Motohistory Quiz #75:

We have a winner!

(1/31/2010)

 

Within seconds of posting Motohistory Quiz #75, we had a correct answer from Somer Hooker, of Brentwood, Tennessee.  The motorcycle in our quiz is a Montgomery Ward Mojave, introduced in 1968.  Throughout the 1960s, Montgomery Ward sold a line of motorcycles branded “Riverside,” featuring Italian engines mostly under 125cc.  They also sold Lambretta, Bianchi, and Mitsubishi scooters under their own brand.

 

If you read our feature by Mike Jackson about the McQueen Metisse (Motohistory News & Views 1/25/2010), you noted that there was a mention of Derek Rickman and Steve McQueen traveling to Italy on behalf of Montgomery Ward.  They were helping develop the Mojave, a motorcycle with a 360cc Benelli engine installed in frame and bodywork that were fairly frank copies of the Rickman Metisse.  While it was a good looker, the Mojave failed to earn many sales in the United States.  It could not be taken seriously as a competitive enduro bike, due in part to its 320-plus pound weight.

 

Montgomery Ward launched the Mojave with an advertisement in Esquire magazine for which they hired Dave Ekins for the action photography.  About the McQueen connection, Ekins recalls, “My brother Bud advised the Benelli factory to just copy a Rickman Metisse if they wanted a serious off-road machine.  It is likely that Bud and Steve had worked up some kind of endorsement deal, but it fell through.”  About his experience with the photo shoot for the Mojave, Ekins says, “I didn’t really care for the bike.  It stopped running during the second day of shooting.” 

 

Congratulations, Somer, your Motohistory Know-It-All Diploma will arrive soon.  To read our feature about Somer Hooker, go to Motohistory News & Views 7/27/2007.     

 

Motohistory Quiz #75

(1/31/2010)

 

What is it?  Be the first to tell us the brand, and we’ll send you your own personalized Motohistory Know-It-All Diploma. 

 

Here’s a hint.  If you don’t know, read on and eventually you may find a reference to it in this Motohistory update.

Here's another hint.  Three countries were involved in its development.

 

Send your answer to Ed@Motohistory.net. 

 

 

The Saroleas at Berlare

By Ralf Kruger

(1/31/2010)

 

Sometimes, chance is a hidden benefactor.

Who would complain?

 

Discovering Berlare

On August 22 last year, I visited "Dieburger Dreiecksrennen," an antique motorcycle revival, run on the streets of Dieburg, Germany.  From 1948 through 1955, this town was host to an actual street race counting for the German National Championship.  Today it is not a race, but a kind of festival and celebration of the old machines. Only in its second year as a revival, it attracted 15,000 spectators for the single-day event; a huge success by any standard of measure.  

 

While walking through the temporary paddock at Dieburg, I noticed a rare Sarolea, a model with a sloping engine that I could not immediately identify.  I learned she is owned by Matthias Schmitt (pictured here) and is one of presumably only three 34Bs still in existence in Germany.  The appeal of this 1934 sporty road model went beyond just intellectual curiosity.  For me, motorcycles made in Belgium represent a combination of beauty, rarity, refinement, and technical sophistication.  In a word, they are among my absolute favorites.  

 

Schmitt and I entered into a conversation about the 34B, just like all motorcyclists do when common interest changes them immediately from strangers to friends.  He told me about a gathering of Saroleas in the Belgian village of Berlare, coming up the 17th and 18th of October.  He reported that more than a hundred motorcycles would be on display, so it didn’t take me a second to make a decision.  “This I have to see,” I said. 

 

Berlare is an unimposing but nice village in Flanders, in the northern part of Belgium. When I arrived on the 16th, there was a lot of activity at the backstage door of the Festivalhal Donkmeer, where the meeting would takes place. Although most of the motorcycles are already in place, adjustments were still being made to provide for the accuracy of their presentation.  At this moment, I was not allowed to enter the hall.  A friendly woman at the door said, “Please be patient.  All these owners trying to place their bikes on display treat them like their babies, and they fear anything could go wrong, especially if there are early visitors in the hall.”  “That's okay,” I said, and I muttered to myself, “Don’t be so anxious. Just wait until tomorrow.”  I returned to the parking lot where I found Mathias Schmitt.  The two of us helped unload motorcycles from vans and trailers, then we ended the day with a good supper in a restaurant just around the corner while discussing Sarolea motorcycles and speculating about what tomorrow’s exhibition might bring. 

 

On the next morning, I was among the first visitors to get access to the hall, and I struggled to not stand with my mouth open in amazement as I marveled at all of the bikes on display.  More motorcycles than expected had arrived, so there was no reason for disappointment.  They were arranged with tender loving care in theme groups, such as racing machines, bicycles, models from the first decade of the 20th century, the final models of the late 1950s, and so on.  In addition, there were a lot of pictures and posters mounted on the walls, explaining the history of the marque.  There were even blueprints and technical drawings of Sarolea engines, gear boxes, and trapeze forks hanging on the walls.  For me, the spectacle was simply unbelievable.    

 

Before exploring some of the most noteworthy motorcycles on display, let me first present some general facts about the history of Sarolea.  The firm was founded as a weapons factory in 1850 by Mathias-Joseph Sarolea (1830-1895; pictured here).  This makes the marque 20 years older than FN, both of which are located in the same neighborhood of Herstal, Belgium. FN was founded from a network of small, former independent weapon plants which merged in 1870. Both Sarolea and FN would become Belgium’s leading brands, joined later in 1919 by Gillet.  These three were not only the most popular motorcycles in Belgium, but to the surprise of many today, they became some of the leading brands on the Continent.

 

Shortly before the arrival of the 20th century, son Mathieu-Joseph Sarolea (1859-1929) took an interest in the new De Dion & Bouton tricycles made in France, and decided to open a new business for building a similar vehicle.  By 1901, he began to produce a single-cylinder motorcycle, a 381cc four-stroke.  It was developed by Martin Fagard, who had joined Sarolea in 1895 as a craftsman, became the firm’s first designer, then went on to become factory manager, spending his whole working life with Sarolea.  Sarolea’s mastery of the development and production of weapons gave it the metallurgic technology and production skills that would make it a leading early motorcycle manufacturer.  It is the reason that both Sarolea and FN would quickly command the field as leading and enduring motorcycle brands.  By 1905, they were in competition with more than 50 other brands. 

 

The pioneer days

I started my exploration of the Berlare exhibit with the oldest machine on display, a 1903 four-stroke single (pictured left).  This engine was my first big surprise in a string of surprises that day. This early model has a capacity of 445cc and a power output of 3.5 hp, which is on the upper limit of Belgian manufacturers of the era.  It was the largest in Sarolea’s product line, which offered smaller models starting at 1.75 hp.  It must have been a real powerhouse when you compare it to FN's 1903 model, which had a capacity of 188cc producing 1.6 hp.  Conventional in design, it featured IOE poppet valves, with the inlet valve controlled by atmospheric pressure—called a "sniffle-valve" in German terminology—and a cam-controlled exhaust valve. Contributing to its high power is a comparatively modern updraft carburetor with an integrated butterfly valve.  This is a very sophisticated design compared to the surface evaporating carburetors so common in Germany at the turn of the century. 

 

While Sarolea’s 1904 model line did not offer great changes in design, and only small improvements in detail, there was huge news for 1905: the first Sarolea big V-twin (pictured here). Its arrival would initiate a great duel between two classic engine layouts, because at the same time FN introduced its revolutionary in-line four-cylinder machine.  While the FN offered a modest displacement of 362cc, the big V2 from Sarolea was available in two versions displacing 616cc and 726cc, producing 5 and 6 hp respectively.  They were as powerful as they were expensive to purchase.  With 1906, a total loss battery ignition system was replaced with a Bosch magneto, and Sarolea’s singles received a cam-actuated intake valve.  On the big twins, atmospheric intake valves were retained.  In 1907 (pictured above) and ’08, 500cc twins were available in four or five hp.  Front suspension arrived in 1908 (pictured right), but a hand-pump, total loss lubrication system was still in use. 

 

Sarolea had not only become a leading marque in Belgium, but its machines were sold also in England under the Kerry brand, and in France as the Liberator. 

 

The flat tank era

The earliest model from the flat tank era that I could detect at Berlare was a 1913 bike with a side-valve engine now, but no gearbox.  A 1914 model (pictured here) inspired a great deal more interest.  From the beginning, Martin Fagard not only raced his creations for the purpose of first-hand research, but he also established a trade relationship with England for modern components like Royal Enfield two- or three-speed hubs and Sturmey-Archer gearboxes.  Was this the reason the 1914 Sarolea definitely reminded me of a British Triumph?  Actually, the first Triumphs to come out of Coventry had Belgian Minerva engines.  Maybe the influence was vice versa. Whatever the truth was, it was a good choice. Reportedly, Triumph riders in England called their bikes "Trusty Triumph" for their outstanding reliability.

 

Unfortunately for Sarolea, 1914 was also the beginning of the First World War.  Belgium was occupied by German troops, and production at Herstal was stopped for five years.  It is little wonder that the first models after the war, appearing in 1919 (pictured right), were simple copies of prewar machines and the big V-twins were dropped from the line.  They were generally seen as too big and heavy, too complicated and too expensive for customers in many countries in post-war Europe.  Still, some progress was made at Sarolea in the cycle parts. For example, Sturmey-Archer three-speed gearboxes were used throughout the line, though belt drive was still used to the rear wheel.  Engines were offered in capacities of 350cc, 500cc, and 550cc.

 

As far as I could see, the 1920 500cc TT model (pictured above) was the first Sarolea to provide all-chain-drive.  It brought a sport bike into a line that had previously been limited to touring models.  Still equipped with the proven side-valve engine—but with a sportier cam—it was the prelude to a series of famous OHV sport bikes from Sarolea.  These were offered at 1923 year-end as the 500cc 23D Sport and the 23G Supersport, which could easily achieve a speed of 120 kph (75 mph).  In 1924, these were supplemented with an even more aggressive sport bike (pictured above and below).  The first OHV production racer from Sarolea, it was called the Type C, with “C” standing for "course" or "racing.”  Additionally, 1924 was the year that all former belt-driven touring models were fitted with chains.  These touring models retained the tried-and-true side-valve engines, in three capacities.  The first OHV engine of late 1923 was modified in yearly updates, but retained a single cam in centerline with the crank, actuating inlet and exhaust valves with push rods sitting side by side.

 

The saddle tank era

In 1928, the last updated model of the original OHV design—the 500cc 23U Supersport—was introduced (pictured below).  Being the final development of a proven engine design, it was fast (150kph; 93mph with alcohol fuel), reliable, and wildly popular with sport riders and even racers in Belgium. One of these, specially built by the racing department at Sarolea for Robert Gregoire, would achieve an average top-speed record of 181 kph (113 mph) over a distance of five kilometers (3.125miles) from a standing start!  The motorcycle featured a saddle tank and Sarolea's own gearbox and home-made forks for the first time. The magneto was moved behind the rear cylinder.  This and other modifications were incorporated in anticipation of a 1929 model that would feature a completely new OHV engine.  Indeed, in 1929, all components of significance, other than electrical equipment, were built in-house by Sarolea.  The new 500cc 24U (pictured here), designed by Marcel Dumont, was noticeable at first sight for its push rod tubes sitting back and forth on the cylinder's side flange, actuated by two cams. The upper valve gear was mostly covered by an aluminum housing, leaving only valve stems and springs to the outer elements. The special 24U Supersport featured a head with two exhaust pipes, and could achieve 150 kph (93mph) on commercial standard fuel. It was the first Sarolea to provide foot shifting.  Very simply, a smashingly nice bike!

 

Into the 1930s

The beginning of the 1930s was a very successful time for Sarolea in regard to racing. The brand won a string of Belgian 500cc road racing national championships in 1931, 1932, and 1933. The 1933 version of the works racer (pictured right) had a re-engineered motor, noticeable for its single exhaust pipe, which differed from the ’32 Course, the series bike it was developed from. This alteration was initiated by new racing engineer Arille Donis, and the bike was ridden by Robert Gregoire, the 1932 Belgian Champion.  He repeated the feat in 1933, but sadly, he met his tragic end on a rainy July 21, 1933, while trying to impress the British competitors (mostly on very fast Nortons) with another record lap during practice for the Belgian GP.  Gregoire was a key figured at Sarolea, employed with the company since 1926.  To honor his memory, the production racer sold in 1935 was named the "Sarolea-Gregoire" in France and Belgium, while in other markets it was known as the "Monotube." 

 

The year 1935 saw the employment of Gilbert De Rudder, Gregoire’s successor, who got the 1936 and 1937 500cc road racing championship for Sarolea.  Interesting as well is the fact that he (on Sarolea, of course), together with Jacques Ickx, were pioneers of Moto Cross in Belgium. In 1937, they began to form the new sport that would inspire the whole of Belgium, and still does today.

 

The absolute apogee in design, which was conclusive of Sarolea's road racing efforts, was the 1937 2ACT (pictured above), a double overhead camshaft single of 500cc capacity which was developed to challenge the GP-dominating Nortons. Although quite good from the beginning, the first version was not much faster than the Monotube, but had potential for even better.  But its definitive development ceased at the dawn of the Second World War.

 

Furthermore, the American stock market crash of 1929 had already had its effect on motorcycle manufacturers, even in Europe.  Even small Belgium was shocked.  Sales dropped from around 4,500 units in 1929 to less than a thousand in 1931. This led to an attempt to improve sales with cheaper, smaller two-stroke bikes, and diversification to an enlarged 600cc single for sidecar use.  In addition, a 1,000cc side-valve boxer with driven sidecar wheel was developed (pictured right). It appeared in 1937 as model 38H in a quantity of maybe ten for testing by the Belgian military.  At 825 pounds, this colossus was not for the inexperienced, but its two-wheel drive was a clever design that made it very usable as an all-terrain weapon.  Although there had been an internal order to destroy all of these machines to keep them from German troops, who invaded Belgium in May 1940, this order must have been undertaken half-heartedly.  It is rumored that Zunndapp—whose KS750 had a superior sidecar drive that even BMW had to adopt for its military R75—acquired one of the Saroleas and copied its design, which featured a differential that could be blocked for straight-through drive to the sidecar wheel.  Further on, after evaluation of the Sarolea by the Belgian military, a very small batch of no more than ten motorcycles were built for civilian use, but nobody knows how many were really sold.  From those few bikes, presumably several sold without sidecar (pictured above), but most were lost in the turmoil of war.  Today, the Sarolea 38H sidecar machine is so rare, it can be considered “Blue Mauritius” of the brand.  

 

The 1940s and the swansong of the ‘50s

Just like most European countries after the Second World War, Belgium's industry lay idle for some time.  Cities had been demolished, and even the rural infrastructure had been affected.  So, at Sarolea there were no exciting developments the war.  Rather, the latest proven prewar models with 350cc and 590cc side-valves and some 350cc OHVs returned to production in 1945.

 

The year 1948 brought a new 48BL, an OHV 350cc motorcycle with four-speed gearbox, aluminum head, and an fully-enclosed valve train (pictured above; at left is a '48 GT600 with sidecar).  While privateers still gained some success in post war road racing with the old Monotube, the Sarolea factory concentrated instead on Moto Cross.  They won the 1950 500cc championship with Marcel Meunier onboard. The bike he used was based on a serial-production motocrosser introduced in 1949.

 

The 1950 model line brought improved sales with a 125cc two-stroke motorcycle—the type Supra—commonly called the “Blue Bird,” which proved very popular. By 1955, this 5.2 hp road-going model had been developed into a 200cc, 7.2 hp trials model on which Lucien Decoster won the Belgian national observed trials championship.  Decoster, along with the legendary Auguste Mingels, raced international motocross aboard modified versions of the twin-cylinder Atlantis, a 500cc road bike of completely new design, introduced in 1950 (pictured above).  While its engine looks a little bit like a British Triumph Speed Twin, the crank featured a plain center bearing and roller bearings at the end.  Even when enlarged to 600cc in 1953 (pictured left), the motorcycle was a little outdated; simply not “modern” enough to compete against the more established motorcycle designs from other countries.

 

From 1955, motorcycle sales went steadily downward.  In an effort to avoid a collapse, Sarolea, Gillet, and even the fierce competitor FN created an alliance so that any of the big three could sell their motorcycles under each other’s name.  For example, the Simoun (pictured right), originally a development of FN, was sold also with a Sarolea badge on its tank.  Still, even with the use of a modern German ILO 250cc twin engines, the market for the Belgian machines continued to erode.  As in many European countries, by this time the customer wanted a car.  In 1955, Sarolea even began to import Italian Moto Rumi scooters (pictured left).  Sold in Italy as the Formicino (Little Ant), it was named “Djinn” in the Belgian market. 

 

The last "real" motorcycle Sarolea produced was the 350cc "Vedette," the final development of an original design created in the 1930s (pictured right).  And although it was as comfortable and dependable as customers demanded, it could not save the company.  Sarolea had arrived at the end of its road.  They continued to sell mopeds into 1960, but had to close their doors permanently the same year.

 

The Sarolea specials

There were many surprises for me at the display at Berlare.  For example, did you know Sarolea built an aero engine?  It was a boxer twin (pictured below), one of which was included in the exhibit.  And, Sarolea also built a lovely service car.  Then there was the 1931 side-valve 500cc DT31, looking for all the world like an American dirt tracker (pictured below).  This is quite odd to European eyes, where speedway-style track racers are more common.  Finally, there was a stand by Jean-Michel Spies, who provided spare parts for the classic machines.  I was really pleased to see that Saroleas are not forgotten, and that there is a dedicated community protecting their heritage and keeping them alive.  Berlare provided the most comprehensive representation of the brand that anyone has ever seen, anywhere.  There was an example of practically every type of motorcycle Sarolea ever built.  We owe a great debt to Geert Huylebroeck, Yves Campion, and their many friends and helpers who made this tribute to Sarolea possible. 

 

To access the Sarolea/Berlare web site, click here.

 

All photos provided by Ralf Kruger.

 

What goes around . . .
(1/29/2010)

With tongue in cheek (we think), Cyril Huze recently described the image shown here as his “scooter of the month.”  It is a concept Yamaha called the Maxam 3000, a 9-foot-long scooter with retro styling that is supposed to transport you mentally and emotionally back to the 1960s.  Hard to say if such a design is serious or not, but we can tell you that it reminds us a great deal of a very serious venture undertaken by Ray Courtney (pictured right on one his creations) in the 1950s.  Courtney built one-off, futuristic motorcycles that he branded “Enterprise.”  He built at least two of these—one Harley-powered and one Indian-powered—and may have built a third.  Courtney’s vision of the future even appeared on the cover of Cycle magazine in 1952.  His hand-shaped body panels were beautifully executed; no fiberglass here!  These motorcycles still exist and are in the hands of private collectors in the United States.  So, apparently the future is now, and Courtney’s dream has finally come true more than a half-century after it sprang from his fertile mind.  And, it’s made in Japan.  To read the Cyril Huze blog report about the Yamaha Maxam, click here. 

 

David Uhl creates “Stella”
(1/27/2010)

Every second year, fine artist David Uhl adds a painting to his “Women of Harley Series.”  Of the six he has produced, many have been seasoned riders, properly outfitted for the ride.  For example, the most recent was “Evelyn,” a portrait of a woman on her way to a hill climb in the early 1930s.  Since “Evelyn” was produced, Uhl says, “I got to thinking about how women first climbed astride the iron horse in the first place.  The decade before Evelyn rode her motorcycle in confidence was a time of paradigm shift in attitudes, now called ‘The Roaring Twenties'.“  He continues, “I decided I wanted to focus on the motorcycle as a catalyst for change during this turbulent era. I wanted to do an accurate rendering with all the details of this slice of American history.“ The result is “Stella,” who sits outside a fashionable hotel on a shiny new Harley-Davidson, dressed in full '20s regalia, igniting the contempt of women from the previous Victorian generation.  Uhl explains, “These young women of the ‘20s could not have been more shocking to their parents.  They flew airplanes, rode motorcycles, and stayed out dancing until the morning hours.  I hope you enjoy ‘Stella,’ the seventh in my series of windows to the past.”  To reach the artist’s web site, click here.

 

The return of the

McQueen Metisse

By Mike Jackson

(1/25/2010)

The Metisse; a brief update

It was almost half a century back that the motocrossing brothers, Don and Derek Rickman, created Metisse.  Their high-end race chassis operation ultimately manufactured serveral thousand frame kits, into which were fitted a variety of 500cc and 650cc engines for motocross or enduro competition.  Various fine-handling road-race frames followed in the mid-1960s and, in cooperation with AP Lockheed, Metisse were the first company to introduce a production disc brake for motorcycles.  The brothers next turned their talents to the performance and cafe-racer market, producing some hundreds of Metisse chassis to suit the majority of Japanese four-cylinder engines, before moving on to a quality range of aftermarket accessories for street bikes, which were sold under the Rickman label.  In 1986, the by now low volume Metisse frame operation was bought by Pat French, a former dirt-track competitor, based in Bristol. The machines Pat produced were labeled MRD-Metisse (Model Replica and Design), reflecting the name of his existing business.  In fact, his timely purchase coincided with the birth of the retro motocross movement, where MkIII and MkIV Metisse frames proved ideal for the surplus of British engines then available.

In 1999, French entered into partnership with Gerry Lisi - another former racer, on two wheels and four - whereupon the whole Metisse operation was relocated 40 miles east to Lisi's Golf and Country Club, at Carswell, in the heart of the Oxfordshire countryside, an extensive site where a complete machine could be fully tested before dispatch.  Although Pat and Gerry split commercially in 2001 - as can occur when skilled artisans hold conflicting views - sole proprietor Gerry Lisi has continued producing to the same high standard, still utilizing some of the jigs and fixtures first used in the Rickman's original factory.  In recent years, Gerry has supplied hand-built Metisse frame kits all over the world, to customers seeking a traditional product for track or street use and, in more than one curious instance, for static display inside the owner's residence! 

It was in 2006 that one of England's best known historic auto racers - and an arch McQueen enthusiast - commissioned Gerry to build an exact replica of the 650cc Triumph-engined Metisse upon which Steve had so happily cow-trailed, and occasionally competed, during the 1960s.  After construction and testing, the purchaser displayed this unusual grey-liveried Metisse for several month at his wife's boutique store in Chelsea, London (In production days, a MkIII Metisse was offered in either red, blue, or British Racing Green, so grey was definitely different, though no less distinctive).  It was perhaps inevitable that by showcasing such a bike in Chelsea it would generate considerable interest, along with requests for similar examples.  Faced with such encouraging demand, Gerry approached the Trustees of the McQueen Estate and, following a formal negotiation, he was awarded a license agreement to manufacture 300 similar machines, each 100 percent identical, except of course for the frame and engine numbers.  The supply of Triumph engines, fortuitously, remains secure; pre-used engines are sourced in the USA, or the UK, where stocks are plentiful, for it should be remembered that through the 1960s Triumph sold around 25,000 650cc models, year on year (During my last visit I saw at least 40 engines, ready for fitting, on the shelf!).  Upon arrival, each motor undergoes a comprehensive nut-and-bolt rebuild to a pre-determined specification, regardless of whether the parts concerned show wear or not. 

As an aside to the negotiation process, and an indication of just how thoroughly they operate, the McQueen Estate insisted on a physical check of the Metisse factory itself, resulting in three executives from the New York office undertaking a full inspection visit.  Given the eventual outcome, however, their observations were clearly positive! 

Don and Derek Rickman, meanwhile, who retired from business during the early 1990s, are regular visitors to Carswell, where they take a keen interest in current production activities, and often play golf against a selection of previous race rivals, all of whom are amazed that tucked away behind a clump of trees is a miniscule motorcycle factory!  Longer-term Motohistory readers will recall that the Rickman brothers were deservedly inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in October 2007.

As at December 2009, production output is around three machines per fortnight.  The first Desert Replica off the production line was supplied to Chad McQueen.  Approximately25 machines have to date been delivered to customers. 

The McQueen connection

Quite a few famous figures from the film world have enjoyed an association with motorcycles.  England’s Sir Ralph Richardson rode the streets of London, way back, Lee Marvin raced the Catalina Grand Prix, and James Dean was a rider before his move to sports cars.  Elvis also dabbled with bikes, though it seemed he was usually accompanied by a pack of publicists when venturing forth.  Today’s film studios tend to approve that their macho stars are seen on two wheels, in contrast to the anti-bike philosophy that prevailed for so many years.  Has an enlightened Hollywood finally recognized how such pursuits perhaps give said stars an edge over their rivals?  It is difficult to say.  Nonetheless, the resultant photo opportunities are often still quite questionable, for how can Joe Public be 100 percent certain if the actor concerned has genuinely sampled the machine, or was simply posed by the photographer?

 

At the opposite end of this spectrum, however, sits Steve McQueen!  No sooner was he attracted to cars and motorcycles than that interest developed into a passion for the competition side of things.  In Steve’s case it’s fair to say the racing bug was linked to a good slice of natural ability conveniently fuelled by a growing prosperity. Even so, with the exception of Paul Newman, no major screen persona ever competed quite as successfully as McQueen.  It’s well chronicled that his achievements included some notable leader-board finishes in high-level auto events—such as Sebring—and he was frequently placed when racing motorcycles off-road on the West Coast.   Who doesn’t remember that fine tenth finish at the 1970 Elsinore Grand Prix, recorded in “On Any Sunday” (OAS), confirming his genuine competence on a Husky moto-crosser?

 

By the way, since attending the Joe Parkhurst “OAS” preview at Paramount Studios in February 1971, and the Westwood based Premiere a few months later, I’ve watched this stimulating film a zillion times.  When listening to Bruce Brown’s superb voice-over, has anyone noticed he never once mentions Husqvarna, Harley, or Greeves by name, despite that these three bikes are virtually the documentary’s main props?  I’ve long pondered this omission, but know not if it was deliberate.

 

Over the years, McQueen owned several brands of competition motorcycle, although it’s astride Triumph—the make on which he cut-his-teeth and later represented USA in the ISDT—that he’s probably best remembered. In 1966, however, he discovered Metisse, thanks to close friend Bud Ekins, who was an official US distributor. Steve purchased a 650cc Triumph-engined Metisse from Bud and, for personal preference, specified Ceriani forks in BSA triple clamps; a single-sided Triumph front hub, some box-section foot-pegs, plus a trials pattern front tire up front.  So how could a part time American racer hope to improve his machine over something so thoroughly developed in MX Grand Prix?  It is a fair question; one that I recently asked Derek Rickman.  Rickman responded, “Well, Steve wasn’t the first to modify a Metisse.  If you look at his choice of parts, for instance, none of them—including the Cerianis—altered the bike’s fundamentals.  And after all, as he said when he visited us, he’d already had some success using this other equipment, so it was no big deal.”

 

The basic attraction of Metisse was that, in stock specification, here was a ready-to-race machine; something which had never been previously available straight out of the crate with the exception, maybe, of a few European imports, but all of them being two-strokes.  In fact, Greeves, Husky, Maico, CZ, and so on, had been imported from around 1960 onwards.  But for four-stroke diehards, anxious their steeds would be reliable and competitive, the sole solution after purchase back then was for the owner himself to undertake the requisite modifications or, failing that, persuade his local shop so to do.  Either way, each solution took time and both involved extra cost!  After fitting the engine unit, an out-of-the crate Metisse kit was considerably lighter than its so-called rivals, it provided superior handling, and was tough enough to survive the occasional ‘unload.’  In addition to gaining a reputation for durability, Metisse also operated a readily available parts service.  Their success in the USA’s discerning market was well deserved.  Shortly after becoming a Metisse owner/rider, and while filming in England, Steve dropped by the factory in New Milton, Hampshire.  He wanted to meet the Rickman brothers, who had so diligently developed, raced, and built Metisse into a winning brand.  He was clearly impressed by their experience, which had been learned the hard way.  While talking to me in November 2009, Derek recalls, “That first meeting went well, we all got on like a house on fire.  Luckily, in a way, it was early Friday evening, so all the female staff had gone home; we didn’t have a single interruption!”  Steve later went on to order additional Metisse models through Bud Ekins, who was geared up for individual customer modifications.  By this stage of course, the factory was fully systemised, employing 100-plus craftsmen, yet the two owners still possessed the patience and flexibility to talk with their end users one-to-one, a factor that was impossible at BSA, Matchless, Norton, or Triumph.

 

California, in the Sixties, was the place, and probably still is, where anything is possible, be it mechanical or cosmetic.  From his time in the US Marines, McQueen nursed a passion for the color battleship grey.  It was this passion that determined how his personal Triumph-Metisse machines should be finished; i.e. in an exclusive and very distinctive shade of grey!  By this time, the two brothers, having already started full-scale manufacture of their Mk III frames in 1961, were unbelievably busy; not only were they supervising production, and selling to customers worldwide, but they were both still competing at international level.  In 1965, for instance, Don Rickman won the British Motocross Grand Prix on a Triumph-Metisse, virtually a 500cc version of today’s Desert Replica!   It is interesting to note that the Mk III chassis, once begun, remained unchanged in production throughout the next decade, by which time the sport’s fashion changed to a new generation of lighter weight two-strokes, and, in the process, arguably lost some of the appeal.  The double loop nickel-plated Mk III frame deliberately used large diameter high quality tubing, which, as well as containing the engine oil, also cooled the lubricant, all in all a formidable weapon on which to race competitively.  The bike’s handsome appearance was clearly only one feature admired by McQueen for, in 1967, he reputedly told Bud Ekins, “That Metisse is my favorite for desert!”

 

Today, Don and Derek’s abiding memory of McQueen is that of a committed racer, who just happened to have a glamorous day job.  It is one of their eternal regrets that when he visited they failed to take photographs, although the brothers confirm Steve took exceptional care to avoid this type of exposure.  Indeed, his day-to-day world was a league apart from that of the two brothers, albeit they were established stars within the international motocross community.  Derek remembers once collecting Steve from Peter Sellars' London apartment -- missing Sellars himself (and Britt Eklund) by just a few moments -- prior to journeying a deux back to Hampshire.  While en route and supposedly enjoying a quiet country pub dinner it seemed half the population of that rural village dropped by their table for autographs.  McQueen, totally relaxed, acquiesced.  Unsurprisingly, and to his great delight, several of the signature seekers recognized his companion!

 

Derek also recalls Steve saying how he’d sometimes take a Metisse onto the set of a cowboy film, much to the annoyance of the director, stating, “He’d leave tyre tracks in the sand, apparently, obliterating all the carefully preserved imprints of the horses hooves!”  When visiting his house in Malibu one time, Don recollects Steve’s infectious enthusiasm while examining his road-legal D-type Jaguar, as well as an assortment of other automotive toys parked adjacent.  On another occasion Steve and Derek spent several days together in Italy on a mission to find an engine suitable for a projected dirt bike on behalf of the American mail order company, Montgomery Ward.  These incidents served to form an enduring friendship between the film star and the English racers.  During their whistle stop visits to California, the Rickmans endeavoured to include at least one race in the Mojave Desert.  Asked if they ever rode with The Man himself, Don says, “Well, he was so busy he was often very hard to contact; but, with 1000 or more riders under starter’s order, he could have been out there, we never knew.”

 

McQueen’s affection for race machinery has been long articulated, so too the aura surrounding his maverick life.  Without doubt, the Metisse Desert Replica is an honest endeavour to recapture the esprit attaching to The King of Cool.

 

To learn more about Metisse motorcycles, click here.

Photos by Kyoichi Nakamura and Nick Haskell. 

Steve McQueen image from the Metisse web site.

 

Commentary:

Economy, demographics,

and the declining interest

in custom motorcycles

By Ed Youngblood

(1/23/2010)

 

Custom motorcycle guru and blogmaster Cyril Huze presented recently a provocative graph (shown below) depicting Google key word search trends for the topics “custom motorcycle,” “motorcycle parts,” and “custom harley davidson” over the last six years.  The graph shows an unmistakable and steady downward trend in the more frequently searched categories of “custom motorcycle” and “motorcycle parts,” the latter of which is down 75 percent since the second quarter of 2004!  The narrower topic of “custom harley davidson” remains relatively stable, but also appears to be trending slightly downward.  The graphs also clearly depict the seasonality of the motorcycle business in America, with valleys in the fourth quarter and peaks in the second quarter. 

 

Huze calls the graph “a faithful representation of the worldwide economy taking a beating.”  Undoubtedly, he is correct, but I wonder if there is more going on here than just economic forces.  I recall wandering through the Harley dealership at Destination Daytona three years ago, where I saw a row of maybe 20 or 25 custom choppers, all bearing price tags in the $30,000 range.  These were not bona fide one-off customs, but limited-production cookie-cutter models with special paint jobs.  I wondered if people were really paying this much for such an unremarkable vehicle, or whether the high price tags were part of the whole racket; signs of status that owners could boast about after buying at a negotiated and much-reduced price.  Whatever the case, I though to myself, “How long can this go on?”  Clearly, at this level, the custom motorcycle was no longer transportation, art, or ingenuity, but just another example of conspicuous consumption and acquirable status.

 

A hell of a lot has changed during the six years covered by Huze’s chart, and especially during the three years since my visit to Destination Daytona.  In fact, the greatest changes have taken place in the latter three years.  In 2006, the U.S. was showing signs of weakness, but George Bush was assuring us that “the fundamentals are sound,” whatever that means.  It was a year later that a contrived and overblown American economy began to implode.  Whether it is was lenders making bad loans that they could bundle and pass on to speculators, consumers maxing out a dozen credit cards for things they couldn’t afford, or brokers hosing their clients with dubious financial products and high fees, the whole charade has now come undone.  Housing costs—the conspicuous indicator of a credit-driven economy—peaked in 2005, began to steadily decline in 2006, and crashed in 2007.  In August, 2008, banks cut off consumer credit, the buying frenzy ended, and the U.S. economy went into a tail spin, sending ripples of recession around the globe.  And speaking of housing and motorcycles, did you ever wonder how many of those Boomer bikers bought their scoots with their home equity loan?

 

So take a look again at the graph.  The rate of decline on the left side of the graph (2004 through 2006) is as great, or greater than the rate of decline on the right side (2007 through 2009).  The decline in interest in custom motorcycles—to the extent it is indicated by searches on Google—was clearly underway at least three years before the economy crashed, suggesting that something else is at work in addition to economic forces.  I think it is demographics.  Almost every week we see news stories and editorials about the impending sea change in the American culture due to demographic trends.  Much of the focus is on what will happen to the American economy and culture when the Baby Boomers finally wander off toward the grave.  As the largest and most self-indulgent population segment in American history passes on, its buying power will go with it (if it has not already), and its values and fantasies are likely to die as well.  Demographers tell us that by mid-century (just two generations hence) Caucasians will be a minority in America, so it is reasonably predictable that future generations will not be obsessed with Peter Fonda, Steve McQueen, and the myth of the post-war American motorized cowboy.  For future motorcyclists, masculinity may not necessarily be associated with the sound of a big twin.  They may prefer the howl of a four, or—shudder—the hum of an electric motor.

 

I also do not believe that the current economic crisis is a bump in the road that our purportedly infallible capitalistic “market forces” will straighten out in short order.  I believe we are in for a long, slow, and grinding decline in standard of living that will be the “correction” required from more than two decades of wild, credit-driven spending.  It is likely that by the time (and if) the economy rights itself, major demographic forces will have taken greater hold, and we may not see the graph pictured above “bounce back,” ever.  Motorcycle buying as a whole may continue to decline, even in an improving economy, and the motorcycles of future buyers are likely to be more like the sport bikes and street fighters that young people buy today.  Whether the great American cruiser, imprinted on us by Willie G’s FX Super Glide in 1971, will prevail remains an unanswered question.  Of course, we'll have to wait for future motohistorians to give us the answer, but I don't expect the motorcycle phenomenon to be what it has been, even after we have clawed our way back to some semblance of prosperity.  But whatever happens to the new motorcycle market, collecting and vintage bike enthusiasm will remain strong, probably even moreso than it is today.

 

To read Cyril Huze’s story that triggered these musings, click

here.  For an account of the effect of the so-called American housing bubble, click here.  For an analysis of the financial crisis, 2007 through 2010, click  here.  For information about American population trends, click here.

Jack and Judie Wells:

On wings and wheels

(1/21/2010)

 

After a full life of hard work, Jack and Judie Wells are retired and homeless. 

 

Well, not exactly.  They live in a 75x100-foot hangar at Cannon Creek Air Park, just north of Gainesville, Florida.  It’s what you have to do when you need to take care of four airplanes and more than a hundred motorcycles.  About this unusual state of affairs, Jack acknowledges, “We’ve all got our addictions.”  But don’t feel too sorry for them.  A quarter of their hangar is outfitted as an apartment with all the comforts of home, and nearby a new house is under construction.  Not that they couldn’t get along just fine as they are, but now there are only two—a 1948 Navion (pictured above) and a Vans RV8—of the four aircraft housed in the hangar, and it would always be nice to have room for a few dozen more motorcycles.

 

Jack is known for his collection of vintage BMWs, but he is certainly not a one-brand kind of guy.  There are also three Broughs, two Vincents, three Indians, four Sunbeams, an Ariel Square Four, and a Velocette Venom V-Line.  Then there are those bikes you don’t see just everyday, like a Maico Taifun, an NSU Max, a Neracar, a Lilac, an Adler, and an Abingdon King Dick.  And among this sea of motorcycles, you can even occasionally run across a cool scooter, such as a Maicomobile or a Fuji Rabbit. 

 

One might quickly get the idea that Jack Wells likes owning motorcycles more than riding them, but he would be wrong.  Jack and Judie have ridden a sidecar rig in every country in the Americas, from Prudhoe Bay to Tierra del Fuego, except for Colombia.  They could have ridden there as well, but they approached the frontier at a particular hot spot, and decided they didn’t want to be shot at.  They also have ridden in Australia and Hawaii.  Judie has logged over 200,000 miles in the saddle of her own motorcycles, and Jack has compiled 700,000.  They have also participated in the Three Flags Classic five times, and three of those were in connection with four-corners tours.  But Jack admits, “This antique motorcycle thing has really cut into my motorcycling.  I spend so much time now hauling my bikes to meets and attending air shows that I don’t get much time to ride.”  

 

Jack Wells was born on Long Island, New York, in August, 1942, and grew up in Sparta, New Jersey.  His first motorcycle was a Cushman scooter with an ice cream box on the front, which he bought for five dollars and kept hidden from his parents. He admits that he was pretty much a scholastic wash-out, stating, “I spent all of my time in machine shop and wouldn’t attend regular classes, so I flunked my freshman year of high school.  I wanted to know about things that run, and I couldn’t see the point of English or history.”  That performance convinced his father to ship him off to Riverside Military Academy in Gainesville, Georgia, where his first year wasn’t much better.  He recalls, “I spent most of my available time working off demerits.”  He adds, “I finally got it through my head that this wasn’t the easiest way to do things, so I got serious in my second year.”  Wells graduated from the Academy in 1961 as a Cadet Officer and member of the Honor Society. 

 

Wells wanted to go straight to the military, but his mother insisted he get at least two years of college, which he completed at Tusculum College in Greenville, Tennessee.  He says, “I needed 60 credits and earned 65.  I probably could have had six or eight more, except I refused to attend chapel.”  Flying had always been prominent in Jack’s family—his father was a TWA pilot and one of the first to fly international routes—so upon graduation from Tusculum, Jack joined the Navy, where he learned to fly T34s and T28s at Pensacola.  This proved to be his true calling, and after the Navy he quickly earned private and commercial licenses, flight instructor credentials, and qualified to fly DC-8s and eventually heavies, such as the Airbus.  Jack flew for several charter freight lines, and for awhile dodged small arms fire while flying cargo and troops into Vietnam.  He spent the last years of his career with American, retiring in 2002 after 34 years of service on the flight deck.

 

Jack and Judie, who was a friend of Jack’s sister, had known each other since she was five and he was six.  He says, “I was always doing things with Judie.  She was a lifeguard and I had a boat, so we became water and snow skiing partners, depending on the season.   However, there were no romantic inclinations until after I completed military school.”  They were married in 1966 and raised two children, Wendie and John, who is also a commercial pilot.  They got a BMW R60 with Steib sidecar, and later Judi got her own BMW K75 police special.  For their adventure riding they outfitted a 1984 BMW RT with Earls forks and Ural sidecar.  The vintage motorcycle bug bit in 1974 when Jack ran across a Dover White BMW R26 in Phoenix that was on its way to the landfill.  He says, “It was really rough, but I knew it was too good to throw away, so I had it loaded on an airplane as luggage and took it home.”  For a long time, Jack’s fascination for the little BMW singles governed his collecting.  Today, he has virtually all of them—from the R2 to the R27—except for the exceptionally rare R39, built from 1925 through 1929.  But once he had acquired most of the singles, he branched out into BMW boxer twins, military motorcycles, and finally other brands.

 

Now his nine BMW singles are only a fragment of his motorcycle collection.  His rare Wehrmacht Zundapp with sidecar and armament has been featured in the Guggenheim’s Art of the Motorcycle Exhibition twice, and it, along with his Harley WLA, Harley XA, Indian 841, and BMW R75 with ammo trailer are in demand at military shows all over the nation.  To meet this demand, he has acquired a big diesel truck to pull his 30-motorcycle trailer to various motorcycles to antique meets from coast to coast.  He is a member of two Antique Motorcycle Club of America chapters, and an AMCA Field Judge.  In addition, he is Chapter 977 President for the Experimental Aircraft Association and a regional director for both the Veteran Motorcycle Club of America and the Vintage BMW Club.  In all, Jack belongs to six motorcycle clubs in America and six in England and Europe.  Any given month, his desk calendar (pictured right) contains more writing than white space, and when they’re not on the road, Jack and Judie are entertaining flying and riding friends at their hangar/home.  Jack thought he was pretty busy when he was flying aircraft all over the world, but he admits that he didn’t know what busy was until he and Judie decided to enjoy their retirement on wings and wheels.

 

(1/18/2010)

To learn about Moto Retro Wieze, Belgium’s biggest motorcycle jumble, click here.

Now here's a web site dedicated to what's important in life: Ironhead Sportsters and food!  It even has a links section for barbecue!  Click here. 

Many very cool vintage motocross videos may be found at The Motorbike Archives.  Click here.

Eric Johnson’s OLD S'CooL MX Restoration web site has a new URL.  Click here.

A must for every V-twin fanatic.  Click here. 

For images from the 1989 U.S. World Superbike Round at Brainerd International Raceway, click here. 

Tibor Sirossy, who in 1969 set a coast-to-coast record of 45 hours, 41 minutes aboard a BMW, was recently killed in a hit-and-run accident in his home town of Cleveland, Ohio.  To read about it, click here.  To read our story about the history of cross-country record setting, go to Motohistory News & Views 2/28/2009.

Hall of Famer Kenny Eggers, one of BSA’s wrecking crew that dominated Daytona in 1954, recently passed away. To read about Kenny at The Rider Files, click here.

To read a reminiscence by Honda factory rider Jeff Haney on Superbikeplanet, click here.  For a story about one of the machines ridden in Haney’s era, click here.

Penton owners and fans won't want to miss this year's annual meeting of the Penton Owners Group, scheduled to be held at the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum on February 6.  All the details are on the POG message board.  Click here. 

To read about the Akron, Ohio motorcycle scene, as described by motorcycle historian and all-round character Jack Morris, click here. 

Bator International has announced that consignments are being accepted for the 23rd Daytona Classic Motorcycle Auction, to be held March 3 through 6.  For more information, click here.        

 

Hall of Fame breakfast
to feature Manning and Carr
(1/16/2010)

Chris Carr and Denis Manning, of the team that currently holds the world motorcycle speed record at 367 mph, will be the guests of honor at the 22nd Annual Motorcycle Hall of Fame Breakfast in Daytona Beach, Florida on March 5, 2010.  The event will take place at the Hilton Daytona Beach Oceanfront Resort at 8:30 a.m.  Tickets are $49 when ordered prior to February 15, or $55 at the door.  For more information, click here.  For a YouTube video of Carr’s record run, click here.

 

 

Original Hildebrand & Wolfmüller
to go to auction
(1/13/2010)

An 1895 Hildebrand & Wolfmüller, described by auctioneer Bonhams as the “ultimate motorcycle barn find,” will be auctioned at the International Classic Motorcycle Show in Stafford, England on April 25, 2010.  Manufactured in Munich, the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller is the first powered two-wheeler to enter serial production, and is the first such vehicle to be called a “motorcycle.”  The Hildebrand brothers, Henry and Wilhelm, developed their motorcycle in partnership with Alois Wolfmüller and his mechanic, Hans Geisenhof. Their design was powered by a twin-cylinder, water-cooled, four-stroke engine displacing 1,488cc, producing 2.5 horsepower at 240 rpm.  Patented in January 1894, H&W's motorcycle was greeted with enthusiasm and plans were drawn up to build a factory in Munich to produce it.  It was also licensed to a firm in France and marketed there as “La Petrolette.”  Despite some impressive demonstrations by factory riders, the H&W's shortcomings became all too apparent once delivered to customers, and early in 1897 both the German and French ventures collapsed.  It is not known how many were produced, but today the H&W is exceedingly rare.  The example offered for sale is unrestored and last ran in the 1930s.   For more information about the Stafford, England, motorcycle auction on April 25th, visit here. 

USB hub for motorheads
(1/12/2010)

Are you finding that hours at the computer screen are cutting into your riding time?  Now there’s a 3-port USB hub that will lift your spirits and give you a motorcycle experience while you’re otherwise frittering away your time in cyberspace.  You’ve got to watch the video we will link you to below to really appreciate it.  The pitch man is about as dry as toast.  He couldn’t sell ice in hell, but the sheer whimsy of this little 4x5-inch Triumph engine sells itself.  It roars, it vibrates, you can shift it and work the kick starter.  For some outright fun, click here.

 

“Long Way Down” photo collection
sale going to UNICEF
(1/11/2010)

After circumnavigating the globe on their epic journey “Long Way Round,” actors Ewan McGregor (pictured here) and Charley Boorman began a second expedition called “Long Way Down,” a 15,000-mile trek from the northern tip of Scotland to the southernmost tip of Africa.  An exclusive photo collection from this ride, consisting of 32 matted and framed photographs, will be auctioned by Bonhams on May 8 at the Quail Lodge in Carmel Valley, California.  Proceeds from the sale will go to UNICEF, McGregor and Boorman’s charity of choice.  For more information about “Long Way Down,” click here.

 

Portugal ISDE
now available on DVD
(1/10/2010)

Video producer IGNITION3 has just released the story of the U.S. team at the 84th running of the International Six Day Enduro, held in Figueira da Foz, Portugal in October, 2009.  The show follows the riders over through six days of international competition as they race through the Portuguese countryside.  Among them are Trophy Team riders Ricky Dietrich, Destry Abbott, Tim Weigand, Damon Huffman, Nathan Kanney, and Kurt Caselli.  “ISDE Portugal” is the seventh consecutive ISDE to be covered and produced by IGNITION3.  It is shot in high-definition by an experienced crew that has developed a relationship with the USA team that enables them to capture the rare and intimate moments that make the ISDE an unforgettable event for those who have the privilege of attending, as riders or spectators.  Hall-of-Famer Larry Huffman helps with the narration.  The two DVD set is available for $29.95.  Running time is over two hours.  To order your copy, click here.

 

National Packard Museum
opens 10th annual motorcycle exhibit,
“On the Road Again”
(1/9/2010)

The National Packard Museum, in Warren, Ohio, opened on January 9 its 10th annual motorcycle exhibit, featuring nearly 30 antique and classic motorcycles.  Emphasizing the techniques of restoration and preservation, the exhibit also includes several “barn fresh” un-restored motorcycles displayed alongside the same model restored to Concours condition.

For those who enjoy early motorcycles, several rare and significant machines are featured in this year’s exhibit, including a 1908 Thor Single, a 1911 Marvel Single (pictured below), and 1917 Smith Motor Wheel. In addition to these rarely seen motorcycle marques, the exhibit includes other makes and models from the past, including a 1939 Ariel Square Four, a 1948 Cushman scooter, a 1951 Ariel Red Hunter, a 1957 Horex Victoria, a 1958 NSU Maxi, and a 1957 BSA Goldstar. The exhibit also features significant machines produced by more well-known manufacturers such as 1928 and 1938 Indian Scouts,  1946, 1947, and 1965 Harley Davidsons, a 1954 BMW R-25/3, a 1962 Vespa scooter, a 1972 Yamaha CS-5, and a 1976 Triumph Bonneville 750.

Along with this exhibition, the Museum will present a motorcycle restoration lecture series, free and open to the public. The series will include “Acquiring Restoration Parts” by Bear Oehler on February 20, “To Restore or Not To Restore” ken Sampson on March 20, and “Restoration Services: Working with the Professional You Have Hired” by Fred Davis.  The exhibit will run through May.  For more information about, click here.  

 

Motohistory Quiz #74:

We have no winner!

(1/5/2010)

It has been five days since we posted Motohistory Quiz #74, and still we have no winner.  There have been only a couple of incorrect guesses, so it looks like our little moped with its odd twin shocks has stumped the chumps.  It is a Sarolea, manufactured in Belgium.

 

Mathias-Joseph Sarolea founded his arms factory at Herstal, near Liege, Belgium in 1850, and in 1892 began to manufacture bicycles. Sarolea died in 1894, but his company prospered under his children, headed by son Mathieu-Joseph (1859-1929), who was attracted to motorcycles, and built a first prototype in 1901.  Series production became reality in 1902.  From the beginning, Saroleas became known for their competitive capability under the guidance of development engineer and racer Martin Fagard.  The bikes excelled at hill climbing, reliability trials, and long-distance runs.  They got a string of national championships in road racing in the 1930s, then later at scrambles.  By the mid-1920s, Sarolea was building 50 motorcycles per day, and 75 per day by the end of the decade. 

 

The company exported its engines to several countries before the First World War, mostly to England, where complete motorcycles were also sold under the Kerry brand.  The financial crisis of the 1930s forced Sarolea to diversify into some new models of cheaper and smaller two-stroke  motorcycles, along with it's proven range of four-sroke motorcycles.  This trend continued after 1950 when the enlarged product line offered a new 125cc two-stroke single, known as the "Blue Bird," and a new 500cc four-stroke twin.  In 1955, the two-stroke line expanded even to 250cc two-stroke twins as well as 50cc mopeds, all beside the well known SV and OHV four-stroke singles.  In a trial to exploit all trends in motorcycing, Sarolea also got a license from the Italian firm Moto Rumi to import scooters, which were sold under its own brand in Belgium.  The manufacture and distribution of Sarolea motorcycles ceased in 1960.

 

The bike pictured in our Motohistory Quiz is a 1960 Model N50 moped. For more Sarolea images, click here.  We plan to have more about Sarolea in a future Motohistory Update.  Better luck next time, Motohistorians. 

 

Quiz image provided by Ralf Kruger.  

 

Motohistory Quiz #74

(12/31/2009)

 

What is it and where was it manufactured? 

Note the twin shocks on the back, angled in opposite directions.  How the heck does that work? (That question is not part of the quiz.) 

Be the first to send us the correct name of the brand and its nation of origin, and you will received a magnificent Motohistory Know-It-All Diploma.  And, you will get a date with the show girl of your choice.  (Actually, that's a lie. I've lost the phone numbers for all three of them.) 

Rush your answer to Ed@Motohistory.net. 

 

 

Motohistory Quiz #72 correction

(12/30/2009)

 

Previously, we announced that there was no winner for Motohistory Quiz #72 (see Motohistory News & Views 10/31/2009 and 11/9/2009).  Due to a computer glitch (the glitch was that I failed to check my spam filter file), there was in fact a winner for that quiz.  Martin Belair, a man who has a great deal of experience with the Spanish motorcycle industry due to his life-long involvement in observed trials, correctly identified the engine as that of a Sanglas.  Belair wrote, “Ed, I  remember the Sanglas from 1975 and '76 when I lived in Barcelona.  It was recognizable because those engine cases are unique.   All the Police rode them, and some commuters.  They are sort of the Checker cab of motorcycles.”

 

Belair, now residing in West Covina, California, is the son of Rosa and Fred Belair, a man known for his tireless promotion of observed trials competition in the United States.  Martin was born in Argentina and raised in California. He competed in both national and world trials in the 1970s, and was the U.S. Importer of Montesa from 1990 through 2007.  He also served as the USA Trials des Nations Team Manager from 1995 through 2005.  He and his wife Katie have three daughters: Danielle, Erin, and Jenna.

 

Congratulations, Martin, for winning the quiz that stumped the rest of our Motohistorians.  My apologies for the oversight of missing your correct response.  Your Motohistory Know-It-All Diploma is on its way.


American Honda Motor Company at the start

By Jack McCormack

(12/27/2009)

 

In reading the various tributes to American Honda Motor Company’s 50th Anniversary published by Motohistory earlier this year (click here to view our Motohistry tribute to American Honda), I have noted that most comments have concerned Honda's outstanding vehicle design and quality. 

Certainly, without such dedication to their product line, what I am going to discuss would not have occurred. Still, I do not view superior quality and design as AHM’s primary contribution to the American Motorcycle market. And as one of its initial principal players—as AHM's first  National Sales Manager & General Manager—I had a unique position from which to view the results of what were the company’s experiments in marketing to the fullest extent of the meaning of the word. Everything from identifying the niche in the market they desired to fill (In this case it was a complete void more than a niche), to building the product that would accomplish that, too conditioning and motivating the consumer to purchase, and to properly supporting the product after sale figured in Honda's marketing strategy.

 

To understand AHM’s contribution, it is first necessary to understand the American motorcycle market as it existed in 1959, the year AHM was established in the U.S. The American market was stagnant.  For the entire decade of the 1950s, between 45 and 50 thousand new units, representing all brands, were sold annually.  It was generally viewed by the traditional companies as a market limited to enthusiasts, not one appealing to the general public.  In turn, motorcycling was viewed by the public, unfairly or not, as an activity populated by roughnecks and the so-called Black Leather Jacket Crowd.  AHM came into this market with vehicles that did not appeal to the American enthusiast, so it needed to make its vehicles appealing to the American public.

 

I will not dwell here on how we accomplished our goals.  Our methods have been studied and taught for some 40-plus years now, and are still taught in some MBA programs around the country.  If the reader is interested in an excellent description of what and how we did it, I will refer you to Aaron P.  Frank’s book,”Honda Motorcycles,” and more specifically chapter three of this book. Rather, I will discuss here the results that AHM achieved from its efforts and the effect those efforts had on the entire American motorcycle industry.  It is my belief that those results are AHM’s true and lasting contributions to American motorcycling.

 

AHM started activities in June of 1959, and by the end of 1960 had sold just about 8,000 units for its one-and-a-half years of its existence.  Actually, this was a good start in a 50,000 unit annual market. Roughly 5,500 of the 8,000 units were sold in 1960, which represented an 11 percent share of market in AHM's first full year of sales. But the new sales efforts kicked in at the start of 1961, and the result was over 17,000 units sold, raising the brand to approximately a 34 percent  market share!  Then, in 1962, we started the famous “You Meet The Nicest People On A Honda” ad campaign, and unit sales more than doubled to 35,000 units.  That campaign continued through 1963, and sales exploded to 90,000 units in what was then a total U.S. market of 150,000 units.  Honda had captured some 60% of what had now become a rapidly expanding market. It had tripled in three years and would go on to reach over 1,400,000 new unit sales by 1970.  This was a 28-fold increase of the 1959 market, of which AHM maintained a 48 percent or better share.

 

This life style marketing and its underlying message of wholesome fun went on to benefit the entire U.S. motorcycle market, and all those participating in it, to the extent that the market would never again be the same.  But we should understand it was not just about marketing a life style and great product.  It also had a lot to do with attitude, particularly from the parent company, Honda Motor Corporation, and the Japanese nationals that came to the U.S. to start AHM.  As mentioned earlier, I had a front row seat to all this, as I was responsible for hiring the American Department heads and District Mangers, as well as for initiating the marketing and sales programs.  I worked with the two principal Japanese nationals—Mr. Kawashima and Mr. Kobyoshi--almost daily, and with Mr. Honda and Mr. Fujisawa in Japan on a less frequent basis.  To my mind, aside from product excellence, it was the attitude of the Japanese leaders that really made the difference.  They were willing to listen.  They listened to what we had to say about product and market, and had enough faith to give us what we asked for.

 

To put this in perspective, this attitude was opposite to what prevailed in the industry at the time. When dealing with other manufacturers, it was difficult to get even minor changes made to the product.  Their attitude was, “This is what we make, so this is what you sell.”  While Honda said, “What do you want?” and then they gave us what we wanted, a few examples being the Trail 50, the CB72 Hawk, the CB77 Super Hawk, and the Scrambler versions of each.  While the company's main effort was to attract the general public to motorcycling, we also understood the need to establish Honda as a respected name among the enthusiasts themselves, since many potential riders would ask experienced riders what they thought of Honda.  This is the reason Honda Motor and AHM also worked diligently to field competitive vehicles in world and local racing venues.

 

There were many people, both in Japan and in the U.S., who were responsible for the initial and continuing success of AHM—far too many to name here, but I will call out some who had key roles during my time at AHM.  Foremost were Mr. Kawashima and Mr. Kobyoshi.  Mr. Kawashima founded AHM and Mr. Kobyoshi was his adviser.  There were George French and Doug Moncrief, who were there before me and involved in service and initial sales.  Byron Fujikawa, an American of Japanese decent, spoke Japanese fluently and handled our parts department.  Nick Nichols  handled our in-house advertising and communications, and Fred Moxley managed our factory store in Phoenix Arizona.  There were all the District Managers—including  Walt Fulton, Tex Birchard, David Jones, Don Graves, Joe Quaid,  Friedolf Johnson, Don Wilson, Don Weigle—who were responsible for establishing and working with our fledgling dealer organization.  Bob Hansen managed our first satellite warehouse in Racine, Wisconsin.  And of course, it was the dealers who were the key to sales.  They were the interface between the factory and the customer.  Thus, their selection and the continued trust and communication between them and AHM was and is a key factor in success.

 

Certainly, AHM has continued to prosper as a result of the collaborative relationships between company, employees, and dealers, as established by its original Japanese leaders.  This was altogether new in an industry that was largely adversarial in a chain of communication that went all the way from the manufacturer to the customer.  I have little doubt that the Honda Motor Company and American Honda will continue to prosper as leaders in the world and U.S. markets—despite the current worldwide economic down-turn—if this business model is maintained.

Editor's Note: The photo of the author, above, was taken at an economy run in Dodge City, Kansas in 1960 in conjunction with the AMA championship race there. McCormack and his little Honda won the economy run with over 200 miles per gallon!  McCormack recalls that Harley factory star Joe Leonard had shown up in Dodge City without a room, so McCormack shared his.  McCormack reports that Leonard took some of his Honda t-shirts and left behind a shirt with an image of a fast-moving tractor that said, "Hardley-Abelson: The World's Leading Builder of Heavy Equipment."

To see our Motohistory feature about Jack McCormack, go to Motohistory News & Views 7/30/2004.

Photo provided by Jack McCormack.

 

Happy holidays

(12/25/2009)

We receive many nice greeting cards from all over the world at this time of year.  This year, as a representative of all of these thoughtful greetings, we pass along two examples.  The first is from Paul and Trish Brodie of Flashback Fabrications in Canada.  The second is from Yankee Bob Fornwalt from the United states.  I like the former because the Excelsior OHC racer replica built by Paul is so lovely.  I like the latterbecause the girl is . . . well, so lovely.  And I like the OSSA too.

We express our thanks to each and every reader who has sent us holiday greetings, and we wish you well in the new year. 

To read our feature about Yankee Bob, go to Motohistory News& Views 7/16/2006.  To read about Brodie's Excelsior project, click here. 

 

A Christmas wish list:
40 years ago
(12/23/2009)

A Motohistorian who prefers to remain anonymous writes the following:

It just arrived!  My very own copy of Cycle's Motorcycle Buyers Guide, 1969 (compliments of eBay).  Just the thing I need to wait out any snowstorm and finish up my wish list.  Here's a quick sampling of the top of the line on offer that year:

 

American Eagle (Laverda) 750cc twin; $1,675
MTV Agusta MV-4 600cc in-line four; $2,890
BMW R69 600cc flat twin; $1,648
BSA Lightning 650cc twin; $1,360
BSA Rocket 3 750cc triple; $1,750
Dunstall Norton Atlas 750cc twin; $1,400
Harley Sportster 883cc V twin; $1,698
Honda CB750 in-line four; $1,495
Kawasaki H1 500cc triple; $999
Matchless (Norton) G15 750cc Scrambler; $1,339
Moto Guzzi V7 700cc V twin; $1,439
Munch Mammoth 1085cc in-line four; $4000
Norton Commando Fastback 750cc twin; $1,439
Triumph Bonneville 650cc twin; $1,375
Triumph Trident 750cc triple; $1,750
Velocette Thruxton 500cc single; $1,229 

These are just the "big" bikes listed, but note how many of the big bikes were only 500 to 650 cc. Very few were over 750.  Notice, too, how many Britbikes are represented, and how few Japanese.  How things have changed.

Editor's Note: I remember this publication, and my astonishment at the price of the Munch Mammoth.  I declared, "No one in the world will pay $4,000 for a motorcycle, ever!"Today, a Munch front brake will cost you about four grand, if you can find one.

 

The Indian in the Pool Hall

By Larry Barnes

(12/22/2009)

 

There’s a pool hall in downtown Massillon, Ohio.  I drove past it all the time.  It used to be a furniture store.  In the big front windows, the pool hall owner had three classic motorcycles displayed, a couple nice old Harleys and a Royal Enfield.  The bikes in the windows would change from time to time, so one day about ten years ago I decided to stop in and take a closer look.  Not only were there three bikes in the windows, but there were others inside; a Deco Classic Ural with a sidecar sat in the corner next to the pool tables, and ten feet in the air was a gorgeous 1976 Harley Servicar, and the nicest, most beautiful 1940 Indian Sport Scout racer you can imagine!  Right up there, sitting on a shelf ten feet above the bar!   Two-tone paint, with Junior Scout tanks, narrowed front-end, new knock-off hubs and wheels, a trick foot clutch; absolutely beautiful!

 

That discovery happened almost ten years ago.  I found out that the pool hall owner had his very successful photography business office upstairs in the building and the pool hall was just a sideline business…and a place to store some of his toys.  One time I went up and introduced myself as a vintage flat tracker who often dreamed of riding such a bike as the one he had hanging there.  But my offer to ride the Indian with his name sewn on my leathers really didn’t seem to interest him.

 

The years passed.  I eventually hooked up with the late Lloyd Washburn and bought an Indian flat tracker project from him, and began to realize my childhood dreams of racing an Indian as my father had done back in the 40s.    I joyously raced it for a few years, sold it, and then bought it back.  Now it sits in my shop, staring at me wondering if it will ever get to slide again.  My knee replacements and dear wife say “NO!”  But last summer I took old Indian #4L to the Wauseon and Ashland half-miles, “just to see if the motor still runs.”  It ran just fine (thank you Pete, Johnny and Steve.)  I decided I’d better put her away again before I really did something stupid…like race n earnest again.  I’m 60 years old,for crying out loud!

 

So then,one day last month I drove past the pool hall again and noticed the lights weren’t on.  A week later I went by again and noticed the bikes were out of the windows.  A quick U-turn had me peaking inside the tinted windows of the very dark building.  The place was out of business and the pool tables were being disassembled by some workers, so I walked in.   Much to my delight, it was still up there!  The Indian flat tracker and the Harley Trike were still ten feet in the air above the bar.  My pulse quickened…“what if?”

 

The workers told me that the electricity had been shut off and the pool hall owner, Mr. Nelson, had hired them to gut the place for remodeling.  I ran back out to the truck and wrote a note for Nelson to call me about the Indian, and duct-taped it to the door of the pool hall.  And a day or so later he called me.  Nelson said he was really not interested in selling the Indian or the Harley Servicar, but he had to get them down from their lofty perch and take them to storage elsewhere.  I volunteered, of course, to help him get the bikes down.  I told him my riding experience might help!

 

So, that following Saturday morning I showed up at the pool hall.  Nelson and three others had built a scaffold of sorts about half-way up the wall.  The first bike to be taken down is the Harley Trike.  They had three 10-foot-long oak 2”x 10’’s.  The two-step plan was to first roll the trike down the oak planks to the scaffolding, then move the same planks to the other side of the scaffolding and then roll the trike the rest of the way down.  Sounded reasonable.  Except that the oak planks couldn’t be fastened very well.  They could have fallen rather easily.  They tried nailing them to the wall, but the nails bent.  Old oak is too hard for nailing.  “Oh well, let’s put two guys up on the shelf with the bikes and tie a rope to the rear end.  I’ll stand on a step ladder and hold the front brake.  And you other two guys get ready to catch the bike on the scaffolding as it rolls down the planks,” I said.

 

Unfortunately, the trike’s lower frame met the tipped-up ends of the planks and stopped.  The two guys holding the ropes had to lift the rear end of the trike up onto the planks while I was on the step ladder holding the front brake lever with my right hand and the rear brake lever with my left hand.  For a moment there, this 700-pound motorcycle was perched on just the front wheel on a loose plank ten feet in the air with little me balancing on a step ladder holding the brakes.  (Is this nuts, or what?)  Anyway, I am very happy to say the brakes held and we carefully rolled it down to the scaffolding.  Then we moved the planks to the other side of the scaffolding, and we rolled it the rest of the way down to the floor.

 

Next to come down was the Sport Scout.  Same process only one thing: it didn’t have any brakes!  The two guys up above had to hang on the rope even harder while I steered the bike down one plank while side-stepping down the other.  The two guys at the bottom caught it when we got to their level.  After wrestling with the big trike, the Sport Scout was much easier to roll down to the scaffolding.  The planks were moved to the other side and the bike was rolled on to the floor.  Now they both were down!

 

Throughout this death-defying enterprise, Mr. Nelson and I had been discussing the possibility of my becoming the owner of the Sport Scout if it, and we, survived the move.  He had bought the bike at the 1995 Daytona Bike Week Auction.  An Indian builder by the name of Chris Smith of Pittsburg, Kansas had consigned it and the pool hall owner had bought it.  After he got it home to Massillon, it was started once or twice, the fuel was drained, and it went onto that shelf in the pool hall in 1996.  High and dry for 13 years.

 

Nelson had not even bothered to change the title into his name.  It was notarized by the auction company as sold to him, however.  For me to get an Ohio title, we’d have to first transfer the Kansas title to his name, then transfer it again to mine.  I decided a legitimate title would be worth the two states’ sales tax collection involved.  Needless to say, those fees were included in the negotiation process.  We completed the deal at the Ohio Title Office and I got the title.

 

When I got the bike home, a closer inspection ensued.  Unfortunately, the right side gas tank had been scratched rather heavily during the lift-up 13 years earlier, and that particular tank decal was no longer available.  I took that tank to my painter and he repainted as best he could to match the other side.  The rest of the machine went directly to my ace mechanic Steve’s house, where we removed the front head and cylinder to see what was in there.

 

Turns out, it was all brand new!  New rings and pistons, and you could still see the hone marks on the cylinder walls.  New valves, con rods nice and tight, and no surprises.  The bike had an Amal carburetor that needed to be cleaned, and the floats were adjusted.  Then, after some by-hand engine rotations with fresh oil and gas, the bike was placed on my roll-starter, where she sprang to life.  She needed just a little carburetor adjustment while we waited for proper oil flow to commence.

 

Thirteen years asleep, and she fired right up!  A hopeful glance outside revealed there was still some sunshine left that day. So we put some air in the brand new 13-year old Goodyear dirt track tires, and took turns riding the “new” 1940 Indian flat tracker up and down the farm road, trying to remember that there were no brakes, of course.  The engine idled and shifted very nicely.  Talk about having fun!  After several high fives, the bike went into my trailer, and now resides in my shop. 

 

Now, what am I going to do with two Indian flat trackers that I can’t race?

 

Editor’s Note: To read our Motohistory feature about Larry Barnes, see Motohistory News & Views 4/11/2005.

Photos provided by Larry Barnes.

 

Motohistory Review:

"The Harbortown Bobber"

(12/19/2009)

 

Scott Di Lalla and Zack Coffman have done it again.  First came "Choppertown: The Sinners," about the SoCal chopper scene where bikers stick to old school styles, unaffected by the latter-day trends toward gallery art and trailer queens.  Next came "Brittown," featuring legendary Triumph mechanic Meatball, of Hell on Wheels, a bike shop in Anaheim, California.  Now comes "The Harbortown Bobber," the story of a bike build in the gritty environs of the LA harbor region of San Pedro.  "The Harbortown Bobber"--now over two years in the making―actually began shortly after the release of "Choppertown" in 2007.  Documentary film maker Di Lalla, a lifelong motorcyclist who once made pocket money by refurbishing and selling dirt bikes, decided it had been a long time which he had owned a "cool" motorcycle.  His project to build one began with a shabby rigid rolling chassis and an abandoned 1971 Bonneville bobber project.  The engine from the Bonneville was sent to Meatball for a rebuild, which resulted in Di Lalla's and Coffman's second film project, "Brittown," released in 2008.  In the mean time, the Harbortown bobber project was parted out to some of the best craftsmen Di Lalla knows. 

 

During the documentary of this build, we meet J-Bird Kataoka, who makes the fuel and oil tanks for the machine.  Next, the frame goes to Denver where Irish Richard Ryan refurbs it to his legendary high standard.  Next, Triumph guru Earl Kane joins the build team to fabricate many of the necessary bits, including a side stand, chain tensioner, tail light and license plate fixture, headlight mount, and seat pan.  These men are all articulate master craftsmen who love to share their knowledge and special techniques with the viewer.  What impresses one about all of them―and the nature of the old school bobber culture―is that they buy nothing.  Everything is built from old and cast-off parts, raw metal stock, and surplus items that were never intended to become parts for a motorcycle.  Their craftsmanship is exquisite, and artistry goes into every project.  They would rather spend two days hand-shaping a small part than run down to the aftermarket store where one awaits them in a shrink-wrapped package, fresh from China or Taiwan.  The thought, time, and craftsmanship that goes into the rusted-out gas tank alone is simply amazing.

 

The documentarians skillfully tie in a few segments that have nothing to do with the bike build, but are priceless footage that helps pin down the backdrop of the SoCal motorcycle culture.  The best of these is an interview with Cindy Rutherford, of Century Motorcycles.  The signature males in her life were her horndog father who spent his time chasing women and thrashing other riders with his Vincent Lightning, and Von Dutch, whom Cindy loved as few others could.  She explains, "Dutch had a very even temper.  He was always mad, and he hated everyone. One time he told me he even hated himself."  As for her father, his ashes are now kept in a Vincent gas tank hanging on the wall of the dealership.  Cindy says, "You can't believe the number of women who came in here and wanted some of his ashes.  And there are people who have come in here with their grandmother's ashes, saying she wanted them to be mixed with my father's."  Cindy inherited not only her devil-may-care personality from her father, but also his Vincent Black Lightning, which she keeps in her bedroom.  She says, "When a guy learns I have Lightning in my bedroom, he wants to marry me on the spot."

 

It is a pleasure to see how the Harbortown Bobber comes together, but even more enjoyable to listen to the characters that Di Lalla and Coffman meet along the way.  The subject of their documentaries are custom motorcycle builds, but these are only a continuity device for studies of the fascinating personalities in various sub-segments of the American motorcycling community.  And, as in their previous efforts, in "The Harbortown Bobber" they glue it all together with music.  Their films feature long segments about the ride; so long, in fact, that they would become tedious and pointless if it were not for the spellbinding music chosen for the sound track.  The results are sometimes hypnotic.  Mostly, they use bands that currently play in the small clubs of Southern California, such as the Lords of Altamont, Untamed, Hellbound Glory, Hypnomen, and Swing of Saraha, as well as original songs by J. Tex.

 

"The Harbortown Bobber" disc includes several extra segments using out-takes from the movie.  It is a fascinating documentary that proves in a joyous and celebratory fashion that ingenuity and pride of workmanship are still alive and well in America, at least among the builders of custom motorcycles.  To read our review of "Choppertown," go to Motohistory News & Views 6/16/2007. To read our review of "Brittown," go to Motohistory News & Views 4/11/2008.  To learn how to acquire these films, in addition to "The Harbortown Bobber," click here. 

 

You too can learn
to kick start a motorcycle
(12/15/2009)

Today, there are many owners of bona-fide antique motorcycles who never learned to start a motorcycle with any appendage other than their thumb.  These can learn the experience of kick-starting a motorcycle during Bike Week in Daytona, thanks to a unique exhibition sponsored by the Antique Motorcycle Club of America.  For the second year in a row, the AMCA will host an Antique Bike Show on Wednesday of Bike Week (March 3) at the Limpnickie Lot, which is a place where young custom-bike builders show off their work and talent. The show is open to all motorcycles at least 35 years old.  But the exhibit will also include an interactive feature that debuted last year, the AMCA Kick-start Demo bike display, in which visitors will get a chance to fire up two authentic antique motorcycles—a 1946 Harley Knucklehead and a 1945 Indian Chief. The bikes’ owners, Matt Olsen and Rocky Halter, will be on hand to guide visitors through the process of setting throttle, spark advance, and choke controls before kicking the V-twin engines to life.  The Limpnickie Lot is at 1848 Ridgewood Avenue in South Daytona.  To reach the AMCA on line, click here. 

 

(12/12/2009)

Best histo-blogs of 2009: Larry Lawrence's The Rider Files often tackles the controversial events in American motorcycle racing history, but he is always even-handed and fair. Good stories and great historical photography, many of images of which were shot by Larry in his early years as a journalist and racing fan.  To view The Rider Files, click here.  The Vintagent, Paul d'Orleans, continues to astonish me with the quality and quantity of his out-put.  His stories of often obscure and fascinating, a true contribution to our body of motohistory.  To read The Vintagent, click here.  Do you have favorite blogs about motorcycle history?  Send links to Ed@Motohistory.net, and we'll pass them on to our readers.     

 

Classic50MX is available in both English and Swedish. 

Click here.

 

There's lots of fascinating information on SpeedRecordClub.  To check it out, click here. 

 

For pictures of bikes in the fabulous Kelly Owen collection, click here. 

 

For beautiful motorcycle art by Amir Glinik, click here. 

 

To see Robbin Hannah's (no, not Bob) first sponsored ride, click here.  This guy is always horsing around.

 

SuperbikePlanet's wayback machine has really been cranking this month.  For Tim Huntington's images from Laguna Seca 2001, click here, here, and here.  For Jim Greening's images of the 2005 Suzuki MotoGP bike, click here and here.  For lots of images from the Allan Engel archives, click here. 

 

Those with an apocalyptic view of history often look for mysterious and obscure signs that predict a predetermined end of the world.  For example, one would naturally draw dire conclusions about the future of mankind when someone does a back-flip on a Sportster.  Click here.

 

“Old Indians Never Die 2” is a documentary of a rally that took place in Scotland in July 2009.  To see a trailer, click here. 

 

We continue to see great historical features on Larry Lawrence’s Rider Files blog.  Click here. 

 

You can acquire high quality prints of great classic motorcycles through Paul Buckley’s web site.  The photos were shot by Buckley at the AMCA exhibit at the Antique Automobile Club of America Museum in Hershey, Pennsylvania.  A portion of each sale goes to support the AMCA Foundation.  Click here.

 

The International Journal of Motorcycle Studies has issued a call for papers for its upcoming conference in Colorado Springs June 3 through 6.  For information about the conference, click here.

SuperbikePlanet has created a Road Racing Grand Prix time line, from its inception in 1949 to the present day.  Click here. 

 

A series of video’s about Jim Dillard’s Vintage Moto Museum have been posted on YouTube.  Click here, here,

here, and here.

In round numbers, how many photos are in the Penton Owners Group web site gallery?  75, 750, or 7,500?  If you guessed 7,500, you are correct.  To be precise, there are 7,445 photos.  Amazing!  Click here.

The National Packard Museum will open "On the Road Again," its 10th annual motorcycle exhibit on January 9.  During the term of the exhibit, which runs through May 30, there will be three seminars on motorcycle restoration, on february 21, March 20, and April 17.  For more information, click here.

 

The Police Motor Units web site has some great historical photos of police motorcycles.  To see its Indian police motorcycle time line, click here.  For its Harley-Davidson police motorcycle time line, click here. 

 

We credit Jim Hudson for compiling a great list of motorcycle videos available on YouTube.  For a 1919 international road race in Indiana, click here.  For board track racing in 1920, probably at Sheeps Head Bay, New York (incorrectly identified as Daytona), click here.  For 1930s California hill climbing, click here.  For Westside Motorcycle Club (Eugene, Oregon) misbehaving in 1938, click here.  For steeplechase racing in Los Angeles, 1948, click here.  For racing at Daytona Beach, 1949, click here.  For Daytona during the 1950s, click here.  For board track racing in Germany with vintage bikes, click here. 

The Selvedge Yard blog has posted a story about Howard Hughes, with a photo of Hughes at age 12 with what a Houston newspaper called the city’s first motorbike, built by the young genius himself.  Click here.  

To see beautiful engine, with history and description, on Gordon Calder’s site, click here.   

 

The AMCA bobber build;
follow it on line.
(12/10/2009)

Ryan Mackey, 18, the winner of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America’s Youth Program Basket-Case Contest, is building the bike of his dreams, a custom bobber based on a 1942 Harley-Davidson WLA, from the ground up. And you can follow the entire project online.

Mackey (pictured here) was chosen as the winner in the AMCA contest (see Motohistory News & Views 9/20/2009) that attracted 90 entries from young antique-bike enthusiasts (aged 18 to 25) from across the nation. His prize was a collection of parts that could be turned into a authentic Harley bobber, the stripped-down style of custom motorcycles popular with servicemen returning home to America after World War II. Plus, Mackey won the opportunity to build that bike under the supervision of some of the most knowledgeable experts in the field.

Right now, while Mackey is on winter break from paramedic school, he’s at Carl’s Cycle Supply in Aberdeen, South Dakota, tackling chassis and sheet-metal work under the guidance of Matt Olsen, the AMCA’s youth coordinator. The project is being reported in a special thread established to cover the project in the forum area of the AMCA web site where the viewer can follow the entire process of restoring, refitting, and reassembling the hundreds of parts that make up this classic machine, all through the eyes of a novice builder.

The winter phase of the Bobber Build will continue through January 17, with updates daily. The next marathon work week will take place during Ryan's spring break, when he’ll travel to North Carolina to work on the engine and transmission at Dale Walksler’s famed Wheels Through Time Museum. Final assembly of the project bike will take place sometime in late July or early August.  To follow the entire process, go to here, then click the “Birth of a Bobber” graphic.

 

(12/8/2009)

 

The second annual Hodaka Calendar is now available.  Filled with pictures of Hodakas, it is available to Strictly Hodaka members for the discount price of $16.95,  plus shipping.  To order if you are a club member, click here.  To order if you are not a member, click here. 

 

J&P Cycles has produced its 2010 Vintage Wind Calendar featuring beautifully reproduced antique photos of motorcycling from the early 20th century.  Each month shows a selected scene of motorcycles and the people who rode them in days gone by.  The calendar is available for $8.00, plus $3.00 shipping within the continental United States.  Order by calling 319-462-4817 or click here.

 

“NSU: The Complete Story,” by Mick Walker, is a meticulously researched and extensively illustrated history of the German Knitting machine company, founded in 1873, that became a pioneer in the bicycle, motorcycle, and automobile industries as well.  It was building some of the highest quality and most sophisticated motorcycles in the world when two-wheeled production ceased in the mid-1960s, a decade before NSU's final demise as an auto manufacturer in 1977.  In hard cover, this 240-page book contains 180 color and black and white photos.  If is available from Crosswood Press for ₤25.00. For more information and to purchase, click here.  For more books by Mick Walker, click here. 

 

The “Panther Story,” by Barry M. Jones, has been re-published in a new paperback edition with sharper and larger photos, expanded text, and recollections of former Phelon & Moore employees.  Jones is an industrial archeologist and one of the world's leading experts on the Panther motorcycle and the history of P&M, Ltd.   At 332 pages with over 300 images, the book is available for ₤30.00.  For more information, click here.

 

New from Panther Publishing is “Spark Plugging the Classics,” a guide for reading spark plugs and diagnosing engine faults, by Stan Dibben.  Especially useful for vintage bike owners, this book explains the differences between modern plugs and those from the classic period, and shows how to select modern plugs for use in older engines.  This little 20-page booklet covers everything most classic owners need to know about spark plugs, the types available, the difference between hot and cold plugs, and the relationship to different ignition system such as coil or magneto.  The author should know, because he spent 25 years in the spark plug industry, serving through the era when many of today’s classics were in daily use.  The booklet is saddle-stitched and full color throughout, with many illustrations and tables.  The price is £4.00.  For more information, click here. 

Margie Siegal does a good job of addressing the salient points of the much-written-about Triumph Hurricane for the cover story of the January/February issue of Motorcycle Classics.  Other features include a story about the older engines and motorcycles still campaigned at Bonneville, riding Steve McLaughlin's 1976 BMW R90S, the first winner in the AMA's then-new Superbike class, written by Alan Cathcart; a recollection by Clement Salvadori of the oft-forgotten Triumph Trophy Trail 500, coverage of an Indian rally in Scotland, and the tale of Ed Kretz's “other” Sport Scout, now owned by Gary Landeen.  Part of MC's appeal to a younger and broader audience is its stories about nouveau classics, in this case the Yamaha RD350 (1973―1975), the mighty Yamaha XZ1100, and a cafed-out 1973 Honda CB500. As always, photography is excellent and layout and design are good.  In the midst of industry-wide woes for publishers of most magazines, Editor Richard Backus writes about the strides forward made by MC this last year, as evidenced by a 50 percent increase in newsstand sales.  It's good to hear this kind of news.  For more information or to subscribe, click here.

 

Gorgeous as usual, issue #40 of the Aussie-published VMX features a 1978 CCM 580 on its cover.  A thing of beauty in its brutish way, the Clews Competition Machine was one of the last stubborn efforts to stave off the onslaught of the two-strokes in scrambles and motocross competition. Otherwise, this issue seems to cater toward the small-bores with features about the 1978 Kawasaki 125 A4, the Noguchi works 125, the 1980 Yamaha YZ125G, the 1977 Beta 125 RC, the 1974 Penton 125 Six Day, the 1976 Beta 125GS, the 1976 Penton MC5 125, and the 1973 Profab Husqvarna 125.  There are also human interest stories about 1960s Russian motocross star Victor Arbekov and American collector and historic racing leader Fred Mork.  With perfect binding, heavy paper, and beautiful photography, VMX is always an instant collectible . . . the National Geographic of motorcycle magazines.  For more information or to subscribe, click here. 

 

Photohistory

From Ken Weingart

(12/6/2009)

 

Ken Weingart, lifelong motorcyclist, sometimes journalist, and a 60-year member of the Cross Island Motorcycle Club, sends us this photo with the following:

 

Here my 45 cubic inch detuned WR.  I rode it from Patuxent River, Maryland to New York City at least 16 times in all kinds of weather.  It was a 580-mile round trip.  I paid $400 for the bike and sold it for $200.

 

Send us your photohistory of motorcycling family and friends, and we may choose them to pass along to other Motohistorians.  Be sure to include at least a brief story explaining the photo.

     

Motohistory Quiz #73:

We have a winner!

(12/2/2009)

 

The engine seen in the photo is a Russian IZH 350cc two-stroke single, called Planeta 5. Actually, it is the latest version of an engine design that goes back to the prewar design of the DKW NZ350. So, this engine might rival the Royal Enfield Bullet from India for the longest running production of an original design.  Indeed, at the end of Second World War, the DKW factory in Germany was dismantled and reconstructed in Ischewsk, Russia, to produce the DKW NZ350 on original machinery.  To ensure production flow and to enhance the chances for development, DKW chief designer Hermann Weber and some of his best engineers were conscripted to help with this new undertaking.  At the same time, an engineering crew of former DKW men worked on a successor to the NZ350 in a Soviet planning office located in Chemnit, Germany.  This was later introduced as the IZH-49, produced in the IZH factory. Since 1962, the name Planeta has been used for their big single, and by 1972, nearly 1,200,000 had been built! Since that date, the bike was seriously modified in five big stages involving both engine and chassis.  The bike pictured in our quiz is the latest version of the old theme, updated with a modern fork and brake.

 

Our winner is Andreas Wehrmann of Dohrenbach, Germany.  Andreas (pictured here) is a great enthusiast of the board track era, and still heads up a team that restores, races, and maintains the old machines.  To learn more about Wehrmann and his vintage racing activities, click here and here.  

Congratulations, Andreas, your Motohistory Know-It-All Diploma is on its way. 

Photos and research by Ralf Kruger.