Today in motorcycle history, July 31, 1900

      

  

  The first American production motorcycle? Indian? Harley-Davidson? Orient.

  Hard-core Indian fans always like to remind the Harley folk that their Springfield machines preceded their Milwaukee rival by two years; Indian in 1901, Harley-Davidson in 1903.


  But both Indian and Harley were upstaged by a bicycle company called the Waltham Manufacturing Company founded in 1893 by Charles H. Metz. The name of his machine, and rightful heir to the title “first American production motorcycle” was the Orient-Aster, better known simply as the Orient. The Aster relates to the machine’s French-built engine, a copy of the ubiquitous *DeDion-Bouton.

   In 1898 Charles Metz had been screwing around with various tricycle and quadracycle versions, eventually focusing on a heavy-duty version of his bicycle into which he fitted with an Aster/DeDion-Bouton engine. Apparently it handled like crap, but it moved under its own power. No pedaling, no leg cramps.


  Metz would make history when his 1899 catalog listed his machines as “Orient Motor-cycles” apparently the first published catalog usage of the term 'motorcycle'.


  The official public debut of an Orient motorcycle took place on July 31, 1900 when Metz launched his invention at the Charles River Race Park in Boston which also happened to be the occasion for the first officially recorded motorcycle speed contest in the United States. The Orient won. Not Indian. Not Harley. Orient.

  *The De Dion-Bouton engine is considered to the first high-speed lightweight internal combustion engine. At one point it was licensed to more than 150 manufacturers. The small lightweight four cycle engine was used on many pioneering moto-bicycle brands and was widely copied by many makers including Indian and Harley-Davidson.

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Today in motorcycle history, July 30, 1972

  


 

  Riding a Munch-URS powered machine, the British Team of Chris Vincent and Mike Casey win the 1972 Finnish Grand Prix in the 500cc Sidecar Class at Imatra. 

  One of the legends of sidecar racing, Chris Vincent left school at the age of fifteen and joined the BSA factory race team in Birmingham. In 1954 he would join the Norton race shop and started racing on grasstracks and then in Speedway. It was during his time at Norton that Chris became friends with the well-known sidecar racer Cyril Smith. Smith would prove to be a big influence on the young Speedway rider introducing him to the world of sidehacks. 

  Summoning his inner Dr. Frankenstein, Chris Vincent would eventually meld his loves together, resulting in the "Norbsa".  A Manx Norton frame, swingarm, forks and wheels with a 646cc BSA A10 motor and tranny.  He would then pilot it to the 1958 National Sidecar Championship.

  He won the 1962 Isle of Man TT with passenger Eric Bliss establishing the first all-British Sidecar TT win since 1954, the first mountain circuit win by a British machine since 1925, and the first-ever International TT victory by a BSA.



  Unfortunately, the Norbsa was short-lived as the World Championship status including the TT were to be restricted to 500cc. Chris later used the reliable, competitive engine for Grand Prix and UK 500cc events, the flat-twin BMW RS54 Rennsport.

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Today in motorcycle history, July 29, 1972

  

   

   

    At U.S. 30 Dragstrip in Hobart, Indiana, T.C. Christenson becomes the first man to exceed 180 mph in the quarter mile aboard his double-engine Norton 'Hogslayer'.

   On Nov. 19, 1972, racing against 10 of the top motorcycle dragsters at Ontario Motor Speedway in California, Christenson achieved an 8.52 second quarter mile. His bike — known as "The Worlds Fastest Norton" later broke its own marks with a 7.93 second, 176.12 mph run, also at the famous California dragstrip.

  It was at the 1969 Bowling Green motorcycle drags that Christenson saw Boris Murray’s double-engine Triumph. That bike inspired him and his partner, John Gregory, to begin building their first twin-engine Norton at their shop in *Kenosha, Wisconsin.


  "Kenosha was the perfect place to build racing motors," Christenson said. "It was a factory town with machine shops everywhere and it seemed like the whole town got behind us and pitched in to help build our double-engine bikes."



  Three different versions of the double-engine Norton were built in 1970 and '71. By 1972 the third version of the Hogslayer (named for its ability to beat the dominant Harley-Davidson drag racers of the day) became the most advanced drag racing bike in the country at the time. It featured many firsts, including the first slipper clutch, fuel injection, a two-speed transmission (based on an overdrive unit from a Rambler), revolutionary aerospace materials used in an aerodynamic frame that utilized a rear racing slick specially made for the Hogslayer by M&H Racemaster that was eight inches wide, twice the then normal tire width.


  With the 300-plus horsepower in the 1,620cc nitro-burning Hogslayer, Christenson ultimately ran in the mid-7's at 180 mph and for most of the early-to-mid-1970's he was the fastest drag racer on  planet earth. In 1972, he won the NHRA U.S. Nationals in the first year Fuel Bikes were part of the program. In 1973, he lost only once and set the A/Fuel Bike elapsed time record with a 7.83-second run en route to his Top Fuel win at the NHRA National Motorcycle Record Championships in Bowling Green, Kentucky. He set numerous world records and was featured in wide array of bike magazines. Christenson won the official NHRA Fuel Bike National Championship in Indianapolis, Indiana, in 1976.




  'Hogslayer' is now permanently exhibited at The British National Motorcycle Museum in Solihull, West Midlands, UK. It was one of the featured motorcycles in the grand re-opening of the museum.




  *Kenosha, Wisconsin, is home to the legendary Mars Cheese Castle.





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Today in motorcycle history, July 28, 1939

   

 

    

  

  

  Richard Allen "Dick" Hammer, the versatile motorcycle racer who excelled at road race, TT and flat track, is born in Los Angeles, California.

  Dick Hammer was a leading AMA Grand National racer during the 1960's who specialized in TT racing, but was comfortable on anything with two-wheels and a motor. As a novice aboard a Triumph T100R he once won 15 races in succession, in 1959 Dick finished as the high-point flat-track Novice in the country at Ascot Park on a Fred Moxley sponsored BSA Gold Star.


  Hammer finished as the high-point TT rider in California's heavily competitive District 37 in 1960 and 1961. His riding ability began to open eyes in Milwaukee, and in 1962 Harley offered him a sponsored ride through H-D of Long Beach with the highly skilled Jerry Branch as his mechanic. With that support, Dick won the Peoria TT, the only national victory of his career.

   In 1964, he suffered injuries while practicing for the Peoria Tourist Trophy that left him semiconscious in a hospital for 27 days. The front wheel had been installed improperly, and when Dick went over his first jump, the wheel fell off and he hit the ground head-first.

  "One of the toughest guys I have ever met."  Fellow Hall of Famer, Skip Van Leeuwen said of Hammer. "A lot of people thought he'd never ride again. But after being out cold for a month, he got out of the hospital and, the very next Saturday, there he was signing up for a race at Ascot. His eyes were still bloodshot, but he rode that night," Van Leeuwen said.

  In his 12 years on the pro circuit, Dick Hammer tallied one national victory, 12 national podium finishes and was ranked in the Top-Ten in the AMA Grand National Championship points three times, with a high ranking of fifth in 1963. He also was a leading rider in the early days of the Lightweight Class before it became a National Series as 250 Grand Prix in the mid 1970's. Winning the first-ever Lightweight Class at Daytona aboard a Harley Sprint in 1963. Then repeating in 1964 and was runner-up to Gary Nixon in '67.


  Dick Hammer retired from professional racing in 1972. He was inducted in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000.

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Today in motorcycle history, July 25, 1954

 


    

 

 

  Known as one of the true gentlemen of motorcycle racing, Britain's Denis Lashmar is killed during the 1954 German Motorcycle Grand Prix at Solitudering.

 


  Denis Lashmar's first race was at Dunholme in October 1948 for the BMCRC (British Motorcycle Racing Club) Hutchinson 100. Chasing Harrold Daniell on a Lancefield Norton, the inexperienced Lashmar ended up in a field of crops travelling at 80 mph. He would eventually find his way back on the circuit and finished 15th! Impressed by his tenacity Daniell lent Denis his own Norton to ride for the next few races.


  He would win the 1949 1000cc Clubmans TT on a Stan Pike prepared Vincent. More than speed, running out of gas was his major concern as three other riders ahead of him did awarding Denis the victory. Afterwards, he admitted that being a fan of speed the irksome restraint of travelling slowly to reduce gas consumption was worth it because he would take home the trophy but, it robbed  him of the thrill of a high-speed run on the mountain course.


  He competed in three TT events in 1951, his best result being 13th in the Senior on Daniell's Norton. In 1954 he was entered by the legendary Geoff Duke in both the Junior and Senior races on a Pike-BSA, finishing in both. Sadly, Denis was killed in the penultimate lap of the 1954 500cc German Grand Prix at Solitude near Stuttgart while riding a BSA A7 prepared by Stan's brother, Roland.

   BMCRC printed a tribute that read in part, “ His happy-go-lucky manner never left him whether he was enjoying a hard-fought race or wrestling with a recalcitrant machine in the paddock, and his dashing style of riding often placed him amongst the leaders, even though their models might be faster. With his death Bemsee has lost one of its keenest members, a genuine private owner who rode for the sheer joy of travelling fast.” 

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Today in motorcycle history, July 24, 2001

  

  

  

  Motorcyclist slapped with a fine for driving 160 mph on Lake Shore Drive.

  Daemond Rogan's big speeding ticket was the talk of the family reunion in Peoria, Illinois.

  Relatives approached Daemond about what the hell he was thinking when he got busted for driving 160 mph on a 1999 Honda CBR 600 F4 on Chicago's Lake Shore Drive on May 16, 2001.  He replied, "I just wanted to see how fast it would go."

  Daemond Rogan, 32, of Calumet City, (Illinois) pleaded guilty Monday, July 24, in Traffic Court to having big balls, reckless driving and aggravated speeding and was sentenced to 30 days in jail and a $500 fine, said Marcy O'Boyle, a spokeswoman for the Cook County state's attorney's office.  On the "speeder" O'Boyle replied, "The speed limit is 45 mph and as it is that is too fast."

  This isn't an Onion piece or a fabricated story.  No bullshit.  Deamond Rogan was really clocked at 160.  My friend Jim 'Dandelion' McDaniels was ticketed  by the Arizona State Police at 127 mph and all he could say was it was "quite a rush".  I've only ever been up to 112 (I know, what a pussy), the thought of twistin' the wick up another 50 mph is trouser-changing.

  In case you think I'm making this up what follows is the original article from the Chicago Tribune dated May 17, 2001.

  Motorcyclist clocked going 160 m.p.h.

  When the radar went off in Officer Maurice Burks' car at 2 a.m. at North Lake Shore Drive and Grand Avenue, one of his first reactions was to check for errors in the radar, Dougherty said. Satisfied the radar gun was working, Burks flipped on his emergency lights to give chase but quickly realized there was no chance of catching the motorcyclist. So he turned off his lights and watched as the driver pulled off the drive at North Avenue, police spokesman David Bayless said. Burks then saw the driver double back and head south on Inner Lake Shore Drive, Bayless said. He stopped the rider, Daemon Rogan, 32, at 336 N. Michigan Ave., police said. The motorcycle was towed, and Rogan spent the night in the Central District lockup.


  After checking the radar gun again and again trying to determine if it was in working order, police said they contacted a Honda motorcycle dealership to ask if that speed was possible on the 600FX model Rogan was driving. Police said they were told the top speed for that model is 165 m.p.h.


  Rogan, who has three speeding citations since 1999, was given eight traffic tickets: speeding, passing between vehicles, no insurance, no state plates, improper lane usage, failure to signal, running a stoplight and failure to yield. Dougherty said police are in discussions with the Cook County state's attorney's office about other charges, including reckless driving.

  In case my European friends are laughing thinking about a Suzuki Hayabusa doing 180 mph or MV Augusta's F4 R 312 topping 190 mph.  This was in Chicago, known for potholes and construction, where there's traffic, even at two in the morning.  






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Today in motorcycle history, July 23, 1972

  

  


  

  Aboard the new five speed XRTT-750 Cal Rayborn II gives Harley-Davidson its final AMA Grand National road race victory at Laguna Seca Raceway in Monterey, California. This would be the last ever road race won by the XR-750.

  Earlier in the spring of 1972, Cal Rayborn turned in perhaps his most famous performance. Going against the wishes of the factory, Rayborn accepted an invitation to the Transatlantic Match Races in England. With the factory refusing to back him, Cal then, out his own pocket, hired Walt Faulk, the service manager from Daytona Harley-Davidson, crated Walt's old 1970 cast iron road racer and a back up engine and off they both went to England. The entire operation was so slipshod that Cal, Walt and a fellow airline passenger had to hand carry the 200 lb back up motor aboard the plane. He had to switch engines between races and rebuild the day’s previous engine in the back of a van and do it for six races at three different tracks. While in a pub teammate and friend Don Emde drew maps of the tracks where they would racing on a cocktail napkin!

  On the outdated bike and with no experience on the tracks, Cal won three of the six races (and finished second in the other three) while British rider Ray Pickrell on a Triumph triple won the other three races (and finished second in the other three races), a dead heat! That race marked the beginning of a long friendship with the English for Rayborn and also some long sought after recognition by the rest of the motorcycling world that American riders, long thought only able to master oval dirt tracks, could be top-tier road racers.



   Tragedy struck in December of 1973, when he was killed at a club event in New Zealand when the bike he was riding seized up and threw him into a guardrail at well over 100 mph. 


  Whether over beers or in the back of a garage, whenever there’s a discussion about who's America’s best road racer of all time, Cal Rayborn’s name inevitably comes up. Rayborn won 11 AMA nationals during his relatively short seven-year professional racing career. Ten of those victories came on road racing courses, including  two Daytona 200 wins, making him easily the top American road racer of his era.

  Cal Rayborn II was inducted in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.





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Today in motorcycle history, July 22, 1999

 


    

    

 

  The motorcycle world can't help but drool as Benelli reveals the Tornado Tre 900 at the Milan Motorcycle Show. 

  After a failed attempt to revive Benelli under Giancarlo Selci in 1989, in 1995 Andrea Merloni bought the rights to the Benelli brand from Alejandro de Tomaso. Needing a relaunch model, Merloni noted the success of John Bloor in reviving Triumph Motorcycles Ltd, and so he instructed Benelli's design team to build a stylist and exclusive motorcycle around a distinctive triple-cylinder 1,000cc capacity motor.  The result was the Tornado Tre.

  Tornado Tre basic specs - 898.4cc, 140hp, four-stroke, in line three-cylinder, inclined forward 15°, incorporating an anti-vibration counterbalance shaft, fuel injection with one or two injectors for each cylinder, 11.8:1 compression, water cooled (rear mounted radiator), six speed tranny. Dry weight - 407 lbs. Max speed: self-limited. 

  Benelli Tornado Tre.  Extra napkins required.

  Today in motorcycle history proudly supports the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD).  www.nabd.org.uk