis, including DKW.
Jelly mould! Hand-hammered fuel tank to suit the rider's knees and arms, and help with flow to the rubber-mounted float bowls. Note the fuel taps, front and rear, with deep reservoirs for both to ensure good fuel flow for front and rear float bowls. The twin rear carbs shared a float bowl. [Paul d'Orleans]1956 should be considered 'the year the music died', as the disastrous state of the European motorcycle industry led the premier factories to halt Grand Prix racing: DKW, NSU, BMW, Gilera, Moto Guzzi, etc. That left the field wide open for MV Agusta, the private fiefdom of Count Domenico Agusta, who seemed to regard production as an afterthought to his first love - racing. DKW never entered another Grand Prix, as in common with every other German motorcycle producer, they had greatly over-estimated future sales at a time the public was finally able to afford small cars. DKW happened to produce these too, which kept the company afloat while others brands were failing, but motorcycle production was transferred in an amalgamation of the DKW, Victoria, and Express brands under Daimler-Benz, creating a new company, Zwierad Union in 1958. While motorcycles were still sold with the DKW badge for many years after, the proud years of DKW as an independent company with a tremendous racing lineage were over. They built an estimated 519,000 motorcycles after WW2, and had once been the largest motorcycle company in the world: now we have incredible machines like this 1954 Singing Saw to remember them by.
Have a go? 143mph from a 350cc was really going in 1956. Love the ergonomic fuel tank shape for 'tucking in'. The flat seat is pre-bump-stop saddle. [Paul d'Orleans]The machine in these photographs is part of the Hockenheim Museum Collection. It has been fully restored to its original specification, and is regularly demonstrated at vintage racing events in Europe, where a new generation of fans can learn the meaning of 'ouch!', and understand why earplugs are kept in the lightening holes on the steering damper knob! It's the original 3-cylinder two-stroke beast, a mantle taken up in 1969 by Kawasaki's H1: the howl of three two-stroke pistons working in unison is not easily forgotten!
August Hobl aboard a '54 DKW triple of this specification, in a slightly later form, with bump-stop seat, and larger rear wheel fairing. Note the fuel tank is slightly larger - apparently each machine had 11 fuel tanks of different capacities, to suit different circuits! [Hockenheim Archive]The magnesium SLS rear brake and hub, which is all-magnesium, unlike the front brake. [Paul d'Orleans]The back side of the front wheel hub, showing the leading-link fork to advantage. It's an extremely light and very stiff design, although wheel travel is limited to the length of the link's arc. This fork probably has about 4" of travel, while most road-goin short leading link forks have 2". [Paul d'Orleans]Beautiful shapes on the hand-beaten alloy tank. Note the locking fuel cap, and the architectural braces for the front brake torque arm support, and pivot support for the fork link, which must of course be of identical length.[Paul d'Orleans]The rear fenders creates partial streamlining, although the dustbin fairing was used for the whole team in '55. [Paul d'Orleans]The view most other riders had of the DKW 3-cylinder racer, which was lightning fast. [Paul d'Orleans]
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.
The bi-annual Vintage Revival Monthléry just enjoyed its fifth iteration. It is, simply put, the finest old car / bike track event in the world, because it's free of barriers, tiers, or VIP ropes: everyone can go anywhere, except onto the track itself (unless you're a competitor or press), for understandable reasons. Regardless the enormous value of many of the cars and motorcycles flung around the track, VRM is incredibly democratic, and everyone is free to enjoy, annoy, take photos, ask questions, and get in the way. In short, it's glorious. The following are photos taken by my iPhone, of various (mostly) motorcycle engines. All the vehicles participating are pre-1940, and many are pre-1910! A further exploration of the event will follow. This photo set is a pure indulgence in the beauty of early 20th Century industrial design.
A genuine Norton Brooklands Road Special ca.1916: motorcycling at its most basic, with a sidevalve 500cc motor, a direct belt drive, and a rear brake (the front wheel has a stirrup brake, but it's useless). I consider this machine the world's first factory cafe racer, being a racing replica built explicitly for road use. Norton also built a Brooklands Special for track use, proving that motorcycle manufacturers knew what riders really wanted from the dawn of the industry was a racer on the road. [Paul d'Orléans]A 1934 New Imperial 350cc Grand Prix model, from a company whose light- and middle-weight racers did extremely well in the late 1920s and '30s, winning plenty of TTs and GPs. [Paul d'Orléans]One of the very rare OHC V-twins built before the 1980s! This Koehler-Escoffier 1000 'Quatre Tubes' is one of perhaps 6 survivors, and this example is reckoned as the most original. A fantastic beast! Much like the Cyclone, it has a total-loss oiling system for its camshafts. [Paul d'Orléans]If you've never seen such a machine before, that's because nobody has seen one for half a Century: it's a reproduction of a Motosacoche DOHC V-twin built in the 1920s, and an amazing job. The cam drive is by shaft-and-bevel, then gears. [Paul d'Orléans]The backside of the terrific Motosacoche V-twin. I'm always amazed at the work involved in making such a machine from scratch. [Paul d'Orléans]Another incredibly rarity - one of one! This 1912 Contrast racer uses a 350cc OHV JAP V-twin, one of three made for the Isle of Man, and probably the only vertical-valve survivor of this type. [Paul d'Orléans]A gorgeous Terrot sidevalve V-twin in Art Deco style. Love the green! [Paul d'Orléans]A moped attachment by Le Poulin, circa 1950s, being put into traction mode by its rider. [Paul d'Orléans]A TT Replica Panther! Panther made a small number of very special racers and replicas for the Isle of Man TT in 1929. The frame had extra struts from atop the cylinder head, as seen here. It's a 500cc OHV big single, and a lovely, perhaps original paint example? [Paul d'Orléans]The aero engine brigade! I'm not sure which WW1 era OHV V-8 this is, but it's become a trend to install such in an old auto chassis and built a hot rod around it. Amazing! [Paul d'Orléans]Another fantastic aero-engine special with V-8 power! [Paul d'Orléans]Another lovely Terrot, this one likely a 250cc sidevalver from the early 1930s. [Paul d'Orléans]Gnome et Rhone produced some of the best aircraft radial engines in WW1, and turned to motorcycle production afterwards. This 1928 500 D2 racer has a lovely OHV motor. [Paul d'Orléans]A flat-tank Norton Model 18 is always a joy to behold; this example is especially clean. [Paul d'Orléans]An Indian 8-Valve from Yesterday's: I asked 'Is it real?', and they said 'What do you think?'. There are no real ones is what I think! It's a beautiful bruiser though, and Montlhéry is the only place you see authentic board track machines in use - there was a whole racing class devoted to them! [Paul d'Orléans]One of Harry Hacker's amazing Harley-Davidson specials using JD bottom ends and 8-valve top ends, with built-in patina. This was the fastest and meanest-sounding bike at Montlhery, with 70hp at the rear wheel! [Paul d'Orléans]Another use for a big JAP V-twin: powering a Morgan trike! Twin carbs and likely 80hp, they sound amazing and are fun to watch! [Paul d'Orléans]The King of Brooklands! A big 1914 Zenith with Gradua gear belt-drive, and a later twin-cam JAP racing engine. Power! The big casting up front is a clutch system. [Paul d'Orléans]
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.
I was dumbstruck on seeing the Shared Lady Beetle, both to the sweetness and rightness of the design, and to its kinship with the contemporary custom motorcycle scene. Its hand-wrought wabi-sabi fabrication, emotionally evocative shape, and mobility make it kin to work by our favorite moto-artisans. It could have been built in a motorcycle fabrication shop, but it wasn't. The ladybug-shaped mobile children's book-share library by Beijing's LUO Studio embodies a 'do good work by doing right work' design ethos that's wholly missing from contemporary motorcycle culture. Which begs the question: why aren't we doing work like this? The success of LUO Studio's ladybug is an exit sign from the echo chamber of the custom scene, highlighting design possibilities not currently pursued in the motorcycle community. We aren't creating projects for children (or the mobility challenged, etc), or choosing to work with recycled materials, or addressing larger societal challenges, but we could be: our team is damned clever.
The Shared Lady Beetle in children's share-library mode, with its wings open [Jin Weiqi]The Shared Lady Beetle is built from scrap bicycle components, discarded building materials, and car panels, and was created in response to the mountains of confiscated share-app bikes, the heaps of metal waste created in Beijing, and the need for innovative mobility solutions. The Shared Lady Beetle is a designed object, its structure developed in 3-D imaging software, as a solution to a specific problem: design a mobile 'maker's studio' to replace a shopping cart for hauling tools to teach children. In the design process, LUO Studio realized its mobile-carry nature could be adapted in many ways, and the shape (inspired by Buckminster Fuller's Dymaxion car) was especially evocative to children, and its scale perfectly child-size. Thus, it was adapted as a mobile library for children, who could exchange the books secured on its shelves, and reach neighborhoods not served by public libraries or bookmobiles. LUO Studio deserves big props for creating a sophisticated design that doesn't pander to children's sensibilities (ie, no ladybug paint scheme), but stands as a brilliant example of possibility: the Lady Beetle could be fabricated anywhere, and, to a motorcyclist, suggests new avenues for exploration. It's a sweet rebuke for fabricators, and also, an inspiration for new avenues of design, for a totally new audience.
The lowest shelf acts as a simple shelf, strong enough to support a child reading, with the wing affording privacy and a sense of space [Jin Weiqi]From the LUO Studio website:
Shared Lady Beetle — A Micro Movable Library for Kids
1. Reflection on "Sharing"
Though born from the good intention of resources conservation, green commuting and making life more convenient, shared bicycles are becoming "monsters" under the unbridled commercial sprawl. They have consumed plenty of industrial raw materials, encroached on scarce urban public space and been dumped in horrible piles. A large number of shared bicycles, without any quality problems, have been forced to "retirement". Do we have any better solutions to handle this problem instead of recycling them in a simple and crude manner? As a designer living in the city, I have been thinking about the possibility for friendly reuse of those abandoned bikes.
The Lady Bird library in use [Jin Weiqi]2. A Mobile Maker Classroom for Children
I have a friend who [is] specialized in maker education for children. He made some teaching props by himself, which often need to be moved in and out from his office. He usually tied those teaching materials to a grocery cart and wheeled it around the school to explain them to the children and parents. Having seen this, I wanted to create a small and ingenious storage cart to support his maker education for kids. By use of an abandoned bicycle, discarded iron car sheets, and leftover materials of eco-friendly boards, it was possible to make a mobile maker classroom for children. The goal was to make it creative, interesting and lively, and bring hope to reuse industrial waste in a natural and artistic way.
The hand-wrought shell was built from scrap auto panels source in Beijing's junkyards, and was kept in a raw state to highlight its origin [Jin Weiqi]The shared bicycle was transformed into a tricycle with large loading capacity, in order to display more items. To protect the items and avoid moving them repeatedly, we designed a special cover on the shelf, which drew inspirations from lady beetles, a type of beneficial insect that kids are familiar with. The way that lady beetles open and close wings was applied to the cover, appealing and creative. Because of the beetle-wings-shaped cover, the shelf needs to be relatively long. With a view to ensuring the stability of the tricycle, we added an auxiliary omni wheel to its end. For the enclosed inner space, a multi-layer display structure was designed, which strengthens the whole installation and makes it more convenient to store items. From top to bottom, the layers gradually become larger in size, with the lowest one enabling kids to sit and lean on.
The Shared Lady Beetle is a designed object, worked out in 3-D design software before fabrication [LUO Studio]3. A Micro Shared Library
Although it was originally designed to be a children's mobile maker classroom, I also hoped to endow it with multiple functions. The interior space for displaying items are flexibly partitioned into several smaller storage areas by plates, which can be freely adjusted according to users' needs. Besides, all the partitions can also be removed, through which a complete big space will be formed. The installation can be customized based on different needs, making it versatile and "universal". For example, it can be used as a micro shared library, where second-hand books collected from my friends were arranged. Each friend provided one or more books, and they were invited to write a sentence on the books they shared. This tiny shared library can be placed in somewhere in the city. Everyone are allowed to read the books and put their idle books here to replace their loved one.
Shared bikes have been abandoned in cities. However, it brings promising possibility for book sharing.
Internal lighting makes possible an evening reading room [Jin Weiqi]4. Shared Lady Beetle in the unknown city
Urban development constantly creates new things, which may bring hope or cause great disappointment. Facing the unknown development in the city, we should stay positive, strive to change waste into treasure and tackle changing situation responsively, so as to better take care of the city and the earth. The Shared Lady Beetle, is like a "beneficial insect" walking on the "urban leaf ", which can be used as a mobile library , a stall, or a maker classroom for kids, etc.
Or, it is merely well-meaning reflection on unknown urban development...
While human-powered, the notion of a more robust, electric-powered mobile library is clear [Jin Weiqi]Designers: Luo Yujie, Lu Zhuojian
The first motorcycle race started when the second motorcycle was built. And the first motorcycle advertisement was placed immediately post-finish, crowing the winner's superiority. Motorcycle ads have a natural ‘hook’ in the lure of Speed, although manufacturers have had mixed feelings about selling what riders really wanted, deep down in their speed-demon souls. From the first days of the 20th Century, builders and buyers of motorcycles have played a complex dance around the subject of Speed, with the Industry anxious to spread a message of respectability and docility for their noisy, horse-scaring moto-bicycles, keeping a low profile about the exhilaration of pulling the throttle lever all the way back. Customers were savvy to the game, navigating the great restrictive forces of Love and Law - parents, spouses, and the police – who could not abide an explicit celebration of the narcotic draw of Competition and its handmaiden, Danger. It took decades before the public acknowledged that a dangerous, speed-crazed hooligan lurks in the puritan hearts of all motorcyclists, hell-bent on going faster than anyone on the damn road.
Even in 1903, the makers of this Phoenix promoted 'dropped' handlebars and a racing crouch...the original Café Racer. [Vintagent Archive]Strangely, while companies like Indian, Phoenix, and Mars were among the first to sell (and advertise) motorcycles built exclusively for racing, they relied on the vast support system of ancillary suppliers (tires, chains, magnetos, etc) and especially the emerging motorcycle press, to tell the story of Speed. Magazines were desperate to show what it was really all about; tales of speed and racing sold more paper than road tests and club reports. Magazines had no need to veil the magnetic pull of fast riding, as their audience were already under the two-wheel spell, and few non-motorcyclists scoured trade publications. The accessories trade and the press tore the brown paper wrapper from bikes, glorifying competition and competitors in equal measure, and selling, by magical association, the adrenaline high of splitting the atmosphere at lethal velocities. Thus, we see Dunlop tires regularly advertising race wins, Lodge spark plugs documenting bold-type heroic victories, and Castrol, always Castrol, selling oil on the back of a racer flat on the tank, ‘speed whiskers’ streaming from his back.
One of the very first 'production racers'; the 1906 Mars 'Renntypus'. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]In the early days of motorcycling, racing had a dual purpose; the simple thrill of competition was justified by the rapid technological development which followed continual failures. If bikes were fast, reliable, and good-handling from the start, the industry would have evolved slowly, but early motos were far from those things, frequently catching fire, breaking their frames, flattening tires, and skidding off the ‘roads’ of the day. Similar to war's stimulus of new technology – though far less traumatically - endurance trials and racing kept manufacturers’ toes in the fire of continual improvement, even if they didn’t participate. When Indian swept the Isle of Man TT races in 1911, winning 1/2/3 on the new ‘Mountain’ course, the press (and Indian) made quite a fuss over their 2-speed gearboxes, which was exactly one more ‘gear’ than any other maker, beside Scott (who won two years later). Even manufacturers who never supported race teams or offered 'Race Replicas’, realized the jig was up for the belt-drive, and started experimenting with epicyclic hub gears, twin chains, and proper gearboxes.
1908; Indian's Charles Gustafson giving his 'torpedo tank' some stick, and winning the race. [Vintagent Archive]The motorcycling press grew hand in hand with the industry, commenting then as now on the whole wide range of Motorcycling, saying what manufacturers could not by reporting on what motorcyclists wanted to read. Given the tiny number of riders who actually prepared their machines and risked their lives on a racing track made of dirt or worse (splintery boards), the early press devoted a huge percentage of copy to racing, and very little to boring but respectable owner’s club or technical matters, because of course, racing is damned exciting stuff. And better still when accompanied by photos…the best possible advertisement for the sport being a small, grainy image of some track hero crouched over his crudely evolved bicycle, kicking up dust from the back tire. Two paragraphs with a shorthand tale of neck-and-neck struggles were enough to stir the imagination of thousands of readers. Racing became the stuff of dreams immediately… even before motorcycles had proper races to themselves.
A 1909 ad for NSU, with Eddie Lingenfelder aboard, after winning several races at the Los Angeles motordrome Board Track. A built-for-racing v-twin of purposeful design. [Vintagent Archive]The earliest days of motorcycling are beholden to the bicycle in ways not obvious; yes, we inherited two wheels from our pedaling brethren, but more significantly, the first truly visible motorcycles were used as ‘cycle pacers’, allowing bicyclists on banked tracks in the US and Europe to ‘draft’ the noisy, exhaust belching monsters, wobbly and prone to crashing in the heyday of cycle bowl racing of the late 1890s. The fascination of the press helped promote the idea of motorized two wheelers as fast and worthy of further development, independent of bicycles. Its no accident that many of the first production motorcycles were built by former bicycle racers, race team managers, or the bicycle companies themselves…they were already using ‘pacers’ on the track, and pretty soon, the pacers left the pedalers behind and raced each other, developing their machines into proper motorcycles. With competition already in their blood, it was natural they wanted to race their newfangled machines as well.
Brooklands racing in 1910: a Triumph leads on an already ragged-looking track surface. [Vintagent Archive]In 1909, while Indian was selling its first ‘torpedo tank’ racing motorcycles to the public, making a name across the globe, in Italy a group of radical artists were creating a completely new approach to the romance of Speed and the impending mechanization of the world. The Italian artist Filippo Marinetti published his wild and deliberately provocative Futurist Manifesto on the front page of France’s respected newspaper, Le Figaro, on Feb. 20 1909: "We declare that the splendor of the world has been enriched by a new beauty: the beauty of speed….A roaring motor car which seems to run on machine-gun fire, is more beautiful than the Victory of Samothrace.” This from an age when automobiles and motorcycles were only recently freed from repressive 20kph speed laws on the horrid, unpaved roads of the day, and when vehicles were slow and unreliable in the extreme… the Futurists stood on the edge of a promontory, shouting about what was to come, way ahead of the curve.
Futurist Mario Sironi's charcoal drawing 'New Man' of 1918. The Futurists were the only Modern Art movement to embrace motorcycles. [Vintagent Archive]Being by self-definition an excitable bunch of Italians, the Futurists had plenty to say, and invested their artistic energy in new forms of typography and layout, attempting to capture movement via the pattern of words and images on the page. Their aesthetic impact rippled around the world, creating a new vocabulary of motion; graphic artists took note, and gradually the fussy late 1800s Beaux-Arts style of busty, corseted goddesses floating on clouds near parked two-wheelers gave way finally to ‘speed whiskers’, urgent movement, and the adrenalin romance of Speed. Big-breasted goddesses would return, but not until the 1960s!
The old Beaux Arts style of depicting motorcyclists, in this case an 1898 poster for Comiot. [Vintagent Archive]By the ‘Teens, motorcycles were good enough to use as basic transport, even a strictly utilitarian object, but each country had a ‘tipping point’ when cars outnumbered motorcycles on the road, and bikes gradually evolved into pleasure objects (or even luxuries) rather than necessary transport. In the United States, that change happened earliest, thanks to Henry Ford, whose Model T - so basic, yet surprisingly complicated to drive - suddenly rendered ‘exposed transport’ semi-obsolete. Initially costing and enormous $850 (1909), by the early 20’s the price had fallen to $290, which was little more than the price of a new Harley-Davidson, and much less than the best of motorcycles, such as the Henderson 4-cylinder ($435).
Accessories suppliers were free to advertise our inclinations to speed; 'Clincher' motorcycle tires of 1917. [Vintagent Archve]Motorcycles were still terribly exciting though, and the liberation of bikes from ‘labor’ or necessity was akin to casting off the yoke of a burdened horse…suddenly, it was fun to ride for its own sake. Of course, it had always been fun, the little secret amongst bikers, but with the liberation of motorcycles from work, fewer excuses were necessary. Manufacturers and advertisers were freed to tell a more true story of the pleasures of two wheels, while 'Grapes of Wrath' author John Steinbeck had a few words to say about the Model T: " Two generations of Americans knew more about the Ford [ignition] coil than about the clitoris, about the planetary system of gears than the solar system of stars.” Bikers may not know their constellations while out on a clear night, but without a roof they see can those stars twinkling on high, riding swiftly to demonstrate knowledge of their lady love’s anatomy…
Proper ladies enjoyed the comforts of a zeppelin-style sidecar attached to a speedy flat-tank Norton! [1926 Norton catalog]The Model T and its international cousins (the Austin 7, the Peugeot Bébe, the BMW Dixi) changed motorcycling itself, freeing two wheels to be what they are best at; delivering an erotic injection of Life to the rider, providing thrills, excitement, prestige, and danger in equal measure. Very few automobiles, no matter how sexy, deliver the all-senses stimulation of a motorbike; the nature of all but the most sporting automobiles is to insulate the driver from the assaults of Nature and the road, whereas the motorcyclist embraces all these as the essential appeal of a vulnerable, sensate Life. The mundane and inexpensive car increased the public’s desire to travel, they saw value in being taxed to improve roads and infrastructure, which of course benefitted motorcyclists as well; while smoothing the way for good citizens to drive to work, newly paved highways meant the increasingly fast bikes of the 1920s could leave long black streaks on those roads.
A 1914 NUT (Newcastle Upon Tyne) ad, after a good run at the Isle of Man TT on a 500cc v-twin. [Vintagent Archive]During the 1914-18 'Great War', the only advertising with speedy motorcyclists showed dispatch riders (a new feature of war) high-tailing it across shelled fields, narrowly avoiding burst bombs and certain death. Motorcyclists have always understood the rest of the world holds lethal threats – the road, the car, the dog- but in WW1, they were literal moving targets…"just because you’re paranoid doesn’t mean they’re not trying to kill you!" After the madness of the Great War, the market was flooded with ex-military machines painted to civilian colors, while factories needed a moment to transition away from military production, and introduce new models to a public eager to forget the horror.
By 1921 NSU ads were aggressively modernist and nearing abstraction...but still looked fast. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]In prosperous England and the US, and eventually the rest of Europe, the late ‘Teens became the ‘Roaring 20s’, which were exactly that, echoing with the blast of powerful engines from increasingly reliable motorcycles and cars. While lightweight bikes dominated European roads and much of the English market, they nearly disappeared in America, which grew its own heavy-duty branch of the motorcycle tree. Even in countries crowded with fizzy, smoky little two-strokes, all eyes were on the big machines, winning important international races and setting World Speed Records. Motorcycle advertising, which had its ear bent by the Futurists, was soon treated to a one-two punch of graphic design; Art Deco and the Bauhaus.
The Bauhaus comes to two wheels: a BMW brochure from 1930; roaring past obstacles at a time of economic chaos in Germany. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]Art Deco began to change the ‘look’ of bikes in the 1920s, with general prosperity reflected in shiny nickel, and pressed-metal shapes of mudguards and tanks which were suddenly ‘styled’, rather than collections of well-arranged boxes. Deco also transformed the visual representation of motorcycles in advertising, as graphic artists competed to out-style each other in presenting two-wheelers as geometric, hurtling masses, slanting towards the horizon - in imitation of Jacques Henri Lartigue’s large-format camera distortions of racing cars of 1911 onwards, his accident of the lens (created by a slow horizontal shutter plus a panning camera motion) inspiring generations of designers.
Cunning use of a slow horizontal shutter and panning camera motion invented the 'oval' racing wheel distortion. Jacques Henri Lartigue, 1912. [Vintagent Archive]Such imagery changed how motorcycles inhabited people’s thoughts, by planting visual clues that motorcycles were now chic accessories for well-paid, or merely aspirational new owners. The very concept of advertising, which can be stretched to cover industry press coverage, is an attempt to change the perception of the public towards material goods, in order to make them appealing enough to part with hard-earned cash.
Ernst Henne on the fearsome BMW WR750 supercharged 750cc record-breaker with which he recorded 150.73mph at Tat, Hungary, in 1932. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]As the 1920s progressed, the development of German Bauhaus typography and graphics integrated both the Futurist and Deco languages, codifying the ‘modern look’ of advertising, and much of the publishing world as well. The spare and balanced geometry of the Bauhaus, its love of color blocks and collaged photos and paper, led to a Golden Age of motorcycle brochures and posters. Probably the best example is closest to the source; BMW, whose very logo could have been lifted from a Bauhaus instruction book, and whose bikes rapidly evolved from their first (1923) rather pokey models, to the sleek, fast, and elegant machines of the late 1920s, as the factory grew into devotees to the cult of Speed to a degree matched by none other in the industry.
Global domination, anyone? A 1938 BMW brochure depicting the soon-to-be all-conquering BMW RS255 Kompressor, with which Georg Meier would win the '39 Isle of Man TT. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]Not just fast, but Fastest; BMW obsessively pursued the World Motorcycle Speed Record with single-minded vigor, and was among the first adopters of superchargers on motorcycles, bolting on blowers a mere two years after the founding of the company in 1923; these supercharged toddlers wobbling at first, but gaining in strength and confidence over a short few years. It was BMW against the world in the ultimate speed stakes of the 1930s, opposed only by rag-tag, privateer British teams using comparatively outdated, oversized, supercharged JAP-engined v-twins, which were also surprisingly fast. After taking the Land Speed Record 6 times in 7 years, BMW was crowned with the ultimate speed laurels on both racetracks and record books…at which point they promptly declared war on the whole world. Their ads might have been a warning of certain imperialistic intentions…
Shades of JMW Turner: a 1935 Velocette poster proof, for an Isle of Man victory that never came. [Vintagent Archive]A parallel branch of graphic advertising was less stylized, less avant-garde, and rebelled against the geometric tendencies of modernist design, embracing the very counterpoint of abstraction, hewing closer to the Expressionist artists of the ‘Teens and Twenties, true heirs to those first attempts at capturing mechanical motion by JMW Turner and the Futurists.
The French OSA concern used expressionistic, Futurist painting techniques in its ads. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]The Expressionist motorcycle artists, best exemplified by the fantastic French painter Geo Ham, used gouache as their medium rather than photography, and depicted romanticized motorcycles and riders hurtling through moody, multicolored fogs, towards victory, or eternity. Tension in the world of fine art, between the competing schools of disegna and colori, had been the story of Art since the Renaissance - those who loved tight design and draughtsmanship versus those who needed an emotional impact... Raphael vs Michaelangelo, Manet vs Monet, Classicism vs Romanticism.
'Rain, Steam, and Speed', 1844, JMW Turner; 23 years before the invention of the motorcycle, a train of the Great Western Railway in England crosses the Maidenhead railway bridge crossing the Thames river, out of London. A small hare can be seen running on the left side of the painting, terrified of the dark and noisy monster approaching. [Wikipedia]The root stock of all Expressionist motorcycle painting was JMW Turner’s incredible ‘Rain, Steam, and Speed’, the first successful attempt of a Fine Artist to grapple with mechanized motion (in the form of the Great Western Railway). The entire Futurist Manifesto of 1909 might be summed up as a cocaine- and alcohol-fuelled dance around this singular painting! Credit for the ‘swoosh’ style of expressionist motorcycle advertising can be laid directly at Turner’s doorstep, not because motorcyclists are particularly fond of his painting, but the graphic artists hired to sell bikes had all been to art school and had their noses rubbed daily in the Masters. 80 years after Turner painted ‘Rain, Steam, and Speed’, his moto-acolytes were churning out homages - ‘Wheels, Smoke, and Speed’ – exhibited on posters and the pages of Moto Revue. The cat was fully out of the bag now, and the allure of Speed itself became the favored sales tool.
The Swiss Motosacoche firm used fantastically abstract and dramatic imagery in the 1920s and '30s. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]In this Golden Age of moto-advertising, manufacturers competed with each other to hire the finest artists and graphic designers, each giving their client a distinctive ‘look’, all of them seeking to out-Turner or out-Bauhaus each other. We are left with a body of exquisite graphic works from the period, dozens of offerings to the gods of Speed. Distinctive regional styles emerged by the late 1920s, with artists from the United States heavily influenced by the naturalistic school of American Scene Painting and the Social Realists. Advertising for Harley-Davidson motorcycles were highly romanticized, but rejected European modern art tendencies, following instead the lead of Grant Wood and Norman Rockwell. While their paintings and drawings still celebrated speed, the unwholesome, messy passion of the of the Futurists was scrubbed away, and riders are generally rosy-cheeked, squeaky clean gents in tweed suits.
A 1930s Harley-Davidson magazine ad: exhaust like thunder, blasting through clouds, a missile on the road. [Vintagent Archive]While they still ‘split the air like a rocket’, to quote the H-D ad, the American riders weren’t possessed by demonic spirits or seeking to transform the world into tidy geometric shapes, although these were fabulous metaphors for the developing political situation in Europe in the 1930s.
The clean-cut, well dressed Harley riding fellow, still beating hell out of town on his 1929 machine. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]The finest American moto-art almost universally depicted civilians in street attire, even when hauling ass down the road; a distinct contrast to the helmeted, square jawed, battling heroes on the cover of European catalogs. This aesthetic dialogue between the international community of motorcycle manufacturers can be read like a deck of tarot cards, portending the future, as an obliviously civilian America would shortly be drawn into militarized conflict, the madness of Fascism, and war in Europe.
Prototype HRD-Vincent Series B Rapide as painted in 1946 By RC Reyrolles...bobby sox and rolled jeans, although the man's petite red scarf reveals the artist to be French! [Hockenheim Museum Archive]After those 6 years of war, conscription, rationing, and fear, the immediate postwar period saw motorcycles depicted as vehicles of liberation. Freedom to roam the countryside, freedom to seduce women, freedom to blast down the road on “the fastest standard motorcycle in the world – that’s a fact, not a slogan”, or so said the Vincent HRD brochure. The first brochures and posters of the late 1940s followed the prewar patterns, although Bauhaus geometry was a painful association, and Modernist tendencies were dropped in favor of the old ally of Turner’s moody speed…but wait, the solitary knight of the prewar days has been joined by a hot girlfriend, as our hero hurtles down the road to prove he is no Model T owner…thus the Baby Boom begins in earnest.
RC Reyrolles' 1946 paintings, as used by HRD-Vincent in their first postwar brochures. [Hockenheim Museum Archive]The early 1950s were a mix of, once again, the necessary yoke of utility for most machines, as much of the world struggled to rebuild lives and jobs, combined with an increasingly frantic focus on making ‘range leader’ bikes bigger and faster. America, un-bombed and un-rationed, had an insatiable hunger for fast motorcycles, and skewed the world’s production towards its peculiar landscape of vast open spaces, and blossoming competitions on the sands of Daytona, the dirt of Laconia, or the desert of California.
If you happen to be the importer of Norton Manx racers, why not put yourself on the brochure, racing one? [Hockenheim Museum Archive]Brochures and advertising focused almost exclusively on racing machines, and romantic paintings were less common, increasingly replaced by photographs of racing heroes on the latest model, flat out at the Isle of Man TT or leaping dirt humps in the Catalina Island Grand Prix. Our old friends the artists were still employed at times to give an emotional push, to make bikes look faster, and when they painted, the old regional artistic tendencies still showed, with Rockwellian Americans gunning their new Sportster in blue jeans and a windbreaker, while the Brits might still morph into hurtling, helmeted hulks, at one with their fire-breathing Turner-cycles.
This 1963 ad for the Norton Atlas (showing a production racing event) definitely harks back to JMW Turner...[Vintagent Archive]As the 1960s progressed, a potent mix of the Joint and the Pill meant clothing, sexual mores, and advertising went through radical changes. While ‘swinging London’ had laconic, miniskirted babes draped over Nortons and Triumphs, Harley preferred to show clean-cut, wholesome couples having fun on their bikes, and downplayed speed as a sales element. H-D was grappling with a serious image problem in the States, as the exploits of a few hundred ‘1%’ bikers in patch clubs drew media attention completely out of proportion to their actual influence. Of course, press attention being another form of advertising, tales of wild bikers fueled a craze for customization in homage to the Outlaw machines, which the crewcut squares in H-D management tried desperately to avoid.
The 1962 James Superswift needed a bit of sex appeal, although the unfortunate model on the right found herself re-touched out of this ad...[Hockenheim Museum Archive]And suddenly, an entirely new gang of bike makers burst onto the global scene, from Japan and Europe. The infamous unthreatening sex-neutral ‘nicest people’ Honda advertising campaign of the 1960s brought many thousands of new riders to the fold, and mimicked the Harley philosophy of showing young, healthy riders out for some good clean fun, and not too fast please. The other Japanese makers showed not-so-nice riders actually using their bikes for what they did best, with speed whiskers and moody landscapes replaced by speed-blurred photography, capturing unfocused dragstrip launches, peripheral-vision wheelies, and moto-babes in sharp detail.
Fantastic 1968 Kawasaki Mach III ad...no more Mr. 'Nicest' Guy...[Vintagent Archvie]The Kawasaki Mach III did “the quarter mile in 12.6 seconds. You know what you can do with your Honda.” Ouch. The pattern was set, and hasn’t changed much in the past 40 years; colorful photography and clever by-lines touting drag strip times and top speeds, as increasingly specialized motorcycles are divided into camps; touring, naked, dirt, and sport. The motorcycle press is in love with wheelies, stoppies, smoky burnouts, and stunters, but there’s little Romance left in the selling of Speed.
Finally, after nearly 100 years, images of women who ride began appearing, the start of another thread of advertising entirely...[Hockenheim Museum Archive]This article originally appeared in the Dec.2011 issue of the French Café Racer magazine.
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.
We've just learned that Gillian Freeman, whose 1961 novel "The Leather Boys" was made into the seminal Rocker/Ace Cafe/Cafe Racer movie of the same name, has died age 89 in London. The novel was commissioned by the London publisher Anthony Blond, who reputedly suggested she write a novel depicting 'Romeo and Romeo in the South London suburbs'. Freeman wrote the book under the pen name Eliot George, an inversion of 19th Century writer Mary Ann Evan’s nom de plume George Eliot, used to conceal her identity as the female author of the astounding "Middlemarch", and the equally famous "Silas Marner". Freeman's novels were not literature in the same league as George Eliot's, and "The Leather Boys" is a one-night read, and a pulpy novella that was nevertheless groundbreaking for its frank depiction of a homosexual relationship as spontaneous and free of even the consideration of shame.
Gillian Freeman, author and screenwriter of "The Leather Boys". [New York Times]Freeman's novel is entirely more scandalous than the film adapted from it, although she wrote the screenplay as well, under her own name (the film still credits the book as written by Eliot George). The first edition has a graphic cover by Oliver Carson, with its overleaf exclaiming,
“The leather boys are the boys on the bikes, the boys who do a ton on the by-pass. For their expensive machines, they need expensive leather jackets. They are an aimless, lawless, cowardly and vain lot with a peacock quality to their clothes and hair style.”
The two main characters, Reggie and Dick, become part of a casually organized gang of criminals who hang out at cafes much like the Ace Cafe. After committing rather senseless acts of vandalism and a successful robbery with the gang, Reg and Dick plan a robbery on their own, and Reggie is beaten to death by the gang members in retribution, which is followed by a trial in which the gang leader is convicted of murder.
The first-edition cover of the 'Eliot George' 1961 novel "The Leather Boys", with illustrations by Oliver Carson, and published by Anthony Blond, London. [Vintagent Library]Freeman adapted her book for the 1964 film The Leather Boys, altering the story line significantly, as the book treated crime, violence, and homosexuality with a frankness that would have been unacceptable in film (for example, Britain banned The Wild One until the late 1960s!). The film starred Rita Tushingham (in her first film role) as teenage bride Dot, and Colin Campbell her husband Reggie, whose relationship becomes a love triangle with Reggie the prize, and Pit (Dudley Sutton) her unexpected rival. Reg rides a Triumph Tiger 110 at the film’s start, and graduates to a new Bonneville, while Pit buys a Norton 650SS, and the pair enjoy fast times at the Ace Café, with fantastic shots of period café racers in the parking lots and on the road. Actual motorcyclists will cringe at a long-distance race featuring a 250cc Ariel Leader keeping up with a Bonnie and Dommie, but in general, the film is surprisingly authentic in its depiction of the Ace Café scene and social standing of the Rockers as generally young, working-class boys and girls.
Reg (Colin Campbell) on his Triumph 21, and Pit (Dudley Sutton) on his Norton 650SS. A couple of likely lads, denizens of the Ace Cafe scene, in this promotional still for "The Leather Boys" [Allied Artists]In the novel, the relationship between Reg and Dick is consummated (many times!), but in the film, Reg and Pit’s relationship is apparently innocent - two boys bunking together out of convenience and friendship. But the implications of an intimate male bond were still threatening in working-class culture, which leads Dot to spit out – “Men? You look like a couple of queers.” It turns out at the end of the film, after the boys have sold their motorcycles to ship out of Cardiff as merchant seamen, that Pit is well-known to gay sailors, and Reg, confused and ultimately heterosexual, walks away, lost and disappointed.
Dudley Sutton as Pit in the film version of "The Leather Boys", wearing a Lewis Leathers 'Bomber' jacket. [IMdB]Gillian Freeman wrote several novels for Anthony Blond before "The Leather Boys", including “The Liberty Man" in 1955, followed by “Fall of Innocence” in 1956, and “Jack Would Be a Gentleman” in 1959. She wrote 12 novels in all, and commented in an autobiographical essay, “I have always been concerned with the problems of the individual seen in relation to society and the personal pressures brought to bear because of moral, political or social conditions and the inability to conform. This is reflected in all my work to date, although I have never set out to propound themes, only to tell stories ... My first six novels are in some way concerned with the class system in England, either as a main theme ("The Liberty Man", "Jack Would Be a Gentleman") or as part of the background ("The Leather Boys") ... [They] illustrate my interest in and compassion for those unable to conform to the accepted social mores."
Ms. Freeman also wrote several screenplays after "The Leather Boys", including for an early Robert Altman Film ("That Cold Day in the Park" - 1969), and also collaborated on scenarios for ballets with Kenneth MacMillan, including his “Mayerling,” about the Austrian crown prince Rudolph, and "Isadora" about Isadora Duncan. To motorcyclists, though, she'll always be remembered for "The Leather Boys", which remains the only semi-realistic account of working class Rockers in the early 1960s, and films their milieu with an accuracy only possible with the use of actual Ace Cafe denizens in the period. Godspeed, Gillian Freeman.
Rita Tushingham as Dot in her first screen role: she's wearing 'Reggie's leather jacket, emblazoned with 'Dodgy', which she dons in their wedding scene: her character is only 16 in the film. Note the actual Rocker girl lounging on the Norton - most of the characters and extras in "The Leather Boys" were real cafe racers, recruited at the Ace Cafe itself, which plays a pivotal role in the film. [IMdB]
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
Among the many 'lost' motorcycle brands that once made headlines and won races, OK Supreme has become one of the most obscure. In the 1920s and '30s, though, they were a well-known British make, with some of the best graphic transfers in the industry, and a string of podium finishes in the Isle of Man TT. They had only one win on the Island, though, in the 1928 Lightweight TT (250cc), with Frank Longman riding.
Frank Longman winning the 1928 Isle of Man Junior TT on an OK-Supreme. [MotorSport magazine[The OK firm was founded as a bicycle manufacturer in 1882 by Ernie Humphries and Charles Dawes. This was 3 years before the introduction of the 'safety' bicycle, so the first OKs were high-wheelers, although by 1899 they were building in the modern chassis style, and experimenting with adding engines to join the nascent motorcycle scene. It wasn't until 1911 that they offered a proper motorcycle, using a 2-stroke Precision engine, and over the next few years they offered motorcycles with a variety of engines, from Precision, DeDion, Minerva, and Green. They entered the Isle of Man TT for the first time in 1912, only their second year of motorcycle manufacture, and earned 9th place.
The 1928 TT-winning OK Supreme with special JAP racing engine and cylinder head designed by G.H. Jones of OK-Supreme. [Bonhams]Race wins were considered the best advertising for British brands in the 'Teen and '20s, and the competition was keen. Most competitors in the era used bought-in racing engines from JAP, Blackburne, MAG, or Bradshaw, giving them special tuning at the factory, and designing a chassis around them. In the 1922 TT, OK racers placed sixth and seventh using JAP engines, with the fastest lap being set by Wal Handley at 51 mph (82 km/h), but typically for Wal, who did better at Brooklands, he failed to finish the race. In 1926 Charles Dawes left the company to return to bicycle manufacture, and the firm was re-named OK Supreme.
The newly-named OK-Supreme had inspired tank graphics!
Perhaps the addition of 'Supreme' did the trick, for in 1928 they finally won the Lightweight TT, using a racing JAP engine. OK Supreme had a troubled practice period before the TT, as their new duplex-tube frame designed by G.H. Jones proved fragile, so Jones actually returned to the factory in Birmingham to fetch the previous year's racing frames, a traditional 1920s open-cradle design with the engine acting as a stressed member, with a triple-stay rear end to aid stability. The frame swap was slightly problematic, as the factory had already submitted paperwork for the machines with the A-CU for the '28 TT, so the 1927 frames had their VIN numbers stamped over by Jones to match the entry paperwork.
Frank Longman after his race win in 1928. [Bonhams]Despite the trouble during practice, the 250cc JAP racing engine proved excellent. Jones had designed a new cylinder head (still in cast iron) for OK Supreme's JAP engines, with a 12degree downdraught inlet tract, which integrated the recently published gas-flow experiments of both Harry Weslake and Harry Ricardo. The cylinder head proved the critical piece, as much of the Lightweight entry used the same JAP motor, but the little OK Supreme was a flyer. Frank Longman led the race from the green flag to the checkered flag, and averaged 62.9mph, which was a mere 0.32mph slower than the 500cc Senior TT-winning Sunbeam (but to be fair, the Senior was run in terrible weather). Longman's OK Supreme team-mates (George Himing, C.T. Ashby, and Vic Anstice) came home in 4th, 5th, and 6th places respectively, and only renowned Brooklands competitor Ashby using the new 1928-type frame.
Longman's TT-winning 1928 OK Supreme has survived nearly a Century in mostly unchanged condition, and was registered for the road in 1932 under the registration CG 1150. An ex-TT winner must be the ultimate café racer for a Promenade Percy, the name attached to racy young men who rode flashy competition machines on the street... I'll explore the full history of the Promenade Percy in my next book, coming this fall. Check out my previous exploration of cafe racers for Motorbooks - Café Racers (2014).
The special cylinder head that made the win! Complete with AMAC TT carb, the dog-ear JAP motor was the finest racing engine of its day. [Bonhams]Frank Longman's TT-winning OK Supreme 250 is coming up for auction at the Bonhams Stafford Sale on April 27th/28th, and a full writeup on the machine is here. There's a huge file of history on this bike, and it's the kind of documentation of a bike's provenance you'd hope to find, but so rarely do, with a competition motorcycle. The Bonhams catalog is online, and choc-a-bloc with amazing stuff - bikes and parts and projects and ephemera.
The following is a period account of the 1928 Junior TT race from Motor Sport magazine:
"PURSUING the meal-time analogy, the 250 c.c. race should, perhaps, be described as the" soup" of T.T. week, though this year it would have been more appropriate if the Junior race were described as "cocktails," the lightweight as the hors d'oeuvres, and the Senior as the soup—in which element the riders were certainly involved! The Lightweight entry list promised a fierce tussle between Handley (Rex-Acme) and Bennett (O.K. Supreme), but during practice it became apparent that Frank Longman was seriously to be reckoned with, whereas Handley seemed to be treating this year's races with considerable diffidence.
Alec Bennett on the winning factory Velocette racer in the 1928 Isle of Man TT [Keig Collection]As the starting hour approached, it was realised that a large part of the course was thickly covered with mist—a state of affairs familiar to "amateur" competitors, but strange to "pukka" T.T. riders. However, mist or no mist, the twenty-five riders were sent off on their race with time and each other. During lap one the clocks showed that Handley, who elected to return to a Blackburne engine for this race, Porter, and Longman, were making good progress, each having overhauled one or more earlier starters. Handley completed the first lap first in just over 36 minutes, which seemed adequate in view of the poor conditions. However, when the whole field had passed, it was found that Frank Longman was actually nearly a minute ahead of the Rex-Acme, while another O.K. (Vic Anstice) was running third. Barrow (Royal Enfield), Meageen (Rex Acme) and E. Twemlow (Dot) completed the leading sextet.
Alec Bennett had evidently experienced trouble as he was not in the leading dozen, and after a very slow second lap, he retired with baffling ignition trouble. Thus, the issue was simplified, and for five laps Longman drew steadily away from Handley who, in turn, drew slowly ahead of the field, led by the consistent Hampshire rider, C. S. Barrow.
Frank Longman with admiring Boy Scouts in the 1926 Isle of Man TT, in which he finished 3rd on an AJS. [Stilltime Collection]Anstice, Twemlow, Meageen and Himing (O.K.) were the other riders in the picture while Handley was fighting his losing battle, all of whom were riding steadily at about 59 m.p.h. A little rain fell during lap two, but in spite of this, Longman put in a record lap at 64.45 m.p.h., and from that time onwards the weather conditions steadily improved until visibility and road adhesion became practically normal. Somewhere on the Mountain during the sixth lap Handley's motor ceased, and he coasted home to retire, thus leaving Longman with the substantial lead of 14 minutes over Twemlow, who, for the moment, was ahead of Barrow, whose engine was misfiring slightly. C. T. Ashby on his four-speed O.K. was now fifth, while Anstice who had run out of petrol at Governors Bridge yet managed to keep in the first six.
The 1928 Junior TT-winning OK Supreme [Bonhams]During the last lap, Longman still further increased his lead and Barrow's Enfield recovered sufficiently to repass Twemlow and finish second--by 25 seconds only. Thus, Longman at last reaped his deserved and long overdue victory by an almost unprecedented margin. The performance of the O.K.-Supreme was altogether remarkable, and but for Bennett's unfortunate retirement they would have won the team prize. Eleven finished, the following nine gaining replicas.
1. F. A. Longman (246 O.K.-Supreme) 2. C. S. Barrow (246 Royal Enfield) 3. E. Twemlow (246 Dot) 4. G. E. Himing (246 O.K.-Supreme) 5. C. T. Ashby (246 O.K.-Supreme) 6. V. C. Anstice (246 O.K.-Supreme) 7. S. H. Jones (246 New Imperial) 8. J. A. Porter (246 New Gerrard) 9. S. Cleave (246 New Imperial)"
For its first-ever auction at Phoenix-Glendale AZ, Mecum is adding 100 motorcycle to its roster of 1100 cars. The March 14-17th auction will be televised on NBCSN, and we'll be interesting to see how the mix of four and two wheels will affect motorcycle prices, after their blockbuster, record-breaking all-motorcycle auction in Las Vegas last January. The featured lots include the mixed collection of Buddy Stubbs and the all-Triumph focus of the Hamilton collection, which seems of consistently high quality. While I won't be a TV commentator on the motorcycle auctions this March, my regular Las Vegas partners Scott Hoke and John Kraman will liven up the action on the small screen (check TV times here).
The ex-Bob Schanz 1934 Brough Superior 11.50 [Mecum]Featured lots include a 1934 Brough Superior 11.50 formerly owned by Cycle magazine editor and DomiRacer owner Bob Schanz, who ran quite a few Broughs through DomiRacer's showroom over the years. His 11.50 looks to be a beautiful restoration, and as an owner of the same model, I'm always curious to take the temperature of the market, and it will no doubt prove an indicator of bidding strength for the new Phoenix auction. The 11.50 was the sleeper Brough for many years, as the uninitiated could easily remember models with an SS and a number attached, which only proves George Brough's acumen for selling very expensive motorcycles. Secretly, though, the 11.50 was well-known as his favorite model in the 1930s, having big torque and a soft power delivery that can still deliver 90+mph performance and very secure handling.
The ex-Buddy Stubbs 1967 Velocette Thruxton [Mecum]One of the big surprises at Mecum's Las Vegas auction was the strength of Velocette Thruxton prices, as three examples sold at over $30k, with the top machine hitting $52k, definitely a record for a Thruxton without racing history (the 1964 Barcelona 24-hour / Isle of Man Production TT winner sold at Bonhams' 2008 Spring Stafford auction for about $75k). Buddy Stubbs' 1967 Velocette Thruxton isn't 100% original, but if you care, the correct bits (clipons, headlamp, taillamp, etc) are easily available. More importantly, Velocette put the combined wisdom of many TT wins into the Thruxton, which is a remarkable machine to ride even today, with smooth and tireless power combined with peerless handling and extraordinary good lucks. I've owned one since 1989, and it's my only 'cold, dead hands' bike.
A gorgeous cafe racer - a 1973 Healey 1000/4 [Mecum]Another rarity is this 1973 Healey 1000/4, based on an Ariel Square 4 Mk2 motor in a special lightweight spine frame. The Healey brothers did for the Squariel what Egli did for the Vincent, providing a modern chassis for an engine far ahead of its frame in the 1940s and '50s. Don't laugh - the 1000/4 was magazine tested at 126mph, which was faster than a Honda CB750, using a 1950s engine! The quality of construction, engine tuning, and styling is first-class, and this is a machine I'd dearly love to own, as it's a fantastic café racer.
Class from the past: a 1915 Excelsior V-twin with Goulding sidecar [Mecum]This 1915 Excelsior with Goulding sidecar is a terrific period piece, an older restoration of a superb American design, with a period-correct Australian sidecar. Buddy Stubbs found the outfit in New Zealand, which explains the Goulding, and the paint chips and minor rust spots take the lollipop gleam down a notch, and give the bike an air of authenticity. This bike participated in the first Motorcycle Cannonball in 2010, and has had a total mechanical overhaul since then. It's a magnificent piece!
The esteemed motorcycle museum in a fabulous old schloss in Neckarsulm, Germany, has a new director, Natalie Scheerle-Walz, who has expanded its program of exhibitions, with the ambition of transforming this charming cabinet of curiosities (and the oldest motorcycle museum in Germany) into a living cultural history center. Formally known as the Deutsches Zweirad-und-NSU Museum Neckarsulm, the space has long housed the nicest display of two-wheelers in Germany, including ultra-rare factory racers from NSU, who were based in a factory nearby, on the Neckar river. If you've ever drooled over photos of the gorgeous, World Championship-winning 1950s NSU Rennmax racers, this museum is your chance to see them in the metal and up close - definitely worth the visit.
They don't have to be big to be fast: this 1967 Kriedler Florett record-breaker is a supercharged and streamlined 50cc beast. It took the world 6hr record, but the attempt on the absolute 50cc World Record was scotched by bad weather. It was ridden by Jan deVries and Rudolph Kunz. [Deutsches Zweirad Museum]The current exhibition, 'Record Hunting on Two Wheels', features 18 amazing, one-off factory land speed racers, from the United States, England, and Germany. Stars of the show include Ernst Henne's all-black-everything 1935 BMW supercharged WR750, the 1930 Zenith-Temple-JAP that was the first motorcycle to exceed 150mph (and which was the subject of a scandal - see our 'Stolen Record' article), the awesome 1951 supercharged Vincent Black Lightning built for Reg Dearden, and the remarkable NSU Baumm I, III (the first 200mph motorcycle), and IV streamliners. The machines date from an original-paint brass-era 1904 Alcyon 1000cc V-twin, to the 1984 Henk Vink 'Blue Stratos' rocket-powered dragster, that recorded sub-6second quarter mile times! 'Rekordjagd' is a collection of pure mechanical badass, ranging from the dawn of speed record attempts, through the golden age of World Records in the 1930s, to the early streamliners that define our current era of splitting the wind.
The 1950 Vincent Black Lightning built at the factory with a supercharger for Reg Dearden. Remarkably, the bike was kept in completely original condition, and is mechanical mayhem personified. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]The exhibit was concepted by Andy Schwietzer, and expanded in Neckarsulm by Manfred Ratzinger, and contributors include BMW Group Classic and Audi Tradition (Auto Union/Audi purchased NSU in 1962), but most of these machines are in private collections and not available to the public. To see these unique and amazing motorcycles is a very rare opportunity, and to see them in one location is a unique event. Make plans (or bend plans) to see the show before it closes on October 6th, 2019: you won't regret it!
While housed in a charming 1800s German building, the interior of the museum is delightfully modernized. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]An extraordinary survivor: the 1904 Alcyon racer, a big 1000cc OHV V-twin with twin-cam action...for the exhaust valves only, as the inlet valves were 'atmospheric', sucked in by the piston vacuum, as was common in the earliest motorcycles. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]The 1904 Buchet engine used in the Alcyon racer: a masterpiece of design, from the era of total French dominance of motorcycle innovation. French designs, especially the DeDion motor, were the foundation of the global motorcycle industry. Buchet built the most advanced engines of all, especially after they hired Allesandro Anzani to design them. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]Speaking of Anzani...he later exanded his horizons to include car and aircraft engines, and licensed his designs to British Anzani. This McEvoy racers uses a British Anzani 8-Valve engine, which is quite a beast, with twin Amac TT carbs. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]An incredibly rare 1926 Indian A45 OHV 750cc road racer, one of two or three built for European road racing: note the front brake and friction damping for the front forks. This machine was originally raced in Eastern Europe, after delivery to Prague Indian importer Frantisek Marik. Most of these OHV racers were installed in an extended chassis for American hillclimbing competition, which supplanted Board Track as the most popular form of racing in the mid-1920s. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]The business: Charles B. Franklin, famous for creating the 101 Scout, designed this OHV motor, which was tuned to run on alcohol, and included a fully recirculating oil system. Another A45 was taken by the factory to Muroc Dry Lake in 1927, and recorded a 126mph average speed, which exceeded the World Speed Record, but America was having a spat with the FIM, and this speed was never 'officially' recognized. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]The 1930 OEC modified by veteran speedman Claude Temple for the World Speed Record, with a 1000cc supercharged JAP motor, and OEC's signature 'Duplex' steering system, which was very stable at speed. Rider Joe Wright took this machine to the World Speed Record at Arpajon, France, at 130mph: the record changed hands three times that year, between BMW, OEC, and Zenith. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]Plenty of room here! The OEC-Temple-JAP was supercharged, and its chassis proved very adaptable. After the 1930 record spree, the bike was adapted for a blown 4-cylinder car motor, then installed in a streamliner by Bob Berry for a run at Pendine Sands. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]The 1930 Zenith-Temple-JAP, developed by Claude Temple and using a very similar engine setup to the OEC record-breaker. This is the first motorcycle to exceed 150mph, but was the backup bike for a record attempt at Cork, Ireland, in late 1930. It was mis-identified by the racing team, the FIM, and the press, who all gave credit to the OEC for the 150mph record, as OEC were still in business, and Zenith were not...and OEC was paying the bills! Read more here. [Deutsches Zweirad Museum]On everyone's list of 'most compelling motorcycles', the 1935 BMW WR750, with a pushrod OHV 750cc engine. The bike remains in remarkable, original condition, and is an amazing piece of design that's inspired many custom motorcycles in recent years. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]Big and Bad: the Dearden Lightning, with its enormous SU carb, sourced from a commercial truck! It, too, remains in original condition, and is simply awesome. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]Both sides now: the copper plumbing feeds the cylinder heads from the supercharger behind the motor. The Dearden Lightning retains its original fiberglass streamlining, which has been removedfor the exhibition, because the mechanicals are so much more compelling. [Deutsches Zweirad und NSU Museum]
Daytona/Ormond Beach had been used for speed trials since the dawn of motorcycle competition in the USA, in 1902. The earliest speed records for cars and motorcycles were taken on the Ormond Beach end of this very long strand, probably because the Ormond Beach Hotel was the only hotel in the area, as difficult as that is to imagine if you've been to Daytona today. At the turn of the Century these beaches had yet to be developed, but were one of the few places in the country where flat-out speed could be explored without harassment by local authorities. Land Speed Record attempts continued through 1935, when Donald Campbell and his Bluebird racer shot between the pilings of Daytona Pier at over 300mph! Everyone involved knew the speed jig was up, and the whole speed circus decamped to Bonneville for their annual fun, once a minimum of facilities were established in that former desert wasteland.
Ed Kretz, Sr. won the very first Daytona 200 in 1937, aboard an Indian Sport Scout racer, sponsored by Floyd Clymer. Here he shows off his wind-cheating pose: Kretz was 5'8" and weighed 185lbs, and was known to throw hay bales single-handed into his flatbed truck: 'Iron Man' indeed. [Jeff Decker Collection]The Southeastern Motorcycle Dealers Association (SMDA) had been hosting AMA Class C 200-mile dirt track races in Savannah, Georgia, since 1932, on the old Vanderbilt Cup racing course. By 1936 the Daytona Beach chamber of commerce was desperately looking for a motorsports attraction to replace the annual speed trials, and the City of Daytona worked with the SMDA to bring the Savannah 200 to its shores in 1937. The track was a mix of road and beach straightaways, with wide hairpin bends at either end, with a hairy transition from sand to pavement on the 3.2-Mile course. There was also the small matter of the tide to contend with, and early races were ill-planned in this regard, with riders often getting wet at the end of the long race, as the sea encroached on the track. The beach race continued until 1961, when the banked oval Daytona Speedway was completed, and the sand was finally abandoned for good.
The 1/4mile U-turn at each end of the race was particularly treacherous, and the site of the most spills, especially on the difficult transition from sand to pavement, and back again. While plenty wide, it was still a very bumpy course after a few laps. Spectators watched from nature's bleachers - the sand dunes. [Jeff Decker Collection]The 1937 beach race was the first Daytona 200, and Ed Kretz (of Monterey Park, CA) won on an Indian Scout racer. Kretz was on a streak, having won the last Savannah 200 the previous year, and also the inaugural Loudon Classic race. He was legendary for his endurance and physical strength, and gained the nickname 'Iron Man' for sheer endurance in long-distance racing. He was sponsored in that first Daytona 200 by Floyd Clymer, an Indian dealer who later became a publisher, and owner of the Indian name in the 1960s.
The start of the 1937 Daytona 200, with crowds spread thickly on both sides of the 'course', which narrowed with the encroaching tide! Note the film crew atop the sedan: cars are made of much thinner steel today! [Jeff Decker Collection]In the 1938 Daytona 200, Ben Campanale won on a Harley-Davidson WR, and for the next 17 years of racing on the beach (barring 1942-46, when racing was cancelled due to the war), race wins alternated between H-D, Indian, Norton, and BSA. While Triumph, BMW, and Rudge also competed, they didn't take top spots on the sand, but did make a spectacular presence, as seen in these photos, some not published since before WW2.
A competitor chomps a stogie, in a real he-man pose. Note his helmet and leathers - helmets were required, but no testing standards existed yet. Goggles were usually ex-Air Force. [Jeff Decker Collection]This photo collection was generously loaned by artist Jeff Decker, whose collection of motorcycle ephemera is legendary, and includes perhaps the largest assembly of 1%er outlaw motorcycle club 'cuts' (cutoff vests with embroidered club colors) in the world. Jeff brought a significant stash of interesting historic art and automobilia to the Las Vegas auctions this year, where he traditionally keeps a booth to display his sculptures. Many thanks to him for allowing us to publish these rare photos on The Vintagent!
Warm-ups on the sand, or a bit of sport before the race for this Harley-Davidson WR rider wearing an English Cromwell-style helmet. [Jeff Decker Collection]George Rahterson of New York City rode the one of two Nortons in the race in 1937: this bike is a 1936/7 Manx Grand Prix, with plunger rear suspension. The exposed valve gear and chains must have had a hard time with the sandblasting... [Jeff Decker Collection]Several Triumph Speed Twins were entered in the pre-War Daytona races, and acquitted themselves well, especially when the Tiger 100 was offered, with speed tuning kits available from 1938. Note the abbreviated aluminum fairing, with a celluloid screen. [Jeff Decker Collection]Daytona donuts! All of the riders competing had extensive experience sliding on dirt, as that was the only racing surface in the USA at the time, with Board Tracks finished by the mid-1920s. This Harley-Davidson WR rider shows proficiency in sliding - a very useful skill on the slippery sand. [Jeff Decker Collection]
