We were surprised to find a number of RVs towing motorcycles entering the Southern Palms RV park where we are spending the winter. Rick looked again and said these are not normal bikes -- they are REALLY old! Naturally, Rick wanted to check these out! It turned out that the Antique Motorcycle Club of America was having a meet in the Eustis area and several competitors were staying in our area of the RV Park.
This was an interesting group-- led by a vintage BMW motorcycle. Makes quite a comparison with the cute little red Honda light motorcycle!
Around the corner was a rig with 3 old bikes. We got to speak with the guys working on these and were amazed at the condition of the motorcycles. This one is a Rudge Multi and we could tell it was old -- we guessed about 1925 and were high! This is actually a 1913 motorcycle -- 98 years old! Unbelievable! What was really remarkable was that these all ran flawlessly. It was very cool to see the guys riding around the park on a 1913 motorcycle. 
This is a 1939 BSA bike that apparently is very rare and was immaculate. Notice the difference between these bikes - the 26 year gap provided a real maturing effect on the technology. These machines are a real effort to keep running and shining as new - imagine trying to find a part for a 1913 machine!
You can readily see the concept of the early motorcycle as a powered bicycle which this rig really is. Power was transferred by a rubber belt that was stapled together -- just like it was 98 years ago. It was very quiet when running and started by pedaling much like a moped. Lots of fun to see these cycles and talk with the collectors who keep them running.
No comments:
Post a Comment