indiana - Articles - Bikersinc2024-03-29T11:01:44Zhttps://bikersinc.org/articles/feed/tag/indianaF.W. Spacke Machine Companyhttps://bikersinc.org/articles/SpackeMachineCompany2018-05-25T20:50:00.000Z2018-05-25T20:50:00.000ZHannahhttps://bikersinc.org/members/Hannah<div><p dir="ltr"><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/SpackeMachineCompany" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126503965?profile=original" width="500" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">F.W. Spacke Machine Company was founded in 1904 by Fred W. Spacke, a skilled machinist and inventor. Though born in Ohio, he moved to Indianapolis at an early age and well established himself in the state.</p>
<p>The F.W. Spacke Machine Company originally started as a modestly sized machining shop building air compressors, but soon expanded in 1907 to a larger facility. In the 1910’s the company was deeply involved in manufacturing engines for motorcycles.</p>
<p>In 1911 the company introduced a single chamber motor with a worm gear that drove a magneto, the only one of its kind in the US at the time. A twin version was also produced at the same time, though the patent application and approval were dated in 1913-1914. The motors proved to be well received by the industry. Its make was so popular that it was used by other motorcycle companies and models under the Spacke De Luxe brand name.</p>
<p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/SpackeMachineCompany" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369309?profile=original" width="500" /></a> </p>
<p dir="ltr">Some of the companies that used the Spacke De Luxe motors were:</p>
<p> </p>
<p dir="ltr">-Sears (Dreadnought model)</p>
<p dir="ltr">-Dayton</p>
<p dir="ltr">-De Luxe</p>
<p dir="ltr">-Eagle</p>
<p dir="ltr">-Minneapolis</p>
<p dir="ltr">-Crawford</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/SpackeMachineCompany" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126504013?profile=original" width="500" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">During that same period, the F.W. Spacke Machine Company also made engines for cycle-cars, which were modified versions of the motorcycle engines. In 1913 the company expanded further to accommodate for the production of motors.</p>
<p>Fred W. Spacke’s death in 1915 ushered in a reorganization of the company and was renamed to the Spacke Machine and Tool Co. The reorganized company continued to produce the Spacke De Luxe engine, but approaching 1920, the engines were more geared toward cars.</p>
</div>Patee Motor Cyclehttps://bikersinc.org/articles/PateeMotorcycle2016-09-07T18:10:00.000Z2016-09-07T18:10:00.000ZHannahhttps://bikersinc.org/members/Hannah<div><p dir="ltr"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369312?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center">Half a year prior to Indian’s entry into the motorcycle world, there was an Indianapolis machine that already had a head start into the motorcycle revolution that was to come. The Patee Motor Cycle*. The machines were already in production and being sold throughout the US with extensive advertising running in periodicals such as <em>Scientific American</em>. It was only one of very select few mass manufactured motorcycles at the literal turn of the century.<br> <br> <img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369353?profile=RESIZE_480x480" width="397" class="align-center"></p>
<p align="center"><em><strong>January 1901: Short article/ad on the Patee Motor Cycle.</strong></em></p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369408?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"><strong><em>March 1901 advertisement: As you can see from the pricing differences, Indian was producing bicycles at this time.<br></em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><br> Patee Bicycle Company officially came into being in 1897 and formally recognized in 1899, however its existence had earlier beginnings. Fredrick Patee, the founder, had a long history with bicycles and in 1895 left his job as secretary of Indiana Bicycle Company to start his own company. After leaving, he soon became a manager to Peoria Rubber and Mfg Co. in Illinois which had recently organized in 1896, where the first Patee Bicycle came to be. Although Fred Patee eventually left after a year with the Peoria Rubber & Mfg Co. to officially start Patee Bicycle Company, the bicycles were still being produced by Peoria Rubber.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The next two years would see the production of Patee bicycles and Fredrick Patee eventually embroiled in personal issues of a dark nature.<br> <br> <img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369438?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"></p>
<p align="center"><em><strong>February 1901: A trade journal article about the Patee Motor Cycle.</strong></em></p>
<p></p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369453?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"></p>
<p align="center"><strong><em>1901 Indianapolis newspaper ad.</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><br> Sometime in 1900, Fredrick Patee returned to Indianapolis after purchasing the Hay and Willits Outing bicycle plant, Munger Cycle Company plant and JD Morris of Rochester NY. However the sales weren’t finalized and reported until the start of 1901. In January of 1901 Fred Patee made announcements in various bicycle periodicals that the Patee Motor Cycles would be sold starting February for $200. Various magazines and newspapers show advertisements being run throughout the year. Not only that, but in May 1901, the patent for the Patee Motor Cycle was officially filed with the US Patent office.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369462?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"></p>
<p align="center"><strong><em>May 1901: Patee Motor Cycle patent.</em></strong></p>
<p dir="ltr"><br> In the same time frame, Fred Patee and Joshua Morris, the man who created the motors for the motorcycles also created a tandem motorcycle and showcased it in a bicycle magazine. Around June, the Patee Motor Cycle performed in a handicapped race at the famous Newby Oval, the predecessor to the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. Though things seemed to be going well for the bicycle/motor cycle company, things were quick to take a turn. Despite the fact that orders were pouring in for the Patee Motor Cycle, the company was struggling financially. It was revealed in July that Fred Patee owed money to various interests and couldn’t make his payments. In a last ditch attempt, he lowered the prices for the Patee Motor Cycle to $150, but it wasn’t enough to pull the company out of the financial mess.<br> <br> <img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369474?profile=original" width="354" class="align-center"></p>
<p align="center"><strong><em>June 1901: A Patee Motor Cycle wins at the Newby Oval.</em></strong></p>
<p><br> By May 1902, Patee Bicycle Company had completely dissolved, the last known information was of Joshua M. Morris moving back to New York to start the Morris-Corkhill Motor Co.</p>
<p>Many believe that if not for Fred Patee’s past indiscretions, which may have contributed to the financial downfall of the company, then Patee could have been a third motorcycle giant alongside Harley and Indian due to its considerable assets. At the time of acquisition in 1900, Outing was the best selling bicycle in America, Munger a strong contender and journals touted Morris’s engine as being reliable and all three companies had thrived in spite of the Panic of 1893 and the subsequent hard financial years that followed.</p>
<p style="text-align: left;">There is currently no known model of the elusive Patee Motor Cycle to exist to this day, though there are a few bicycles that bears the marque. The interesting prototype tandem motorcycle is also lost in time.<br> <br> <img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369508?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"></p>
<p align="center" strong=""><strong><em>May 1901: Fred Patee (Left) and Joshua Morris (Right) with their tandem motorcycle.</em></strong></p>
<p style="text-align: left;"><br> Today, the remnants of the factory that used to produce one of the earliest motorcycles can be found near the intersection of W 18th and Gent Ave. The dealer who sold Patee’s bicycles and motorcycles occupied 359 Massachusetts Ave, the same block where Harry L. Dipple would years later sell Harleys, thus continuing Indiana’s saga in motorcycle history.</p>
<p><br> <em>*Motor Cycle vs. Motorcycle: It was common from the late 1880's up until about the 1920s for people to use the term motor cycle more frequently than motorcycle.<br></em></p></div>Roger Riddellhttps://bikersinc.org/articles/RogerRiddell2016-07-07T22:20:00.000Z2016-07-07T22:20:00.000ZHannahhttps://bikersinc.org/members/Hannah<div><p dir="ltr"><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/RogerRiddell" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369315?profile=original" width="500" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Roger Riddell of Martinsville, aka Mr. Backwards is Indiana’s own daredevil stuntrider who is one of a kind. Mr. Backwards got his start in the same era as Evel Knievel doing stunts but soon realized that there was no competing with the daredevil from Montana doing things the normal way. Like his nickname suggests, Roger Riddell’s fame is in his ability to do things backwards on motorcycles. His range of skills spans from backwards riding, jumps, tricks such as wheelstands or sitting on his handlebars and even hill climbs.<br />
<br />
Doing stunts the normal fashion is hard enough, but the fact that Roger Riddell performed his stunts completely backwards and even mastered them is something incredibly noteworthy. In the 70’s he was the first and the only person in the world to do so. Even by today’s standards, stunt riders stick to doing things the normal fashion due to the difficulty and hardship of doing motorcycle stunts backwards, let alone master.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/RogerRiddell" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369345?profile=original" width="500" /></a>Not only was he an incredible daredevil, but he was also a champion hill climber. Not many sources mention that fact in today’s modern and incredibly sparse coverage of Mr. Backwards. During his years of being in hill climbing competitions, he had earned more than 400 trophies. It was noted in a few papers that he competed in the backwards fashion, which was also a source of amusement to many who have watched him do so- especially when he beat normal climbers.<br />
<br />
In 1974, prior to his historic successful jump, Mr. Backwards was going to make a backwards jump over 5 or 6 cars on asphalt at the Speedrome, but during practice had injured his shoulder.<br />
<br />
On Mother’s Day in 1975, Roger Riddell cleared his first successful backwards jump over two cars with resounding success at the Morgan County Fairgrounds. The following year in 1976, Mr. Backwards made the Guinness Book of World Records for jumping over 5 cars and made newspapers across the nation and even as far as Britain. Then, in May 1987 he broke that record by jumping 7 cars (60ft) in Franklin, Indiana.</p>
<p> </p>
<p><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369372?profile=original" width="500" /></p>
<p>Despite the fact that he was the sole backwards stunt rider of the era, breaking records and going on tour- even working with the same agent that had promoted Evel Knievel for a short while. However Roger Riddell wasn’t able to achieve the kind of fame that had come to the Montana daredevil. It didn’t matter that his stunts were of a higher caliber of difficulty, most spectators were more interested in seeing Mr. Backwards crash than appreciate his skill.<br />
<br />
Between touring and trying to make a name for himself, Roger Riddell was a drywall contractor to cover his bills and support his family. He continued to make sporadic appearances at events through the 90’s and into the early 00’s. In 2001 Riddell cleared 62.5ft, breaking his last record of 60ft. After 2003, Mr. Backwards retired from jumping and in the same year was re-discovered by Ripley’s Believe It or Not (Season 4, episode 4, 404).</p>
<p>Today, Mr. Backwards hosts events, primarily hill climbs on his Martinsville property on hills that he had made himself over the years and whipping out a stunt or two, even at his current age of 73. Various members of the Riddell family also hold true to the backwards stunt riding legacy, occasionally performing said stunts at local events, though they favor doing the normal versions.</p>
</div>Great Western Mfg Cohttps://bikersinc.org/articles/GreatWesternMfgCo2016-05-17T16:45:53.000Z2016-05-17T16:45:53.000ZHannahhttps://bikersinc.org/members/Hannah<div><p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/GreatWesternMfgCo" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126504420?profile=original" width="500" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">The Great Western Manufacturing Company of LaPorte, Indiana was primarily founded by John Lonn and his son Edward Julius Lonn in 1899-1900. Prior to that, the business went by name of John Lonn and Son, which originally started as a hide/tannery shop that shifted to making harnesses for horses. By natural progression the business then gravitated toward bicycles. A little before the reorganization of the old company to the new, Edward Lonn bought out Crown Bicycle Co, which provided the stepping stone to the start of Great Western’s growth.</p>
<p>Though the new company was originally a conglomeration of partnerships with other companies, the Lonns swiftly bought out their partners. By 1903 the Great Western Manufacturing Company owned Adams & Westlake, David Bradley Companies and Wisconsin Wheel Works- consolidating them and moving most of their production and operations from their original locations to LaPorte, Indiana. It is interesting to note that by 1903-1904 Great Western was considered the largest independent bicycle concern (business group) in the United States, outstripping ABC (American Bicycle Company).</p>
<p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/GreatWesternMfgCo" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126504343?profile=original" width="500" /></a></p>
<p>In 1904-1905, the company ventured into motorcycles. More specifically the interesting “America” motorcycle. The engine was made by Thor (Aurora Automatic Machinery Company) and the rest by Great Western. At the time many manufacturers were creating motorcycles based on the early Indian and the America shared many similarities. However what made “America” stand out from its other counter parts of the day was the lack of handlebars. Instead, the curious motorcycle employed the use of a steering wheel. In fact the steering wheel itself has a patent where it was to be used for automobiles, bicycles and other vehicles.</p>
<p>And yes, Great Western even created a bicycle using said steering wheel through their Crown line.</p>
<p>This bicycle shown below was sold at an auction and surfaced at a Wheelmen Meet in 2013. You can see the close similarities between the bicycle and the "America."</p>
<p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/GreatWesternMfgCo" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126504425?profile=original" width="300" /></a></p>
<p>Though the venture was short lived and mostly a novelty, Great Western interestingly enough had a bicycle line called the “America” in the 1910’s that continued production into the 1920’s.  </p>
<p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/GreatWesternMfgCo" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369394?profile=original" width="500" /></a></p>
</div>Harry L. Dipplehttps://bikersinc.org/articles/HarryDipple2016-05-10T19:33:55.000Z2016-05-10T19:33:55.000ZHannahhttps://bikersinc.org/members/Hannah<div><p dir="ltr"><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/HarryDipple" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369271?profile=original" width="500" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Harry L. Dipple was the founder of what is today known as Southside Harley-Davidson. Originally a bicycle dealer and manufacturer since 1895, it wasn’t until 1908 that Harry Dipple decided to expand into motorcycles by becoming a Harley-Davidson dealer. He moved from his original location on 338 Massachusetts  Ave. to 528 since more space was needed to accommodate for the addition of motorcycles and eased out of bicycle manufacturing to focus on his new acquisition.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/HarryDipple" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369332?profile=original" width="500" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Though he was no racer with fame to pull in customers like some dealerships of the day, Dipple was skilled in customer service. His personal understanding of bicycles and intense study of motorcycles helped him in being attentive to his customers needs. He did it so well that several periodicals of the day picked up on it and wrote about his sales capabilities and promotion of Harley-Davidson motorcycles.</p>
<p>Dipple not only sold motorcycles to the general public but he also brokered sales to commercial businesses and even helped outfit the motorcycles to suit, furthering motorcycles into commercial use. From 1908 to 1919 Harry L. Dipple ran his Harley-Davidson dealership and trained what would become one of the region’s best dealers/sellers, Ernest Hughes.</p>
<p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/HarryDipple" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126512028?profile=original" width="301" /></a></p>
<p>Ernest eventually bought out Dipple and kept selling Harley-Davidson motorcycles before expanding into Ace motorcycles and becoming a regional sales representative for them. John Morgan, who is mentioned on the Southside Harley-Davidson website was at the time a motorcycle repair mechanic whose shop was located in 701 S. Meridian St. and it wasn’t until 1922 that he decided to expand into becoming a dealership himself. He finalized a deal with Ernest Hughes and expanded his shop to accommodate for the sales of Ace motorcycles.</p>
<p>It wasn’t long after that initial deal that Morgan became the owner of the Harley-Davidson dealership and the rest they say is history.</p>
</div>Walter McCord's Trackhttps://bikersinc.org/articles/WalterMccordTrack2016-04-25T17:51:31.000Z2016-04-25T17:51:31.000ZHannahhttps://bikersinc.org/members/Hannah<div><p><a target="_self" href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/WalterMccordTrack"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369252?profile=original" width="500"></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Walter McCord was a horse breeder and owned a farm near Oaklandon/McCordsville to train sulky horses for racing. In the 1950’s-1960’s the property was primarily used by the Midwest Motorcycle Club to host sanctioned AMA races. Regular races were listed in monthly schedules in the magazine during that period. According to American Motorcyclist Magazine, the track was listed as being located in Oaklandon on Rt. 67, 10 miles from Indianapolis, IN. </span></p>
<p><a target="_self" href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/WalterMccordTrack"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369274?profile=original" width="700"></a></p>
<p></p>
<p></p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-60fa3cba-4ece-e53f-d160-21b35d856f6f" class="font-size-3">Local sources have cited that the track sat near the now defunct Casio’s Restaurant and somewhere between the county line that separates Marion County from Hancock County. This is an aerial photo taken in 1961 that shows several tracks.</span></p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-60fa3cba-4ece-e53f-d160-21b35d856f6f" class="font-size-3">Item 1 is most likely the McCord track since it sits near the thick white line that is the separation between Marion and Hancock counties. Walter McCord was said to have owned a rather large farm.</span></p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-60fa3cba-4ece-e53f-d160-21b35d856f6f" class="font-size-3">Item 2 is currently the McCordsville Sports Park, former home of greyhound racing and briefly was a midget racing track in the 70's.</span></p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-60fa3cba-4ece-e53f-d160-21b35d856f6f" class="font-size-3">Item 3 is unknown, the track appeared somewhere between the late 50's and 1961.</span></p>
<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-60fa3cba-4ece-e53f-d160-21b35d856f6f" class="font-size-3">Also, if anyone knows more information about it, feel free to send an e-mail at: <a href="mailto:Hannah@bikersinc.org" target="_blank">hannah@bikersinc.org</a><br></span></p></div>Johnson Motor Wheelhttps://bikersinc.org/articles/JohnsonMotorWheel2016-04-25T10:24:45.000Z2016-04-25T10:24:45.000ZJDhttps://bikersinc.org/members/JD<div><p><a href="https://bikersinc.org/articles/JohnsonMotorWheel" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126564125?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">The Johnson Motor Wheel Company was an interesting late contender in the much crowded motorcycle market in the late 1910’s. Unlike most companies jockeying to create full bore motorcycles from the ground up, the Johnson Motor Wheel Company took a more casual approach to the field.</p>
<div dir="ltr"><br />
They offered a kit that could convert any bicycle of a 26” wheel size to a very lightweight motorcycle or motor bicycle- a bridge vehicle so to speak. The kit allowed bicycle enthusiasts to gradually get into motorcycles or the more lazy to get through terrain without much effort and with little cost. Laziness of course, was one such driving force for entering the market, as admitted by some of the Johnson brothers, who were the founders of the company. The motor wheel originally retailed for $80-$97.50 for the kit and at one point in their run, the company even had a fully pre-made bicycle + kit assembly that sold for $140...for those who didn’t even want to fiddle with the kit conversion.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369254?profile=original" width="750" /> <strong><em>1920 Johnson Motor Wheel Advertisement</em></strong></div>
<p dir="ltr"><br />
<br />
The cheapness of the kit or the convenience of the pre-assembled Motor Wheel wasn’t what really made the Johnson shine. In fact, in order to get to the really interesting series of the events that led up to the Motor Wheel’s creation, one has to delve into the company’s incredibly rich history.</p>
<div dir="ltr"><br />
Louis, Harry, Julius, Arthur* and Clarence Johnson were born in Effingham, Illinois to Soren and Bertha Johnson. In 1898 the entire family relocated from Illinois to Terre Haute, Indiana. Soren Johnson was a machinist by trade and quite skilled at his craft. The Johnson brothers learned from him and were encouraged to pursue their interests- which happened to be making things and being in the outdoors. Much of their creativity came from necessity since both parents couldn’t afford to purchase things like sleds and rowing boats, so the brothers made them. On the Wabash River, the brothers would often row each other in their small boat, which was where they got the idea to make a motor that would do the work for them.</div>
<div dir="ltr">In 1903 the brothers created an inboard motor in their backyard barn to power their boat. Despite the skepticism from their parents, they managed the feat. The first motor was a 150lb crude make, but it worked. For the next few years they would continue to create motors for boats, though it would be a more localized effort. Despite that, the engines that they were creating were far ahead of their time.</div>
<div dir="ltr"><br />
<br />
Around 1909 three of the Johnson brothers- Louis, Harry and Julius, put their attention into creating a monoplane that would use their own design from the engine to the frame of the plane. They were working in secret using their family barn until news of what they were doing was eventually brought to light. In spite of said revelation, the brothers didn’t let the news distract them nor the crowds that their test flights attracted. Most of the locals and aviation experts were content to vocalize their doubts about the brothers’ ability to succeed in aviation. </div>
<p dir="ltr"><br />
<br />
As we all know, flight was achieved by the Wright Brothers in 1903, but in the successive years that came after the initial feat was a time of fierce competition and the US’s general apathy toward airplanes. By the time the Johnson brothers had completed their monoplane, Europe was already ahead of the US in terms of innovation in the industry. In 1906, a French man named Louis Bleriot had become the creator of the first successful powered monoplane.</p>
<div dir="ltr"><br />
Even though the Johnson brothers were behind by a few years in terms of Bleriot’s success of claiming the first ever in the world, they weren’t that far behind. What made the Johnson Brothers stand out with their monoplane in that era were a few things.</div>
<div dir="ltr"><br />
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They didn’t have any seniority in the aviation industry, primarily being motorboat engine makers. Information on creating planes were sparse in those days and given their relative isolation in Terre Haute at the time, none of the brothers were working off of the Wright Brothers’ designs or the designs of other innovators at the time. In an interview in the mid1950’s by a Smithsonian curator, the only similarity the monoplane had with another innovator at the time was the shape of the curved wings.</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369281?profile=original" width="647" /> <em><strong>Louis Johnson and remade monoplane.</strong></em></div>
<p dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;"><br />
<br />
The first Johnson monoplane was workable but crude and had a typical wooden frame like many other planes of that time period. The engine was a completely different story. It was a V-type 2 cycle engine, the only one of its kind in that time period. In 1910 the brothers were extensively testing the plane and there were a slew of articles covering their attempts to lift off the ground.</p>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<p dir="ltr">Bad weather compounded with constant adjustments to the frame had led to disappointment all summer. Curious bystanders mocked them the first two weeks of testing, but the brothers’ persistence and constant ignoring of the crowd eventually led to the bystanders to disperse. The local press still did coverage despite the fact. In that time frame, the youngest, Clarence who was merely 12 at the time had come down with malaria due to the conditions of the field that the brothers were testing in. It wasn’t until October 10, 1910 that the plane was able to finally lift off with Louis Johnson as the pilot.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><br />
Even though that first plane had made lift off, the brothers weren’t satisfied with it. In 1911 they tore apart the entire set up, kept the engine and rebuilt a new monoplane from the ground up. Unlike their first attempt or even following the conventions of the time- they went with an all metal frame, one of the first ever to do so. Their second monoplane was an astounding success and many of the features built into the plane was at least 10 years ahead of its time. Features far too lengthy to cover in this already behemoth of an article.</p>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<p dir="ltr">From 1911 through 1913 the brothers showcased their redesigned monoplane in various events. Sometime during this short time frame, the Johnson brothers were in the works of starting up an aviation school. Only two people had enough courage to actually follow through with learning how to fly from Louis Johnson- Ross L. Smith and Frank Schutt. Ross L. Smith became the Johnson Brothers’ main pilot, flying their monoplane for a span of three years.</p>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bikersinc.org/articles/JohnsonMotorWheel" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126564136?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a> <em><strong>Monoplane Advertisement</strong></em></div>
<p dir="ltr"><br />
The brothers eventually caught the attention of the Russian government in 1913 when their engine ran for 10 hours. The Russians put out a contract bid for fighter plane engines- if the Johnsons could build a 12 cylinder engine, then they may win the contract. The brothers agreed and met the challenge. Just as they had built a factory in anticipation of the contract, they didn’t win the bid and the Johnsons were left in debt. As if their luck couldn’t get any worse- In March 1913 a tornado ripped through Terre Haute and destroyed the Johnson Brothers’ new factory. Like many at the time, they were uninsured and almost lost everything. Their plane survived, but the Johnsons had to rebuild their livelihoods from the ground up. With families to care for, their attention turned away from aviation and focused on making motors for boats once again.</p>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<p dir="ltr">In 1914 the brothers entered a boat into a race that would go up against the fastest boats in the country. The Black Demon III took second place in a special match race not too far behind the Disturber IV- a monster of a boat that was twice the size and twice the horsepower. In comparison, the Black Demon was 23 feet, powered by two 12-cylinder high speed inboard marine motors that were 100-180 hp each.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Though they continued to produce inboard motors, the Johnson brothers soon began to play with the idea of powering bicycles with engines of their own design. Despite the interest in the motorcycle market as a whole, they were more intrigued with offering a bridge service than compete with full on motorcycle manufacturers. The decision to offer the kit was two fold. The brothers could diversify and see if their designs could compete. They developed a small, lightweight 2-stroke horizontal engine that could be mounted on the back wheel. While testing out their motor wheel, the brothers ran into a few issues, but Richard Oglesby was able to offer a solution through his ignition magneto and the idea took off.</p>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bikersinc.org/articles/JohnsonMotorWheel" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126564228?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a> <strong><em>Richard Oglesby's Magneto Patent, page 1.</em></strong></div>
<p dir="ltr"><br />
In April 1916, Louis Johnson applied for a patent for what would become the Johnson Motor Wheel. In 1917 the Johnson Motor Wheel Company was formed and steadily cranking out a fair amount of units. It was around this time that the Johnson Brothers moved their facilities from Terre Haute to South Bend.</p>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://bikersinc.org/articles/JohnsonMotorWheel" target="_blank" rel="noopener"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126564237?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a> <em><strong>Johnson Motor Wheel Patent, page 1.</strong></em></div>
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During World War 1, the Johnson brothers supplied similar horizontal 2-stroke engines that were work horses, pumping out water from trenches and providing power for generators. Ross L. Smith, the pilot who learned from Louis Johnson served as a civilian flight instructor for the war effort, teaching about 150 pilots. The Johnson Motors were also licensed to a British company in that time frame under the name of “Economic.” They were also found in army surplus stores after the war and the British were more than happy to stick the engine in a variety of vehicles...such as the Cambro cyclecar and Mohawk auto cycle. More than a few Johnson motors probably even found themselves in industrial applications out there.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Given the reliability of the engines, the Johnson brothers managed to enjoy the success of their motor wheel for a few years as it gained international popularity. It’s interesting to take note that one of the board members for the company was none other than Edward Lonn of the Great Western Manufacturing. The very same Great Western that attempted to make their own motorcycle back in 1904-1905. In fact, the actual Johnson Motor Wheel combined bicycle and kit that sold for $140 used a Crown Bicycle for its base with a rebranded Johnson badge.</p>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: center;"><img class="align-center" src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369498?profile=original" width="480" /> <em><strong>Johnson Motor Wheel badge.</strong></em></div>
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However in 1922 Ford’s Model T was killing off the small engine market and numbing the public’s desire to own a motor bicycle or motorcycle for that matter. With a price point of $289-$320 for a vehicle that could hold multiple people versus $80-$140 for a single person, it was becoming more cost effective to go with a car than pay for a motor bicycle or motorcycle. Unlike most bicycle, autocycle, motorcycle or motor bicycle companies who didn’t have an out, the Johnsons were able to exit the market gracefully thanks to their unique engine design.</p>
<div dir="ltr"> </div>
<p dir="ltr">The very same small horizontal 2-stroke they had created to power their Motor Wheel could be re-purposed. The brothers looked back to their history, took their engine and modified it for boats once again. Unlike their earlier venture which was inboard, their new direction was to compete in the marine outboard market.</p>
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<p dir="ltr">Through the 20’s the Johnson brothers dominated the market, holding a rivalry with Evinrude.</p>
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<p><span id="docs-internal-guid-3458311e-0788-3c51-c4ca-1666dc5e6d22"><span id="docs-internal-guid-3458311e-0788-3c51-c4ca-1666dc5e6d22">There’s a certain amount of irony that could be derived from the Johnson brothers and their progression into the motorcycle market and subsequent exit. Like their entry into the aviation field from a marine background, they were certainly an odd one out when it came to being a success in the motorcycle and motor bicycle field. Yet in spite of that, they were no less uncomfortable tackling that challenge any more than they were uncomfortable tackling the skies. In some regard they can proudly lay claim that they did what many companies back in the day were never able to accomplish. Conquer land, sea and sky.<br /></span></span><br />
<em>Written by: <a href="http://bikersinc.org/members/Hannah" target="_self">Hannah Lee- Curator of IMCHS</a>.</em></p>
</div>Cycle-Scoothttps://bikersinc.org/articles/Cycle-Scoot2016-04-24T18:00:00.000Z2016-04-24T18:00:00.000ZJDhttps://bikersinc.org/members/JD<div><p><strong><span class="font-size-4"> </span></strong></p>
<p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/Cycle-Scoot" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126564405?profile=original" width="473" /></a></p>
<p><span class="font-size-3">Cycle-Scoot was an American line of scooters created by aircraft engineer & entrepreneur Woodrow Wilson Skirvin in 1953. The scooter was largely popular during the 1950s due to its Indianapolis "500" campaign & wide distribution across the country.</span></p>
<p><br />
<a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/Cycle-Scoot" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126564335?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a><br />
<span class="font-size-4">History</span><br />
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<span class="font-size-3">During World War II, Woodrow Wilson Skirvin headed to Detroit, Michigan to land a job at a war plant. He found his opportunity at a tool & die company. In 1944, He moved back to Indianapolis and started engineering aircraft parts in his garage. Due to demand, He quickly outgrew several shops. With Allisons and General Motors being his prime customers, two different engines using Skirvin parts powered airplanes successively setting new world air speed records. The first was the United States Air Force Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, which achieved 623.8 MPH on June 9, 1947. The second was a Navy D-558 Douglas Skystreak, which achieved 650.6 MPH on Aug 25th, 1947. In 1951 with a government loan of $100,000 W.W. Skirvin built the 25,000-square-foot building where the Cycle-Scoot was designed and manufactured.</span></p>
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<p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/Cycle-Scoot" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126564374?profile=original" width="500" /></a><br />
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<span class="font-size-4">Design</span><br />
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<span class="font-size-3">The early Cycle-Scoot featured an "exclusive" combination foot throttle and brake designed by W. W. Skirvin. The rider would push down with the toe to go, push down with the heel to stop. This design gave the scooter the "hands-free" braking simplicity of a cruiser bicycle. Most Cycle-Scoots had Clinton or Briggs-Stratton engines that would power the scooter to 30 mph. Mileage was claimed to be 100 MPG. Standard accessories included lights, tandem "buddy seat", parking stand, belt cover, foot rests, seat hand rail for passenger, gravel shield, and fork panel. Models include the 500, Deluxe and an army-green model known as "The General" for General Motors. The Cycle-Scoot was officially tested and proved at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway by track-President and 3-time Indy 500 Champion, Wilbur Shaw.</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><span class="font-size-3"><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/Cycle-Scoot" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126564378?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></span><span class="font-size-4">Popular Culture</span><br />
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<span class="font-size-3">These scooters were officially used at the Indianapolis Brickyard by track administrators, race-car drivers and others as an efficient way to navigate the track grounds. General intended market was the 14- to 17-year-old age group who didn't drive cars. They were used for family fun and work transportation. Nicknames for the bike include "Indianapolis 500 Cycle-Scoot", The "500", & "Skirvin Deluxe".</span></p>
<p> </p>
<p><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/Cycle-Scoot" target="_self"><img class="align-center" src="https://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/126564384?profile=RESIZE_710x" width="710" /></a></p>
</div>Kokomo Rubber Companyhttps://bikersinc.org/articles/KokomoRubberCompany2016-04-20T19:30:03.000Z2016-04-20T19:30:03.000ZHannahhttps://bikersinc.org/members/Hannah<div><p dir="ltr"><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/KokomoRubberCompany" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369220?profile=original" width="500" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p dir="ltr">Kokomo Rubber Company was founded by David C. Spraker in 1895. Upon opening, the company was well known for producing bicycle tires and auto tires. However advertisements in the early 1900’s show that the Kokomo Rubber Company was avidly manufacturing various types of motorcycle tires and shipping them nationwide. It’s a curious case that there has been no mention whatsoever about the company’s involvement with motorcycles by historians. Regardless of the fact, Indiana Motorcycle Historical Society is proud to showcase Kokomo Rubber Company’s involvement in motorcycling.</p>
<p dir="ltr"></p>
<p dir="ltr">David C. Spraker was a serial entrepreneur born in Greensburg, Indiana and later moved to Kokomo, Indiana. His involvement with motorcycles first came through bicycles. According to the Kokomo Morning Times in a 1965 special, Spraker had owned a bicycle shop prior to the existence of Kokomo Rubber Company on the 1400 block of South Main Street where he had reportedly created the ‘first pneumatic rubber tire.’ Spraker’s early tires were originally made of strips of rubber, canvas, and vulcanized rubber wrapped around a slender pole and cemented together.</p>
<p dir="ltr">The company flourished through the 20’s with branch offices in Cincinnati, St. Louis, Louisville and Marysville, KY. At its height the company produced about 500 tires a day and more tubes and was 500 employees strong. The Great Depression starting in 1929 caught the company by surprise, and like many companies in the era, Kokomo Rubber Company eventually closed.</p>
<p dir="ltr"><a href="http://bikersinc.org/articles/KokomoRubberCompany" target="_self"><img src="http://storage.ning.com/topology/rest/1.0/file/get/2369242?profile=RESIZE_1024x1024" width="500" class="align-center"></a></p>
<p><br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> <br> TAGGED: Motorcycle History, Indiana Motorcycles, Indiana Motorcycle Historical Society,</p></div>