Today in motorcycle history, January 10, 2013

 What is believed to possibly be the last remaining Leo motorcycle, made 108 years ago by the L.A. Mitchell Manufacturing Company in Oakland, California, is scheduled to be auctioned Jan. 10 in Las Vegas.

 The motorcycle, found in complete and original condition in the storage area of a Massachusetts museum, represents the earliest surviving example of an American two-stroke motorcycle, according to the auction firm Bonhams that's selling the bike.

  Leo Motorcycles were thought to have been produced for just one year, 1905. 

 The Leo was a purpose-built motorcycle utilizing a motorcycle frame, that is to say a frame specifically built for the motorcycle rather than using a bicycle frame which would have been the norm.

  Its lightweight, compact motor was way ahead of its time as two-cycle engines were not commonly used in American motorcycles until after World War I.

It appears the bike was not a prototype, either, as it has signs of many miles of use.

  Discovered in the warehouse of a museum where it was hidden and forgotten for decades, the motorcycle is in extraordinary condition, according to Bonhams.

  It has a freely-turning motor, strong compression and original components such as spokes and rims, Thor pedals and a Troxel leather saddle.

  The bike will be auctioned at Bally's Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, along with other motorcycles including Steve McQueen's 1970 Husqvarna 400 Cross.

   If I win the auction I'll let you know.