Perhaps the most interesting feature of the Excelsior sidecar was its slide-out rear axle, which increases the wheel-to-wheel width of the motorcycle to that of an automobile. Indeed, this machine is fitted with a factory sidecar featuring horsehair upholstery - a luxury appointment 100 years ago. Machines such as this, with the sidecar attached, bridged the gap in personal transportation that preceded the high car ownership levels of today. At that time, Excelsior advertised itself as “the zenith of motorcycle quality”, and along with Indian and Harley-Davidson, comprised the "big three" of motorcycle manufacturing in America. In brief: This 1000cc V-twin Excelsior was one of the fastest motorcycles on American roads 100 years ago. Lot F76 | Mecum | Friday, August 19, 2022 That bike was an original machine in as-raced condition that sold at the EJ Cole Collection sale in Las Vegas in March, 2015. The motor lived on in other forms of motorcycle competition, and the model record (engine record?) is held by a 1928 Indian Altoona hillclimber at $247,500. As such, this two-wheeled dinosaur is the last of a breed. So just because this bike looks like a lollipop, don't for a moment think that it isn't an alcohol-breathing monster that would scare 99.99% of high-testosterone males to death, perhaps more so if they were even allowed to ride it in similar circumstances as these bikes were once raced. The board tracks were dangerous to begin with, but by the mid-1920s the lap speeds were spiraling out of control and board track racing was desanctioned in 1926 before too many people got killed. Six weeks after the 114-mph Altoona win, Fredericks used the bike to lap a 1.25-mile board track at Rockingham, New Hampshire at 120.3 mph (193.6 km/h), the fastest average lap speed ever recorded on a board track. As the induction gasses on a side-valve engine feed the cylinder from below, mounting the twin carburettors accordingly greatly assisted gas flow and the Altoona proved to be the fastest side-valve engine Indian ever built, and was the fastest side-valve engine until the much later arrival of the Harley-Davidson KRTT. The 61-cu-in side-valve engine of the Altoona was designed by Charles Franklin, and its most distinctive features were the removable cylinder heads (a first for a side-valve Indian) and twin updraft Zenith racing carbs. That's the highest lap speed ever recorded on a circular track by a motorcycle, and it's how the bike got its name. On that day, "Curley" Fredericks on a near identical motorcycle to this, won a 5-lap race at Altoona at an average speed of 114 mph (71 mph). Daytona, Bonneville, TT, IOM, Le Mans, ad infinitum), the Indian Altoona took its name from an event on July 9, 1926. Just as famous motorcycles have often taken their names from the venue of a significant victory (e.g. In a time when winning on Sunday meant significant sales on Monday, winning at Altoona, particularly when the silverware was most significant, was very important for manufacturers. The Altoona Speedway was a 1.25-mile (2-km) board track located in central Pennsylvania that hosted American Board Track Championship races during the 1920s. Lot R24 | Mecum | Saturday, August 20, 2022 ![]() The highlight of the auctions is undoubtedly the final Crocker V-twin, which is in perfect condition and with a stellar provenance – the bikes are in order of increasing estimates, so the Crocker is at the bottom of the list. This year the cream of the crop contains some of the most valuable motorcycles in existence. It's a reasonable expectation, because America has seven million HNWIs and 180,000 UHNWIs (one third of the entire planetary population of this rare species), and there are very few events anywhere that draw such a large and concentrated audience of wealth. ![]() The Monterey car auctions will see more than one third of a billion dollars spent in three days this year, but it is the sheer volume of High-Net-Worth Individuals (HNWIs - people with $1 million in liquid assets) and Ultra-high-net-worth individuals (UHNWIs - somebody whose net wealth exceeds $30 million) in town for Monterey Car Week each August that attracts luxury brands there en masse and ensures that sprinkled among the cars are a smattering of bikes that the vendors hope will appeal to the hyper-monied audience. Gas Prices Soaring- Fuel Surcharge Fuel surcharge Notice: With gas prices soaring and freight becoming more and more expensive, shipping to very far away states like NY, WA, SD, ND, MI, WA, MT, OR, NV, ME, MA etc may be extra due to excessive fuel surcharges.Monterey Car Week isn’t entirely about cars.
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