Today in motorcycle history, August 7, 1970

    


   

   

  Three-time NHRA Pro Stock Motorcycle World Champion Angelle Monique Sampey is born in New Orleans, Louisiana.

  Angelle Sampey graduated from the Charity School of Nursing in New Orleans in 1995, and began working as an intensive care nurse in May of that year.  But, her burning passion for drag racing had continued to grow while she was in school and she knew it was something she needed to pursue.  Putting nursing on hold, Angelle attended Frank Hawley’s Drag Racing School in December of 1995 and then in July of 1996, she made her NHRA debut as a Pro Stock Motorcycle racer, competing at Bandimere Speedway in Denver, Colorado. She would win her first race at Reading, Pennsylvania, in September of that year in just the fourth start of her career. Sampey continued to be successful, winning a number of races on her Suzuki throughout the late 1990's while competing for Star Racing. In 2000, she won the NHRA World Championship, becoming the first woman to win the title since Shirley "Cha Cha" Muldowney. She followed this up by winning the title again the next season. Reaching twenty-two career victories that year, she became the winningest female in drag racing history. In 2002, Sampey claimed the NHRA World Championship crown for the third consecutive year, only the second racer to accomplish this feat.

  On June 23, 2007 at Old Bridge Township Raceway Park in Englishtown, New Jersey, Sampey set the National Pro Stock Motorcycle elapsed time record with a 6.871 second run.

  Angelle Sampey retired from competitive drag racing on March 11, 2010.  Her final stats were a staggering 364 round wins out of 506 total rounds of competition or a win nearly 72 percent of the time she twisted the wick down the quarter-mile.

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

Today in motorcycle history, August 6, 2006

  


  

  Jim Pomeroy, the first U.S. motorcycle racer to win a World Championship Motocross event, dies when his 1979 Jeep CJ5 veers off the road near Tampico, Washington.

  Jim Pomeroy became the first American rider to win a FIM Motocross World  Championship race when he rode a Bultaco Pursang to victory in the 1973 250cc Spanish motocross Grand Prix. At the time, European riders completely dominated the sport of motocross and Americans weren't even mentioned in conversation. The news of his victory created a huge wave of excitement in the States where motocross was undergoing an explosive growth in popularity. His victory signaled that American motocross riders were finally ready to compete with the best in the world.



  Pomeroy achieved great success in the World Championship and AMA Motocross and Supercross series, but just as important, he motivated a whole new generation of riders.

  A partial list of Jim's firsts: he was the first American to win an FIM World Championship MX Event (Spain 1973), first rider to win his debut World Grand Prix Motocross race (Spain 1973), first American to lead the World Motocross Championship (Spain 1973), first winner of an indoor Supercross race (Houston, 1974), first American to win a moto at the U.S. 500cc Grand Prix race (Carlsbad 1977) and the first non-World Champion to win the Trophies des-Nations event.



  Jim Pomeroy was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1999.

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

Today in motorcycle history, August 5, 2011

  

         

  

 

  

  In Spirit Lake, Iowa, production begins on yet another version of Indian motorcycles.

  On July 20, 2006, the newly reincarnated Indian Motorcycle Company, owned largely by Stellican Limited, a London-based private equity firm, announced its new home in Kings Mountain, North Carolina.  It was restarting the Indian motorcycle brand, piecing together Indian Chief motorcycles in limited numbers, with a focus on exclusivity rather than performance, like a "luxury" watch. Starting out exactly where the defunct Gilroy-IMC "Garlic Indian" operation left off in 2003 (Indian Motorcycle Corporation went into bankruptcy and ceased all production operations (again) in the Garlic Capital of the World on September 19, 2003). The "Kings Mountain" models were to be a continuation of the models based on the new series of Indians developed in 1999. 

  In April 2011, Polaris Industries, the off-road and leisure vehicle (ATV, ski-mobile) maker and parent-company of Victory Motorcycles, announced its intention to acquire Indian Motorcycles. Indian's production facilities were then moved to Spirit Lake, Iowa, where production began on August 5, 2011. In March 2013, Indian unveiled their new 111-cubic-inch Thunder Stroke engine and I began to wonder, is this a bike motor or a new line of adult sex toys?  "Excuse me, Mr. Salesman, may I test ride that big Thunder Stroke?"

And Indian keeps going out of business why?



  In 1856, three brothers-in-law created the town of Spirit Lake after a visit to the Lakes area piqued their interest. Soon they were joined by various other settlers, intent on making homes along the lakes' scenic shores.  These settlers however, did not get along peacefully with the natives, and on March 13th, 1857, one hundred and fifty-six years prior to the Indian "Thunder Stroke", Chief Inkpaduta of the Dakota Sioux led a revolt against the non-native settlers, killing all but four women.

  The Indian Motorcycle brand name has been taken, fought over and purchased a number of times by a number of companies since Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company went bankrupt and ceased ALL operations in 1953.  Let's try one more time...

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

Today in motorcycle history, August 4, 1956

   

    

  The Delphin III becomes the first motorcycle to break 200 mph at Bonneville.

  To break the 200 mph barrier was the desired, but seemingly untouchable goal of many Bonneville motorcycle riders in the early 1950's.  That barrier is finally broken by the legendary German racer, Wihelm Herz.  Riding on a 500cc, supercharged, double overhead cam, V-Twin, NSU streamliner, Herz is clocked at 210.896 mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats.

  With its nearly 211 mph speed, the NSU "Delphin III" was the first bike to cross the 200 mph threshold. It was part of a concentrated onslaught on Bonneville by the German manufacturer, which was fixated on breaking the land speed record. The bike featured an experimental, three-lobe Wankel supercharger rotary device that helped to inspire the Wankel engine. Looking more like a fish out of water than a motorcycle, NSU reduced drag by redesigning the shape of the streamliner to give it its distinctive aerodynamic look. When the day came NSU needed a rider they could trust and that rider was Wilhelm Herz.



  Wilhelm Herz started his racing career in 1932 with DKW and switched over to NSU in 1939. He gained his reputation racing on  national and international courses like the Berlin AVUS, Grenzlandring, Isle of Man, Hockenheimring, Monza, Hohenstein-Ernstthal, Schleizer Dreieck, Helsinki, Schottenring, Nurburgring and Solitude. 

  Herz was honored for his merits in the field of motorsports by former German President Theodor Heuss who presented him the Silbernen Lorbeer in 1952 and in 1972 he received the Order of Merit by former Chancellor Dr. Helmut Kohl. The city of Hockenheim presented him with the Goldene Verdienstmedaille for his achievements at Hockenheimring, which he not only raced on, but managed from 1954 until 1992.

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

Today in motorcycle history, August 1, 1997

      

    

  

  

Joe Haile's, "Motorcycle Turbocharging, Supercharging, & Nitrous Oxide: A Complete Guide to Forced Induction and its use on Modern Motorcycle Engines" is published by Whitehorse Press.

  Remember the turbo trend that began in 1978 with the awesomely powerful Kawasaki ZIR Turbo. Capable of shattering itself into a thousand pieces in less than a quarter mile, the Z1RTC was followed by the Yamaha Seca 650 Turbo, the Suzuki 650cc XN85, the Kawasaki 750 Turbo and the Honda CX550 -all sold on ebay as collectors' items nowadays.


   "The turbo bikes seemed to disappear, hampered by their heavy weight and complexity, and virtually outlawed by insurance companies. Yet they may just be coming back-certainly as a means of boosting performance without breaking (too many) laws, depending on what city/state/country you live in.

   Many other motorcycles, maybe even yours, are now equipped with air scoops as a simple and free form of supercharging. If you do own an early ZX-11, this book tells you how to convert it to a dual scoop system. If you own anything else, the book tells you how to buy enough add-on power to beat a ZX-11, twin scoops or no.

  This volume gives a good overview of modern performance technology, tuning methods, and the reasons for destructive engine detonation. While he is an expert on turbos, Haile doesn't claim to be an expert engineer, which is good, meaning that explanations are made graphically, using photos, charts and illustrations, rather than relying upon dry and confusing mathematical equations." - Rider 

  Author Joe Haile has been involved with high performance cars and motorcycles all his life. He has published two books on turbocharging motorcycles and is the publisher/editor of Turbo Bike and Motorcycle Performance magazine.

  Of course you could always just add a nitrous oxide system and expect 300 horsepower from that slow old Ninja in your garage.

  Today in motorcycle history is a proud supporter of the National Association for Bikers with a Disability (NABD).  www.nabd.org.uk

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.

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

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.

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