Heres a rare one. The transmisssion for a 1941 Harley-Davidson TA -- better known as the Shaft-drive Knucklehead Trike. This thing is an absolute monster.....HD spared no effort in designing the beefiest transmission they could. Notice the wider transmission case, and angle-cut gears to mesh the shaft-drive output. The "EX" casting on the top indicates that its an experimental part right out of the Harley-Davidson engineering department.
Kind of funny how the shift crossover is on the right side.....Then I got to looking at the factory photographs....and most of the TA's were right hand shift. The example here at the museum -- the Canadian serial #1 prototype -- has the normal left hand shift and a crossover on the rear motor mount.
The transmission takes a standard knucklehead kicker cover, and a stock clutch basket. I think this one is also up for the "Worlds Shortest Drive-shaft".
The shiny gear pictured is a brand new reverse gear for this set up. In the second picture it gives you a good idea of how rusty and crusty the inside of the transmission is.
This transmission will be going in Serial #3 out of the 17 built by Harley-Davidson in 1941. Check it out in the military exhibit next time you're visiting.
From time to time, we stumble across fantastic images from various points throughout motorcycle history. These candid shots from days gone can sometimes help to give even the slightest insight into particular details of a machine, a rider, or an era. And sometimes, they can tell an entire story altogether.
I ran across the photo below while looking around the museum the other day, and immediately fell in love.
In the photo is Mike Verderber aboard what looks to be a home-built dirt track special, surrounded by pit crew and friends.
When looking at photos like this, I comb over every detail, trying to uncover any bit of information I can. The types of bikes, who is in the picture, what they're wearing, the looks on their faces... the overall mood of the scene which the photo captured.... There's plenty of factual information that can be obtained from these images, and at the same time, a world of assumptions that we can jump into to try to help us gain a better understanding of that day in history.
When examining the bike, we see the ultra-short wheelbase, and low seat position -- common among short track racers of the late 1920s and 1930s. From experience, we know the machine is not a "factory" race bike, rather a special construction, purpose-built racer taylored to both the rider and the event in which it is to take part. Shortened J-model tanks, and the front axle set-up (which slides through the front fork leg) also lend to this conclusion. The 28X2.25 Firestone Cord Racing tires were the treads of choice, and power was laid to the dirt through what looks to be a late-20s twin-cam 61" with straight-fin cylinders and a single-speed countershaft hidden behind the riders leg.
This photo was taken right off the racetrack -- the stairs and chain-link fence in the background keep what was probably a 1/2-mile dirt oval out of view. It looks to have been a happy day at the speedway, as smiles and looks of both pride and accomplishment are prevalent. Even the little guy on the right exudes a confidence only seen within the local Sunday hero...or his pit crew.
Luckily, the a portion of the real story was preservered in the original handwriting of the builder of this exact motorcycle. These few words lend more to the photo than any assumptions could.
The caption reads: "Mike Verderber + some club members and other friends (or admirers) at Jerseyville, ILL, 35-miles north of St. Louis, MO. This is the last and best "HOME-BREW" Special I ever built. Shortened tanks + frame; lowered frame + engine; drop bars, home-made chainguard, and rear fender from Model "A" tire cover, racing wheels + tires, bicycle seat, engine all overhauled, balanced, polished + souped up inside. Handled perfect."
And there you have it. That candid moment captured in words of the motorcycle builder himself. But the interesting thing is, he leaves no clue to whether he was even present on that very day. Is he one of the proud in the photo. Could he be the man behind the camera? Or was he hard at work in the race shop on the day it was taken? Who was this guy?
While a photo like this can answer many of our question, it can pose many others.....
Rumor has it that this machine is still around today, and is very fast, even by todays standard. Hopefully, we'll get lucky and see it out on the track at Wauseon or Davenport one of these days.
Now this looks like an interesting place. Tons of great bikes, and from the looks of it, they're all American, just like the collection at Wheels Through Time. Great interview with the owner and his wife, who share a few really interesting stories on their lifetime of collecting and travels.
Huuuuuuge weekend out in Las Vegas this weekend.......three of the most well known motorcycle auction houses are dropping the gavels on hundreds of vintage motorcycles of all shapes, sizes, makes and models.
Click on any of the links below to view the auction live!
Have you ever wondered what its like to round the track at over 75 miles per hour on a nearly 100 year old motorcycle. Well step aboard a hand-built 1921 Harley-Davidson Banjo Twin Cam Special with builder and racer Mike Lange and see how it feels to go head to head with some of the fastest guys on the track. No brakes, no clutch, just 61-inchs of pure horsepower, set into a low slung half-mile chassis, specially prepared for turning the fastest laps possible on the Davenport dirt oval.
Guys like Mike and my dad have been at this for a long time, and its truly inspirational to see what these guys can do with almost century old equipment. And when its time to bring 'em out to race, no one is light on the throttle.
In this video, Mike reels in Roy Taboada, who piloted Dave Kafton's 1921 Harley "Iron Dinosaur" boardtracker. Feel the power as he accelerated out of the curves and down the straights. Go ahead, turn up the volume....its worth it.
If this don't get ya excited about racin', nothing will.
The "Coke Bike" at Wheels Through Time is a common favorite among visitors. Built by David and Asa Cargill in the late 1960s and early 70s, the bike began life as a 1948 Harley-Davidson Panhead, and after a massive amount of custom work by the Cargills and a few other major players of the 1970s chopper era, it bears nearly no resemblance to its original form.
Motorcycle customization during this time took a turn in a new direction, with long front ends, tall sissy bars, king/queen seats and funky handlebars....... The Chopper era had set in, and it was only a matter of time before the imagination took hold and new ideas were put into motion........Which makes me wonder ---- Could this have been the first "Theme Bike"?
Nearly every part on this bike is a tribute to Coke, from the bottle shaped gas caps, arrow theme throughout, "Coke" slogans, and custom red and white paint. The Cargills were even so proud of their machine that they sent a letter to Coca-Cola, offering the motorcycle for use during photo-shoots, commercials, and advertising campaigns. What the Cargills didn't expect was a certified return letter from the Coca-Cola Legal Division, asking them to "cease and desist" from displaying the motorcycle in public, and to ensure those who have seen the machine that there is no affiliation between "Coke" and the motorcycle -- I suppose a good indication of how the "American public" viewed the Chopper crowd, and motorcyclists in general.
With all of the popularity of motorcycles on TV and in everyday culture, I wonder if Coca-Cola would do the same thing today?
Several months back, I found this early 1920s FLXI Racing Sidecar just south of Marshall, Michigan. Before I arrived to pick it up, I had no idea what to expect. But as soon as I rolled up the garage door, I knew I was looking at something special, and the wheels were turning in my head the whole way home.
About 11 hours later, I was back in Maggie Valley, drooling all over this thing. It was mostly complete, down to the 28x2.25 Firestone Cord Racing Tire. You can even read the racers name on the side -- "Cliff Palmer, Battle Creek, Michigan" -- and the original FLXI striping.
Currently, I've got a pair of my dad's wheels installed on the bike, but have already rebuilt a perfect set of original board track racing hubs. They're being laced up as we speak and should be on the bike in the next week or so.
As you can notice, with a FLXI sidecar, the bike and outer sidecar wheel actually lean when you turn. They were made in both racing and road form. The company was based in Loudonville, OH and produced sidecars through the late 1920s.
I'm not sure exactly how many original FLXI sidecars are in existance, but there can't be many. This is one of two that I know of configured for a Harley-Davidson Motorcycle.
Hi guys. Hope everyones holiday season is off to a great start.
I've been working on a special project here at the museum and I'm in need of an Autopulse Model 500 6-volt Electric Fuel Pump. Specifically, I need the brass "diaphragm" (at leat thats what I think its called) but would be happy to replace the pump as a whole because ours is "well used".
Below is a picture of the pump. Any leads would be hugely appreciated. Please email me at
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, or call the museum at 828-926-6266. Thanks!
Here at the museum, we're always drumming up new ideas and exhibits to make the experience of visiting even better. Some of the updates are merely cosmetic and some are implemented to give visitors a better idea of how life was like on a motorcycle way back when. Many of these improvements are done on the fly, during the season or during regular operating hours, often with the help of visitors who are on site that day.
However, during the winter, when the museum is not open for regular hours, its a perfect time to put in a little (or a lot) of work in order to maximize our own working space. Recently, I started working on a very underutilized area of the museum in order to make it a little more functional, with a vision of turning the space into an operable workshop.
About a month ago, the room was overflowing with parts and project bikes -- kind of a catch-all area for the parts and machines not in use or under the restoration process. First step, was to clear the room and choose a direction. I wanted the new "shop" to be a time-warp, much like the rest of the museum interior, so only "aged and patinaed" materials were used. The room measures about 20' X 25', which is plenty of space, and has a full garage door for easy outside access.
Over the past week, we've installed a whole wall of shelving and oak siding, all with old reclaimed barn wood from the area. Tin roofing from a barn that was originally on the museum property was also used as siding, giving the room the look as if you were pulling into an old warehouse. Parts were organized and put into cubbies, and within no time, the room was starting to come together. With the addition of a tool box, a new work table, and an air compressor, we'll have the new space fully functional by the beginning of spring.
Just the other day I pulled in the old 1928 Model A that Dale found up at the Lee Hartung Auction. Up on blocks she went, off came the wheels. A two-day brake rebuild ensued, and currently we're onto bolting on the new engine head.
I'm really digging this space, and as soon as I get that Model A out of there, I'll be onto the finishing touches. I'm dreaming up projects as fast as I can, and the new workshop will be perfect for putting many of them into motion.
