“Rare ’14 Pierce Arrow, first American inline four-cylinder motorcycle mnufacturer.” Brinnnnnng! Like a nattering nabob dropping wolf bait, the phone clanged its irritating morning staccato. Brinnnnnng! Now coming on like a moon calf, but more insistently, the possessed device demanded attention. Brinnnnnnnng! Like Pavlov’s dog, I grabbed the phone instinctively, drooling. “Yeah, who the hell […]
Hang on for this story of competitive Indian lore and antique motorcycle controversy. “In July of 1926, Indian debuted its all new, Charles B. Franklin-designed, race motor at the Altoona, Pennsylvania board track,” Said Dan Statnekov the previous owner. “The machine lapped the 1 and 1/4-mile wooden track at a speed of 114 mph and
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“The fastest man in the world…bullets are the only rivals of Glenn H. Curtiss of Hammondsport.” – 1907 newspaper headline Thursday, January 24, 1907. Ormond Beach, Florida. Glenn H. Curtiss, age 29, sits astride the test bench for his new V8 269 cu. in aircraft engine. When all was said and done, Curtiss was clocked
Francisco Doroteo “Pancho” Villa and his 1914 Indian, one of the bikes used in the successful attack on Torreon in Mexico that year. Pancho Villa may be one of the most recognizable names in both Mexican and American history. He crossed the border and raided Columbus, New Mexico with 400 of his men on March
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When viewing early images of Harley-Davidson riders, their clothing always stands out. Instead of the black leather, jeans, bandanas and safety helmets of today, riders in the first decades of the 20th century wore very different clothing: Three-piece suits, shirts with starched collars, flowing scarves, long skirts and no helmets. To our eyes, they look
