images[18] = " 
"; This has been a build in my head for the past few years. Indian was one of the worlds pre-eminent motorcycle manufacturers in the 1910s, in 1911 Indian motorcycles took a 1-2-3 place finish at the Isle of Man TT against the best in the world, and they enjoyed no small amount of success on race tracks on the outskirts of big cities around North America. images[16] = " 
"; Other bikes that regularly participate include a 1925 45-cubic-inch Excelsior Super X, a 1916 Harley-Davidson with an eight-valve V-twin, an original 1917 Harley-Davidson in a loop frame, a 1913 61-cubic-inch Indian, and an original 1913 500cc Rudge. Just let us know. However, if youre after a truer-to-form look at the past, turn to Batavia, Illinois-based Bull Cycles. Racers quickly adapted their bikes to meet the specific challenges of the board tracks, developing a new breed of racing machines that could reach speeds in excess of 100 mph, had neither front nor rear brakes, and no transmissions. & Motorcycle Service Grandfathers Axe: Honda CX650 Custom, From Paris to Dakar to Custom: The Gilera Replay. 2-stroke fanatic. Wanting to keep things clean and have no levers at all the first step was to create an internal throttle, with the grips drilled and threaded to suit. Bull Cycles doesnt list the exact pricing of its board track racers, which can be modeled on various bikes from famous brands like Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior. Outsourced work included the awesome leather by Matt Hurtado (@workingmanscustoms) and the superb body panel paint by James Gossett. Engine by @departurebikeworks , paint by @huntersbodyshop , handlebars by @fabercycle . The sport didnt really last past the 1920s, due to a large number of accidents and deaths. Based on the bicycle velodromes of Europe, the first board track, or motordrome, was built in Los Angeles around 1910. It would be in the fast-growing sport of board track racing that these early Indians would test their mettle against the likes of Harley-Davidson, Flying Merkel, Cyclone, and many other early luminaries. The key to the runaway success of Indian was down to the wits of the companys founders George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom. But vintage bikes are another story. The bars were always going to have to be modified versions of another style and they started as 1 beach bars. A race replica doesnt need a 200hp engine and the very beauty of a cafe racer is only a handful of changes can get the job done. The company had already made bicycles under the moniker American Indian, while their later efforts were simply known as Indian.. Staying true to the sport, the riders do not use any modern safety equipment, but dress in the garb of a 1920's racer. The heyday of board track racing was the 1910s and 1920s, when riders on brakeless Indians and Excelsiors and Harley-Davidson slammed and thundered around rickety, steep-walled speedways in excess of 90 mph, just inches from the grandstands. Mark wrenches as a hobby, building about one build each year. The board tracks were made almost entirely from wooden planks shaped into giant banked oval circuits, some were a mile around, and they all feature fair ground-like experiences with food stalls, entertainment, and grandstand seating. Now the all-important bodywork could begin, it might be minimal but it has to be bang on. Rotate handlebar ends upwards for street cruising and reset them down low to show off your ride. Today, only a few American velodromes, like Detroits Lexus Velodrome, are still in operation. images[22] = " 
"; Other examples, Revzilla reports, approach six figures in value.. (988cc) V-twin that featured an F-head design with the inlet over the exhaust. Thankfully one of the Smith boys had the Honda in the shed and it was soon up on the lift with the measuring tape being offered up. I was pleased with the outcome of the motorcycle, but I was really happy to get everything working in unison with the chassis, suspension, and power from the motor. Please, Last Chance! Not before too long, the risks were deemed too great, while the depression hit hard. The bike, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is an original1968 Hodaka Ace 100, an excellent example of the influential motorcycles made by the unusual, We launched the first official Silodrome apparel store in 2020 grab yourself a t-shirt and help support a truly independent publication, every single sale matters. But its the solid milled and knurled brass grips that hide beneath them a super trick element of the build. All rights reserved. Two of the participants at that event were Thomas Bund and Andreas Wehrmann. The Indian brand was a staple of US two-wheel culture, with models such as the Scout and Chief synonymous with beautiful design and faultless dependability. images[13] = " 
"; Both are modern asphalt or concrete tracks, but share design features with the historic U.S. board tracks. The two met in the pits and it soon became clear that they shared a love for racing on banked tracks like the English track at Brooklands or the French track at Montlhery. This is today, and not even in the Americas, but in Europe. The V-Twin Racer was such a massive success that they introduced a street-based version with a 633cc engine. images[1] = " 
"; He shaped the cylinder heads to look like they were from an earlier era, and we particularly love the reverse clutch and brake controls on the drop-style handlebars, making the bike look something like the fastest, deadliest racing bicycle on the planet. Andreas Wehrmann on his 1918 Harley-Davidson and Thomas Bund on his Excelsior Super X. Complementing this was a front number plate with a single mini LED light. { The majority of the original race bikes were wrecked or lost by the end of the board-track era, so many of the machines being ridden today are made up of aftermarket parts built around an original engine. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Contact Us, The New Honda NX650 Retro Racer by Petrology, A Rare 1967 Aermacchi Harley-Davidson Sprint CRS Scrambler, The 1969 Harley-Davidson XR750 Werner Prototype Flat Track Racer, MV Agusta Superveloce Ago: Proceeds Go To UNICEF Ukraine Emergency Fund, The Hodaka Ace 100 A Revolutionary 1960s-Era Japanese/American Dirt Bike, Original Irvin Flying Jacket The WWII RAF Flight Crew Jacket, Piloti Avenue Driving Shoes For The 21st Century. The engine was a good runner, but the stock carbs were never going to stay and are replaced with Keihin CRs, while modern Dynatek electronic ignition handles the spark. Our board track racer tribute bikes are perfect for cruising around the city on warm summer days! The "Big Three" are all in attendance: Harley-Davidson, Indian and Excelsior. images[8] = " 
"; document.write(images[i]+"
"); These are just a few of our favorite summertime toys. In the event of an accident, one of two things often occurred. images[4] = "
"; Photo by Stefan Bund. Our friends at Return of the Cafe Racers recently ran a gorgeous feature of Marks machine, but we couldnt turn down a story of our own on this 2-stroke board tracker. Now fast forward about 70 years and travel across the ocean to Germany. Up until this year, the group has raced on paved or concrete tracks, but finally they found a wooden bicycle board track in Hannover, Germany to use for this year's annual race. . One of our team members will contact you shortly. Meanwhile, Indian bikes were already known for their competition success, and by 1911, in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy competition, they finished first, second, and third. Luckily, no one has been injured. Which isnt actually much faster than a Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with millions of readers around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. With the help of some of the best in the industry, the result is this beautiful 1973 Honda CB350F board track racer for the road. These races were sometimes multi-day affairs, the Chicago Tribune reportsas in, the racers literally biked for several days straight. images[19] = " 
"; This was a great source of inspiration and ever since I first stepped into the museum its been something I knew I wanted to undertake, Chris explains. Click on images to view additional images and information, Red Indian Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, Flying Merkel Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, Harley Davidson Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, Black Indian Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, Burgundy Indian Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, 1183 Pierson Dr. Unit 101, Batavia, IL 60510. These examples are just a few of the many bikes we have built. This motorcycle is due to cross the auction block with Mecum in late April at the Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction, if youd like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing. images[10] = " 
"; At the turn of the century, two-wheeled racing looked strikingly different from modern-day bike racing. Dare devil balls out racing on race tracks made of wooden planks with up to 60 degree banked corners where man and machine ran wide open at in excess of 100 mph with no brakes, throttle wired wide open in which speed was only controlled with a kill switch. images[0] = " 
"; Wheels (alum hubs and rims, stainless spokes, powder coatedblack hubs/rims). These dangers, along with financial pressures brought on by the Great Depression, ultimately brought the board-track era to an end in the late 1920s. Tell us which one is your favorite! In later years the twin engine and frame design were improved upon, starting with the much-favored loop frame seeing wide-scale adoption. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is the new Honda NX650 Racer from the team over at Petrology, as the name suggests its, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is a rare and recently restoredAermacchi Harley-Davidson Sprint CRS, the result of an alliance between Harley-Davidson and, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email Illustration and Words by Martin Squires At the end of 2014 I visited the Birmingham NEC in the, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is theHonda SL350 that John Wayne bought brand new from theAmerican Honda Motor Co. on the 21st, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is theveryfirstMV Agusta Superveloce Ago that wasbuilt of the 311 limited editionmotorcycles in the series. Although they didnt know it at the time, it would be this V-twin engine architecture that would form the backbone of the company throughout the 20th century and well into the 21st century. Photo by Jrg Pielman.Personally, if I was riding a motorcycle with no brakes at speeds over 80 mph, I would be in full racing leathers and wearing the best helmet money can buy, but these guys insist on wearing the same style gear as was worn in the 1920s. These board track racers arent quite replicas in the sense of Tempores Jaguars or Pur Sangs Bugattis. This resulted in some pretty spectacular racing and also a lot of crashes. The racers push-started their bikes and basically hung on for dear life. The frame and bodywork marry form and function into a one-off work of art: The one-off custom fabricated frame is wrapped by monocoque fiberglass body panel and seat where there are not fasteners holding it in place, but rather shaped perfect to snap into place.. But bending the tight fibres of the wood proved more challenging, 5 days in the bath and it still wouldnt budge. images[24] = " 
"; The velodromes are short tracks (333 meters) with highly banked curves of about 49 degrees, so they are designed with high speeds in mind. Harley-Davidson archives photo. We have updated our Privacy Policy. And when it comes time to stop, Kiwi's stylish 10" rotors bring you to a fast stop. Thats where we find an unexpected revival of the popular, dangerous and otherwise extinct sport known as board-track racing. Thankfully, Bull Cycles board track racer tributes dont go document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2009 - 2022 Pipeburn. Required fields are marked *. Copyright 2022 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. The prototype for the first Indian motorcycle was built in 1901. Instead, you start the engine by pedaling, like a moped. Today, cyclists Sign up to receive bi-weekly engaging content about new inventory, events, blog posts and our museum. Photo by Stefan Bund.Andreas and Thomas stayed in touch after the Hockenheim Classic, and two years later they met up at the Montlhery track for the Coupes Moto Legende event. less authentic. images[5] = " 
"; Theres also no suspension, just bicycle-style forks, and frame tubes. Arguably, that makes modern e-bikes motorcycle throwbacks. One of their key characteristics was their steep banks, as they used the same design of circuits that had existed for pedal-powered competitions. Indians early V-twins won a slew of races, its estimated that Jake DeRosier won 900+ races on dirt and board tracks, he also set a number of speed records both in America and at the Brooklands race track in England. Be prepared to play tour guide each time you stop since everyone will be drooling over your ride and wanting to know its year and race history.. This era of motorcycle inspired the build, but I wanted a few modern touches like suspension and of course powered by a 2-stroke twin RD engine. Hell, in the early days of board track racing, that wasnt far from the truth as one newspaper reporter wrote in 1916: A motorcycle is a bicycle with pandemonium attachment, and is designed for the especial use of mechanical geniuses, daredevils and lunatics.. Riders had to duck down low, tuck their knees in and keep the throttle pinned open to have any hope of winning. I ended up doing an internal clutch mechanism similar to the internal throttle but with a steeper angle to better engage the clutch.. Meanwhile, in the 1910s Dont miss Sons of Speed No.10, Sat March 7th 5pm New Smyrna Speedway Daytona Bike Week. Follow more updates from MotorBiscuit on our Facebook page. A 1914 Indian sold at Mecum in 2019 for $48,400. There is something thrilling about board trackers and the extremities from the turn of the 20th century where riders risked life and limb to race the motordromes. With almost any style of motorcycle there are different stages of customisation you can go to while still accomplishing a complete build. On bikes with no The four individually wrapped header pipes with slash cuts deliver a booming sound and the wiring is well-hidden thanks to Motogadgets minimalist magic. He wears a leather helmet for "protection," should he crash at 80 mph. images[21] = " 
"; Even the Cruzo tires, Bring a Trailer reports, are actually bicycle tires. That initial bike was constructed with a diamond frame, powered by an F-Head engine with a single-cylinder. Board track racing featured wooden tracks laid in oval layouts. This new design lowered the overall center of gravity of the motorcycle, which dramatically improved handling. Not wanting to go over the top with the paint, a single colour, antique white, was chosen. images[23] = " 
"; In the early 20th century, Indian motorcycles were well-known for their successful participation in board-track competition races. Your email address will not be published. images[17] = " 
"; The use of a transversely mounted V-twin was chosen for purely practical reasons, these engines were the same width as their single cylinder counterparts so they fit neatly into the narrow motorcycle frames of the era, they also initially used many parts in common with the Indian singles, but they produced considerably more power. So having found some old frame designs the right fabricator was tracked down to make a custom hardtail unit, with a beautifully curved single down tube for a tight steering angle.
"; This has been a build in my head for the past few years. Indian was one of the worlds pre-eminent motorcycle manufacturers in the 1910s, in 1911 Indian motorcycles took a 1-2-3 place finish at the Isle of Man TT against the best in the world, and they enjoyed no small amount of success on race tracks on the outskirts of big cities around North America. images[16] = " "; Other bikes that regularly participate include a 1925 45-cubic-inch Excelsior Super X, a 1916 Harley-Davidson with an eight-valve V-twin, an original 1917 Harley-Davidson in a loop frame, a 1913 61-cubic-inch Indian, and an original 1913 500cc Rudge. Just let us know. However, if youre after a truer-to-form look at the past, turn to Batavia, Illinois-based Bull Cycles. Racers quickly adapted their bikes to meet the specific challenges of the board tracks, developing a new breed of racing machines that could reach speeds in excess of 100 mph, had neither front nor rear brakes, and no transmissions. & Motorcycle Service Grandfathers Axe: Honda CX650 Custom, From Paris to Dakar to Custom: The Gilera Replay. 2-stroke fanatic. Wanting to keep things clean and have no levers at all the first step was to create an internal throttle, with the grips drilled and threaded to suit. Bull Cycles doesnt list the exact pricing of its board track racers, which can be modeled on various bikes from famous brands like Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior. Outsourced work included the awesome leather by Matt Hurtado (@workingmanscustoms) and the superb body panel paint by James Gossett. Engine by @departurebikeworks , paint by @huntersbodyshop , handlebars by @fabercycle . The sport didnt really last past the 1920s, due to a large number of accidents and deaths. Based on the bicycle velodromes of Europe, the first board track, or motordrome, was built in Los Angeles around 1910. It would be in the fast-growing sport of board track racing that these early Indians would test their mettle against the likes of Harley-Davidson, Flying Merkel, Cyclone, and many other early luminaries. The key to the runaway success of Indian was down to the wits of the companys founders George Hendee and Oscar Hedstrom. But vintage bikes are another story. The bars were always going to have to be modified versions of another style and they started as 1 beach bars. A race replica doesnt need a 200hp engine and the very beauty of a cafe racer is only a handful of changes can get the job done. The company had already made bicycles under the moniker American Indian, while their later efforts were simply known as Indian.. Staying true to the sport, the riders do not use any modern safety equipment, but dress in the garb of a 1920's racer. The heyday of board track racing was the 1910s and 1920s, when riders on brakeless Indians and Excelsiors and Harley-Davidson slammed and thundered around rickety, steep-walled speedways in excess of 90 mph, just inches from the grandstands. Mark wrenches as a hobby, building about one build each year. The board tracks were made almost entirely from wooden planks shaped into giant banked oval circuits, some were a mile around, and they all feature fair ground-like experiences with food stalls, entertainment, and grandstand seating. Now the all-important bodywork could begin, it might be minimal but it has to be bang on. Rotate handlebar ends upwards for street cruising and reset them down low to show off your ride. Today, only a few American velodromes, like Detroits Lexus Velodrome, are still in operation. images[22] = " "; Other examples, Revzilla reports, approach six figures in value.. (988cc) V-twin that featured an F-head design with the inlet over the exhaust. Thankfully one of the Smith boys had the Honda in the shed and it was soon up on the lift with the measuring tape being offered up. I was pleased with the outcome of the motorcycle, but I was really happy to get everything working in unison with the chassis, suspension, and power from the motor. Please, Last Chance! Not before too long, the risks were deemed too great, while the depression hit hard. The bike, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is an original1968 Hodaka Ace 100, an excellent example of the influential motorcycles made by the unusual, We launched the first official Silodrome apparel store in 2020 grab yourself a t-shirt and help support a truly independent publication, every single sale matters. But its the solid milled and knurled brass grips that hide beneath them a super trick element of the build. All rights reserved. Two of the participants at that event were Thomas Bund and Andreas Wehrmann. The Indian brand was a staple of US two-wheel culture, with models such as the Scout and Chief synonymous with beautiful design and faultless dependability. images[13] = " "; Both are modern asphalt or concrete tracks, but share design features with the historic U.S. board tracks. The two met in the pits and it soon became clear that they shared a love for racing on banked tracks like the English track at Brooklands or the French track at Montlhery. This is today, and not even in the Americas, but in Europe. The V-Twin Racer was such a massive success that they introduced a street-based version with a 633cc engine. images[1] = " "; He shaped the cylinder heads to look like they were from an earlier era, and we particularly love the reverse clutch and brake controls on the drop-style handlebars, making the bike look something like the fastest, deadliest racing bicycle on the planet. Andreas Wehrmann on his 1918 Harley-Davidson and Thomas Bund on his Excelsior Super X. Complementing this was a front number plate with a single mini LED light. { The majority of the original race bikes were wrecked or lost by the end of the board-track era, so many of the machines being ridden today are made up of aftermarket parts built around an original engine. Privacy Policy - Terms of Service - Contact Us, The New Honda NX650 Retro Racer by Petrology, A Rare 1967 Aermacchi Harley-Davidson Sprint CRS Scrambler, The 1969 Harley-Davidson XR750 Werner Prototype Flat Track Racer, MV Agusta Superveloce Ago: Proceeds Go To UNICEF Ukraine Emergency Fund, The Hodaka Ace 100 A Revolutionary 1960s-Era Japanese/American Dirt Bike, Original Irvin Flying Jacket The WWII RAF Flight Crew Jacket, Piloti Avenue Driving Shoes For The 21st Century. The engine was a good runner, but the stock carbs were never going to stay and are replaced with Keihin CRs, while modern Dynatek electronic ignition handles the spark. Our board track racer tribute bikes are perfect for cruising around the city on warm summer days! The "Big Three" are all in attendance: Harley-Davidson, Indian and Excelsior. images[8] = " "; document.write(images[i]+""); These are just a few of our favorite summertime toys. In the event of an accident, one of two things often occurred. images[4] = "
"; Photo by Stefan Bund. Our friends at Return of the Cafe Racers recently ran a gorgeous feature of Marks machine, but we couldnt turn down a story of our own on this 2-stroke board tracker. Now fast forward about 70 years and travel across the ocean to Germany. Up until this year, the group has raced on paved or concrete tracks, but finally they found a wooden bicycle board track in Hannover, Germany to use for this year's annual race. . One of our team members will contact you shortly. Meanwhile, Indian bikes were already known for their competition success, and by 1911, in the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy competition, they finished first, second, and third. Luckily, no one has been injured. Which isnt actually much faster than a Silodrome was founded by Ben back in 2010, in the years since the site has grown to become a world leader in the alternative and vintage motoring sector, with millions of readers around the world and many hundreds of thousands of followers on social media. With the help of some of the best in the industry, the result is this beautiful 1973 Honda CB350F board track racer for the road. These races were sometimes multi-day affairs, the Chicago Tribune reportsas in, the racers literally biked for several days straight. images[19] = " "; This was a great source of inspiration and ever since I first stepped into the museum its been something I knew I wanted to undertake, Chris explains. Click on images to view additional images and information, Red Indian Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, Flying Merkel Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, Harley Davidson Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, Black Indian Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, Burgundy Indian Board Track Racer Tribute Bike, 1183 Pierson Dr. Unit 101, Batavia, IL 60510. These examples are just a few of the many bikes we have built. This motorcycle is due to cross the auction block with Mecum in late April at the Las Vegas Motorcycle Auction, if youd like to read more about it or register to bid you can click here to visit the listing. images[10] = " "; At the turn of the century, two-wheeled racing looked strikingly different from modern-day bike racing. Dare devil balls out racing on race tracks made of wooden planks with up to 60 degree banked corners where man and machine ran wide open at in excess of 100 mph with no brakes, throttle wired wide open in which speed was only controlled with a kill switch. images[0] = " "; Wheels (alum hubs and rims, stainless spokes, powder coatedblack hubs/rims). These dangers, along with financial pressures brought on by the Great Depression, ultimately brought the board-track era to an end in the late 1920s. Tell us which one is your favorite! In later years the twin engine and frame design were improved upon, starting with the much-favored loop frame seeing wide-scale adoption. Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is the new Honda NX650 Racer from the team over at Petrology, as the name suggests its, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is a rare and recently restoredAermacchi Harley-Davidson Sprint CRS, the result of an alliance between Harley-Davidson and, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email Illustration and Words by Martin Squires At the end of 2014 I visited the Birmingham NEC in the, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is theHonda SL350 that John Wayne bought brand new from theAmerican Honda Motor Co. on the 21st, Facebook Twitter WhatsApp Pinterest Reddit Email This is theveryfirstMV Agusta Superveloce Ago that wasbuilt of the 311 limited editionmotorcycles in the series. Although they didnt know it at the time, it would be this V-twin engine architecture that would form the backbone of the company throughout the 20th century and well into the 21st century. Photo by Jrg Pielman.Personally, if I was riding a motorcycle with no brakes at speeds over 80 mph, I would be in full racing leathers and wearing the best helmet money can buy, but these guys insist on wearing the same style gear as was worn in the 1920s. These board track racers arent quite replicas in the sense of Tempores Jaguars or Pur Sangs Bugattis. This resulted in some pretty spectacular racing and also a lot of crashes. The racers push-started their bikes and basically hung on for dear life. The frame and bodywork marry form and function into a one-off work of art: The one-off custom fabricated frame is wrapped by monocoque fiberglass body panel and seat where there are not fasteners holding it in place, but rather shaped perfect to snap into place.. But bending the tight fibres of the wood proved more challenging, 5 days in the bath and it still wouldnt budge. images[24] = " "; The velodromes are short tracks (333 meters) with highly banked curves of about 49 degrees, so they are designed with high speeds in mind. Harley-Davidson archives photo. We have updated our Privacy Policy. And when it comes time to stop, Kiwi's stylish 10" rotors bring you to a fast stop. Thats where we find an unexpected revival of the popular, dangerous and otherwise extinct sport known as board-track racing. Thankfully, Bull Cycles board track racer tributes dont go document.getElementById( "ak_js_1" ).setAttribute( "value", ( new Date() ).getTime() ); 2009 - 2022 Pipeburn. Required fields are marked *. Copyright 2022 Endgame360 Inc. All Rights Reserved. The prototype for the first Indian motorcycle was built in 1901. Instead, you start the engine by pedaling, like a moped. Today, cyclists Sign up to receive bi-weekly engaging content about new inventory, events, blog posts and our museum. Photo by Stefan Bund.Andreas and Thomas stayed in touch after the Hockenheim Classic, and two years later they met up at the Montlhery track for the Coupes Moto Legende event. less authentic. images[5] = " "; Theres also no suspension, just bicycle-style forks, and frame tubes. Arguably, that makes modern e-bikes motorcycle throwbacks. One of their key characteristics was their steep banks, as they used the same design of circuits that had existed for pedal-powered competitions. Indians early V-twins won a slew of races, its estimated that Jake DeRosier won 900+ races on dirt and board tracks, he also set a number of speed records both in America and at the Brooklands race track in England. Be prepared to play tour guide each time you stop since everyone will be drooling over your ride and wanting to know its year and race history.. This era of motorcycle inspired the build, but I wanted a few modern touches like suspension and of course powered by a 2-stroke twin RD engine. Hell, in the early days of board track racing, that wasnt far from the truth as one newspaper reporter wrote in 1916: A motorcycle is a bicycle with pandemonium attachment, and is designed for the especial use of mechanical geniuses, daredevils and lunatics.. Riders had to duck down low, tuck their knees in and keep the throttle pinned open to have any hope of winning. I ended up doing an internal clutch mechanism similar to the internal throttle but with a steeper angle to better engage the clutch.. Meanwhile, in the 1910s Dont miss Sons of Speed No.10, Sat March 7th 5pm New Smyrna Speedway Daytona Bike Week. Follow more updates from MotorBiscuit on our Facebook page. A 1914 Indian sold at Mecum in 2019 for $48,400. There is something thrilling about board trackers and the extremities from the turn of the 20th century where riders risked life and limb to race the motordromes. With almost any style of motorcycle there are different stages of customisation you can go to while still accomplishing a complete build. On bikes with no The four individually wrapped header pipes with slash cuts deliver a booming sound and the wiring is well-hidden thanks to Motogadgets minimalist magic. He wears a leather helmet for "protection," should he crash at 80 mph. images[21] = " "; Even the Cruzo tires, Bring a Trailer reports, are actually bicycle tires. That initial bike was constructed with a diamond frame, powered by an F-Head engine with a single-cylinder. Board track racing featured wooden tracks laid in oval layouts. This new design lowered the overall center of gravity of the motorcycle, which dramatically improved handling. Not wanting to go over the top with the paint, a single colour, antique white, was chosen. images[23] = " "; In the early 20th century, Indian motorcycles were well-known for their successful participation in board-track competition races. Your email address will not be published. images[17] = " "; The use of a transversely mounted V-twin was chosen for purely practical reasons, these engines were the same width as their single cylinder counterparts so they fit neatly into the narrow motorcycle frames of the era, they also initially used many parts in common with the Indian singles, but they produced considerably more power. So having found some old frame designs the right fabricator was tracked down to make a custom hardtail unit, with a beautifully curved single down tube for a tight steering angle.