That’s not to denigrate your knowledge of motorcycles— the truth is that few people have ever heard of, let alone seen an example of these engines, but the gentleman who designed it played a quiet but crucial role in the development of motorcycles and, for that matter, other machinery. Perry Ellis Mack was born in 1879, but, by the time he was twenty-five, he had achieved something that would make him unique in the annals of motorcycling history; he had become Harley-Davidson’s first employee.
Mack also had what can only be described as a meteoric racing career in that it peaked and disappeared in the twinkling of an eye. In June 1905, he and Walter Davidson took to the track on two of Harley’s newest models. Bolting around the Milwaukee Mile track at the Wisconsin State Fair, Mack set a new state and track record, clocking speeds of almost 48mph. He also posed for a photo for the local newspapers which is, in all likelihood, the very first photograph of a competition Harley.
A month later, he entered the championship races at Chicago’s Garfield Park (a meeting which also included the likes of legendary record holder and builder, Glenn Curtiss) and beat his boss, Walter Davidson in the 15-mile race. Mack went onto to lead the 10-mile championship race when a small fox terrier ran out onto the track in front of him. Mack couldn’t avoid the little dog; he wasn’t badly hurt—the dog, unsurprisingly, was killed— just suffering a nasty gash on his forehead. But he never raced again.
この記事は 100% Biker の Issue 252 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
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この記事は 100% Biker の Issue 252 版に掲載されています。
7 日間の Magzter GOLD 無料トライアルを開始して、何千もの厳選されたプレミアム ストーリー、9,000 以上の雑誌や新聞にアクセスしてください。
すでに購読者です? サインイン
There's No Place Like Chrome
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Every project starts somewhere and this one began at the Bike Shed Show at Tobacco Dock in London or, to be more accurate, when my mate Matt Donaldson turned to me and said, “I bet you can’t build a bike good enough for here.” Well, that set me to work!
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