Today in motorcycle history, March 19, 1916

 

  Pope Motorcycles introduces it's newest innovation, the cylindrical toolbox mounted on the rear fender.

The Pope Manufacturing Company had been building bicycles with small "clip-on" single cylinder engines and then in 1912 introduced their first V-twin, and by 1918, Pope's reputation was well-known for quality construction and innovative engineering and they were suddenly giving Indian and Harley a reason to look over their shoulders.   The V-twin in the 1918 Pope L-18, with it's 3 21/64" bore and 3 1/2" stroke give it a displacement of 61 cubic inches (1000cc) and it's 7.5 horsepower gave it a max speed of between 60 and 65 miles an hour.  Considering a large percentage of the roads at that time were still unpaved that was some dirt-eatin', bug-chewin' speed.   It featured overhead valves, an Armored Magneto ignition, heads containing nickel-steel interchangeable intake and exhaust valves, an oil tank with a capacity of two quarts that was compartmented with a toolbox beneath the seat, but perhaps the most intriguing feature was the presence of a rear suspension (say what?!), a comfort virtually unheard of at that time.   The rear-suspension design of the L-18 was uniquely Pope's.  Pope mounted the rear axle in a carrier that moved up and down between two posts, compressing a pair of springs on impact. Wheel travel was minimal, but, what the hell, something was better than nothing.   Unfortunately, their motorcycle innovations wouldn't last long and the 1918 Pope L-18 represents the last of the line.   With World War I raging in Europe, Pope suspended motorcycle production late in 1918 to concentrate on building machine guns.  After the war, only the bicycle portion of its business was revived.

Today in motorcycle history, March 18, 1961

   

   A production Velocette Venom Clubman (single-cylinder, four-stroke, 499cc) sets the 24-hour endurance world record with an average speed of 100.05 mph.

   It was the first motorcycle of any size to top 100 mph in the 24-hour endurance, and in 52 years and counting no other machine of the same capacity has been able to match or beat this record. The record attempt took place at the Montlhery Speed Bowl, a 2.7 km (1.67 mile) concrete track about 15 miles outside Paris that was well-known to riders as a track to have a very uneven surface and piss-poor lighting.

   A team of six French riders were accompanied by motorcycle journalist Bruce Main Smith, who himself achieved the best lap time of 107 mph despite the track conditions.  After securing the 12 hour record at more than 104 mph, the team then only stopped to change riders and refuel,  and went on to set the 24 hour endurance record.

  The publicity was huge for Velocette, as the success revived sales of the Venom which went on to become, alongside the Thruxton (worthy of a tale itself on another day), one of Velocette's best selling motorcycles.

  However, the records were only set at the track not the cash register and in 1971 poor sales forced the company into voluntarily liquidation, with all the remaining stock and tools being sold off to pay creditors who had been lining up outside their door since the fall of 1969.                         

  The Venom which set the 24 hour world record is now on display at the British National Motorcycle Museum.   If for some reason you're going to be in the Birmingham area on holiday or for business the address is Coventry Rd, Bickenhill, Solihull, West Midlands B92 0EJ.  The museum is open every day from 9:30am-5:30pm and in case you get lost or have a question the lads in the local can't answer just give 'em a call at 01675 443311.

Today in motorcycle history, March 15, 2002

The Triumph motorcycle factory, (in Hinckley, between Leicester and Coventry, England), suffers what many consider to be one of the worse – if not the worst – industrial fires in British peacetime history.  The intense gasoline fuelled fire reduced aluminum engine components to blobs of metal and it took nearly three days to completely extinguish.  Damage was estimated at over $100,000,000.   John Bloor had bought the rights to the Triumph name in 1983 with the intention of making England a world class motorcycle manufacturer again.  And, damn it, he was not about to let this horrific event stand in his way so instead of pissing and moaning he immediately set to work the following week with a strategy committee, and with the full co-operation of his insurance company, plans were put in place to rebuild the factory.  Since  Bloor owns the company outright, there were no government departments, no red-tape bullshit, no partners or investors to account to in his decision making.  Not only did he have the money, but he had the experience to map out exactly what he wanted and how to rebuild quickly.   Fortunately, the Triumph factory was housed on two separate sites and it was only the final assembly plant that was destroyed.  Much of the critical tooling and machinery was salvaged and design, development and engine assembly continued.    It took only four weeks to clear the debris. The heat from the fire had weakened the steel supports holding up the building and it had to be completely torn down.  New steel was soon rising and closed in followed by machinery, tooling and assembly lines by the end of July 2002.  Not a single employee was laid off and many even volunteered their time to assist with the recovery.  This was a wise investment in their own future and typical of the British and their attitude in times of adversity.    By September Triumph's were being produced on a limited scale and full production was reached by December 2002.    The factory is now known as one of the most efficient motorcycle factories in the world, and now produces 46,000 motorcycles per annum.

Today in motorcycle history, March 13, 1919

  I came across this article from the March 13, 1919 issue of the"Motorcycle and Bicycle Illustrated" magazine that detailed the objectives and rules for the Gypsy Tours for New York and New England.  Being the kind sort I am I thought I'd share...

 The objectives were first, "to provide a good time for the riders, and theirs wives, sisters, and sweet-hearts" (say what?); and second, "to create a more favorable public opinion of the motorcycle and motorcycle riders." 

  These early Gypsy Tours were really, really organized, dare I say a precursor to the modern mc's, with a "Tour Master" and two aides leading a large group of riders sectioned into "companies" of 10 riders and a captain; and "pathfinders" scouting out and marking the route up ahead.  The riders wore visible numbers and were supposed to ride in numerical order, with the sidecars taking up the rear of the company.  The riders were also required to carry documentation; these "checking cards" were reviewed each morning by the "Tour Master" or his aides.  This way there was no confusion over who's got the beer.

 

Erwin "Cannonball" Baker in New York with his Indian motorcycle after his 1912 international journey.

 

Today in motorcycle history, March 12, 1882

 

  Erwin George "Cannon Ball" Baker, the man, the myth, the legend, is born in Dearborn County, Indiana.

  A natural born entertainer, Erwin Baker began his career as a vaudeville performer, but turned to driving, riding and racing after winning a dirt-track motorcycle race in Crawfordsville, Indiana in 1904.

  Baker's road to fame began with his record-setting point-to-point drives, in which he was paid to promote the products of various motorcycle and automobile manufacturers.

  In 1908, with money from his promotional drives/rides,  Baker bought imself an an Indian motorcycle and began entering, and winning, local races.  He actually won the in first race ever held at the then newly built Indianapolis Motor Speedway in 1909. 

   Bored, Erwin felt he needed a road trip, so in January 1912 he bailed Indianapolis on a two-speed Indian and covered 14,000 miles in three months, traveling through Florida, down to Cuba and Jamaica, and then to Panama (and your buddy is still going on and on about his 507 mile trip).   He then took a steamer up to San Diego where he based himself for a while and from there he competed in several endurance runs in both California and Arizona.  It was during this time that Baker decided he would attempt to break the transcontinental record.  After a record-setting transcontinental drive in 1914, he received his nickname "Cannon Ball" from a New York newspaper writer who compared him to the Cannonball train of the Illinois Central Railroad made famous by Casey Jones.

  His best-remembered drive was in 1933. From New York City to Los Angeles in a Graham-Paige model 57 Blue Streak 8, setting a 53.5 hour record that stood for nearly 40 years.  This drive inspired the later 'Cannonball Baker Sea-To-Shining-Sea Memorial Trophy Dash', better known as the "Cannonball Run", which itself inspired at least five movies and a really crappy television series.

  The owner of many driving/riding records, his first was set in 1914, riding coast to coast on an Indian motorcycle in 11 days.  Guaranteeing sponsor's "no record, no money".

  When all was said and done, he made 143 cross-country motorcycle speed runs totaling about 550,000 miles.

  Did you know, Erwin later became the first commissioner of NASCAR. Seriously.  Look it up.

  Nearly 40 years after he died (in 1960) Erwin Baker was inducted into the American Motorcycle Association Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.  That long?  Really? You weren't sure if he qualified?

Today in motorcycle history, March 11, 1958

  Eddie "Steady Eddie" Lawson is born (1958-03-11)in Upland, California.

  Eddie Lawson began his motorcycle racing career on the famous Southern California dirt track circuit.   1978 he found himself with a need for speed so he switched his attention to road racing.  The next season Eddie finished second behind Freddie Spencer in the AMA 250cc road racing National Championship.  Soon afterwards, he was offered a ride with the Kawasaki Superbike team and won the AMA Superbike Series in 1981 and 1982.  He also won the AMA 250cc road racing National Championship in 1980 and 1981 for Kawasaki.

  Feeling the need for more power, and no loyalty to Kawasaki, Eddie accepted an offer from Yamaha to ride in the 500cc World Championship as Kenny Roberts' team-mate for the 1983 season.  Lawson spent all of the 1983 season learning the ropes of the Grand Prix circuit and it paid off as he won the 1984 World Championship.  It would mark the first of four world titles "Steady Eddie" would go on to win.

  After winning two more titles for Yamaha in 1986 and 1988, Lawson shocked the racing world by announcing he would be leaving Yamaha to sign with their arch-rivals Honda fulfilling his desire to work with Erv Kanemoto.  He went on to win the 1989 title for Honda, becoming the first rider in history to win back-to-back championships on machines from different manufacturers.  

  Eddie Lawson also won the ABC Superbikers event at Carlsbad, California, in 1983 and 1985.  It's a race which pitted the best riders from several disciplines against each other on a combined dirt and paved course.  He was riding a specially equipped factory YZ 490 Yamaha and it rekindled his long-forgotten love for dirt.

  In 1990, Lawson won the Suzuka 8 Hours endurance race on a Yamaha FZR750R paired with Japanese rider Tadahiko Taira. 

 When he retired from GP racing in the early 1990s, he ranked third on the all-time 500cc Grand Prix wins list with 31.

R