An Amateur's Motor Bicycle

[Bryan Smith]

Here's an article from an old amateur work magazine that I thought was nice.

http://chestofbooks.com/crafts/popular-mechanics/Amateur-Work-1/An-Amateur-s-Motor-Bicycle.html

This is from 1901...there's not much new under the sun is there.

 

[kitcarguy]

Funny how things really have not changed much

 

[bamabikeguy]

Riding around, you talk to a LOT of old timers, and I'm in the area that didn't get electric lines strung until the 1950's, some spots until the early 1960's.

But when TVA started running lines in the hills, a lot of gas operated refrigerators and washing machines became obsolete, and the old timers have told me (over and over and over) about hooking up those motors on bikes, racing on the dirt roads.

The most famous local daredevil, now 80 years old, made maybe 5 jumps off the 60 feet high Blue Hole cliff on the Mulberry River, most often on a regular bike.

But once he did it on one of these "washing machine" 2 wheelers, where the speed/momentum of the bike had it bounce on the opposite shore, (still running) while he dropped straight into the water.

A Hillbilly "10".

 

[az cra-z]

When the author talks about using "four dry batteries", it must be for spark and the motor has no magneto. Nutty!

 

[fasteddy]

Bamabikeguy--How often can you use local dare devil and 80 years old in the same sentence?
Steve.

 

[Bryan Smith]

When the author talks about using "four dry batteries", it must be for spark and the motor has no magneto. Nutty!

Four dry batteries would put it at 6 volts going into the coil primary. Probably just has points on the engine to trigger the spark. Looks like the batteries are on the frame's down tube.

I like how the engine is balanced over the tire and not out to the side.

 

[duivendyk]

The use of dry batteries for the ignition was quite common,early Indians had them too.Magnetos were expensive.

 

[RMWdave]

nice find!