Today in motorcycle history, December 31, 1947

  



  

  Britains forgotten four.  The 1948 Wooler prototype, a four-cylinder shaft drive, begins to take shape as the frame is finally ready to accept the latest John Wooler wonder.  

  John Wooler designed his first motorcycle in 1909 – a two-stroke horizontal single-cylinder machine with a double-ended piston. The first production model was a 230 cc two-stroke with front and rear plunger spring suspension and a patent "anti-vibratory" frame. The motorcycle was manufactured by Wilkinson from1912-1914 with a 344cc engine and marketed as the Wilkinson-Wooler. Production was halted with the outbreak of WWI.

  Wooler began it's own production in 1919 with a new and advanced machine which was entered in the 1921 Junior TT where it was nicknamed the "Flying Banana" by the legendary racer Graham Walker.

  Very little was ever heard from John Wooler again. Until the 1948 London Show. One of the sensations of that event was a prototype 500cc Wooler shaft-drive tourer with an extraordinary four-cylinder engine. Horizontally-opposed pistons were connected to its crankshaft via a single main connecting rod and a complex rocking-beam mechanism.

  Although John Wooler was reluctant to admit it, his innovative engine was completely impractical. To salvage the project, his son Ronald designed a more orthodox horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engine. The redesigned four has a compact all-alloy power unit with one carb for each pair of cylinders and overhead valves operated by pushrods from camshafts in the lower engine. Drive to the rear wheel from the single-plate clutch and four-speed transmission was by a shaft and bevel gears. Maintaining Wooler’s ‘Flying Banana’ tradition, the fuel tank unit extends forward ahead of the neck and forms the headlamp nacelle. A toolbox is built into the top of the transmission and an oil pressure gauge is located just ahead of it.

  Predating Honda’s Gold Wing flat-four shaft drive tourer by 20 years, the Wooler set out to offer the highest levels of comfort, silence and ease of use. But Wooler lacked the finance needed to develop and make a competitive product. As few as five machines are thought to have been assembled before John Wooler died and his company folded.

Today in motorcycle history, December 30, 2001

  
  

  Legendary British motorcycle designer/engineer, Eric Cheney, dies at 76.

   After ten successful years on the European motocross circuit Eric Cheney was forced to retire from racing himself due to an infection contracted while racing in Algeria.  Not one to sit around and do cross-stitch, he began to design motorcycle chassis' and suspensions.

 Having had no formal training as a motorcycle designer he was able to create original and high performance chassis designs working with an approach that had been described as "like a medieval engineer" because he worked entirely by intuition.  Eric relied on his long personal experience of international off-road competition riding and would prepare his initial designs for a new motorcycle frame in chalk on the wall of his workshop.  Experimenting with different lines until he was satisfied, Eric would then form the steel tubing using his chalk drawings as a guide.  Only when he had built a working prototype motorcycle would he start work on a final jig for mass production.  He quoted as saying "I know when it's right and it screams at me when it's wrong."

  In 1968, the British motorcycle industry was unable to support a national team to compete in the International Six Day Trial so, Cheney hand built a limited number of ISDT Cheney-Triumphs using his own design of twin down-tube frame with a specially tuned Triumph 5TA engine.  Fitted with tapered conical hubs, special motocross forks and large alloy fuel tanks. In 1970 and 1971 three 504cc Cheney Triumphs were used by the British team in the ISDT (Cheney would win the manufacturer's prize).  Replicas were built, but production was short-lived due to a shortage of engines.

  Cheney's most noted successes were in the Grand Prix championships, with Phil Read using his chassis in tandem with a Yamaha engine to win the 1971 250cc World Championship.  His designs were the last British ones to win a Grand Prix.  He never worked for any of the major manufacturers but maintained a productive relationship with BSA in its heyday.  After the demise of BSA in 1972, Cheney joined with former BSA factory rider John Banks to develop and campaign a highly successful BSA powered motocross bike.

  Some of Cheney's motorcycle designs are now famous in their own right, such as the competition BSA Gold Stars of Jerry Scott, Keith Hickman and Steve McQueen.

Today in motorcycle history, December 27, 1998

  

  



  

  One of Spain's greatest champions, Grand Prix motorcycle racer, Ricardo Tormo Blaya, dies from luekemia.

  As a member of the Bultaco factory team in 1978, Ricardo Tormo wins his first FIM 50cc World Championship. After a falling out in 1980, Tormo would leave the factory team and would prove to them it was their loss, not his, when, in 1981, he once again is crowned  50cc World Champion but, this time saddling a privately backed Bultaco.  He was also a three-time 50cc Spanish National Champion and a four-time 125cc Spanish National Champion.

  After a divorce from Bultaco, in 1983, together with Jorge "Aspar" Martinez, Tormo signed with the Derbi factory to compete for the 1984 World Championship in the new 80cc category.  At the first race of the year at Misano, Tormo's Derbi suddenly throws a rod putting an end to his Derbi debut.  The motorcycle press raise their collective eyebrow, should he have signed with Derbi?  The second race of the season was to be held at Spain’s Jarama Circuit.  At that time, there were only two official circuits in Spain, one in Jarama and the other in the beautiful Calafat.  The team planned test rides before the race, but both circuits were already booked, forcing them to practice in Martorelles.  This region of Barcelona was an industrial park just outside of the Derbi factory.  The team occasionally had test runs in this area, blocking off the roads to ensure that no cars would interfere with the racers.  During a practice prior to the Spanish Grand Prix, a vehicle gained access to the area from one of the team’s assistants who was supposed to have blocked off all of the roads.  Tragically, Tormo, who was testing a new racing suit, hit the car and shattered his right leg, ending the career of one of Spain's greatest Grand Prix racers.

  In 1994, Tormo received Valencia’s highest honor when he was given the Valencian Community’s High Distinction award.  In collaboration with the journalist Paco Desamparados, an autobiography was published, entitled "Yo Ricardo. Una vida por y para la moto" (I am Ricardo. A life by and for motorcycles).

  After a long battle with leukemia, on December 27, 1998, Ricardo Tormo dies.  In his honor, Valencia’s racetrack was renamed the Circuit de la Comunitat Valenciana Ricardo Tormo.

Today in motorcycle history, December 26, 1972

  


  

  The first woman of color in the world to win a professional motorsports event, Peggy Llewellyn, is born in San Antonio, Texas. 

  Of American, Jamaican and Mexican descent,  Peggy Llewellyn wins the 2007 NHRA POWERade Prostock Motorcycle title in Dallas, Texas, becoming the first woman of color to win a professional motorsports event.  

  Riding motorcycles since she was seven, Llewellyn was seemingly born with the need-for-speed.  In 2001 Peggy was able to get six NHRA starts but, unable to secure a sponsor, she found herself studying for a real estate license as a means to eat and keep bill-collectors off her ass.  It didn't take long to realize selling turf wasn't to be the career for her, so back to the track she went.  With natural talent and a gritty determination she finally locked up a sponsor and was able to race full-time.
  Then, in 2007, as well as qualifying for the inaugural NHRA 'Countdown to 4' and 'Countdown to 1', allowing her to finish in the POWERade Top 5, she also did a career-best time with a 6.928 seconds at a leg-wetting 193.24 mph.

  Peggy Llewellyn made history again in 2010 when she became the first woman of color to own, operate and race for an NHRA drag racing team, 2 Wheel Woman Racing.

Today in motorcycle history, December 23, 1947

  

  

  The Lambretta 'A' scooter goes on sale. Pregnant women across the UK moan simultaneously as Mod's kick at the wall of their mother's wombs, trying desperately to see their future.

  Ferdinando Innocenti hires General Corradino D'Ascanio, rumored to have a deep hatred for motorcycles, to the job of designing a simple and affordable two-wheeled vehicle. Ego, more than design, leads to the General having a falling out with Innocenti. With a big, "Screw you!", D'Ascanio disassociated himself from Innocenti and took his design to Enrico Piaggio, who produced what would become Lambretta's arch-rival Vespa. The final design of the Lambretta would be given to aeronautical engineer Pier Luigi Torre. 

  Much to Innocenti's chagrin, the Piaggio Vespa would become the standard for scooter. Finished in 1946, using aircraft design and materials, D’Ascanio's 98cc scooter had various radical design concepts, including a sleek, stress-bearing structure. The gear-shift lever was moved from the feet to the handlebars for easier riding. The engine was placed near the rear wheel. The internal mesh transmission eliminated the chain, a never-ending source of oil and dirt. The typical fork support was replaced by an arm similar to an aircraft carriage for easier tire-changing ability. The elegantly styled body protected the driver from wind and road dirt, and bore little resemblance to uncomfortable and noisy motorcycles. The smaller wheels and shorter wheelbase provided improved maneuverability through narrow streets and congested traffic. Combining the best elements of automotive, aeronautical and motorcycle design, the Vespa quickly became an icon of design and economy.

 Months later, at the Paris Motor Show in 1947, Innocenti introduced the Lambretta, beginning a long-standing rivalry with Vespa. The scooter was designed by Innocenti, his General Director Giuseppe Lauro and Torre. The Lambretta 'A' went on sale on December 23, 1947. At a time when gas was severely rationed, the scooter was a more efficient way to travel. And much more stylish. It had a top speed of 45 mph from a 123cc, fan-cooled engine. 9,000 of them were sold the first year.

  Lambretta's popularity (and sales) increased dramatically when Jimmy Cooper (Phil Daniels) rode a Lambretta Li 150 Series 3 in the 1979 film "Quadrophenia". Across the UK, hoards of Mod's, some screaming, some crying, ran to their local scooter dealers.

Did you know...the scooter was named after Lambrate, the Milanese neighborhood where the factory had stood prior to the war.

Today in motorcycle history, December 18, 1975

  

  

  

  36, 650 acres of salty, speed-lovers delight known as the the Bonneville Salt Flats Racetrack (Bonneville Speedway) is added to the U.S. National Register of Historic Places.

  Allow me to give you a few of the mind-bogglin', eye-poppin', teeth-chattering motorcycle land speed records achieved at Bonneville...

  1956 John Allen on a 649cc Triumph hits 193.730 mph.

  1962 William A. Johnson does 224.57 mph aboard a 667cc Triumph.

  1966 Robert Leppan cranks out 245.60 mph on the infamous "Gyronaut X-1", powered by a twin-engine Triumph.

  1967 New Zealander  Burt Munro does a movie-making speed of 183.59 mph while positioned straight-out upon his 1920 Indian Scout.

  1990 Dave Campos' 3,000cc (180 cubic inch) Ruxton Harley-Davidson nails it at 322.150 mph.  Which is the longest held official record standing until 2006 when Rocky Robinson's Ack-Attack twin-engine, Suzuki clocks in with a speed of 342.797.  Robinson's Ack-Attack will top that in September, 2010, with the sphincter-twitching speed of 376.363 mph.

  2012 Brandon Nozaki Miller records a speed of 102.281 mph on a Zero S ZF6 making it the first electric motorcycle to go 100 mph.

   And you're still gonna brag your Sportster did 114 mph on I-95 in 1988?  

Today in motorcycle history, December 16, 2002

  


  

  Motorcycle racing legend, dealer and land-speed record-holder, Don Vesco dies.

  From Scrambles and TT races to being a factory rider for Honda, Yamaha and BSA, Don Vesco had the need-for-speed.  A serious need.

  In September of 1970, he set the motorcycle land speed record with a 251.66 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats in a streamliner powered by twin Yamaha motors.  Less than a month later, the Harley-Davidson factory broke the record with Don's longtime friend Cal Rayborn in the saddle.  So, you want to play that way...
  ...in 1975, Don piloted the Silver Bird Yamaha, (powered by two Yamaha TZ750's), and broke the 300 mph barrier.  Still feeling the need for a "bit more",  he broke his own record, turning in a speed of 318.598 on a twin-engine Kawasaki.  That record would stand for 12 years.
  You would think he's got to be happy with  300+ mph run.  You'd be wrong.
  Fast-forward to 1999, at the age of 60, he set the land speed record for a wheel-driven car with his "Turbinator" streamliner powered by a Lycoming turbine helicopter motor, which hit 427.832 mph.  Ok, enough?  Not quite.  At Bonneville, in October of 2001, Don Vesco and his "Turbinator" set an FIA World Land Speed Record of 458.440 mph!

  Don Vesco was inducted into AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.

Today in motorcycle history, December 11, 1922

  


  

  William G. Henderson, co-founder of Henderson Motorcycles and founder of Ace Motor Corporation, dies as a result of injuries suffered in a motorcycle accident in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

  In 1911 William and his brother Tom started Henderson Motorcycle Company in Detroit, Michigan.  By January 1912, the Henderson brothers were offering a 57 ci (934cc) in-line four-cylinder, chain drive model.  The in-line four and the long wheelbase would become the trademark of the company.

  On June 13, 1917, Alan Bedell rode his Henderson from Los Angeles, California, to New York City (3,296 miles) in seven days, sixteen hours and fifteen minutes, breaking the record set by "Cannonball" Baker on an Indian Twin.  Such a proud moment for the Henderson brothers that beer was free in Detroit that day.
  Despite their record breaking and endurance racing success, the financial effects of World War I took their toll.  Henderson Motorcycles were officially sold to Ignaz Schwinn, owner and manufacturer of Schwinn bicycles and Excelsior Motorcycles.  Production was moved to Chicago, Illinois.

  After heated arguments over the direction that Henderson was moving, William said, "Screw this.", packed up the truck and moved to Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.  In the fall of 1919, he started Ace Motor Corporation producing in-line four-cylinder motorcycles quite similar to the Henderson.
  On December 1, 1922, shortly after 11:00am, while test-driving his new design, the Ace Sporting Solo, he was struck by a delivery vehicle. Thrown from the bike, he was rushed to Frankford Hospital where he died a few hours later.
   Ace Motor Corporation ceased production in 1924.

Today in motorcycle history, December 10, 1962

  
  

  Columbia Studios/Horizon Pictures release "Lawrence of Arabia".  The film is considered by many to be one of the greatest and most influential films in the history of cinema.        Based on the life of T.E. Lawrence. The film depicts Lawrence's experiences in Arabia during WWI.  Lawrence's emotional struggles with the personal violence inherent in war, his own identity, and his divided allegiance between his native Britain and his newfound comrades within the Arabian desert tribes.

                   ***********************************************************

  Two months after leaving military service, T.E. Lawrence was fatally injured in an accident while riding his Brough Superior SS100.

  A very experienced rider (he had owned seven Brough Superior's previously) the crash occurred on a narrow road in Dorset, close to his cottage, Clouds Hill.  A dip in the road obstructed his view of two boys on bicycles, forcing him to swerve hard to avoid them.  Lawrence lost control and was thrown over the handlebars.  He suffered severe head injuries that left him in a coma; he died six days later on May 19, 1935. 

 
  One of the doctors attending him was the neurosurgeon, Hugh Cairns.  He consequently began a long study of what he saw as the unnecessary loss of life by motorcycle dispatch riders through head injuries and his research led to the use of crash helmets by both military and civilian riders.

  Lawrence's last SS100, registration GW 2275, is on display at the Imperial War Museum in London.

  The next time you're flipping from channel to channel and bitching about there being nothing to watch, I highly recommend renting/buying/borrowing/stealing "Lawrence of Arabia".

Today in motorcycle history, December 9, 2005

  


  


  

  The EICMA (Esposizione Internazionale Ciclo Motociclo e Accessori) "Best of Show" winning concept bike, the Ducati Hypermotard, makes it's only North American appearance at the Long Beach (California) Cycle World International Motorcycle Show.

  Only a few hours after its unveiling, the Ducati Hypermotard, had already won its first important recognition.  The prototype designed by Pierre Terblanche was awarded the prestigious "Best of Show" at the "Designers Night" held by the Motorcycle Design Association.  The new Ducati jewel was chosen from the many new concept motorcycles proposed at EICMA, the 63rd International Motorcycle Exhibition.

  The Ducati Hypermotard was a radical concept bike that took power, aggressiveness, versatility and sport performance to new extremes. Taking advantage of the compactness and agility of a traditional Supermotard, Ducati upped the ante with leg-wetting street power thanks in part to it's 1078cc, fuel-injected, air-cooled,  90 degree twin.

  Supermotard's sexy styling can still make the blood boil.  However, this bike offered what no Supermotard could: speeds of 135 MPH, fuel injection and 100 horsepower and only 385 lbs of dry weight!

  Cycle World's review said it all, "The Ducati Hypermotard is  the most extreme mountain conquering, urban assaulting machine EVER."