Thunder Roads LA MS Magazine DEC2017 | Page 16

The History of Motorcycles - pt4 Feeling the Need , the Need for Speed

14 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana / Mississippi | December 2017 | www . thunderroadslams . com
By : Melanie Schwarte Re-Print by Request

At this point in our journey , the Wright Board track racing in 1920s

Brothers are making quite a name for themselves buzzing around the skies , and Model T ’ s are rolling off Henry Ford ’ s assembly lines . But what is happening in the world of two wheels ? The early 1900 ’ s continued to bring changes to the motorcycle world . Once manufacturers had tackled the basic change over from bicycle to motorcycle , the need to start improving took over . There was an aspect of the pre-war production era that was not included in excelsior vtwin last month ’ s installment , that simply cannot be excluded from the evolution of these beloved machines … racing . The new sport of motorcycle racing began drawing large crowds bent on celebrating our piston powered future . And with racing came an increased need for comfort , safety , and of course speed .
While numerous small companies throughout Europe were involved in the racing industry , many operated only a short time before ceasing production . One highly notable advancement that came from across the pond occurred in 1908 , the development of telescopic pneumatic suspension systems . The new suspension designs made their way from England to the US , and the result was well received . After all , who doesn ’ t appreciate a ride that doesn ’ t end with your body aching and the famed “ iron butt ”?
Meanwhile , in the states , motorcycle racing popularity was increasing by the minute . Early racing was actually held on horse racing ovals or bicycle velodromes , but by 1909 construction of wooden tracks specifically designed for motorcycles began to appear . They called their tracks motordromes , and they were circuits of 1.25 miles constructed out of 2 x 2 and 4 x 4 lumber . They featured severely turned banks which allowed riders to reach speeds previously unseen in the motorcycle world . Crashes were frequent and horrific . Riders who went down faced being impaled by the wooden track , and they were often fatal . Despite the dangers of racing , people flocked to watch , and riders wanted to go faster . This need for speed resulted in demands for more powerful , versatile , and comfortable machines … and there just happened to be some American companies ready to satisfy that need .
While Indian and Harley Davidson continued to keep up with the times and improve their production models , there were two other companies whose focus was simple … SPEED . I ’ m pretty sure these guys followed the motto “ if ya ain ’ t first , you ’ re last ”… or maybe that was Ricky Bobby … but who the hell cares ?? These people helped ensure that today you can pass everyone in the hammer lane , give ’ em the old one finger salute for slowing you down , and wear a smile while doing it .
The Waltham Manufacturing Company was actually founded in 1893 , but it wasn ’ t until 1903 that they would commence production of the famous “ Orient Racing Bicycles ”. These bikes were first introduced to the world at the Charles River Race Track in Boston , at what would come to be known as the first recorded motorcycle speed event in the United States . The Orient set a tack time of 7 minutes over a 5 mile course . Not bad for a first run , but exhibiting the primal need to go faster , to push the limits if you will … they went on to develop an improved 4 HP , 1,000 cc V-Twin that powered the Marsh-Metz before the company ’ s motorcycle division went belly-up in 1908 .
The other , more familiar , US name in motorcycle racing was Excelsior Motor Company . Though the company operated overseas as well , the US division began operations in 1905 . A Chicago based division ; Excelsior ’ s first motorcycle was a 21 cubic inch , 344 cc 4stroke , single speed machine with a leather belt drive . It had a top speed of 35-40 mph . This first attempt would not suffice . Humor me , if you will , but at this point in my writing I am forced to take a small break and giggle at the scenario unfolding in my head … Four chimps in all their ginger glory , standing around this bike . The first is smiling at his brilliant creation , awaiting praise from the others on a job well done . Chimps 2 and 3 pat him on the back and commence telling stories of the awesomeness that has just unfolded in front of them . But chimp 4 stands a bit apart … scratching his head ( or whatever chimps scratch ) and pondering . ( Number 4 you see … he is the crazy one , the envelope pusher , the friend that always sees another option … that usually gets you all in trouble ). The other 3 stop and stare at Number 4 , and Number 1 of course has to ask what the problem is … Number 4 looks up , one eye making contact and the other trailing up and off to the left ( as usual ). He smiles as he raises his arms , lets out a loud abrupt conglomeration of excited grunts … and begins flexing his throttle hand . Squealing and grunting commences , and they all begin exercising those throttle hands . And so it begins …. back to the drawing board . And so it was for Excelsior … there had to be a better way , a faster way . By 1910 they had introduced an engine configuration they would become famous for , and continue to produce until 1929 …. the notable “ X Series ”. This engine was the V-Twin measuring 61 cubic inches ( 1,000 cc ) and would become the first ever to hit the century mark . The “ Model Big X ” was the mainstay of Excelsior production , sporting an inlet-overexhaust V-Twin , it was firstly belt driven , and later had 2 speed and 3 speed gearboxes . Production was limited in comparison to Indian and Harley , and many of these models were exported to Europe and Australia .
This era brought about the evolution of spring frames , magneto ignitions , kick starts , spring mounted seats , improved tires , and heavier / sturdier frames to accommodate the larger engines . The motorcycle had become its own entity , no longer a bicycle with an engine , but a separate machine with its own technology . In late 1913 and early 1914 , at what was then its heyday , motorcycle production suddenly began to slow to a crawl … production turned its focus almost entirely to producing motorcycles for the military . By the outbreak of WWI in 1914 , the motorcycle had rapidly progressed into a dependable , speedy , and relatively inexpensive means of transportation . Next time we ’ ll take a look at where the First World War propelled the motorcycle .
Melanie Schwarte , Thunder Roads Iowa Melanie @ thunderroadsiowa . com