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.
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Denne historien er fra Issue 252-utgaven av 100% Biker.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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There's No Place Like Chrome
When settling down to write a feature for a magazine, it’s necessary to have two things, nay, three things in front of you. A computer is useful, it saves all that messy ink and blotting paper that we used in those long gone school days, a strong hot mug of tea should also be on the desk (goes without saying), and finally, a set of scribbled notes that a couple of months ago resembled a detailed description of a motorcycle, but that by now, are largely illegible…
Spike And Bob's Big Swedish Adventure: Part 5
In 1979 Hasse took Caprice to the Norrtälje show for the first time, but he had changes for the bike in mind and, during the winter, he picked up a jammer frame and a set of 20-inch tubes.
Black Dog Custom Show - The Black Dog, Broadmayne, Dorset
Named after the only pub in the village of Broadmayne near Dorchester, nobody there can quite remember how long the informal get together that is the Black Dog Custom Show has been going
TWEETY
Over the last couple of years, very few if any motorcycles have inspired such bafflement and scratching of heads as Dan Duggan’s Honda CX500
THE DOUBTER
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!
JBS SPECIAL
Jarno comes from a family with petrol in their blood. His father races classic motorcycles and Jarno was raised on a farm where the barns are full of motorcycles instead of cows! This is his very first project, the Jarno Bastian Special
CUSTOMBIKE Messe Bad Salzuflen, Germany
Sometimes what is missing from a show is more interesting than what’s present. With the German show Custombike celebrating its fifteenth anniversary, the event remains a showcase for European customising in all its diversity— with the additional benefit of a focus on parts that are homologated and approved for Europe
COVERT MISSION
It’s not often that I have to sneak in and photograph a motorcycle without the owner knowing anything about it—something that was made tougher in this case by the said motorcycle being kept at said owner’s house
Carry On Screaming
As is often the case, I first caught sight of Nige Biffin’s cool Honda CB750 at a local show last summer, standing out as it did from the stock stuff and the classics present. Not surprisingly, it wasn’t just the ace paint that grabbed my attention, but the obvious quality of the build throughout. I needed to know more…
Paul's Harley
Ensuring that a custom motorcycle will comfortably chew up the miles is perhaps not always one of the main priorities for every builder, but for anyone in the National Chopper Club, it’s essential. Never more so than when you happen to live in one of the far flung parts of this island which means that you’ve usually got a journey to do before you even start going anywhere, as Paul, NCC National Secretary and member of Chopper Club Kernow, knows all too well. This is the story of his latest chop.
