The early days
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
American Motorcyclist Association
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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗦 𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗜𝗦 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗
Founded in 1936 and chartered in 1937, the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in Sturgis, S.D., is one of the AMA’s oldest chartered off-road clubs. Led by local Indian dealer Pappy Hoel, the club teamed up with the city of Sturgis to hold the Black Hills Motor Classic in August 1938, centered around a Gypsy Tour of the surrounding area, a half-mile dirt-track race, and a large party. Eighty-six years later, the Sturgis rally shares the distinction with Daytona Bike Week as the biggest motorcycle gathering in the world, drawing in around a half-million rugged individualists over 10 days every August. The attraction today is the same as it was then: riding, racing, and one large party spread all over the Black Hills. The Jackpine Gypsies were inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1997.
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𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗧𝗨𝗥𝗚𝗜𝗦 𝗥𝗔𝗟𝗟𝗬 𝗜𝗦 𝗟𝗔𝗨𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗗
Founded in 1936 and chartered in 1937, the Jackpine Gypsies Motorcycle Club in Sturgis, S.D., is one of the AMA’s oldest chartered off-road clubs. Led by local Indian dealer Pappy Hoel, the club teamed up with the city of Sturgis to hold the Black Hills Motor Classic in August 1938, centered around a Gypsy Tour of the surrounding area, a half-mile dirt-track race, and a large party. Eighty-six years later, the Sturgis rally shares the distinction with Daytona Bike Week as the biggest motorcycle gathering in the world, drawing in around a half-million rugged individualists over 10 days every August. The attraction today is the same as it was then: riding, racing, and one large party spread all over the Black Hills. The Jackpine Gypsies were inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1997.
Gruff.
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
Meet Irving Janke, a Milwaukee native and one of the youngest members of Harley-Davidson’s iconic race team. Starting his riding journey at age 13, Janke quickly became a prominent figure in the local motorcycle scene. Known for his speed and skill, he earned titles like 'neatest driver' and dominated races across the country. In 1921, Janke left to work for the Milwaukee police force as a motorcycle officer.
Janke eventually transitioned to the county sheriff's office and after an illustrious career, he retired in 1954. Though he left the racing world behind, his legacy as a world champion motorcycle racer and daredevil rider lives on.
Janke eventually transitioned to the county sheriff's office and after an illustrious career, he retired in 1954. Though he left the racing world behind, his legacy as a world champion motorcycle racer and daredevil rider lives on.
Gruff.
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
Not long after the founders of Harley-Davidson built the first production motorcycle, William S. Harley enrolled in the School of Engineering at the University of Wisconsin at Madison. He graduated in 1907 and continued his work at the rapidly growing Harley-Davidson Motor Company.
His training as an engineer would prove to be one of the key factors in the successes the company would enjoy in the coming years.
His training as an engineer would prove to be one of the key factors in the successes the company would enjoy in the coming years.
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
Harry Mangham. Smithfield Speedway, South Australia. October 29th, 1927. Mangham's racer is powered by a 1927-or-earlier "FH" 2-cam factory race motor. Mangham, a New Zealander who had a most successful career on the Speedway (dirt) and grass tracks of both his homeland and in Australia from the mid twenties on.
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
1952 Bud Schaller at Bonneville going 160mph on a supercharged 61 ci Panhead
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
Bill Harley was tall and quiet. Arthur Davidson was short and talkative. They differed in personality, but they shared a love for fishing. And the two would pedal their bicycles up the hills to a lake nearby for fishing outings. Looking to make the ride easier, they came across an inventor riding a motorcycle in Milwaukee in 1895. Inspired by the machine and looking to make the commute of their fishing outings easier, the two started a company building motorized bikes.
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
Harley-Davidson Factory racer Joe Petrali.
Joe is regarded as the best motorcycle racer – maybe ever – and set records on board track, dirt track, and hillclimbs.
But while dominating flat track, board track, and hillclimbs, in 1936 Harley-Davidson decided it was time to tackle world speed records… to show the power and reliability of the then-new Knucklehead engine… and they turned to Joe Petrali to ensure their success.
The motorcycle built to take-on the challenge is our focus in today’s Sunday Post.
Other land-speed private teams had previously used Harley-Davidson powered motorcycles, but for this was to be the first "official" factory built land speed racer, and the first with the Knucklehead V-Twin. The new overhead-valve, 61-cube (1,000cc) engine was far more powerful than its predecessor, the side-valve Flathead.
Starting with a 1937 EL model, Petrali himself with Factory help built a streamlined Harley with twin carburetors, higher compression, different cams and magneto, plus a high top gear that allowed a theoretical top speed of 160 mph.
They also added low-slung handlebars, made a custom fairing using half a fuel tank that was reshaped to fit over the front forks. The forks were also shrouded in streamlined sheaths. For additional aerodynamics, they crafted and fitted a rear tail fin assembly.
The hard sands of Daytona Beach were chosen for the record attempt, and on March 13, 1937 the bike went into a serious tank slapper on the first run as Petrali approached 100 mph.
He came back to the team and ordered all the aerodynamic bodywork be removed, then went out again and captured the one-mile speed record at 136.183 mph (219kmh). That record would hold for 11 years.
Check the photos here today, and marvel – as we do – at the beauty of this famous, world-beating motorcycle. Remember too that for the entire 120-year history of Harley-Davidson, racing and competition has been one of the pillars of the Company. It continues today in the Factory King of the Baggers race team.
We race too here at Road and Sport. We’ve run a Roaring Sporties Team, we still drag race, and our expertise leads to the current Road and Sport Performance House of Horsepower engine and motorcycle builds.
One last comment… Joe Petrali always proudly showed his AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) membership card that identified him as AMA Life Member #1, and fittingly because he was #1 in just about every motorcycling sport in the USA.
Remember that number... 219km/h in 1937 on sand.
Joe is regarded as the best motorcycle racer – maybe ever – and set records on board track, dirt track, and hillclimbs.
But while dominating flat track, board track, and hillclimbs, in 1936 Harley-Davidson decided it was time to tackle world speed records… to show the power and reliability of the then-new Knucklehead engine… and they turned to Joe Petrali to ensure their success.
The motorcycle built to take-on the challenge is our focus in today’s Sunday Post.
Other land-speed private teams had previously used Harley-Davidson powered motorcycles, but for this was to be the first "official" factory built land speed racer, and the first with the Knucklehead V-Twin. The new overhead-valve, 61-cube (1,000cc) engine was far more powerful than its predecessor, the side-valve Flathead.
Starting with a 1937 EL model, Petrali himself with Factory help built a streamlined Harley with twin carburetors, higher compression, different cams and magneto, plus a high top gear that allowed a theoretical top speed of 160 mph.
They also added low-slung handlebars, made a custom fairing using half a fuel tank that was reshaped to fit over the front forks. The forks were also shrouded in streamlined sheaths. For additional aerodynamics, they crafted and fitted a rear tail fin assembly.
The hard sands of Daytona Beach were chosen for the record attempt, and on March 13, 1937 the bike went into a serious tank slapper on the first run as Petrali approached 100 mph.
He came back to the team and ordered all the aerodynamic bodywork be removed, then went out again and captured the one-mile speed record at 136.183 mph (219kmh). That record would hold for 11 years.
Check the photos here today, and marvel – as we do – at the beauty of this famous, world-beating motorcycle. Remember too that for the entire 120-year history of Harley-Davidson, racing and competition has been one of the pillars of the Company. It continues today in the Factory King of the Baggers race team.
We race too here at Road and Sport. We’ve run a Roaring Sporties Team, we still drag race, and our expertise leads to the current Road and Sport Performance House of Horsepower engine and motorcycle builds.
One last comment… Joe Petrali always proudly showed his AMA (American Motorcyclist Association) membership card that identified him as AMA Life Member #1, and fittingly because he was #1 in just about every motorcycling sport in the USA.
Remember that number... 219km/h in 1937 on sand.
Gruff.
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
Only a few of the original manufacturers survived after the Great Depression...
"The Great Depression began a few months after the introduction of their 740CC model. Harley-Davidson’s sales fell from 21,000 in 1929 to 3,703 in 1933. Despite this, Harley-Davidson unveiled a new lineup for 1934, which included a flathead engine and Art Deco styling.
In order to survive the remainder of the Depression, the company manufactured industrial powerplants based on their motorcycle engines.
They also designed and built a three-wheeled delivery vehicle called the Servi-Car, which remained in production until 1973."
"The Great Depression began a few months after the introduction of their 740CC model. Harley-Davidson’s sales fell from 21,000 in 1929 to 3,703 in 1933. Despite this, Harley-Davidson unveiled a new lineup for 1934, which included a flathead engine and Art Deco styling.
In order to survive the remainder of the Depression, the company manufactured industrial powerplants based on their motorcycle engines.
They also designed and built a three-wheeled delivery vehicle called the Servi-Car, which remained in production until 1973."
Gruff.
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harleyquin
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
William Sylvester Harley also known as William S. Harley Businessman engineer on his Harley-Davidson
Born in 1880 - 1943 William S. Harley took an interest in the early development of the bicycle, which fueled his fascination with mechanics and engineering. With his friend Arthur Davidson, he began outfitting bicycles with a motorized engine. In 1903 Harley, Davidson, and Davidson's two brothers formed the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, soon the world's preeminent motorcycle manufacturer.
Early Years
One of the original founders of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, William Sylvester Harley, was born December 29, 1880, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ambitious, with a good eye for business, Harley started his career at the age of 15 when he took a job at a bicycle factory.
Working with him was a childhood friend of his, Arthur Davidson, who, like Harley, had a mind for mechanics. The two also shared a deep interest in bicycles and were convinced they could create a new kind of mechanized bike that would be easier to ride. Soon, the two friends began experimenting with gasoline engines and trying them out on their own bikes.
Determined to make a better life for himself, Harley set off for college, the first in his family to do so, and eventually earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1907.
A trained draftsman, Harley returned to Milwaukee after college and began working again with Davidson to fulfill their dream of building a motorized bicycle. They soon enlisted the help of Davidson's two older brothers, Walter, a railroad machinist who gave the young company a skilled mechanic, and William, a tool-room foreman.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
In 1903 the four men formed the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, which they operated out of a small shed in the Davidson family's backyard. Harley's name was given top billing because he was credited with coming up with the original idea for a motorcycle.
That first year, the company produced three bikes, which included a bike crank and pedals as well as a single-cylinder motor.
Over the next few years, the company refined the motorcycle idea and attracted new business. By 1909, the company had its own factory, employed 35 workers and produced more than a thousand bikes per year.
Born in 1880 - 1943 William S. Harley took an interest in the early development of the bicycle, which fueled his fascination with mechanics and engineering. With his friend Arthur Davidson, he began outfitting bicycles with a motorized engine. In 1903 Harley, Davidson, and Davidson's two brothers formed the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, soon the world's preeminent motorcycle manufacturer.
Early Years
One of the original founders of the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, William Sylvester Harley, was born December 29, 1880, in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Ambitious, with a good eye for business, Harley started his career at the age of 15 when he took a job at a bicycle factory.
Working with him was a childhood friend of his, Arthur Davidson, who, like Harley, had a mind for mechanics. The two also shared a deep interest in bicycles and were convinced they could create a new kind of mechanized bike that would be easier to ride. Soon, the two friends began experimenting with gasoline engines and trying them out on their own bikes.
Determined to make a better life for himself, Harley set off for college, the first in his family to do so, and eventually earned a degree in mechanical engineering from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in 1907.
A trained draftsman, Harley returned to Milwaukee after college and began working again with Davidson to fulfill their dream of building a motorized bicycle. They soon enlisted the help of Davidson's two older brothers, Walter, a railroad machinist who gave the young company a skilled mechanic, and William, a tool-room foreman.
Harley-Davidson Motor Company
In 1903 the four men formed the Harley-Davidson Motor Company, which they operated out of a small shed in the Davidson family's backyard. Harley's name was given top billing because he was credited with coming up with the original idea for a motorcycle.
That first year, the company produced three bikes, which included a bike crank and pedals as well as a single-cylinder motor.
Over the next few years, the company refined the motorcycle idea and attracted new business. By 1909, the company had its own factory, employed 35 workers and produced more than a thousand bikes per year.
Gruff.
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
Della Crewe’s Epic 1915 Journey: From Waco to the Big Apple with Troubles
In the summer of 1915, an intrepid woman named Della Crewe embarked on an extraordinary journey that would etch her name in the annals of early motorcycling history. Hailing from Waco, Texas, Della decided to undertake an ambitious trip to New York City, a daring adventure that spanned approximately 5,300 miles. Her mode of transportation was a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with a sidecar, and her loyal companion was her beloved Boston bulldog, Troubles.
The Spark of Adventure
Della Crewe's journey began on June 24, 1915. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Della was undeterred by the societal expectations placed on women of her time. With a spirit of adventure and a yearning for the open road, she set off from Waco, leaving behind the familiar for the vast unknown. Her trip was not merely about reaching a destination; it was about experiencing the journey, embracing the freedom of the road, and challenging the norms of early 20th-century America.
The Ride
Della’s choice of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with a sidecar was both practical and symbolic. The sidecar provided a comfortable spot for Troubles, her faithful canine companion, while the motorcycle itself was a testament to the burgeoning era of motorized travel. Harley-Davidson, known for its robust and reliable machines, became a key enabler of her journey.
Traveling through the countryside and navigating the nascent road systems, Della encountered various terrains and weather conditions. From the dusty plains of Texas to the bustling cities of the Midwest and the industrial hubs of the Northeast, each mile brought new challenges and experiences.
Trials and Triumphs
Throughout her journey, Della faced numerous obstacles. Roads in 1915 were often poorly maintained, and long stretches of travel could be grueling. However, her indomitable spirit saw her through. She and Troubles became a familiar sight to locals and fellow travelers, who were often astonished by her audacity and resilience.
Della’s journey was not only a test of endurance but also a social experiment of sorts. She documented her travels and shared stories with the people she met, challenging perceptions about women’s capabilities and roles. Her interactions along the way highlighted the diverse tapestry of American life during a transformative period in the nation's history.
Reaching the Big Apple
After months on the road, Della and Troubles arrived in New York City in December 1915. Their arrival marked the culmination of an epic journey that had captured the imagination of many. In the bustling metropolis, Della’s story garnered attention from the media and the public, who were fascinated by her pioneering spirit and her remarkable feat.
Legacy
Della Crewe’s journey from Waco to New York remains a significant chapter in the history of motorcycling and women’s liberation. Her adventure symbolized the breaking of societal barriers and the embracing of new technologies and opportunities. Della's story continues to inspire motorcyclists, adventurers, and those who dare to dream beyond conventional boundaries.
In an era where long-distance travel was predominantly a male domain, Della Crewe and her dog Troubles proved that determination and a love for adventure could take one far – literally and figuratively. Her journey stands as a testament to the power of courage, companionship, and the unyielding pursuit of one's dreams.
In the summer of 1915, an intrepid woman named Della Crewe embarked on an extraordinary journey that would etch her name in the annals of early motorcycling history. Hailing from Waco, Texas, Della decided to undertake an ambitious trip to New York City, a daring adventure that spanned approximately 5,300 miles. Her mode of transportation was a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with a sidecar, and her loyal companion was her beloved Boston bulldog, Troubles.
The Spark of Adventure
Della Crewe's journey began on June 24, 1915. Unlike many of her contemporaries, Della was undeterred by the societal expectations placed on women of her time. With a spirit of adventure and a yearning for the open road, she set off from Waco, leaving behind the familiar for the vast unknown. Her trip was not merely about reaching a destination; it was about experiencing the journey, embracing the freedom of the road, and challenging the norms of early 20th-century America.
The Ride
Della’s choice of a Harley-Davidson motorcycle with a sidecar was both practical and symbolic. The sidecar provided a comfortable spot for Troubles, her faithful canine companion, while the motorcycle itself was a testament to the burgeoning era of motorized travel. Harley-Davidson, known for its robust and reliable machines, became a key enabler of her journey.
Traveling through the countryside and navigating the nascent road systems, Della encountered various terrains and weather conditions. From the dusty plains of Texas to the bustling cities of the Midwest and the industrial hubs of the Northeast, each mile brought new challenges and experiences.
Trials and Triumphs
Throughout her journey, Della faced numerous obstacles. Roads in 1915 were often poorly maintained, and long stretches of travel could be grueling. However, her indomitable spirit saw her through. She and Troubles became a familiar sight to locals and fellow travelers, who were often astonished by her audacity and resilience.
Della’s journey was not only a test of endurance but also a social experiment of sorts. She documented her travels and shared stories with the people she met, challenging perceptions about women’s capabilities and roles. Her interactions along the way highlighted the diverse tapestry of American life during a transformative period in the nation's history.
Reaching the Big Apple
After months on the road, Della and Troubles arrived in New York City in December 1915. Their arrival marked the culmination of an epic journey that had captured the imagination of many. In the bustling metropolis, Della’s story garnered attention from the media and the public, who were fascinated by her pioneering spirit and her remarkable feat.
Legacy
Della Crewe’s journey from Waco to New York remains a significant chapter in the history of motorcycling and women’s liberation. Her adventure symbolized the breaking of societal barriers and the embracing of new technologies and opportunities. Della's story continues to inspire motorcyclists, adventurers, and those who dare to dream beyond conventional boundaries.
In an era where long-distance travel was predominantly a male domain, Della Crewe and her dog Troubles proved that determination and a love for adventure could take one far – literally and figuratively. Her journey stands as a testament to the power of courage, companionship, and the unyielding pursuit of one's dreams.
Gruff.
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VonGruff
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Re: The early days
First cover girl.
In 1929, Vivian Bales rode her 1929 HarleyDavidson for 78 days and 5,000 miles across the country. She told the papers her motorcycle was a “key to the whole United States.
Vivian Bales was the first motorcycle cover girl and was known for several long distance motorcycle rides around the US, (before most of the roads were paved) in the 1920s and 1930s.
In 1929, Vivian Bales rode her 1929 HarleyDavidson for 78 days and 5,000 miles across the country. She told the papers her motorcycle was a “key to the whole United States.
Vivian Bales was the first motorcycle cover girl and was known for several long distance motorcycle rides around the US, (before most of the roads were paved) in the 1920s and 1930s.
Gruff.