Flesh & Relics

Russian Ural photos by "Stix"

2012-02-24T10:14:00.004+02:00

I've been coming across these photos in a variety of places, from Chinese "adult" sites to aggregators like biketits.com not to mention various portfolio sites around the world. I've tried to find out more, but unfortunately there's basically no working contact or background information. After a lot of digging I did manage to find a website on narod.ru, but Google Translate failed miserably and the guestbook function - his only contact option- doesn't seem to work. The last post there was in 2010.
I don't even know his actual name as the website seems to host images credited to several other bikers...

More photos and info:
http://www.photodom.com/photographer/stix&page=1
http://www.photosight.ru/users/77377/
http://www.stix66.narod.ru/

meme me

2012-02-15T12:56:00.000+02:00

SS Thistlegorm: the Red Sea BSAs

2012-02-12T10:25:00.003+02:00

Built by Joseph Thompson & Sons shipyard in Sunderland, the SS Thistlegorm was launched by the Albyn Line in April 1940. At 4898 tons and 128 meters, the ship was powered by a triple expansion steam engine and armed with a 4.7-inch (120mm) anti-aircraft gun and a heavy caliber machine gun. She was one of a number of "Thistle" ships owned and operated by the Albyn Line, but had been partly financed by the British government and was classified as an armed freighter.

After her launch the Thistlegorm quickly carried out three successful voyages: the first was to the US to collect steel rails and aircraft parts, the second to Argentina for grain and the third to the West Indies for rum. After this she went into Glasgow for two months of repairs.

On June 2, 1941 Thistlegorm set sail for Suez from the Clyde with William Ellis as her captain and 42 men aboard - nine Royal Navy personnel and 33 merchant seamen. Every inch of space was used when they loaded her in Glasgow; her cargo included two LMS Stanier Class 8F steam locomotives recently purchased by the Egyptian Railways as well as several military trucks, Universal Carrier armoured vehicles, Norton, BSA and Matchless motorcycles, Wellington boots, aircraft parts, small arms and ammunition and various other military hardware.

The cargo of Wellington boots created a small mystery; there wasn't an obvious need for them in the Egyptian deserts, but many now believe they were primarily destined for Allied airfields where they were worn by the mechanics as insulation against static electricity.

She took the long route around Africa, 12,000 miles in all, but this was considered the safest option while German U-boats were so active in the Mediterranean. The ship stopped briefly in Cape Town to refuel and two of the crew went AWOL there, only to be found and taken back to the ship just before she sailed: one would later lose his life. The cruiser HMS Carlisle now joined Thistlegorm for protection, and by the third week of September she reached what was then called 'Safe Anchorage F' off the coast of Alexandria. Two ships had collided and blocked the Suez but this was not uncommon; Thistlegorm spent two weeks at anchor, her engines turned off and the crew relaxed, trying to fill their time. No one knew that she would still be there 70 years later.

On October 5 1941 the Luftwaffe dispatched two Heinkel He111 bombers from No 2 squadron in Crete on reports of a large troopship which was probably the Queen Mary on her way to North Africa. It was a cloudless, moonlit night. The aircraft searched in vain for the troop carrier but with their fuel levels low they split to cover more ground. Unable to return safely while loaded and desperate to find a target, one of the bombers came across Safe Anchorage F. He picked the largest ship and immediately dropped two bombs. Both hit cargo hold 4 of SS Thistlegorm at 1:30am on October 6, 1941. On the return to Crete one of the Heinkels was shot down; Lt. Heindrich Menge and one of the crew survived to spend the rest of the war in an Allied POW camp.

BSA M20 and Norton 16H cargo

Considering its well documented history and location Following Cousteau’s visit the site was forgotten again except by local fishermen, but in the early 1990s Sharm el-Sheikh began to develop as a diving resort and the Thistlegorm became a popular attraction.

Crates of Lee-Enfield rifles

Today the wreck is rapidly disintegrating due to natural elements. The dive boats that rely on the wreck for their livelihood are also reportedly tearing it apart by mooring to weaker parts; in December 2007 the Hurghada Environmental Protection and Conservation Association (HEPCA) installed 32 permanent mooring buoys but they were gone within two years as the blocks were too light (resulting in ships dragging them) and the lines connecting the moorings to the wreck were too long (making it impossible to transfer from the mooring to the actual wreck). As a result all boats now moor directly off the wreck again.

Thistlegorm's

Matchless G3Lmachines still ready to unload...

Balkan Motorcycles

2012-02-05T09:05:00.002+02:00

Outside of Bulgaria very little is known about Balkan Motorcycles: a Google search will literally turn up more questions than answers. According to Brian Julien ( http://www.julienracing.com/files/Balkan_Information2.rtf ):

"It is my understanding that because of the totalitarian society, nearly every Balkan motorcycle ever produced was literally driven into the ground. The economic, socialistic environment was not conducive to people putting things away for prosperity. None were kept for archival purposes by the manufacturer or collectors and thus few remain..."

Fortunately this is not exactly true, although unless he's actually visited Bulgaria Mr. Julien may certainly be excused for the assumption. Many are still on the road today and almost every Bulgarian "collector" has at least one in their stable: in fact several thousand of them were exported to various Soviet allied countries during the Cold War era.

At the end of World War I (1919) the Treaty of Neuilly-sur-Seine was signed with the intent of forcing reparations on The Kingdom of Bulgaria for its role as one of the Central Powers. Beyond ceding certain territories to the Serbs, Croats, Slovenes and to the Etente itself, Bulgaria was ordered to pay reparations of £100 million and to all but disband its military forces.
Bulgaria was also banned from operating military aircraft under any form for the next 20 years; all Bulgarian aircraft, aviation equipment, weaponry and ammunition were to be destroyed under Allied supervision and any aircraft procured for civilian purposes were to be purchased from the Allied countries. In 1920 the complete inventory of the Bulgarian airforce along with their remaining naval seaplanes were taken to the military airfield at Bozhurishte, near the capital of Sofia, and systematically scrapped.

Bozhurishte airfield, 1925

But a few Air Troops personnel -defiantly intent on maintaining some form of air force even if it was only symbolic- managed to secure assistance from nearby villages and salvaged seven DFW C.V's, some Albatros C.III biplanes and a single Fokker D.VII along with at least 10 engines before the Allied inspectors arrived. Under the guise of an airmail service two planes were assembled from these parts and the Fokker was disguised as a two seat trainer.

Bulgaria State Aircraft Factory, Lovech 1942

Once the treaty's 20 year limit expired in 1939 a hastily re-established Bulgarian airforce began building an aircraft production factory in Lovech, about 200km Northeast of the capital. The "State Aircraft Factory" or DSF (Държавна самолетна фабрика / ДСФ) engineering was headed by Captain Petko Popganchev, an accomplished pilot. Production of the DAR-9 ("Tits" ??) began in 1943 and the factory continued aircraft production (mostly Laz-7 trainers) under the name "Factory 14" until 1954 when the communist government ceased aircraft production in the country.

Bulgarian DAR-9

For the next two years the factory struggled to maintain some production, mostly focused on agricultural machinery and even beehives. At this point it was being run by chief engineer Dimitar Damyanov; faced with a complete collapse of production and the subsequent loss of his design and engineering team, he proposed that the factory be converted to production of civilian cars and motorcycles. From 1944 until 1955 the import, trade and sales of cars and motorcycles for private customers was forbidden so the industry was basically non-existent in Bulgaria, and the Industrial Ministry agreed to support the plan. Engineers from "Factory 12" in Sofia began work on prototypes by copying the engines and mechanics from Volkswagon, DKW, Jawa and others. Meanwhile the Lovech factory began work on body and frame designs with a second team of engineers headed by Damyanov.

Above: Balkan M-1

The first Bulgarian manufactured motorcycle prototype was almost completely based on the DKW RT 250 and was presented at the 17th International Sample Fair in Plovdiv in 1956: this was a 2 stroke 249cc single cylinder machine with 12.5 HP at 4800 rpm and a top speed of 110 km/h. In December 1957 the first 100 M-1 production machines rolled off the line at Factory 14, but the obvious technical and design similarities with the DKW led to an immediate copyright dispute, although it is unclear who the actual plaintiff was since DKW itself had lost their rights to the plans in the War Reparations Act. Nonetheless, within a few months three employees from Factory 14 were dispatched to the Jawa and CZ factories, returning with enough design changes copied from those bikes (which, incidentally, were also DKW copies) to satisfy the dispute and the M-2 went into full production.

Above: Balkan M-2

In 1958 the C-2 "Sport" was released with a new rear suspension and new headlight design, and this model continued production until 1971.
About 1960 the factory released the MK50, a 50cc single cylinder with 3.30 HP/ 6500 rpm. Although commonly referred to as a "moped" it was in fact a motorcycle with no bicycle pedals. Shortly thereafter a 75cc model of the same bike came out. In September 1960 Balkan exhibited their new models in Plovdiv and took three gold medals. The export market included various countries in Africa and Central America along with Nicaragua, Cuba and neighbors Greece and Turkey.

Balkan MK50

Balkan MK75

Fiat "Pirin"

The factory struggled with its automobile production; in 1962 plans to produce a commercial van copied from the Volkswagen Transporter were scuttled when Russia proved unable to deliver engines and frames, and production facilities at the Lovech plant itself were far too inadequate to manufacture the necessary parts. In 1966 a contract was made with Fiat for production of its 850 and 124 series, and about 758 cars were assembled under the "Pirin" brand before the contract expired in 1971.
About the same time (beginning in 1966) a new deal was made with Moscow to assemble Moskvich models 408, 412 and 2141 from complete parts kits shipped from Russia. Known as the Moskvich "Aleko" models, assembly continued in varying capacities up to 1988. In 1967 the factory officially changed its name from Factory 14 to "Balkan Motors".

Moskvich "Aleko"

The last Balkan motorcycle was produced in 1975, ending a production run of 271,562 units including all models and modifications. But apparently a last ditch attempt was made for the export market sometime shortly before this: the bike made its way to the US when an unnamed American entrepreneur visiting Bulgaria discovered the brand. At the time he was operating a company called "Valley Imports" in Detroit, MI. and specializing in the import of used Volkswagen parts. Allegedly, a few samples were acquired and somehow evaded US customs but once he began taking out ads in magazines the government stepped in and called an immediate halt to the operation: the bikes were produced in a communist country and thus considered contraband in the USA. Although the existing stock was ordered to be destroyed some managed to survive and at least a few are currently in the hands of US collectors.
Today Balkan AD. is active primarily in the production of bicycles, electrical truck motors and forklifts.

References and Further Reading:

ДАР-9 Синигер
Мотопеди и мотоциклети Балкан
Balkan AD. Official Site

More Girls of Иж

2012-01-29T09:56:00.003+02:00

I covered Иж pretty comprehensively in my March 2011 article, but found these on some Russian sites recently and thought they might contribute to the topic. I realize I haven't been particularly productive on the blog posts lately, but I have a few more "Relics" coming soon ;)
Links to the official sites at bottom.
(edit: my bad, this first bike seems to be a FrankenMinsk with some Izh parts bolted on. But WTF, you know you're not really looking at the engine anyway ;)

Top: Tonya@ Just Nude.com
Bottom: Natasha Shy

FNA Custom Cycles: Custom BMW

2012-01-15T10:20:00.002+02:00

You know, out here in Bumfuck East Europe we get a fairly limited view of the custom bike world: it's mostly relegated to western motor sports or watching the Teutals bitch at each other like a couple of chihuahuas for an hour before they turn out some hideous piece of chromed corporate advertising on two wheels. Granted, I'm "old school" (some would use the term "dinosaur") and my taste in bikes is a bit narrow. My heartthrob is a 60 year old Russian machine, which probably certifies me for mental counseling anyway. But when I saw this a couple of months ago, my jaw really dropped.

Eric Allard over at FNA Custom Cycles started out with a '73 BMW R75 750 flat twin, then basically fabricated a whole bike around that. The frame and front end are completely custom, and the tank is a modified Harley Dyna Glide fitted with a stock '66 BMW speedo and VW gas cap.

What really turned me on was the chain drive/rear brake conversion: it's a Polaris ATV front differential connected with a twin sprocket & chain and running a Brembo disc on one side with the drive sprocket off the other. No more final drive gear ratio issues ;)

Here's a writeup from the August 2010 UK magazine "Back Street Heroes":

They've also been turning out some other rather fine machines based on classic models, including a '73 Triumph and some vintage Japs. Check out their website & blog at the links below.

http://fnacustomcycles.blogspot.com/
fna custom cycles.com

Ends and Odds....

2011-12-31T21:36:00.002+02:00

Roundup of the year stuff, some bits and bobs I collected online and didn't stick anywhere else. Happy end of a 2011 and nazdrave/narok/cheers/prost/salud for a new 2012!

...oh yeah, and that Mayan calendar stuff? I'm sticking with Bill Gates' version: Windows calendar says we'll all live forever ;)

oh Yeah...

2011-12-24T22:58:00.004+02:00

In this time of unbridled capitalism, dysfunctional family gatherings and music that makes you want to cut your ears off-
please, let's remember the TRUE reason for the holiday...

Winter's half fucking over !!!

cheers everybody, all the best for a New Year and keep the rubber side down :)
Charlie

Balkans Burn, Part III of III: Samarina to Dambul Morii, Romania

2011-12-21T08:42:00.003+02:00

On August 5th, 2008 Pera Baity and I set out to explore the Balkans. We were riding antique Russian motorcycles; mine is a 50's vintage M72 and Pera's on an 1960's Ural M61. The journey would take us over three thousand kilometers through five countries.

This is the third and final segment: we ride north to Albania and follow the Vjosë river to Përmet. From there we travel northeast, stopping to visit the Kamenicë Tumulus before a rough road in Korçë and Lake Ohrid at the border of Albania and Macedonia (FYROM).
In Macedonia we spend the night in Struga, then visit Kruševo, site of the 1903 Ilinden Uprising. From there we continue east across Macedonia and Bulgaria visiting Prilep, Peshtera and Chirpan before crossing the Stara Planina mountains and joining a huge bike rally in Veliko Turnovo.

After a brief return home, I meet back up with Pera in Bucharest and we ride to the Communist Sidecar rally in Dambul Morii, Transylvania region.

You can visit these links for Part I and Part II.

Click here for the text and photos from the trip.

hey folks, if you like it share it- I've been working on this project for 3 years and we don't have any kind of budget for a real screening. My only chance at an audience comes from you :)

Balkans Burn, Part II of III: Giannitsa to Samarina, Greece

2011-12-02T11:07:00.000+02:00

On August 5th, 2008 Pera Baity and I set out to explore the Balkans. We were riding antique Russian motorcycles; mine is a 50's vintage M72 and Pera's on a 1960's Ural M61. The journey would take us over three thousand kilometers through five countries.

This is the second of three videos documenting the journey, and follows our travels through the Vlach villages of Greece. Picking up from part I in Giannitsa, we travel into the mountains to visit Livadia and Ano Grammatiko. From there we head south again, strolling through the historic quarter of Veria and then down to Argyropouli. After this we head east once more to Metsovo -where we see "historical tourism" at its peak- and finally circle back north to find a political rally in Samarina.

You can visit these links for Part I and Part III.

Balkans Burn, Part I of III: Varna, Bulgaria to Giannitsa, Greece

2011-11-20T18:32:00.001+02:00

On August 5th, 2008 Pera Baity and I set out to explore the Balkans. We were riding antique Russian motorcycles; mine is a 50's vintage M72 and Pera's on a 1960's Ural M61. The journey would take us over three thousand kilometers through five countries.

This is the first segment of a three part video documenting the journey: starting from my home in Varna, Bulgaria we ride south down the Black Sea coast and through southern Bulgaria. After crossing the Greek border at Svilengrad we spend a night in Orestiada then continue south to the Aegean Sea where we stop in Alexandroupoli, then continue east to Kavala and finally into Giannitsa, at the foot of the Pindus Mountains.

You can visit these links for Part II and Part III.

Veteran's Day

2011-11-11T22:44:00.001+02:00

Gratitude to honorable soldiers, living and fallen.
To those who have started war from greed; from blind ambition and from perceived "heavenly righteousness", and to those who take arms against innocents: may some honorable warrior stand in your blood.

Mustang

2011-11-06T19:51:00.002+02:00

Mustang Sally, think you better slow your mustang down;

You been running all over the town now,

I guess I'll have to put your flat feet on the ground.

All you want to do is ride around Sally; ride, Sally, ride.

Initially based on the second generation Falcon, the Ford Mustang was introduced on April 17, 1964 at the New York World's Fair: it was their most successful launch since the Model A in 1927. It went on to become a cultural icon, one of the most successful brands in American automotive history, and it inspired a whole new class of American sports cars- the "pony" car.

The original Mustang I concept was introduced in 1962 by the Fairlane Group, a committee of Ford managers led by Lee Iacocca. The company was looking for a new low-cost sports car to counter the success of GM's Corvair Monza sports coupe, and designer Eugene Bordinat delivered: a small, mid-engined V4, open two-seater with aluminium body work. The unibody skin was riveted to a space frame, and the seats were integrated for additional rigidity; features included adjustable steering column and pedals and dual side mounted radiators. Lead designer John Najjar proposed the name "Mustang" for the concept vehicle, based on what he saw as design similarities with the P-51 Mustang fighter plane.


1962 Mustang I concept with H.L. Misch, v.p., engineering (left), and Gene Bordinat, v.p., styling.

Two prototypes were made, one showcar and one racing model. The Mustang I made its formal debut at the United States Grand Prix in Watkins Glen, New York on October 7, 1962, where test driver and Formula One racer Dan Gurney lapped the track in a demonstration using the second "race" prototype. His lap times were only slightly off the pace of the F1 race cars.
For the next two years both cars appeared at shows and automotive events, as well as touring colleges as a marketing tool.
One of the original Mustang I models languished in storage for several years, sporadically appearing in displays and museum loans. The remains of the car were restored and donated to The Henry Ford Museum, where it officially became part of the museum collection in 1982.

1960 Ford Falcon

After public reaction demonstrated a limited appeal to the Mustang I, a completely new Mustang II concept car appeared in 1963.This four-seater Mustang was already chosen for production, using a four-seat configuration and front engine layout based on the popular Falcon. The Mustang II was much more conventional, and the concept design closely resembled the final 1964 production model. Practically the only design element remaining from the original Mustang I were the radiator scoops, which were now fake louvers.

1963 Mustang II Concept

The production "1965" Mustang had a suggested retail price of US$2,368, and was based on simple components which were already in production for other Ford models: most of the interior, chassis, suspension and drivetrain were pulled from Ford's Falcon and Fairlane. This use of common components shortened the learning curve for assembly and repair workers and allowed dealers to pick up the Mustang without having to invest in unique spare parts inventories. A huge ad campaign heralded the car's release, with publicity articles appeared in 2,600 newspapers the day after its announcement. Original sales forecasts projected less than 100,000 units for the first year, but that was surpassed within three months of rollout. Another 318,000 would be sold during the '65 model year -a record for Ford- and in its first eighteen months more than one million Mustangs rolled out of the factory in either "fastback" or convertible models.
Several changes were made between the original April '64 release and the official 1965 run which came out four months later including reverse lights on some models, the introduction of alternators to replace generators, and an upgrade of the V8 engine from a 260 to a 289 cubic inch. In at least some Mustangs the rush into production included some unusual quirks, such as a horn ring bearing the 'Ford Falcon' logo beneath a trim ring emblazoned with 'Ford Mustang.' These characteristics made enough difference to later designate the first 121,538 cars as "1964½" model-year Mustangs, a distinction that has endured with purists.

By 1967 the Mustang still retained its original body structure but the lines were modified to give it a more muscled look. Front and rear styling was more pronounced, and the instrument panel featured a thicker pad and larger gauges. Hardtop, fastback and convertible body styles continued as before, but a host of Federal safety features were standard that year including an energy-absorbing steering column and wheel and 4-way emergency flashers. In 1968 the side scoops were revised along with the steering wheel and gas cap. Side marker lights were also added, and cars built after January 1, 1968 included shoulder belts for both front seats. The '68 models also introduced the 302 small-block V8 engine, designed for new Federal emissions standards.
For 1969 and 1970 models, the Mustang received an even larger body with a more aggressive stance and a wider grille. '69 models featured "quad headlamps" which disappeared to make way for an even wider grille in the '70 models. This trend towards a heavier body continued through the 70's, and left some fans wondering if their sleek, powerful "pony" might be getting a bit fat.

1965 Shelby GT

The Shelby GT's:
Caroll Shelby- a World War II fighter pilot turned Formula One driver (setting 16 U.S. and international speed records along the way)- started Shelby American in 1962 with the goal of producing high performance aftermarket parts and cars. The company started out modifying British made AC "Ace" roadsters with 260 cubic inch Ford V8 engines, which became famous as the iconic Shelby Cobra. He turned his attention to the Mustang in 1965 -the first full year of production- and the resulting GT-350 was a true street-legal race car. Shelby installed a monster 289 cu in (4.7 L) V8, replaced the stock Falcon rear axles with a heavier set from the Galaxie, dropped in a 4-speed Borg-Warner T-10 manual transmission and stripped everything else down as much as possible. This amounted to 306bhp at 6000rpm, enough for a 138mph top speed and 0-60 in 6.6 seconds.
562 Shelby Mustangs were built in 1965, 36 of them ’R’ models specifically designed for racing. The '66 models featured more options and were geared a bit more towards the consumer market, and production jumped to almost 2,400 fastbacks along with about 250 early production models with stock 1965 Mustang bodies. Although Shelby American became less involved after '66, Ford continued the GT-350 and a larger GT-500 through 1969 and revived the '66 custom Hertz version in 2006.

1970 Boss 302

Boss 302:

The Camaro/Mustang rivalry had begun in 1967, and the Camaro was the largest threat to the lead Ford had in the "pony car" field: the big block Chevrolet was more than a match for the 289 and 390 stock Mustang V8's. In an effort to polish up their "total performance" image Ford introduced the Boss 302 in 1969, a composite engine using the "tunnel port" Windsor block and large Cleveland heads.
Designed by Larry Shinoda, a former GM employee, the car featured unique reflective "c-stripe" strips and dropped the fake rear louvers: it was also one of the first production cars with a front spoiler and rear deck wing. The name "Boss" came about when Shinoda was asked which project he was working on and he simply answered "the boss's car" as the project was secret. When Parnelli Jones won the 1970 Trans-Am title, the "Boss" name stuck.

A total of 7,013 1970 Boss 302s were produced in 1970, with an SRP of $3,720. The 1970 car could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 6.9 seconds. The quarter mile (~400 m) took 14.6 seconds at 98 mph (158 km/h).

1969 Mach 1

The Mach 1:

By 1969 Ford had 6 factory performance Mustang models with nine variations of V-8s. The GT model was discontinued after 1969, replaced by a new fastback package the company dubbed the Mach 1.
The Mach 1 was introduced as an "in-between" model, designed to bridge the gap between the now consumer oriented GT and the track oriented Boss 302s and 429s. Ford added several performance enhancements such as upgraded suspensions (depending on powertrain choices) and the signature "Shaker hood", an air scoop mounted directly to the top of the motor named for its tendency to "shake" above the rumbling V-8. A 351 cu in (5.8 L) Windsor tall deck V8 with a 3 speed manual transmission came stock, but option packages included a 390 cu in (6.4 L) V8 and the massive 428 cu in (7.0 L) Super Cobra Jet as well as a 4 speed manual and "traction lok" rear axle.

Visually, the new design integrated a matte black hood with hood pins, chrome gas cap, wheels and exhaust tips and dealer optional spoilers and louvers along with integrated turn-signal lights mounted in the back of the scoop. The interior boasted teak wood grain details, full sound deadening material and high-back sport bucket seats.
In 1969, Performance Buyer's Digest put a new Mach 1 through its paces at Bonneville, breaking some 295 USAC speed and endurance records. Ford kept the Mach 1 alive through the 1970's, and it became the primary street performance Mustang.

Lee Iacocca was pushing for a smaller, more fuel-efficient Mustang, and the '74 came out based on the less than exiting Pinto. Its reduced size allowed it to compete against imported sports coupés such as the Toyota Celica, but performance was drastically reduced and sales slumped. By the third generation (1979-1993) the car had become little more than a standard compact car with an optional gas-guzzling engine: new U.S. emission and safety regulations had effectively cut the balls out of it. In 1994 the Mustang underwent its first major redesign in fifteen years, and the base model came with a 3.8 liter V6, 145 bhp (108 kW) in 1994 and 1995, or 150 bhp (110 kW) (1996–1998), and was mated to a standard 5-speed manual transmission or optional 4-speed automatic.

Today the Mustang is available in 11 models, including a redesigned Boss 302 and "Shelby" GT 500. But sales have continued to slump during the last decade, and the current economic crisis certainly hasn't done Ford any good. Vintage Mustangs still enjoy a huge fan base, and it remains one of the most desired collectible cars in the USA.

Gary Littlejohn

2011-10-23T20:58:00.002+03:00

Hells Angels on Wheels (1967). The Savage Seven (1968). Speedway (1968). The Cycle Savages (1969). Angels Die Hard (1970). C.C. and Company (1970). Angels Hard as They Come (1971). Bury Me an Angel (1971).

For any fan of the late 1960's - early 70's "bikesploitation" Roger Corman inspired film genre, Gary Littlejohn's name may not stand out immediately but his face should. And his bikes definitely should. He didn't just act in almost all of those movies alongside heavies like Peter Fonda, Jack Nicholson and Bruce Dern, he did a lot of their stunts and built a number of the bikes themselves.
I mentioned his Cinderella Cart in the trikes article, but he definitely deserves more space in this blog: he's right up there with the other artists who inspired the cult of the chopper.

Gary Littlejohn was born in Vermont in 1946. After what can generally be described as a rough childhood in the Northeastern US - cycling between farm work and State homes- Littlejohn joined the Navy at 17 then headed out to California in the 1960's to get in on the custom bike and car scene that was booming there. An expert welder, painter and fabricator who already had experience building hot rods, he soon made a name for himself alongside the other icons of that era such as Ed Roth and Von Dutch. When Roth ran an article on him in Choppers Magazine in 1968 he had a paint and custom shop going in Van Nuys, but by 1974 he'd opened a shop in Tujunga just north of LA dedicated to fabricating custom tanks and boxes.

Custom Chopper Magazine, October 1973

"When I first got to California, I got into a body shop doing car stuff. I always loved motorcycles. One of the guys had a bike. We went to Hanson Dam and I brought a dirt bike. Riding it around I thought, "Man, that was easy." Then it stalled at the railroad tracks. Traffic was backing up behind me, so I gave it a healthy twist of throttle after restarting it and wheelied to get out of traffic. My buddy says to me, "I thought you didn't know how to ride."

Littlejohn's personal custom panhead. Got pipe?

Custom triumph pre unit

His paint work had introduced him to a number of people in the Hollywood crowd; when an AIP producer saw an article on some of his bikes -he was getting a lot of print coverage at the time and in fact became the custom editor for Motor Cyclist Magazine- they called him in to help coordinate the bikes in Roger Corman's Wild Angels and again in Devil's Angels to supply the bikes and teach actor John Cassavetes how to ride. He was soon pulling regular parts and stunt work as well as supplying bikes and finding extras: for the next decade he would build and coordinate machines for almost every biker movie done by American International Pictures. Since then he's been credited for stunts in at least 57 movies and has acted in 23 including Badlands and Caged Heat, and has worked on over 300 films in various capacities.

"I used to go down to LAPD with my friend Mike the mechanic. We'd pick up cop Harleys for $300 apiece, then chop them and sell them for $10,000. What was nice about California was there were chrome platers, coaters, and upholsterers on every street. You could make a complete custom for nothing. Now it's ridiculous. I like the older choppers much better."

1974 Custom Choppers Magazine article

The Cinderella cart, more pics in Whacked Out Trikes

Littlejohn and his partner Peter Murphy got a request to build a BMX frame in 1973, and by 1975 he had a full line of BMX bikes ranging from mono-shocks to rigids along with forks and sidehacks (a sidecar-mounted BMX bike): he is credited as the first manufacturer of a rigid BMX frame. He also sponsored early BMX riders such as Billy Wouda and Bill McIntyre. In 1976, much to the heckling of the industry, he made and advertised a 26 inch "Ballooner" (later to be dubbed a "Cruiser")--three years before BMXers would ever consider racing "beach cruisers."

Gary Littlejohn currently lives in Vermont and has continued his work as a professional stunt coordinator for the film industry. He still builds custom bikes and hot rods.

References:

Renaissance Man Gary Littlejohn - Street Chopper Magazine, October 2010
nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com- October 2009
nostalgiaonwheels.blogspot.com -January 2010
Wild beyond belief!: interviews with exploitation filmmakers of the 1960s - Brian Albright

Motor Oil 101

2011-10-15T20:15:00.002+03:00

I was gonna call this "facts vs. friction" but about 200 internet articles beat me to that. No such thing as an original idea anymore...

Oil Composition:

Two main components determine motor oil performance: the base oil and the chemical additives.

Base oils can generally be divided into two categories, mineral and synthetic.
Mineral oils are by-products of natural crude oil distillation, which is used to create gasoline and other products. This refining process reduces impurities but leaves the remaining chemical molecules in irregular shapes and sizes. Mineral oils break down faster during high-heat or heavy-load operation, partly because of impurities that can't be removed in the refining process.

Mineral based motor oils are the cheapest and most widely available automotive oils.

Synthetic oils on the other hand are manmade compounds with evenly formed molecules; consequently synthetic oil has less friction. They also don't have the impurities found in natural mineral oils so they can perform better at higher temperatures. They are of course much more expensive, but they have a longer service life and offer some improvements in protection.

Regardless of the base oil, chemical additives are used to give motor oil desired characteristics depending on its intended use. Typical additives can make up 15 - 25% of the lubricant and generally include such things as detergents, anti-foam agents, friction modifiers, viscosity modifiers, antioxidants and others. Additives can impact a lubricant’s performance much more than the base oil: i.e., a mineral based oil with a very good additive package can easily outperform synthetic oil with a poor additive package. A variety of aftermarket additives are also available for specialist applications.

Rules of thumb:
Got an older machine that belches smoke, needs a tuneup and drinks oil like gasoline? Don't waste money on synthetics. Use cheaper mineral oils and look into aftermarket additives.

Got a nice newer model? Synthetics will reduce engine wear and possibly increase mileage. They'll almost certainly increase the time between necessary oil changes.

Got a well tuned old machine that runs like a top and doesn't burn oil? Synthetics will usually increase your engine life, but they may not be heavy enough for air cooled engines.

Oil Weight and Viscosity:

In the early 1900s automotive engineers expressed a desire to have "free exchange of ideas" in order to expand their individual technical knowledge base, and in 1904 the the Society of Automobile Engineers (SAE) was founded in New York City. Today SAE International publishes more than 1,600 technical standards used in the automotive industry, including motor oil classification standards.

Oil viscosity refers to how easily oil pours at a specified temperature; thinner oils flow more easily at low temperatures, and heavier, thicker oils are better for maintaining film strength and oil pressure at high temperatures and loads. The oil’s viscosity is defined mainly by the size of the molecules. The larger the molecule structures, the thicker, or higher, or heavier the viscosity. As mineral oil ages, the molecular size and structure changes and hence, the resulting changes in viscosity over the service life of the oil.
The viscosity rating of a motor oil is determined by a SAE laboratory: the oil is measured and given a number, which some people also refer to as the "weight" (thickness) of the oil. The lower the viscosity rating (or weight), the thinner the oil. Viscosity ratings for commonly used motor oils typically range from 0 up to 50.

Technically Speaking:

Most oils are rated for multiple viscosities, i.e. 5W- 40.
The first number (in this case "5") is the oils maximum low temperature dynamic viscosity based on cold cranking and pumping rates. This is not an absolute temperature reference, rather it's a designation based on multiple tests: i.e., a rating of 5 infers that the oil will have maximum cold cranking viscosity no greater than 6,600 mPa's at -30°c. and a maximum pumping viscosity of 60,000 mPa's at -35°c.

Motor oils rated for dynamic viscosity have a "W" after the number, which simply designates that they are rated for Winter (cold weather) applications.
Common cold temperature ratings:
5W: - 30°c. / -22°f.
10W: - 20°c. / -4°c.
15W: - 10°c. / 14°c.

The second number ("40") refers to the oil's minimum high temperature viscosity rating based on its shear rates at 100°c. and 150°c. This standard specifies minimum hot temperature viscosities to ensure that the oil will exhibit proper lubricating properties under the pressures and temperatures of normal engine operating conditions. A 40 grade oil will have a kinematic (low shear) viscosity of no less than 12.5-16.3 cSt at 100°C and a dynamic (high shear) viscosity of no less than 2.9 mPa's in the high pressure parts of an engine.

Some heavier oils are not rated for low temperatures, and simply have a single number which will refer to the high temperature viscosity.

Confused?

Yeah, so am I and I just wrote all that crap. So here's a standard temperature based scale for common automotive motor oils:

Don't select a heavier oil in the mistaken belief it will provide better protection. Older machines were often designed for heavier oils, and high temperatures in air cooled engines may require something like a straight SAE 40. But most manufacturers currently specify light oil such as 5W-20: modern engines have incredibly tight clearances between parts and a heavier oil may not reach into these areas. The lighter oil also helps provide better fuel economy and decreases the load on pumping and circulating systems.

API Rating Donuts:

The American Petroleum Institute (API) sets another performance standard for lubricants, the API service classes which are divided into two general classifications; S for "service/spark ignition" (passenger cars and trucks using gasoline engines), and C for "commercial/compression ignition" (diesel equipment). Most engine oil sold in the USA has an API Service Symbol (also known as the "Donut") somewhere on the container.

The API Service Category is based on your engine model year (among other things) and can be a useful guide when deciding what to use in your car or truck:

SN: gasoline engines 2010 - current
SL: gasoline engines 2004 - current
SJ: gasoline engines made prior to 2001
SH: gasoline engines made prior to 1996
SG: gasoline engines made prior to 1993

Motorcycle Oils:

There are some particular issues for motorcycle oil. Most modern bikes have wet clutches, which means the motor oil runs through the clutch; if the oil has too much molybdenum in it there are concerns by some manufacturers that the clutch can start slipping. If the donut" certification stamp on the back of a certified oil container says "energy conserving" in the bottom half, it contains the additives that could cause clutch slipping. Most 0w-20, 5w-30 and 10w-30 oils are energy conserving and should not be used in wet clutch motorcycles.

Also, most motorcycles run the engine oil through the transmission and those gears are tough on the oil's VII (Viscosity Index Improver) additive package, causing the viscosity to break down prematurely. Standard car oils are only good for typically 1500 miles before they've lost about half of their viscosity. In particular 10w-40 oils contain a lot of VIIs and should be avoided, and you can't use 10w-30 with a wet clutch because of the friction modifiers.
This doesn't leave much: commercial 15w-40 oils are a reasonable choice because they have relatively few VIIs.

Some people only ride sporadically, which allows the oil to drain completely into the sump leaving the bearings dry. The first start after a long period of non-use can be particularly hard on an engine, so film strength is very important if you're not starting the bike regularly. Synthetics have a much higher film strength than petroleum oils, so it takes a lot longer for the oil to drain completely off your bearings and into your sump.

There are several key advantages to using synthetic oils: synthetics typically don't contain much of a VII package, so shear is not as big an issue. Also, synthetic oils have a higher viscosity index and better resistance to temperature related viscosity changes. They have little or no VIIs and last longer in service without radical changes in viscosity.

References:

Understanding the SAE Motor Oil Viscosity Standard
ACEA European Oil Sequences
All About Motor Oils
How To Pick The Right Motor Oil For Your Car (Popular Mechanics)
Engine Oils at the Car Bible

Balkans Burn

2011-10-09T09:39:00.001+03:00

On August 5th, 2008 Pera Baity and I set out to explore the Balkans. We were riding antique Russian motorcycles; mine is a 50's vintage M72 and Pera's on an 1960's Ural M61. The journey would take us over three thousand kilometers, from my home In Varna bulgaria down the Black Sea coast then inland to the Greek border crossing near Svilengrad, From there we travelled further south to the coast of the Aegean before riding west through Thessalonia and into the Pindus Mountains. We turned north from here and crossed into Albania, then eastwards through Macedonia and back across Bulgaria: after a brief rest I continued up into Romania.

Over seventeen days of constant movement, through five countries. Part of our goal was to explore the Vlach culture that still lies hidden in the small mountain villages, but mainly it was just to ride....

3,000+ Kilometers.
17+ Days.
5 Countries.
2 Antique Russian Motorcycles.
$20 Film Budget.
0 Support Vehicles.
0 Film Crew.

Lots of beer.

The free, full length video will be released here in 10 - 15 minute segments, and will also be available on my website at Goodkarmaproductions.com as production is completed.
Click here to view the journal and photos from the trip.

Motorcycle FAIL....

2011-10-07T14:03:00.001+03:00

Yeah, you've been watching old reruns of American Chopper (badly translated into your language of choice), and you're thinking "shit man, I've got my grandpa's old Izh back in the barn- I can customize that baby and sell it for a fortune !!!"
Of course you ain't got no cash, and the cameras ain't rolling... so you make do with the scrap laying around the farm. After a few months work and a coat of housepaint, VOILA! Your own custom....erm, "chopper".

So this one's dedicated to all those guys who shouldn't be allowed to play with wrenches:

Step 2- learn how to paint flames... 50cc Simson

Step 3- Learn how to paint flames that don't look like barf after a gallon of cheap red wine. The BMW sticker adds a nice touch though.

If this guy lived near me, I'd be worried.

Nice chain on an extreme lowrider. Probably not safe to take off the sidewalk.

The King of Bling

Harley owner with a Vespa fetish...

Currently known as "Jobody the Legless Wonder". 99% sure this is Photoshop, but...

Fuck fiberglass...

I don't even know what to think about this. I'm almost hoping it's a photoshop job.

What NOT to do to a Triumph.

When you can't find scrap metal, use firewood.

Of course, even the "Pros" have some days when the design team and the mechanics are mixing different classes of drugs....

Yellow wheels are innovative. The rest of it looks like they mixed too much broccoli with some bad acid.

What do ya mean ya ran out of chromium for the plating tank ???

Frankenballs

I think the one with the freaky mannikin inspired this...

And almost sure this one was cut out of the back of a Japanese breakfast cereal box.

I could probably add 90% of everything Paul Teutel Jr. ever touched, but that would just be monotonous.

REMEMBER KIDS: Just because it sounds like a great idea after the 5th bong hit, that doesn't mean it is a great idea ;)

Some Vintage Easyriders

2011-09-25T19:12:00.001+03:00

Whacked-out Trikes

2011-09-18T13:54:00.002+03:00

An often overlooked aspect of motorcycle history -and indeed automotive history in general- is the Trike. It was an integral step in the development of motorcycles as we know them today, making that first move away from a bulky four wheeled wagon to a more lightweight frame and consequently lighter engines that were necessary to power the two wheeled designs. Many, if not most, of the historical motorcycle manufacturers either started with trike designs or at least experimented with them.

Full sized pedal trikes date back to at least the 1600's, but possibly the earliest trike with an engine was patented by L. Hardaker in 1880 in Britain.
Karl Benz, (who later founded Mercedes-Benz) took out a patent on April 28th, 1886 for The Benz Patent-Motorwagen, a two seat trike with a Benz 954 cc single-cylinder four-stroke engine. In fact, this is widely considered to be the first automobile: i.e., the first vehicle specifically designed to be propelled by an engine.

1886 Benz Patent Motorwagen

1900 De Dion Bouton Tricycle

Plenty of manufacturers soon followed suite; Léon Bollée introduced his 3 wheeled Voiturette to an approving Le Mans audience in 1895, and in 1896 the De Dion Bouton Tricycle hit the European market with a 137 cc single cylinder engine: in trials it hit an unheard of 3500 rpm. In 1898 Louis Renault had a De Dion-Bouton trike modified with fixed drive shaft and ring and pinion gear, creating what was probably the first "hot rod" in history.

But the three wheeled configuration lacked the stability of its four wheeled counterpart, and it couldn't compete with the sporting configuration of the new "motorized bicycles" that were becoming popular by the early 20th century and could easily be modified with a sidecar. Instead it settled into something of a niche market as a service vehicle, where it still managed to prove useful with an economic advantage over bulkier vehicles and the ability to carry more cargo than a motorcycle.

1915 Harley Davidson "Motorcycle Truck"

The Harley Trikes

Harley Davidson can probably be credited with much of the design of today's trikes.
In 1913 the company introduced The Motorcycle Truck, which was essentially a cart with a wooden box mounted in front of a Model 9 565cc. motorcycle; originally designed for use by the Postal Service, it could carry up to 550 lbs. of cargo and soon became popular with commercial clients. But sidecar configurations proved more adaptable and the "truck" was short lived.

1932 Servicar demo for Automotive Service Centers

As the 1930's dawned in the era of the Great Depression, Harley-Davidson was desperate to increase sales. Their solution was the 1932 introduction of their first "true" trike, the ServiCar.
The Servicar had a 45 cubic inch flathead from their R model and indeed most of the front end and gearbox came straight off that bike. But the frame was an actual tricycle, with a two-wheel rear end and a load-carrying box.
The Servicar was "Intended primarily for use by garages and services stations in the pickup and delivery of customer's cars." The trike was fitted with a towbar on the front, so one rider could go out to the customer and then tow the trike back to the shop (or conversely deliver the automobile and ride the trike back).

The Servi-Car soon gained popularity as a utility vehicle for small businesses and mobile vendors as well as police departments, some of which still used Servi-Cars into the 1990s. Production ran from its introduction in 1932 right up to 1973.

As noted in my previous article on Vintage Choppers , most sources reference the movie Easy Rider as the start of the custom chopper boom and national news stories on the antics of the Hells Angels in Altamont certainly had the image of the biker outlaw already fixed in the public’s eye. Ed "Big Daddy" Roth (An (un)Holy Trinity of Custom Culture- Part 2, Ed Roth) quickly jumped into the fray producing some highly customized chopper themed trikes. Through the '60s and '70s the trike exploded back onto the scene in some incredible configurations: a three wheeled frame was perfectly suited to lightweight fiberglass bodies and there was plenty of room to use larger engines.

Several of Ed Roth's custom trikes, above: from top, "Mailbox", 1967: "Candywagon" 1965(?), "Asphalt Angel", 1985 (two paint versions): "American Beetle", 1968, "Great Speckled Bird", 1976 and "Rubber Ducky" 1995

Gary Littlejohn's Cinderella Cart

Built in 1969 by the man who pretty much invented Coffin Tanks (look for an article on him here in the near future), this one made the cover of Roth's Choppers Magazine in July 1969.
The trike features a Corvair engine, J.D. Springers front end and an inverted transaxle.
This machine seems to have dropped out of sight these days, (most likely in a private collection somewhere) but Gary's daughter has posted on several other blogs trying to locate it if anyone has recent info on its whereabouts: it's a hard machine to miss in a crowd.

no, they ain't photoshopped. Original shoot from 1969.

In modern times sidecar usage has declined considerable (in fact they're almost nonexistent on anything besides Urals/Dneprs/Changs or vintage machines) and trikes have made something of a comeback; they're especially popular with older or handicapped riders, but many of the current bike builders are also using them to experiment with larger engine capacities. Harley has introduced a new trike model in 2011 very similar to the old Servicar, and a multitude of specialty conversion companies have sprung up.

fuckyeah METALFLAKE!

Russell Mitchell (EXILE) trike, 2005

http://users.senet.com.au/~mitchell/misc/html/tricycle.htm
http://www.myspace.com/motorcycletouring/blog/459900041
http://streetchopper.automotive.com/146881/1009-stcp-renaissance-man-gary-littlejohn/index.html

Nude Motorcycle Girl

2011-09-14T20:46:00.000+03:00

BMW: The Pre-War Years

2011-09-10T12:25:00.000+03:00

I've touched on the origins of BMW AG (Bavarian Motor Works /Bayerische Motoren Werke) previously in my article on the Russian Ural and Dnepr machines, which were effectively copies of older R models: but much was left unsaid as the actual focus of the piece lay elsewhere. Here I want to concentrate on the company itself, which had a rich history of mechanical innovation long before they became known as the automobile and motorcycle manufacturer they are now.

This is somewhat problematic, as may of the historical documents and other pieces of background information were destroyed in the Second World War: much of what we know today has been pieced together from second and third hand accounts. In contrast, the postwar history is of course well documented- to the extent that I really don't feel it needs to be covered here: so my primary focus is going to be on their origins in aviation, the original structure of the company and their introduction into motorcycle manufacture.

Gustav Otto, Franz-Josef Popp and Karl Rapp

The Players:

Karl Rapp Motorenwerke:

Karl Rapp (1882 - 1962) was an engineer for Züst automotive company and later worked as a technical designer for Daimler Benz. In 1912 he went to work for the newly formed but short lived Airframes Germany in Brand (near Aachen). As head engineer and operations manager Rapp was involved with the construction of several biplanes and a monoplane, as well as the design of the FD 1416 aeroengine. Records show that the company participated in the 1912 General Air Show in Berlin, but it went into liquidation in 1913. At that point Rapp and a partner, Julius Auspitzer, founded Karl Rapp Motor works on the same aerodrome grounds with a goal of building and marketing "engines of all types, in particular internal combustion engines for aircraft and motor vehicles". One of their first projects was an engine for the 2nd Kaiser's Trophy Competition, but it reportedly wasn't completed in time.

Max Friz

Nonetheless, the company expanded rapidly and by 1915 they employed 370 workers. They designed several aircraft prototypes which met with varying success: the Prussian Army rejected a delivery of Rapp engines as unsuitable, but both the Bavarian Army and the Austro-Hungarian Army ordered a few Rapp engines licensed through Austro-Daimler.
Company designer Max Friz finally came up with a working, innovative high-altitude aeroengine known as model BBE, and when the Prussian Army ordered 600 units shareholders stepped in and reorganized the legal structure of the company. Karl Rapp resigned, most likely due to ill-health as much as to his design and management failures. Renamed Bayerische Motoren Werke in 1917, Franz Josef Popp was appointed as the managing director of the new company.

Karl Rapp went on to head the aeroengine department of the L.A. Riedlinger Machine Factory, eventually retiring to Switzerland where he spent his later years making solar observations in a small observatory. Karl Friedrich Rapp died in 1962 in Locarno.

Rapp Motorenwerke production floor

Spurred by the success with the BBE engine, Max Friz designed a new inline six-cylinder, 185 bhp water-cooled aircraft engine. After integrating a throttle butterfly into the "high-altitude carburetor" he was able to produce a constant 200 horsepower (150 kW) up to an altitude of 2000 meters -a decisive advantage over competitors' engines. Dubbed the "3a " in reference to its performance class, it went into full production in 1918 and the company was almost overwhelmed with orders.

1919 BMW IV-A

But the end of the war in November 1918 had a huge impact on the entire German aircraft industry. Military demand collapsed completely and virtually overnight, and civil aviation was still in its infancy so no substitute business could be expected from that quarter. The BMW IIIa aero-engine was the only thing the company was geared to produce, and as an armament manufacturer the Commission for Demobilization ordered the closure of BMW’s Munich plant on 6 December 1918. Management immediately went into a furious stage of design, and armed with new peacetime plans permission was given for the gates to re-open on 1 February 1919.

From the outset BMW tried to remain an engine manufacturer, designing smaller power plants for civilian use although they also supplied industrial customers with products from its aluminum foundry. Initially they attempted to continue aircraft engine manufacture on a modest scale, but those plans were refused. While the new BMW products for civilian use were technically advanced, they could not provide the company with any long-term security in a highly competitive market and top management quickly began looking for alternatives: this arrived in 1919 when BMW obtained a ten year license agreement for the production of brake assemblies with the Berlin-based company Knorr-Bremse AG. By now most of the BMW shareholders had lost interest in the company. Only the major shareholder, Camillo Castiglioni, still believed that BMW had a future but he was not an entrepreneur who took the long view: he was a financier in search of a quick return.

Franz Zeno Diemer (center) set a world altitude record of 9,760m (32,013 ft.) with a BMW Type IV engine

Camillo Castiglioni (1879 –1957) was an Italian-Austrian financier and banker, and reportedly the wealthiest man in Central Europe during World War I. Born in Trieste, then Austria–Hungary (now part of Italy), he was passionate about flying but also recognized the tremendous financial opportunity of aviation's potential as an industry. Camillo was the first major investor in the series production of aircraft; in 1914 he had purchased the German aircraft company Hansa, which employed Ernst Heinkel as its chief designer.

In August 1920 Knorr-Bremse offered to buy all of Castiglioni's shares in BMW, and he accepted. But Knorr-Bremse only made minor alterations to the structure of BMW; they had no desire to change the management or to get involved in the production process. From 1918 to 1921 the workforce grew from 800 to 1,800 and the company set up its own training program with classes at the factory. However, the price for this situation required the abandonment of its core business of building aircraft engines. Nonetheless, the company introduced the Max Friz designed M2B15 engine -a 500 cc sidevalve flat twin- in 1921, which proved successful in a variety of applications but particularly in motorcycles.

Early BFW Helios with BMW M2B15 500cc, lateral opposed engine

In 1922 Castiglioni entered the picture again, offering to buy BMW's engine-building division, aluminum foundry, name, and trademark. He also asked for the drawings, patents, machine tools, chief designer Max Friz and chief executive Franz Josef Popp. Seventy five million reichsmarks changed hands and BMW was once again in the engine-building business. Castiglioni 's primary intent was on setting up an engine manufacturing plant of his own: the M2B15 engine was already being used by his other company Bayerische Flugzeugwerke , which was producing the Helios motorcycle.

Bavarian Aircraft Works (Bayerische Flugzeugwerke) had been founded by Gustav Otto (1883– 1926), son of Nikolaus August Otto, the inventor of the four-stroke internal combustion engine: his interest in engines was very likely inherited from his father at an early age. A successful car and motorcycle racer, he got his pilot's license in 1910 on an Aviatik biplane (a company he later owned). The same year he opened a workshop at the Puchheim airfield. By 1910 he had designed and built his own biplane, which created a sensation throughout Germany. Otto sold over 30 aircraft through his original company, which also included a flight school: Ernst Udet, the second-highest scoring German flying ace of World War I (second only to the Red Baron), earned his pilot's license from private training with Gustav.

In 1914 he opened AGO Aircraft at Berlin's Johannisthal Air Field to produce license-built Otto Aircraft Factory designs. At the start of the war, Otto-Aircraft was supplying the German Air Force, but the stress of wartime proved too great a burden for Gustov; in 1915 he was admitted to a Munich mental hospital for treatment of clinical depression and the company languished to the edge of bankruptcy, eventually forcing Otto's resignation. In 1926, amid failed attempts at business, the death of his wife and health issues, Gustav Otto committed suicide at the age of 43.

The assets were restructured into Bayerische Flugzeugwerke (BFW) in 1916. Within a month of being set up BFW was able to supply aircraft to the war ministries of Prussia and Bavaria, but German air crews frequently complained about the serious defects that appeared in the first machines. Still, by 1916 BFW was turning out over 200 aircraft a month and becoming one of the largest aircraft manufacturers in Bavaria. Camillo Castiglioni purchased BFw in 1921 and merged it with BMW in 1922. ( BFW was reformed in 1926 in Bavaria with BMW AG holding a stake in the company, and it would later become Messerschmitt.)

Castiglioni did not purchase BMW's premises in its transaction with Knorr-Bremse. Instead he established BMW's factory and headquarters in the same buildings of Gustav Otto's former Otto-Flugzeugwerke on Lerchenauer Strasse 76, and the company headquarters have been at that address ever since.
Shortly after taking over BMW, Castiglioni concluded an agreement with the Czechoslovak government for the BMW IIIa and BMW IV models to be manufactured under license by Walter Company of Prague. At the same time he began surreptitiously supplying Russia's Red Army, two very lucrative contracts.

Eisnach Automobile Factory (Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach, 1896 - 1928)
Heinrich Ehrhardt (1840 - 1928) was a German inventor , industrialist and entrepreneur who founded a metal and weapons factory in Zella St. Blasius (Thuringia) in 1878. Initially he produced bicycles and guns, but after two years the company began production of a licensed model of the Wartburg by French Decauville. The company was the third to manufacture cars in Germany after Daimler Motoren Gesellschaft and Benz & Cie, which later merged to become Mercedes-Benz. His son Gustav took over the factory that at the end of the 19th century employed 1,300 workers, being one of the largest in Thuringia.

1898 Wartburg

In 1903 the license to build Wartburgs was revoked, and the Ehrhardt family withdrew from management due to financial losses. A year later the factory resumed production under a new name, Dixi (Latin, “I have spoken”) with Willi Seck as chief engineer. Their top model, the U35, was introduced in 1907 and was soon recognized for its reliability and performance with 65 hp (48 kW) and a top speed of 85 km/h (53 mph).

1911 Dixi

During World War I the company shifted production from passenger cars to heavy military trucks and guns: car production resumed in 1919, but economic hardships soon forced a merger with Gothaer Waggonfabrik. In 1927 Dixi produced the DA-1 3/15, a version of the British Austin 7 built under licence. In November 1928 BMW acquired the Fahrzeugfabrik Eisenach A.G. from the Gothaer Waggonfabrik bringing the independent existence of Dixi to an end, and the Eisenach factory became the center of BMW automobile manufacture.

The Motorcycles:

Castiglioni turned his attention to the motorcycle production lines he had purchased with BFw, and in 1923 BMW's first "across the frame" version of the boxer engine was designed by Max Friz. Although there were already several horizontally opposed engines on the market (the British ABC motorcycle featured an engine with transverse configuration, and both the Belgian FN and American Pierce motorcycle were equipped with a drive shaft) Max Friz was the first engineer to combine all these features on the BMW R 32.

1923 BMW R-32

The R32 had a 486 cc (29.7 cubic inches) engine with 8.5 hp (6.3 kW) and a top speed of 95 to 100 km/h (59 to 62 mph): the engine and gearbox formed a bolt-up single unit. BMW exhibited the R32 to the public for the first time at the 1923 German Motor Show in Berlin. It was instantly popular with consumers: a comment in the magazine DER MOTORWAGEN read:

"And finally, the culmination of the exhibition, the new BMW motorcycle (494 cc) with the cylinders arranged transversely. Despite its youth it is a remarkably fast and successful motorcycle."

The R32 stood out not only because of the unique engine and gearbox configuration, but also because of its tubular frame structure: fitted low in the machine's frame, the Boxer engine lowered the centre of gravity and helped to significantly improve the handling and riding characteristics. Although the front wheel fork allowed a small amount of spring travel, the use of leaf springs provided a certain inherent damping effect. BMW riders also reaped the benefits of the company's experience in aircraft engine manufacturer , which was evident in the light alloy which was used for the first time in motorcycle pistons. At a time when many motorcycle manufacturers used total-loss oiling systems, the BMW engine featured a recirculating wet sump oiling system with a drip feed to roller bearings. This system was used by BMW until 1969, when they adopted the "high-pressure oil" system based on shell bearings and tight clearances, still in use today. The R32 also incorporated shaft drive, which BMW continued to use in all of its motorcycles until 1994 when they introduced the chain drive F650.

R32 Production Line

Rudolf Schleicher, a young BMW engineer, entered the Mittenwalder Steig Hill-Climb race on February 2, 1924 and set a record time. Three BMW riders entered the Stuttgart Solitude race on May 18, 1924 with each of them winning individual categories.

BMW R37

The R39, a 250cc OHV single cylinder, was released in 1925, and the R37 was introduced the same year as a racing version of the R32; it featured a 500 cc displacement with 16bhp at 4000rpm. It was an expensive machine with a limited audience and only 52 were made, but in 1925 and 1926 the bikes took three German Championships and almost 200 racing prizes. BMW's shaft-driven Boxers also hit the headlines in Great Britain at the 1926 International Six Day Trial, causing a sensation in the country that was the home of motorcycle racing: Paul Köppen and Ernst Henne won the Targa Florio in Sicily which got the Italians' attention as well.

In 1927 BMW developed the R47, which would go on to replace the R 32, R 37 and R 39. Based on the 500cc ohv R37 engine, engineers used a simpler frame and suspension and stripped off all unnecessary electrics. The end result was a bike costing almost half the price of its predecessors but keeping its sporting pretensions: a stock 18 hp allowed a top speed of 70 mph, and a quick-release secondary fuel tank could be used for longer races or detached for sprint contests. This was what performance minded riders wanted and the company sold 1,720 R47s over two years, many of them to German club racers.

1927 BMW R47

But the R47 also saw competition at the highest level. A BMW factory team campaigned highly modified R47s, hopped-up with superchargers, beefier drive trains and lighter frames. From 1933-1935 BMW works riders won the International Six Days three times.

Because of a growing demand in the market BMW soon expanded its range. Touring models still equipped with side-valve power units were supplemented by high performance, expensive, and exclusive sports machines that were powered by OHV engines. Despite Germany's economic crisis, BMW successfully gained a strong foothold in the 200cc entry-level class in 1931 with the R2. The single-cylinder model also featured shaft drive and many other components and qualities made famous by BMW's larger models.

1931 BMW R2

Development continued with stable, pressed-steel frames replacing the former tubular frame technology. A 400cc single-cylinder engine was introduced into the range that also included the Boxers (now enlarged to 750cc) and the small 200cc, entry-level single-cylinder. All models benefited from regular improvements each year and BMW was the first manufacturer to produce a telescopic front wheel fork with hydraulic damping. This was a milestone in motorcycle construction and first appeared on the R12 and R17 in 1935.

One year later an entirely new model entered the market, the R5. On the new model, conically-drawn steel tubes with an elliptical cross-section were connected to each other by protective gas welding. The telescopic fork came complete with adjustable dampers, while the new 500cc power unit featured two camshafts and a single-piece tunnel/engine housing.

BMW R5

In 1937, Ernst Henne rode a supercharged 500 cc (31 cubic inches) overhead camshaft BMW 173.88 mph (279.83 km/h), setting a world record that stood for 14 years.

The new BMW could now keep up with the fastest British bikes, yet was far superior in riding and comfort -especially when the R51, with straight-travel rear-wheel suspension- entered the market in 1938.

Above: Military model R75 "Sahara"

The R71 was also introduced in 1938, a 746cc flathead sidevalve weighing in at a massive 360 kg (794 Lbs) with the sidecar and capable of carrying 3 people. Originally designed as a military / police machine, it was more of a tractor than a sport machine: the plans were given to the Soviet Union in 1939 under the Molotov-Ribbentrop Pact and it was replaced in 1941 by the OHV R75, which was better designed for wartime conditions. The machine remained a mainstay for Soviet troops throughout the war. Further reading on this specific model can be found at Irbit and Kiev: The Ural and Dnepr Motorcycles.
The R75 was essentially a copy of a Zündapp KS750, and it performed particularly well in the harsh operating environment of the North African Campaign: the protruding cylinders of the flat-twin engine performed better than configurations which overheated in the sun, and shaft drives performed better than chain-drives which were damaged by desert grit.

Unknown model, possibly R60

The end of World War II found BMW in ruins: the Munich plant was completely destroyed by Allied bombing. The terms of Germany's surrender forbade BMW from manufacturing motorcycles, and most of their brightest engineers were taken to the US and the Soviet Union to continue their work on jet engines which the company had produced during the war.

From 1948 onwards BMW turned their focus more towards performance, and although this gave them a competitive advantage in motorsports their precision engineering and hand crafted products contributed to a consumer reputation of high end, expensive machines. The arrival of the Japanese companies forced BMW into something of a niche market, but they have managed to thrive there nontheless.

Today BMW Motorrad is the motorcycle branch of the company, part of its Corporate and Brand Development division: production is centered at the plant in Berlin, Germany although some engines are manufactured in Austria, China and Taiwan. BMW Motorrad regularly enters its motorcycles in the Dakar Rally which it has won six times, and has featured riders such as Simon Pavey and motorcycling celebrity Charley Boorman. The company has come a long way from its humble beginnings on the small airstrip in Brand: whether in racing or luxury motorcycles, the BMW name and reputation has become synonymous with high quality and performance.

References:

BMW USA Official Site
webbikeworld.com - BMW motorcycles history
Graphic list of BMW Motorcycle Models

Photography:

Motor by Vadim Rigin- Lolli/R75 Sahara: Metmodels
Belinda by Stefan Soell: Femjoy

The European Sports Cars of the '60s: Raw Style.

2011-09-05T18:21:00.000+03:00

Porsche 356 (1948-1965):

The company's first production automobile, it was a lightweight and nimble rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive 2 door available in hardtop coupe and open configurations. Design innovations continued during the years of manufacture, contributing to its motorsports success and popularity. Production started in 1948 at Gmünd, Austria where approximately 50 cars were built. In 1950 the factory relocated to Zuffenhausen, Germany and general production of the 356 continued until April 1965, well after the replacement model 911 made its autumn 1963 debut. It is estimated approximately half of the total production of 76,000 356s still survive.

Ferrari 250 (1953 to 1964):

The company's most successful early line, the 250 series included several variants. It was replaced by the 275 and the 330.
Nearly all 250s share the the Colombo m.125 V12 2,953 cc (180 cu in) engine. It isn't big, but its light weight and impressive output (up to 280 PS (206 kW; 276 hp) made a big difference. The Ferrari V12 weighed hundreds of pounds less than its chief competitors; it was nearly half the weight of the Jaguar XK-E straight 6.
The first of the 250 line was the experimental 250 S "Berlinetta" entered in the 1952 Mille Miglia. Ferrari was outgunned in the long straights but fought back in the hills and curves and emerged victorious at the end.
The 1963 330 "America" -a 250 in all but name- shared the same chassis but it had a 4.0 L. engine. 50,330 Americas were built. California socialite Sandra Ilene West was buried at the wheel of her car following a 1977 drug overdose: her instructions specified that she be clad in her lace nightgown with the driver’s seat "slanted at a comfortable angle". The car (and driver) are interred at the Alamo Masonic Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas.

Mercedes 300SL (1954-1963):
Introduced in 1954 as a two-seater hardtop, it was later offered as an open roadster.
Built by Daimler-Benz AG the road model was suggested by Max Hoffman: intended for the booming post-war American market it was introduced at the 1954 New York Auto Show, unlike previous models introduced in either Frankfurt or Geneva.

The 300SL was best known for both its distinctive gull wing doors and the first-ever four-stroke gasoline direct injection. The gull wing version was available from March 1955 to 1957. Production of the roadster ended in 1963 with the introduction of the 230SL.

Austin- Healey 3000 (1959-1967):
The best known of the "big" Healey models, the bodywork was made by Jensen Motors and the cars were assembled at the BMC Abingdon works. The original Austin Healey 3000 has a 2912 cc I6 engine, with twin SU carburetors and Girling front disc brakes. It was referred to as the "Mark I" after the "Mark II" was released. The original 3000 was built from March 1959 to March 1961 with the model designations BT7 (4-seat version) and BN7 (2-seater). A BT7 3000 hardtop with overdrive was tested by The Motor magazine in 1960 and had a top speed of 115 mph (185 km/h), going from 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 11.7 seconds.
The 3000 Mk II was introduced in 1961 and came with three SU HS4 carburetors and an improved camshaft, giving it a top speed of 112.9 mph (181.7 km/h) and 0–60 mph (97 km/h) in 10.9 seconds.
The 3000 Mk III was launched in October 1963, and remained in production until the end of 1967 when production of Austin-Healeys ceased. Classified as the BJ8, the new model was the most powerful and luxurious of the big Healeys, with a walnut-veneer dash, wind-up windows, and a 150 hp engine. Improvements to the engine included a new camshaft and valve springs and twin SU 2" HD8 carburetors, together with a new design of exhaust system.
Austin Healey 3000's have a long competition history and raced at most major racing circuits around the world, including Sebring (USA), Le Mans (France), and Mount Panorama Circuit, Bathurst (Australia).
The BMC competitions department successfully rallied the 3000 from its introduction, but development of the cars effectively ended in 1965, mainly due to the success of the Mini Cooper 'S'.

Jaguar (XK-) E Series, (1961-1975):
The Jaguar E-Type (UK) or XK-E (US) combined good looks, high performance and competitive pricing -established the marque as an icon of 1960 sports cars: more than 70,000 E-Types were sold during its lifespan. Initially designed as a two-seater grand tourer in both coupé and convertible, on its release Enzo Ferrari called it "The most beautiful car ever made."
The model was produced in three distinct versions which are now generally referred to as "Series 1", "Series 2" and "Series 3"; another transitional series is known unofficially as "Series 1½" and several limited-edition variants came out.
S1 used the triple SU carburetted 3.8 litre 6-cylinder Jaguar XK6 engine from the XK150S. better cooling aided by an enlarged "mouth" and twin electric fans, and uprated brakes are hallmarks of Series 2 cars were de-tuned in US with twin strombergs and larger valve clearances, but they still had triple SUs in the UK and the much tighter valve clearances. The S2 engine is easily identified by the change from polished cam covers to a more industrial "ribbed" appearance.
In S3 a new 5.3 L. V12 engine was introduced, with updated brakes and standard power steering.

MGB Midget (1961 - 1979):
The MG Car Company was founded in the 1920s by Cecil Kimber. Produced by MG division of the British Motor Corporation from 1961 to 1979, it revived a name used on earlier models. The Midget wasn't a particularly powerful machine, and it was hugely popular.
No, it doesn't fit in the same class as the Ferraris and Lambos; but, well... WTF. This is my blog and I loved it anyway ;)

The first model was essentially a version of the Austin-Healey Sprite MKII with a 948 cc A-Series and twin SU carburetors. A hard top, heater, radio and luggage rack were available as factory fitted extras.
In 1962 the engine was increased to 1098 cc.:16,080 of the small-engined version and 9601 of the 1098 were made.
A car with the 948 cc engine was tested by "The Motor" in 1962 and had a top speed of 87.9 mph (141.5 km/h) and could accelerate from 0-60 mph (97 km/h) in 18.3 seconds. The test car cost £689 including taxes on the UK market.
In 1964 the engine block was strengthened and larger main bearings were fitted, increasing the power to 59 hp. In '66 the engine grew to 1275 cc using the development seen on the Mini-Cooper 'S'. In 1971 the compression ratio on North American engines was reduced to 8.0:1. Engine power output fell to 54.5 bhp @ 5500 RPM and 67 lb-ft of torque @ 3250 RPM.

Triumph Spitfire (1962-1980):

Originally devised by Standard-Triumph to compete in the small sports car market which had opened up with the introduction of the Austin-Healey Sprite, the Spitfire was introduced at the London Motor Show in 1962 and was based on a design by Giovanni Michelotti. The platform for the car was largely based upon the chassis, engine, and running gear of the Triumph Herald saloon, and was manufactured at the Standard-Triumph works at Canley, Coventry.
The original Spitfire 4 (aka Mark I) featured an in-line four producing 63 bhp (47 kW) at 5750 rpm, and 67 ft·lb (91 N·m)of torque at 3500 rpm. This gave a top speed of 92 mph (148 km/h), and it would do to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 17.3 seconds. A number of revisions were implemented over the '60s and '70s, culminating in the 1500 Spitfire which produced 71 bhp (53 kW) at 5500 rpm, and produced 82 ft·lb (111 N·m) of torque at 3000 rpm.Top speed was now at the 100 mph (160 km/h) mark, and 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) was reached in 13.2 seconds.

Lamborghini Miura (1966-1972):

Produced from 1966 to 1972, the car is widely considered to have begun the trend of high performance, two-seater, mid-engined sports cars. At launch it was the fastest production road car available.
The Miura was originally conceived by Lamborghini's engineering team against the wishes of Ferruccio Lamborghini, who wanted grand touring designs rather than the racecar-derived machines produced by rival Ferrari. When the prototype P400 debuted at the 1966 Geneva show, the car received a stellar reception for its styling and revolutionary design.
As Lamborghini's halo car, the Miura received periodic updates and remained in production until 1972. It was replaced by the Countach in 1974.

Fiat Spider 124 (1966-1985):

The 124 Sport Spider debuted at the November 1966 Turin Auto Show. Designed and manufactured by Italian carozzeria Pininfarina, Fiat continued to market the car as the 2000 Spider from 1979 to 1982: from 1983 to the end of its production in 1985 it was marketed as as the Pininfarina Spider Azzura.
The car was sold in Europe and the U.S. from its introduction until 1975 when it was modified to comply with new U.S. regulations, and no European version was produced. Sales in Europe resumed in 1983 under the name Pininfarina Europa Spider.
The engine was a double overhead cam, aluminum crossflow head version of the sedan's pushrod unit.

The 124 started in 1966 with a capacity of 1438 cc progressively increasing to 1608 cc in 1970 (although this reduced to 1592 cc in 1973), 1756 cc in 1974 and finally 1995 cc in 1979. Designed by Dan Vano. Bosch fuel injection replaced the previously used Weber carburetors midway through 1980. In 1981 and 1982, Fiat partnered with Legend Industries to create approximately 700 turbo models. There was also a supercharged model called Volumex offered toward the end of production, and sold only in Europe. This family of engines was designed by ex-Ferrari chief engineer Aurelio Lampredi and in one form or another remained in production into the 1990s giving it one of the longest production runs in history.
The original 1438 cc engine produced 96bhp @ 6000rpm, doing 0-60mph in 11.9s and had a max speed of 106mph. The final 1995 cc fuel injection turbo put out 120bhp @ 6000rpm, and did 0-60mph in 10.1s with the same top speed.

Hot Rods and Girls

2011-08-25T12:31:00.007+03:00

...just because it's a great combination.

Hot Rod Girl: 1956

starring Lori Nelson & Chuck Connors, directed by Leslie H. Martinson

After his kid brother is killed in a street race, a champion drag-racer quits racing. However, a new kid comes to town determined to force him back into racing so he can take his title--and he's already taken his girlfriend!

for more great hot rod photos check out David Perry's work.

Varna Retro Motors club- August 2011 Public Car & Bike Show

2011-08-14T20:56:00.004+03:00

mine's the dirty one ;)
It was funny when they told me to park on a hill with the ass of my sidecar rig just about a meter above a Jag. It was even funnier when they moved me further up the hill and put an antique Triumph behind me. How do you say "No Parking Brake" in Bulgarian ?

Dear Somethingawful.com:

2011-08-10T22:05:00.005+03:00

Boat posted:

Is there a bunch of Photoshop "weight loss" in that picture or am I losing it?

Still cute.

Don't think so. Found it here. NWS

e: It's an interesting blog despite all the objectifying images of women.

re eggyolk: sarcasm appreciated.

"Interesting writeup on Enfield. Was fun to read, cause I work at an Enfield dealer. They mention the fact, but don't drive it home, that RE is "one of" the oldest bike manufacturers in the world in continuous production. In fact they're the oldest in the world as far as I know, considering that Harley only goes back to 1903. But I guess RE doesn't really count now because they're owned by brown people."

re Rev. Dr. Moses P. Lester: entitled much bitch ?

( both comments referring to my Royal Enfield post, http://transversealchemy.blogspot.com/2011/05/royal-enfield-made-like-gun.html)

Raw Pussy

2011-08-08T23:46:00.005+03:00

The cat (Felis catus), also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests. Cats have been associated with humans for at least 9,500 years and are currently the most popular pet in the world. Owing to their close association with humans cats are now found almost everywhere.

There are three main theories about how cats were domesticated.
In the first, people deliberately tamed cats in a process of artificial selection as they were useful predators of vermin. However, this has been criticized as implausible because there may have been little reward for such an effort; cats do not carry out commands and although they do eat rodents other species such as ferrets or terriers may be better at controlling these pests.
A second theory is that cats were simply tolerated by people and gradually diverged from their 'wild' relatives through natural selection as they adapted to hunting the vermin found around humans in towns and villages.
The third theory is that cats, in fact, have spent thousands of years domesticating humans specifically to harness their use of opposable thumbs.

Cats have excellent night vision and can see at only one-sixth the light level required for human vision. This is partly the result of cat eyes having a tapetum lucidum which reflects any light that passes through the retina back into the eye, thereby increasing the eye's sensitivity to dim light. Another adaptation to dim light is the large pupils of cats' eyes. Unlike some big cats such as tigers, domestic cats have slit pupils. These slit pupils can focus bright light without chromatic aberration and are needed since the domestic cat's pupils are much larger relative to their eyes than the pupils of the big cats. Indeed, at low light levels a cat's pupils will expand to cover most of the exposed surface of its eyes. However, domestic cats have rather poor color vision.

oh shit, is that the oil light or the high beam light ???!!?

Cats have excellent hearing and can detect an extremely broad range of frequencies. They can hear higher-pitched sounds than either dogs or humans, detecting frequencies from 55 Hz up to 79 kHz, a range of 10.5 octaves; while humans can only hear from 31 Hz up to 18 kHz, and dogs hear from 67 Hz to 44 kHz, which are both ranges of about 9 octaves. However, the hearing is highly selective: they may be able to detect the sound of a can opener up to 600 meters (1968.503 feet) but are completely deaf to their owners screams whilst shredding upholstery.

Cats have an acute sense of smell, which is due in part to their well-developed olfactory bulb and also to a large surface of olfactory mucosa. In cats this mucosa is about 5.8 cm2 in area, which is about twice that of humans and only 1.7-fold less than the average dog.

Cats have relatively few taste buds compared to humans. Owing to a mutation in an early cat ancestor, one of two genes necessary to taste sweetness may have been lost by the cat family. Their taste buds instead respond to amino acids, bitter tastes and acids. This explains why they are still willing to root through a local garbage bin yet snub $5.00 per can dishes of gourmet cat food.

Domestic cats use many vocalizations for communication, including purring, trilling, hissing, growling, snarling and several different forms of meowing. In contrast, larger wild cats are generally silent up until the moment they kill and eat you, at which point they also indulge in purring, meowing and etcetera.

Dedicated To Rastus, Max Corkill and Gaynor Martin: killed by a fool in a cage January 20, 1998.

Ha- ya pervs ;)

The Indian Motocycle Company: An American Icon

2011-07-31T10:58:00.006+03:00

George M. Hendee (1866 - 1943) took up bicycle racing at age 16; in 1886 he won the United States National Amateur High Wheel Championship, setting a new world record over a dirt half-mile track of 2 minutes 27.4 seconds which he held until 1892. In fact, during his racing career Hendee entered 309 races and won 307 of them.
When he did stop racing at the age of 26 he threw his energies into designing and building bicycles: in 1895 he opened a shop in Springfield, Massachusetts to produce his "Silver King" bicycles and a year later he took on Edward E. Nelson as a partner, registering the Hendee & Nelson Manufacturing Company. The partnership lasted only two years, leaving Hendee with the entire inventory. The Hendee Manufacturing Company was incorporated in 1898 with a capital stock of $5,000; in an effort to distance himself from the earlier business problems he abandoned the Silver King and Silver Queen model names, rebranding the entire bicycle line to Indian.

Hendee sponsored a number of bicycle racers and events throughout New England, and during one such event in Madison Square Garden in January 1900 he met engineer Carl Oscar Hedström who had been designing motorized pacing bicycles.
Early pacers were tandem bicycles which ran ahead of the racers to split the air stream and lessen wind resistance, possibly the first application of the science of aerodynamics in racing. The problem was that even with two riders, early pacers were so heavy that racers quickly passed them: Hedström's design utilized a lighter bicycle frame fitted with a small gasoline engine to add extra horsepower to the riders' own power. The idea had been tried before, but the motorized pacers of that time functioned poorly and Hedström's design quickly gained a reputation for reliability.

1901 Indian "F" head single

Hendee asked Hedström to bring one of his pacers to Springfield, and the two signed a partnership agreement in January 1901 with Hedstrom taking the title of chief engineer and designer. The first running prototype for Indian, a 1.75 horsepower single with a then-revolutionary chain drive, was built in under six months.
Hedström traveled to Aurora, IL to refine his engine design and the company originally contracted the Aurora Automatic Machine Company to build the engines. Hedström supervised all aspects of manufacturing as well as the expansion of their own factories in Massachusetts (the main factory on State Street was now accompanied by a forging factory in East Springfield). Hendee meanwhile traveled extensively to set up dealerships and arrange financing for the new model. The first Indian "motocycles" (an archaic word denoting any horseless carriage: Hendee used it to distinguish them from the competition) went on sale to the public in 1902. In 1903 Hedström set the world motorcycle speed record (56 mph) and the Springfield factory produced 377 bikes; by 1904 production was up to almost 600 and Hedström turned his attention to a V-twin design.

1907 Indian V-twin, 633 hp.

By 1907 the fledgling sport of motorcycle racing was beginning to develop a serious following. While Hedström worked to improve his carburetors and design new high performance mechanical valves, two of the most influential contests of the 20th century were being planned: an annual Tourist Trophy event on the Isle of Man (Isle of Man TT), and The English 1000 Mile Reliability Trial (which would later evolve into today's International 6 Day's Trial). Although the Isle of Man TT would elude them until 1911, Teddy Hastings took the first 1000 Mile Reliability Trial with a stock Indian V-twin and he did it again in 1908 with the factory's support.
Within two years Boardtrack speeds were pushing 80mph (see my previous article on The Wall of Death) and Indian completely dropped the old diamond frame design for a sturdier loop frame which could support the stresses of racing machines. Just short of 5,000 motorcycles left the factory that year and by 1910 annual production was up to 6,000. Indian was rapidly becoming the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world.

1908 1000cc Racer

In 1911 Indian swept the Isle of Man TT with Oliver Godfrey, Charles Franklin and Arthur Moorehouse finishing first, second and third respectively. In England Jake DeRosier, one of the company's top riders, set a 88.7 mph. mile world record at Brooklands. But the era of the Motordromes was coming to an end, and the infamous New Jersey crash of September 1912 which saw the deaths of both Eddie Hasha and Johnny Albright (both Indian riders) along with six spectators pretty much sealed the deal.
By 1913 Indian was turning out almost 32,000 machines a year, but all was not well with the company. Hendee and Hedström began to disagree on the designs and marketing. Jake DeRosier, who had been close to Hedström during his racing years, was fired by Hendee in 1911; he died from surgical complications after a vicious crash while racing for Excelsior in 1913, and perhaps under some misplaced guilt over his friends' death Carl Hedström turned in his resignation. Within two years Hendee himself retired and in 1915 the company came under control of an investment group.


1915 Big Twin 1000cc

The 1915 models were the last renditions of Hedström's F-head engines but they featured some major innovations such as kick start, electric generators, Schebler carburetors and a 3 speed transmission. Both a Big Twin (1000cc) and Small Twin (700cc) model came out but the new Chief Engineer Charles Franklin had turned his attention to a side valve design which would debut as the Powerplus. With America's impending involvement in World War I the U.S. government ordered 20,000 Powerplus motorcycles and Indian quickly turned their production to military models. This proved to be a fatal mistake: their carefully constructed network of dealers found themselves on the short end of the stick and soon turned to other more available brands such as Harley-Davidson and Excelsior.
Facing the drop in domestic sales Springfield began construction of two new lightweight models, a two stroke Model K and an opposed twin Model O but both fell flat: American riders simply weren't interested in smaller bikes. Indian continued on the racing circuit which was revived after the end of the war: Gene Walker took four of the nine dirt track championship events of 1919 and 14 of the national title events in 1920. But despite their successes on the tracks Franklin needed a new heavy design to lure the public away from Harley. His answer was the 1920 middleweight Scout at 600cc., which was followed in 1923 by the iconic Chief.

600cc. Scout

1200cc Big Chief

The lightweight Scout handled far better that the older Powerplus (now renamed as the Standard), and was an immediate hit especially on the dirt tracks. The Chief also gained an appreciative audience and it's big sidevalve engine rapidly gained popularity with the nation's police departments. Franklin kept hoping for a hit in the lightweight market and introduced the 350cc Prince in 1925, but it met the same fate as their other smaller bikes and only saw a production run of three years.
In 1926 Indian bought out the defunct Ace Motorcycle Company, which had been producing a big 4 cylinder machine. The post-war economy was improving, and Indian needed something different to compete with Excelsior's new 750 twin: the answer was a revamped 750cc 101 Scout which they developed at the same time as they tinkered with their now rebranded Ace Four machines. 1929 saw both bikes coming off the factory lines, along with a limited run of OHV Scouts designed specifically for hill climbs. Although the Scouts did well, the Indian Four was only marginally profitable due in part to its $445 price tag (on the verge of the Great Depression, although they didn't know it) and also simply because the monster engines had a limited appeal to the average rider. By 1930 the depression was coming in full force, and the company was sold to Paul DuPont after several chaotic shifts in management groups and investors. DuPont quickly and surprisingly killed the 101 Scout for a couple of years, but the trick worked and by the time a new Model 203 Scout hit the market in 1932 the company had eliminated their deficit and were finally turning a profit again.

Indian Four

Despite their low demand, Indian continued to develop the Four. While earlier (and later) Fours had inlet-over-exhaust (IOE) cylinder heads 1936-1937 saw a redesign with the positions reversed. This improved fuel vaporization, and the new engine was more powerful but the new system made the cylinder head -and the rider's crotch- uncomfortably hot. Coupled with an exhaust valve that required frequent adjustment, riders shunned the machine; introduction of dual carburetors in 1937 didn't help, and the design was returned to the original configuration in 1938.

With the advent of the US involvement in the Second World War Indian again geared up for military production, but although the army contracted small numbers of Scouts, Chefs and even Junior Scouts the Harley Davidson WLA won out as their primary military model: in fact the military put most of their resources into the Jeep and motorcycles played a relatively small part in the US war effort. Notably the army was looking for a reliable desert motorcycle and both Harley and Indian prototyped models based on the BMW-R71 which was proving itself on the Russian Front (see Irbit & Kiev: the Dnepr and Ural Motorcycles). Indian produced 1,000 Model 841 bikes with a 750vv transverse twin and shaft drive: Harley responded with the XA model 750 which used a horizontal V like the R-71. The Army passed on both designs.

In 1945 a group headed by Ralph B. Rogers purchased a controlling interest of the company, and on November 1 DuPont formally turned over the reins. Rogers misguidedly discontinued the Scout and Chief, turning to the manufacture of lightweight motorcycles such as the 149 Arrow, the Super Scout 249 and the 250 Warrior, all of which gained an immediate reputation for poor quality and a lack of development. In 1950 Rogers began to focus on importing British bikes and took on an English investor, John Brockhouse. Brockhouse quickly booted Rogers out of the company and split it into two divisions, manufacturing and marketing. The Chief came back into production, but it had lost it's competitive edge to Harley: like Rogers, Brockhouse was more interested in marketing British bikes than manufacturing Indians. Splintered, disgraced and humiliated, the last of the Chiefs came off the line in 1953 and the Springfield factory went under: Brockhouse began importing Royal Enfields, mildly customized them and rebranding them as Indians from 1955 to 1960 (see Royal Enfield: Made Like a Gun).

No conversation on the Indian brand would be complete without mention of Burt Munro, who probably did as much to promote the brand as anyone in the company (albeit indirectly).
Herbert James 'Burt' Munro (25 March 1899 – 6 January 1978) was born in Invercargill, New Zealand. His interest in speed began at a young age and he became a professional speedway rider, rising to the top of the New Zealand motorcycle scene. His 1920 Indian Scout was the 627th to leave the American factory with an original top speed of 55 mph; Munro began modifications in 1926, often making parts himselfand by its final stages the Indian's displacement was 950cc with a triple chain drive system.
Munro travelled to Bonneville ten times, the first for "sightseeing" purposes. In the other nine visits he went for it, setting world records in 1962 (178.971 mph, Flying One Mile Class S-A 883 cc), 1966 (168.066 mph, Flying One Mile Class S-A 1000 cc) and 1967 (183.586 mph, Flying One Mile Class S-A 1000 cc). On one unofficial run he clocked 190.07 mph.
Munro's efforts are the basis of the motion picture The World's Fastest Indian (2005) and an earlier 1971 short documentary film Burt Munro: Offerings to the God of Speed. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2006.

above: "Burt" Munro in his workshop, circa 1970

The Munro Special in Invercargill, prior to Bonneville

The Munro Indian about 1926

For the next four decades Indian went through what can only be described as a clusterfuck of legal wranglings, rebranded machines and general abuse. Entrepreneur Floyd Clymer began using the Indian name in the 1960s -apparently without license- attaching it to Italian Minarelli engined 50 cc minibikes (the short lived Indian Papoose). Clymer also commissioned 200 motorcycles based on the Italjet Grifon but fitted with Royal Enfield Interceptor 750 cc parallel-twin engines. Clymer died in 1970 leaving the batch of engines stranded at the dock, and rather than going into "Indians" they wound up as the famous Rickman Interceptors.
Clymer's widow "sold" the alleged Indian trademark to Los Angeles attorney Alan Newman, who continued to import minibikes. But by 1975 sales were dwindling and in January 1977, that company was declared bankrupt: the rights to the Indian brand passed through a succession of owners and became a subject of competing claims in the 1980s.

In December 1998 a Federal bankruptcy court awarded the Indian trademark to The Indian Motorcycle Company of America, which had been formed from the merger of the California Motorcycle Company (CMC) and IMCOA Licensing America Inc. along with 7 other companies. The new company began manufacturing motorcycles in 1999 at the former CMC's facilities in Gilroy, California. The first "Gilroy Indian" model was a new design called the Chief: Scout and Spirit models were introduced 2001. These bikes were initially made with off the shelf S&S engines, but the 100-cubic-inch (1,600cc) Powerplus engine design came in on their last year. They went into bankruptcy and crashed in 2003.

On July 20, 2006 London-based private equity firm Stellican Limited formed a new version of the Indian Motorcycle Company: the 2009 Indian Chief incorporated a redesigned 105-cubic-inch (1,720 cc) Powerplus V-twin powertrain with electronic closed-loop sequential-port fuel injection.
In April 2011 Polaris bought Indian from Stellican, and currently the company produces 3 versions of the Chief.

When anyone considers the history of motorcycle manufacturer in the USA, two brands will always stand out: The Indian and Harley Davidson. Harley weathered its own turbulent past of course, and the brand has -to some extent- always managed to rebound.
Indian was not so fortunate; probably due more to poor business decisions than inferior mechanics. Although it remains an icon of American motorcycle tradition it has by no means achieved a solid and enduring future. One hopes that Polaris will change that, but regardless of what happens on the assembly line today there are thousands of trustworthy machines born in Springfield that are still on the road. That in itself is a testimony to the brand.

References:

The Illustrated Directory of Classic American Motorcycles
(ISBN: 0760310505 / 0-7603-1050-5 ) - Tod Rafferty
Indian Motorcycles - official site
Burt Munro - A New Zealand Legend

2011 Commie Bike Meet: Siriu, Buzău, Romania

2011-07-20T13:23:00.002+03:00

Siriu is located in the Buzău Mountains at the Carpathians' curvature, at an altitude of about 1400 meters.
The Siriu Dam was constructed between 1982 and 1994 creating an artificial lake on the river Buzău.

Lack of any kind of shade sucked a bit but beer will compensate for almost anything.

(some pics pulled from the forum at Motociclism.RO)

...some basic proof that I do have a life outside of the internet ;)

I been whipped by the rain

driven by the snow
I'm drunk and dirty lord, but don't you know
that I'm still willin'.......

Rally Girls

2011-07-13T18:20:00.002+03:00

An obscure early 1970's magazine that I can find almost nothing about online... if anyone knows anything about it or has more scans, please hit me up.

Plus a few pics from the archives...

...right. Enough talking about vehicles, I'm gonna go stretch out the bike.

The Wall of Death: A History of the Motordrome and Silodrome.

2011-06-25T21:00:00.010+03:00

Viewed from the outside, a wall is a defense.

Viewed from the inside, a wall is a trap.

The carnies start even before dawn. Everything is unpacked and each piece is carefully locked together. The grandstands are bolted up.

By noon it starts to fill; civilians munching cotton candy and popcorn, peering down into this strange barrel. A single motorcycle stands ready at the base of a shallow ramp. A rider appears.

The show is about to begin, and for those in the crowd who never quite grasped the laws of physics- farmers, shopkeepers and herders- something incredible will unfold.

Vélodrome d’Hiver

The Wall of Death originated from board track racing, which itself originated from the French bicycle velodromes. Originally the velodromes were built around existing athletic tracks and featured two shallow banked 180 degree turns connected by two straights, but during their heyday in the late 19th and early 20th century these tracks moved indoors and the shorter spans necessitated steeper banking. The new indoor tracks were constructed from wooden planks fitted end to end: this type of construction was not only relatively inexpensive but the boards were easy to shape and replace and provided a smooth track surface.
Hemingway wrote:
“I have started many stories about bicycle racing but have never written one that is as good as the races are both on the indoor and outdoor tracks and on the road. But I will get to the Vélodrome d’Hiver with the smoky light of the afternoon and the high-banked wooden track and the whirring sound the tyres made on the wood as the riders passed, the effort and the tactics as the riders climbed and plunged, each one a part of his machine… I must write the strange world of six-day races and the marvels of the road-racing in the mountains. French is the only language it has ever been written in properly and the terms are all French and that is what makes it hard to write.”

The Motordromes

Los Angeles Coliseum Motordome, first trials 1910

In 1910 the first board track designed for motor racing opened as the Los Angeles Coliseum Motordome near Playa del Rey, California. The track was built from 2x4 boards set end to end and was banked at 25°, but by the end of 1911 board track speeds had noticeably spiraled upward due to refinements in engine technology and track design and banking on the motordromes was repeatedly increased until 60 degrees became the norm. Higher banking produced higher speeds, and it wasn't long before G forces began to take a toll on the drivers.

With spectators looking down onto the track from bleachers at the top of the boards, any loss of control in the turns could quickly turn disastrous: centrifugal force would easily send both the rider and his machine over the top of the track and slamming into the crowd.

On September 8, 1912, Eddie Hasha lost control of his Indian while doing 92 mph. at the New Jersey Motordrome near Atlantic City. The bike rode the rail for some 100 feet, decapitating a young boy who had put his head over the rail to watch the race; it then struck a post, throwing Hasha into the grandstands and killing him instantly along with four other bystanders. The Indian fell back on the track killing another rider, Johnny Albright. Several people had broken bones and flesh wounds as they trampled each other to get out of the carnage. A front page story in the New York Times dubbed the races "murderdromes".

Death on the Boards: Robert Williams

Nonetheless, around a half dozen tracks up to two miles long had opened by 1915, and by 1931 there were 24 operating board tracks in the USA. Although the tracks were usually used for motorcycle racing, auto racing was quickly added to the venue: by the 1920s most of the American National Championship races were held on board tracks. But by the early 1930s board track racing had fallen out of favor due to both its perceived dangers and the high cost of maintaining the wooden surfaces for machine racing, which created considerably more stress than the French bicycles. Another factor was that as speeds rose due to more powerful engines, overtaking on the steep tracks became increasingly suicidal; as long as it held together, the first machine to take the lead would almost always win the race. Fans soon turned their attention to the less predictable races taking place on dirt and flat tracks. Although board track racing continued into 1940 at the Coney Island Motordrome and a few other places, by the beginning of WW2 it had basically faded into history.

Springfield, MO (?) Motordrome

Luna Park, Cleveland OH

But the motordrome had spawned a bastard offshoot; the silodrome, better known as The Wall of Death.

By 1915 traveling carnivals were an annual staple throughout America, and the rising popularity of the motordrome wasn't lost on the operators of these ventures. History is vague on the originator of the first silodrome but the dimensions are said to be derived from the standard diameter of a grain silo from that time, about 20 - 36 feet. The traditional silodrome was a single track, but later versions known as combination dromes used two tracks on top of each other; a shorter, steeply angled lower wall with a taller vertical top segment. Combination dromes were more portable and better suited for traveling shows.

The Wall of Death completely did away with the straights and was simply a vertical sided wooden drum or barrel shaped track with an initial ramped section at the bottom to give the rider enough velocity to drive horizontally to the floor: rather than racing the riders performed stunts and often incorporated other acts into the show. Women riders were highly popular, as were lions.
Yes, lions.
As in "Liondrome".

The Liondromes

"Fearless Egbert" was a British showman at the height of the motordrome era, and one of the earliest to ride the Wall of Death in the British traveling carnival "Collins Famous Death Riders & Racing Lion" run by Billy Butlin and Pat Collins in the 1920's and 30's. Not satisfied with riding a motorcycle horizontally at high speeds in a flimsy portable wooden barrel, Egbert used a custom built car which he rode along with his pet African lion, Monarch.

According to a news article from the Yorkshire Evening Post on September 24, 1931:

"A ledge was fixed to the side of the car, and there was never any need to coax him to sit on it. He hopped aboard as soon as he was released from his cage, and snarled and growled if the driver had any difficulty in starting.
"Nowadays, Monarch is driven round the miniature track at speeds that would make his more sedate father gasp. If Fearless Egbert stops the car too soon, the young lion remains on the car. There are times however, when he gets a little bored, and the driver knows it is time to stop when he realises that Monarch's head is very close to his face."
The report adds: "The owner of Monarch (said the) lion has never been strapped on the car. He jumped on it when he was three weeks old and now has thousands of miles of motoring to his credit."

Perhaps the combination of a "lion taming" act and the Wall of Death was simply inevitable, but it soon caught on and several venues began offering the show in various forms. Some carried various big cats in motorcycle sidecars or on their stunt cars, in other shows trained lions would be released after the motorcycles were horizontal on the wall and would chase after them (on the ground of course) "...swatting with their huge paws". The Pelaquin family, icons of the American Wall of Death shows, owned and operated the last of the lion dromes along with their adult lion "King". King reportedly hated two things: alcohol and being grabbed by strangers, so when a drunken carnie stuck his hand in the cage and grabbed him in 1964 King grabbed him back. The police were called and unfortunately had to shoot the enraged animal, closing the last lion drome.

The Women Riders

Margaret Gast

Women in any shape, size or fashion were always a top draw in the sideshow circuits (see my earlier post on Transverse Alchemy The Sideshow Girls ) and of course the daring damsels took to the thrill of stunt riding right away.
One of the earliest female stunt riders, Margaret Gast immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1893. She first pursued a career in bicycle racing (1900 world record for 1,000 miles in 120 hrs.) and later in motorcycle racing on both flat tracks and motordromes. Billed as "The Mile A Minute Girl", she eventually began stunt riding both on The Wall of Death and on another portable board track known as an "amusement saucer" which appears to be some type of insane carousel. Gast rode a Flying Merkel Special Racer, and proudly claimed to be her own mechanic. Margaret Gast died in 1972 and was honoured and inducted in the United States Bicycling Hall of Fame in 1993.

Left: two more photos of Margaret Gast, Above: Hazel Marion Eaton Watkins (1939)

Below: Agnes (Lillian) LaFrance

Another famous early rider was Agnes LaFrance, a Kansas farm girl who ran away with a traveling carnival and went on to become a world renowned motorcycle daredevil. Dubbing herself Lillian LaFrance, she began Motordrome riding in 1924 at the age of 30 and gained a global reputation as one of the most skilled Wall of Death riders on the circuit.

Top left: Marjorie Kemp, Viola Pelaquin. Bottom: Alice Brady

Other early female riders included Marjorie Kemp, who was also an animal trainer and had a lion drome act with the World at Home Shows; Viola Pelaquin of the Pelaquin Motor Drome family, and Alice Brady (another Mile A Minute Girl).

Above: Cookie Ayers (Crum)

Cookie Ayers (now Cookie Crum) began stunt riding in 1949, crossing the eastern and southern United States with various carnivals and shows as one of the prominent female riders of the Wall of Death through the 1950's. Once known as "Queen of the Hell Drivers", she was noted for her disdain for black leathers: Cookie always wore white in defiance of the "outlaw biker" model. Crum is one of the few women to have been inducted into the Sturgis (S.D.) Motorcycle Hall of Fame.

Samantha Morgan

One of the most notable modern stunt riders was Samantha Morgan (Storm). After running away from a troubled foster home in Long Island and living on the streets of East Coast cities for a few years, she ended up at a carnival in Dade County, Fla. in the mid 1970's where she joined the Pelaquin Family. In her words, she "fell in love with the wall" and spent over 40 years as a stunt rider. Morgan rode with almost all the existing shows on her 1931 Indian 101 Scout ("Beth") despite numerous back injuries and broken bones sustained in her career. Also inducted into the Sturgis (S.D.) Motorcycle Hall of Fame, Sam Morgan passed away in 2008 due to medical complications from her injuries.

As of today only a few Wall of Death shows survive: in the USA the American Motor Drome, the California Hell Riders, and the less-than-creatively named World Famous Wall of Death are the only major existing shows. The UK is home to a few more, including the Ken Fox Troupe, Messham's Wall of Death and the (even less creative) Original Wall of Death. In Sweden the Sala Motordrome has been running since 1937, and there are a few shows around Asia as well as some independent stunt shows scattered around the world. But there's little doubt that the Wall of Death Silodrome is in it's twilight years. And with it wanes a once vibrant part of motorcycle history.

"Let me ride on the Wall Of Death one more time
Let me ride on the Wall Of Death one more time
You can waste your time on the other rides
This is the nearest to being alive
Oh let me take my chances on the Wall Of Death..."
- Richard Thompson, "Wall of Death"

References:

Defying Death (See: Wall of) to Make a Living : New York Times, August 20 2006 article on Samantha Morgan

Thrillarena.com (Samantha Morgan)
American Motor Drome (USA)
The California Hell Riders (USA)
World Famous Wall of Death (USA)
Messhams Wall of Death (UK)
Original Wall of Death (UK)
Ken Fox Troupe Wall of Death (UK)

Scott Toepfer: It's Better in the Wind

2011-06-13T20:48:00.000+03:00

Some great photography, more on his blog at It's Better in the Wind.com.

I have once again immersed myself in the video project for the Balkans tour Pera and I did a few years ago, posting is going to be sporadic until that's done but when it is finished -hopefully within a month- I'll show you folks what East Europe looks like from the back of a greasy old Russian.

Enjoy.

More Junkers

2011-06-01T11:15:00.001+03:00

"To invent, you need a good imagination and a pile of junk."

Thomas A. Edison

Royal Enfield: Made Like a Gun

2011-05-22T16:25:00.000+03:00

In 1851 George Townsend opened a mill in the small village of Hunt End, a district of Redditch in Worcestershire England. Originally known as the "Givry Works", the company specialized in producing sewing needles along with various small machine parts.

On the Sr. Townsend's death George Townsend Jr. bought into the company along with his half brother. Around this time -now the early 1880's- George Jr. had become interested in the new models of "safety bicycles" which were replacing the older Velocipedes with their dangerously high front wheels. Their first bicycle was actually an adaptation of the "boneshaker", a type of velocipede with slightly smaller wheels than it's forerunners but still utilizing the old fashioned iron rimmed wooden wheels. A breakthrough came when Townsend chanced upon the local invention of a bicycle saddle that only used one length of wire in its framework and incorporated springs to reduce the shock. This was modified, patented and marketed as the "Townsend Cyclists Saddle And Springs". From bicycle parts they slowly began production of the first "Townsend Cycle" which soon gained a reputation for its sturdy frame, a characteristic that all Enfield bikes would follow.

Unfortunately Townsend got into some unspecified financial trouble around 1890 and was forced to call in financiers from Birmingham. After a series of disagreements Townsend left the company: Albert Eadie and Robert Walker Smith took control of Townsend Cycle in November 1891. The following year the firm was re-christened "The Eadie Manufacturing Company Limited".
Soon after this the restructured company received a large contract to supply precision rifle parts to the Royal Small Arms Factory in Enfield, Middlesex, and in celebration they named their newest bicycle model the "Enfield". A secondary company, "The Enfield Manufacturing Co. Ltd" was formed in October 1892 specifically to market the bicycles. The following year the word "Royal" was added to the company name and the Royal Enfield was born. Their trademark, "Made Like A Gun" appeared in 1893.

1899 Royal Enfield "Quadricycle"

In 1899 the The Royal Enfield Manufacturing Co. produced their first mechanical vehicle: available in either three or four wheeled configurations, it was powered by a single cylinder De Dion-Bouton 1.75hp 239cc engine with automatic inlet valve and a mechanically operated exhaust valve. The operator was mounted on a regular motorcycle seat with something like a carriage seat in front for the passenger, apparently to spare them the exhaust fumes and debris kicked up by the tires.

Towards the end of the same year Royal Enfield displayed its tricycles and quadricycles at the Stanley Show, alongside Ariel and other manufacturers. The Ariel tricycles were made under license from De Dion-Bouton in France, and the Enfield ones had De Dion-Bouton engines. The prevalent belief in the UK industry at the time was that two wheeled vehicles were too unstable to carry the unwieldy and heavy engines of the day; but a new entrant from Belgium, Minerva, displayed some small lightweight engines clamped to the front downtube of bicycles. Apparently this machine caused quite an impression, and bicycle makers all around the UK soon started offering Minerva engines on their bicycles. Some claim that the British motorcycle industry was actually born at that show.

1901 Royal Enfield Minerva. Left to Right: Walter Grew, Ernest Godbolt, Daniel Doyle, Louis Goviet

The French designer Louis Goviet, who had moved to the Midlands specifically to study bicycle and motorcycle production, quickly submitted a design proposal for a heavy bicycle frame fitted with a Minerva engine to the company and Royal Enfield released their first motorcycle in 1901. The motorcycle featured a 239cc engine with innovations such as a spray carburetor and battery and coil ignition. The original design had the engine weight on the front wheel which led to slipping when cornering; by 1903 two other models were introduced, one with the engine clamped to the lower frame behind the front wheel and the other with the engine under the rider similar to the Triumph designs of the time. All these machines had rear wheel drive.

That same year saw a new factory at Hunt End specifically for car and motorcycle manufacture: in addition to the motorcycles the company was selling two car models, a 6hp single cylinder voiturette with a De Dion engine and a 10hp twin-cylinder vehicle powered by a side-valve Enfield engine with a three speed gearbox and a four seat body. In 1904 the company was further divided with the creation of the "Enfield Autocar Company".

But by 1906 things were not going well for Enfield Autocar, and in June 1907 it was briefly taken over by BSA. Production costs were still much larger than anticipated, and the shareholders voted for voluntary liquidation of the company. In the end an offer from Alldays & Onions Company was accepted and a new company was floated (still under the name of Enfield Autocar Company). The new business was headquartered in Birmingham and produced cars with both Enfield and Enfield-Allday badges until 1924.
One of the first models produced was curiously named "Bullet".

1911 Royal Enfield model 160

With the demise of the Enfield Autocar company in 1908, Royal Enfield decided to refocus on the production of motorcycles. Bob Walker Smith hired Swiss engineer W. Guillon to design and develop a new motorcycle, and in 1909 a 297cc, 2.25hp Motosacoche sidevalve V-twin with belt drive was released. The reliable Motosacoche engine choice was a hit, and the motorcycle would become a lasting success. In 1910 H. Greaves rode a 2.25hp V-Twin in the Land's End to John o'Groat's Trial, completing the run without losing points. In the July trials Greaves and P. Islip had non-stop runs and Greaves got a gold medal, and both had non-stop runs in the October ACU trials. There were also gold medals for Enfield riders in the Six Days' Trial and two gold medals in the Edinburgh to London reliability trial towards the end of the year.

On January 29th 1912 the Transport Committee of the War Office held private speed trials at Brooklands to select a motorcycle suitable for the military. All the leading companies were present, and Bert Colver rode his 2.75hp Royal Enfield for the second fastest lap time at 39mph. The same year the Royal Enfield Model 180 sidecar combination was introduced with a 770cc V-twin JAP engine, which was raced successfully at Brooklands.

World War I

Maxim gun mounted on 1914 model.

In 1914 Frank Walker Smith Jr., who had been promoted to the joint manager director with John Davis in 1912, was offered a seat on the board (he was 25 at the time), but with the outbreak of the First World War Smith joined the Royal Artillery and Guillon, the Swiss-born Royal Enfield designer left for his home country.
Royal Enfield had previously fitted a Maxim machine gun to one of its sidecar combos for publicity purposes, but it was seized by Irish customs in early 1914. At the outbreak of war the machine gun enabled combo was rushed to the Ministry of Munitions who issued an order for 6hp models with strengthened sidecar chassis for Vickers and Maxim gun mounts. Orders from other governments including France, Belgium and Imperial Russia soon followed.
Early in 1917 Germany adopted a policy of unrestricted submarine warfare, wreaking havoc on fuel supplies to the UK. Domestic demand for Enfield bicycles and motorcycles skyrocketed and in addition to its traditional products three tons of artillery shells were being manufactured weekly in Hunt End. The company repurchased the original Givry Works and expanded the Redditch factory.

1917 V twin with sidecar

Inter-War Years

After the armistice was signed in 1918, the general slowdown in production led Enfield to concentrate on bicycles and on providing sidecar rigs to disabled veterans. Besides the 297 and 770cc V twins, a two-stroke 250cc 2.25hp engine had been developed and these engines in various configurations represented the bulk of the company's manufacturing through the early 1920's.

1923 saw the development of the first Enfield four-stroke 350cc single using a JAP engine. Two of these machines were introduced, one sidevalve (model 350) and a sports OHV (model 351). By 1928, Royal Enfield adopted saddle tanks and center spring girder front forks, one of the first companies to do so. A 488cc with a four speed gear box and a new 225cc side valve bike had been added to the lineup, and several machines were produced in the next decade from a tiny two stroke 146cc Cycar to an 1140cc V-twin in 1937.

In particular, a new four valve, single cylinder was introduced in 1931. This new model had an inclined engine with exposed valve gear and was released in both 350cc and 500cc: in 1933, a 250cc model was also added to the range. The bike incorporated the newly designed forks and fuel tank on a rigid frame. In the next year's lineup this model series was christened the "Bullet".

World War II

In 1938 German authorities stopped the Dutch franchisee of the popular DKW RT100 motorcycle from receiving supplies based on information that the company, RS Stokvis en Zonen, had Jewish directors. The board went straight to Redditch and contacted Royal Enfield about producing a similar machine for export. The result was the WD/RE, a less sophisticated 125cc two-stroke engine in the same DKW frame design.
In early 1942 the War Office ordered twenty WD/RE motorcycles from Royal Enfield for testing. The trials went well and led to some modifications including a quieter exhaust system, a Villiers carburetor, and folding kick start, footrests and handlebars to allow it to be packed into the smallest possible space. The motorcycle was originally intended to be dropped by parachute and was quickly dubbed "The Flying Flea". Experimentation began on a protective cradle for the motorcycle and several versions were dropped from Halifax and Lancaster bombers: besides actually surviving the drop the cradles had to be easily removed on landing but the prototypes met neither requirement. Eventually a model was developed with heavier tubing and bracing and the first significant orders for the Royal Enfield WD/RE were placed in early 1943, but after all the planning only a few were actually dropped by parachute.

Royal Enfield "Flying Flea"

The Royal Enfield factory produced various other military models included the WD/CO and WD/G 350cc OHVs, the WD/D 250cc SV, and the WD/L 570cc SV. In 1942 an underground factory was set up in a disused quarry at Westwood, Wiltshire to protect production from the bombing raids on the Midlands. Staff were quickly transferred from Redditch and due to the constant underground temperature the facility soon turned to producing various high precision equipment such as mechanical "predictors" for anti-aircraft guns alongside their motorcycles. The factory continued production post-war, concentrating on engine manufacture and other high precision machining. In 1958 the Ministry of defense sold the Westwood underground quarry factory to Royal Enfield.

Post-War Years

After the German surrender in 1945, the Enfield Cycle Company resumed production of the pre-war G and J series civilian models alongside a modified version of the "Flea". By 1947 the 500cc Model J was back in production, fitted with new hydraulic damping telescopic forks as opposed to the old style girder forks. These were basic "ride-to-work" models which proved popular in a world hungry for inexpensive transport: a large number of surplus military machines were also purchased and reconditioned by the factory. In 1948 a groundbreaking development in the form of rear suspension springing was developed, initially for competition model "trials" models (modern enduro type machines). This was released in 1949 on the first new production models; a 350cc OHV Bullet with a sportier alloy head, swing arm frame and a 500cc twin: Enfield's 25bhp answer to the Triumph Speed Twin. This machine was the forerunner of a range of Royal Enfield Meteors, Super Meteors and Constellations. Offering good performance at modest cost, these machines sold well at the time despite an unremarkable reputation. The 700cc Royal Enfield Constellation Twin released in 1959 has been described as the first Superbike.

1958 Crusader

In the late 1950s and early 1960s Royal Enfield produced a number of 250cc machines, the most popular of which was the 248cc pushrod OHV single cylinder Crusader. On the larger displacement end of their line, the first Interceptor was introduced in 1960: a highly tuned version of the company's 692cc vertical twin intended for export to the USA and Canada. All these engines had the prefix letters "VAX" and are often referred as "VAX Interceptors". Featuring twin carburetors, a factory lightened and balanced crankshaft, hot "R" cams, Lucas racing magneto and a few other modifications compared to road going models, the highly tuned engines demanded constant maintenance and many ended with catastrophic damages to the bottom end. Only a handful of these bikes survived which makes them one of rarest post-war Royal Enfield models.

In 1962 a new 736cc Interceptor was released with a number of modifications and improvements. Unlike the previous model these 750 engines had heavier engine cases and are known for their reliability and torque, and the dynamically balanced crankshaft made these bikes one of the smoothest British twin engines ever.

In 1965, a 21 bhp (16 kW) variant called the GT Continental, with GRP tank, five-speed gearbox (which was also an option on the Crusader), clip-on handlebars and rear set footrests was launched. It sold well with its "cafe racer" looks and another variant was released as the 250 "Turbo Twin", fitted with the Villiers 247 twin two-stroke engine.

Also, from 1955 to 1959 some Royal Enfields were painted red and marketed in the USA as Indian Motorcycles by the Brockhouse Corporation who had control of the Indian Sales Corporation (and therefore Indian Motorcycles).
Brockhouse had stopped manufacturing Indians at the Springfield factory in 1953, but Americans were not impressed by the badge engineering and the marketing agreement ended in 1960. The largest Enfield "Indian" was a 700 cc twin named the Chief, like its American predecessors.

By the late sixties and early seventies an onslaught of mass produced, inexpensive Japanese motorcycles had hit the market and while Redditch made a final attempt at competition with the series I and series II Interceptors they had made the classic mistake of not being able to supply the US demand. The Redditch factory ceased production in 1967 and the Bradford-on-Avon factory closed in 1970, which meant the end of the British Royal Enfield.

The Rickman Interceptors

Rickman Interceptor

In 1969 American entrepreneur Floyd Clymer, trying to revive the Indian brand, purchased a little over 200 Royal Enfield Mk II Interceptor engines for assembly into what were to be badged as Indian motorcycles. Unfortunately Clymer died in 1970 and with the collapse of Royal Enfield soon after the batch of engines was stranded at the dock with no place to go. Clymer's export agent, Mitchell's of Birmingham, was left to dispose of them.
In the 1960s and 70, British brothers Derek and Don Rickman were the superstars of high-performance on and off-road motorcycle chassis design.

Mitchell's approached the Rickman brothers for custom frames for the leftover Enfield engines. The main problem of the Rickman brothers had always been engine supplies, so they quickly agreed to the project and the engines found a home. It’s believed that only 137 were made, leaving what is today a very rare, high-performance machine.

India

Royal Enfield had been exporting motorcycles to India since 1949, and in 1955 the Indian government chose the Bullet as the most suitable bike for police and military use, ordering 800 of the 500cc machines particularly for patrolling the country's border. The Redditch company soon partnered with Madras Motors in India and formed 'Enfield India' to assemble the 350cc Royal Enfield Bullet under license in Madras (now Chennai). The first machines were assembled entirely from components shipped from England, but in 1957 the tooling was sold to Enfield India so that they could manufacture components: by 1962 the bikes were completely manufactured in India.

The Indian Enfield uses the 1960 engine design (with metric bearing sizes) in a pre-1956 design frame. An independent manufacturer since the demise of Royal Enfield in England, Enfield India still produces the Bullet in 350 and 500cc models today, along with several other designs for various market segments. In 1986 UK civil servant Raja Narayan returned to India and organized an export arm for the company to begin re-marketing the Bullet in England, and in 1989 the Enfield Bullet was released back into the UK.
In 1994 Eicher Group bought into Enfield India, and in late 1995 the Enfield India firm acquired the rights to the name Royal Enfield. Royal Enfield of India now sells motorcycles in over twenty countries.

The Royal Enfield Motorcycle brand is the oldest motorcycle brand in the world with continuous production, now spanning over one hundred years from the introduction of the first Minerva driven bicycle in 1901 to the classic 2011 Royal Enfield Fury. The Royal Enfield Bullet, first named in 1932, is the oldest marque; the machine itself has remained continuously in production since 1948.

References:

History of Royal Enfield- Cyclechaos
Royal Enfield history- BurtonBikeBits
Royal Enfield Virtual Museum- the early years
Rickman Enfield- motorcycleclassics.com motorcycle reviews
2011 Enfield models- totalmotorcycle.com
Photography: Caprice/ Enfield bullet- errotica archives (photographer unknown)