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IT’S NEW!

SWAMP WAGON’S nine-ft. tall rear wheels have hickory treads steel-clamped to 28 in. rims weighing 700 lbs. Vehicle is designed to clamber over Florida’s soft muck bogs.

TOTCYCLIST Brad Bradley drives cut-down 125 cc Harley Davidson like a pro. Five-year-old was taught to ride 50-mph machine by his Dad. Brad began career at 18 months.

MANY-LENSED Italian Summa camera has revolving turret housing regular lens, wide angle lens and two for direct sighting. It also has hand grips and flash attachments.

NO FANCY PANTS, Solly Davis holds Geiger counter inside Goodyear’s new one-piece vinyl film anti-radiation suit Inflated by compressed air, suit is air-conditioned.

BLOW-UP house can be inflated by a man in three minutes. British rubber hut is nine ft high with floor space of 30×19 ft. It has all comforts of home—phone, lights.

SINKPROOF claims Danish inventor Clous Sorensen of his novel lifeboat which has its rudder and screw hidden in tube. Mate is strapped in seat under plastic hood.

DIRECTOMAT in Times Square, N.Y., issues a card with directions to get to any station in subway system when destination button is pushed. Great aid for out-of-towners.

SUPER SOFT Terra-Tires allow this plane to taxi at high speed over scattered 2×4 blocks. Goodyear is testing them for use by aircraft on rough ground cluttered with obstacles.

MOTO-VAC sucks up dirt in car when attached to exhaust pipe and engine is started. Nobby British invention comes with 12 ft. hose, operates by exhaust jet extraction.

TINY TV camera developed by Lockheed will give engineers ringside seat when studying the performance of control surfaces on new aircraft during flight operations.

FLASHLIGHT is latest Russian all-weather jet fighter. Sleek craft is swept-wing, twin jet, dual-placed job which gives the appearance of being effective interceptor.

RED TV antennas bristle atop these wooden shacks in the suburbs of Moscow. Soviet citizens like video and many houses that have no running water boast a TV set.

MOTORIZED RICKSHAW

RIDING around on a genuine Shanghai-manufactured rickshaw is Buster Mattingly’s Chinese cup of tea. The Louisville, Ky. owner bought it from an Army officer and set about fixing it up. He installed a new convertible leather top, chromed the metal parts, put in a Clinton gasoline engine which is supported by a small steel mount welded to the bicycle frame and painted it a pale green.

“I’ve clocked it at 33 mph,” says Mattingly. “That won’t set any speed records but I get a whale of a kick out of driving it.”

Mattingly runs a moving and storage firm and puts his rickshaw in a vanette when he goes on a trip. “No matter where we’re visiting, it always comes in handy,” he says.

The rig cost about $300 with improvements and gets about 85 mpg.

Motorized 3-Wheel Milk Bike

THE milkman now has a new vehicle at his disposal, a motorized milk wagon built on a three-wheeled motorbike, as illustrated in the accompanying photo. Milk is carried on the truck body built over the rear wheels, while the driver rides in front, behind the protective windshield.

What makes the truck especially suitable for milk delivery work is its extreme economy of operation and its flexibility. For short routes, this bike truck is ideal.

new on the road

Parking Gage sounds a buzzer when you back too close to the curb. Hub caps and tire walls are protected by two, six-inch springs which close circuit when they touch curb.

Puncture-Proof Tire has nails, ice picks and a chisel driven into it to prove its toughness. Chicago police also riddled it with bullets with no effect. This tire can take it.

Talkie Cycle employs FM, eliminating “dead spots” such as under bridges, which occur with standard short wave. It will even operate in a thunderstorm. Antenna is 18 inches long. The set weighs only 27 pounds. It is expected to speed up police operations.

Bike Motor for standard balloon tire bicycles, has 3-1/2 hp, cruises at 35 mph, gets 100 miles per gallon. It features a multiple plate dry disc clutch.

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THRILLS and CASH for Motorcyclists

by Theodore Hodgdon

The author of this article, one of the leading authorities on motorcycle hill-climbing and racing, tells here how to prepare your motorcycle for Class “B” hill climb events, where you can win cash awards for your riding skill.

ALL the thrills of an exciting sport plus substantial awards, await the amateur motorcycle competition rider in 1932. During the last year there were 60 Race Meets held in the U.S.A., 160 hill climb contests, and 150 motorcycle polo matches.

In these events, held on Sundays, holidays and Saturday afternoons, only the professional riders were allowed to accept cash prizes for their winnings. However, for 1932 the rules have been changed to make the lot of the amateur or Class “B” rider more profitable. Now, if you prepare your motorcycle carefully and go out to win a hill climb, you can take cash for your winnings.

At many hill climbs the list of prize money totals from $300 to $400, while at some of the larger sectional or national championship climbs the prize money runs as high as $1600, all of which is split up among the riders who win first, second, third, fourth and fifth places in the afternoon’s sport.

You Can Make Your Motorcycle Pay!

In other words, the motorcyclist who starts out to ride his way to victory in hill climbs this year, can make his spare Saturdays, Sundays and holidays, profitable and filled with the thrills of an exciting sport.

“But how,” says the motorcycle owner, “can I fix up my motor to compete in the hill climbs and win?”

Stock Motorcycles Can Be Made Over As a matter of fact, the rules of the American Motorcycle Association provide for 1932 that every promoter of a hill climb contest must schedule on the program an event for Class “B” riders mounted on 45 cubic inch motors of pocket valve design, like the Indian Scout “45″ or any other stock “45″ motorcycle which you can buy, and such as many riders now own.

In other words, if you already own, or if you purchase a Scout “45″ or other 45 cubic inch motorcycle, you are eligible to compete in these contests subject to the rulings of the big governing body which rules over such events. (These events are also open to 30.50 cubic inch motorcycles of overhead valve design, if catalogued by the manufacturer.) What To Do To prepare the stock “45″ for hill climbing there are five distinct steps to follow, listed below:
1. Motor should be completely overhauled and “souped up” to deliver more horse-power. (Compression raised, alloy pistons installed, etc.)
2. All needless friction must be positively eliminated. Wheels must roll easily, transmission, chain and sprockets must be perfectly lined up to “roll free.”

3. The whole motorcycle must be as light as possible for hill climbing. (All excess weight such as head lights, tool boxes, front mudguards and all unnecessary fittings removed.)
4. Saddle, handle bars and foot-boards must be located to bring the rider’s weight quite well forward. (This is necessary for balance while riding up the steep slant.)
5. The rear wheel should be fitted with a skid chain as shown in the illustration, and the motor should be geared down to pull in high gear at all times. This is done by a large sprocket on the rear wheel of about 70 teeth on a Scout “45,” as shown in the illustration.

If you attempt to ride a hill in low or second gear, the gear box will be using up a fraction of the horsepower which you need to win. Therefore, gear your 45-inch motor about 13 to 1 in high gear, whereas the ordinary road job is geared about 5 to 1 for road use. Some hills will require a higher gear than 13 to 1 and other hills will demand a lower gear.

This change in gearing is made by putting on a larger or smaller sprocket on engine or transmission, say a 13,14, or 15 tooth sprocket.

Hints on Riding the Hill Climber After the motorcycle is in top notch condition, according to the above rules, the rider had best make some practice rides and tests on a short but very steep hill which he may locate in a pasture or sand pit, but preferably on fairly smooth hard ground free from rocks.

Straight Start Is Essential One of the first essentials for a successful straight ride over the top of a hill is to start squarely facing the course.

Sit firmly in the saddle, make sure your engine is thoroughly warmed up and that it will take full throttle without spitting or skipping. Then make sure your front wheel and the whole machine faces exactly the course you intend to ride over the hill. Then wind open the throttle and let the clutch in smoothly but firmly.

Balance Fore and Aft When you find yourself started up the hill, if your front wheel tends to “rear up” —climb forward on the machine—feet firmly on the footboards—don’t ride with your feet dragging!

For the first few rides you may find it almost impossible to balance the machine over the bumps and rough places without using your feet, but remember—when you stick out your feet to balance or get back onto the course you were not “riding it” and to win you’ve got to ride!

There is little more to say except that hill climb riders—even the best of them—take spills when the hill is too steep or the ground is too rough but a spill is just a toss —no rougher than the scrimmage football played by ten year old boys.

Never in the records of the sport of hill climbing has anyone been seriously hurt. It is just one of those thrilling sports which puts on a spectacular appearance but where the danger element is not anywhere near as” large as in a game like football.

Remember—to win you must ride, just as in a baseball game you must make hits and runs—and the harder and better aimed the hits, the longer will your runs be!

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STREET SCENE, TOKYO STYLE

By Elliot H. McCleary

TRAFFIC IN TOKYO, the world’s largest city (population: 10 million), is, to put it mildly, dense, wild, fast, and furious.

The very diversity of vehicles, as well as their number, is startling. There are automobiles of varying shapes and sizes— Japanese, French, German, an occasional, looming Chevy or Plymouth.

Coveys of goggled motorcyclists thunder their motors at intersections, roar away in blue smoke when the light changes. There are three-wheeled trucks guided inside by handle bars. There are sleek cabs dashing in and out of openings in the traffic, scattering the pedestrians who stream in thousands across intersections, or walk right in the street in the majority of byways which have no sidewalks.

To add to the confusion and excitement of Tokyo driving (which, by the way, proceeds down the left side of the street) there are messengers on bicycles wheeling in and around the cars, laundrymen with huge bundles behind them, repairmen with ladders and tools mounted on bicycle sidecars and trailers, and white-capped restaurant delivery boys—some balancing trays on which are bowls of fish, rice or fuming tea.

All this activity is more amazing when you consider that cars are a luxury in a land where the average workman makes less than $100 a month. Also the Japanese auto industry turns out less than 500,000 four-wheeled motor vehicles a year and less than 200,000 of these are passenger cars. But Tokyo alone has 400,000 cars and trucks on its streets, with 3000 being added every month.

Traffic is further congested by the national output of a million and a half motor bikes and mtorcycles and 300,000 three-wheelers a year. The city government cannot keep up with the demand for better streets and more sidewalks which are desperately needed to curb the rate of 14,000 accidents per year.

Something will have to be done, muse the city fathers while they appropriate more money for traffic policemen, street lights, and an expressway.

But like their counterparts in the United States, they may be unable to solve a modern mystery: Why does a mild-mannered average man suddenly become an avenging warrior when he gets behind the wheel of his Datsun?

Energetic Charwoman Rides Motorcycle Seeking Business

THE advertising charwoman has made her appearance upon the streets of London. Determined to build up her clientele, this energetic worker purchased a cheap second hand motorcycle with a large delivery-type sidecar. She rides about the city, dressed in her scrubbing clothes. In the sidecar, well displayed, are her mops, brushes, brooms and ladder. On the sides of the car, she has a sign proclaiming her as “The Travelling Char” and inviting prospective customers to stop her.

This woman reports that the novel means of advertising has brought her a splendid increase in income.

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They’re all riding Scooters

“HOW many?” the gas station attendant expectantly asks.

“I’m just starting off on a little trip so you’d better fill it up,” the rider replies. “Let me have seven cents’ worth. And also, fill up the emergency tank.” He takes a pint bottle from his pocket and hands it to the attendant.

Only a vehicle capable of making one hundred or more miles to the gallon could make possible such a stop at a gas station. And the motor scooter, America’s most modern and personal means of transportation, is the only one capable of maintaining such low fuel costs.

Of course, the high speed of the motor car is lacking. But then, thirty-five miles an hour usually is fast enough. Speedy on the get away, movement through traffic is an experience not believed possible by the average motorist. Also the parking problem is eliminated. In many cases, the scooter can be brought along to wherever the rider is going without undue trouble.

Because of the public’s rising interest in scooter use, factories are hard pressed to keep pace with orders. The enthusiasm with which the general public has taken to this new travel means has been supplemented by store owners who find scooters swift and economical for making small-package delivery. A compartment at the rear makes the machine ideally suited for carrying small parcels such as are sent out by drug stores.

Because of its low speed and easy handling, accident danger is reduced to a minimum. When speeding along the highway, the rider’s position is such that his feet and legs are easily moved where needed as protection against falling. In some models, the clutch is engaged only when the foot is resting on the pedal. When the rider desires to stop, the foot is taken off the pedal and placed in position for balancing the machine until it comes to a stop. When necessary the machine may be brought to a quick stop by use of the brakes, conveniently located.

In a survey of state motor vehicle regulations as applied to motor scooters, all those requiring operator’s license for car operation also required them for scooters. Registration certificates also are required before the scooter can be operated.

The popularity of motor scooters has received an added boost from the fact that they are able to travel along narrow lanes, and even wooded paths, a feat that can be duplicated by few other powered vehicles with the possible exception of the motorcycle.

The popularity of the hobby trains which leading railroads have been running to cater to cyclists, camera fans, canoeists, etc., may soon result in the operation of trains to special scenic points at which the passengers can leave the train and travel on country roads upon motor scooters provided and rented by the railroad. Without a doubt, such trains would be booked for reservations weeks in advance.

Another factor that tends to increase the popularity of motor scooters is the operation of “rent-a-scooter” booths at parks and amusement centers by concessionaires.

“HONEY, GUESS WHAT I JUST BOUGHT?”

Little by little, across America, people are bringing home a delightful accompaniment to the automobile. The Vespa scooter.

What is this two-wheel appeal? It’s a totally unique kind of transportation that combines comfort, convenience and a stylish sense of sophistication.

The result is a vehicle with a low center of gravity that you ride with your feet on the floor.

You’re protected by a welded, unitized body molded in graceful, almost voluptuous lines by Italian designers. Inside the top models lies an engine powerful enough for freeway driving and an automatic oil injection. There’s electronic ignition and hydraulic front and rear suspension—even a hidden spare tire.

Vespa scooters’ ingenuous blend of style and over 30 years of engineering excellence and experience give you an excitingly different feeling of control and maneuverability.

You’ll feel confident to know that more than 6 million Vespa scooters and 2 million Vespa mopeds have been sold so far and that Vespa offers a 12-month, unlimited mileage warranty.

When scooting along barely above a whisper, its 70-140 mpg consumption rating provides a true sense of value and efficiency. We urge you to see your Vespa dealer now to take a test drive. Look in the Yellow Pages or write us for nearest location. And see if your new Vespa scooter doesn’t surprise you as much as it will surprise your friends.

PIAGGIO GROUP

vespa THE UNCOMMON CARRIER

Constructs Novel Motorcycle
POWERED by a four-cylinder motor, a motorcycle constructed by Raymond Courtney, of Lansing, Mich., features a specially designed, streamlined sheet-metal body which is said to increase road speed about 20 m.p.h. Sections of the body are easily removed, facilitating repairs or adjustments. The novel motorcycle is equipped with hydraulic brakes, both front and rear, and the unusually small wheels are fitted with airplane tires, providing the machine with an extremely low center of gravity. The wheel turrets are so constructed that one is used as a gasoline tank while the other three are used to carry small luggage.

Walls at German Auto Show

MOTORCYCLES by the hundreds covered the walls of the exhibition buildings at the recent Motor Show in Berlin. As shown in the photo at the left, the cycles were hung seven-deep upon the walls, with a row of machines fitted with side-car equipment occupying a ledge beneath. More than 500 motorcycles were used in assembling this unique exhibit. The purpose of the novel arrangement was to save expense because of the high cost of floor space.

Americans might think it peculiar to give so much emphasis to motorcycles at an auto show, but the two-wheeled vehicle is much more popular abroad than in the United States. Several factors combine to promote the popularity of the motorcycle, chief among which is the high price of gasoline, which averages fifty cents a gallon in most European countries.

MOTOR CYCLE HAS JACKKNIFE CHASSIS

To allow easy access to its motor, the body of a motor cycle recently constructed by a French inventor unfolds like a jackknife. A metal frame, which supports the driver’s seat and covers the motor, is attached to the chassis so that it may be tilted straight up in the air, exposing the motor to full view. No extensive adjustments are necessary preparatory to raising the frame, and the tilting may be done in a few seconds, it is claimed.

My dad’s the GREATEST…and so is my new HARLEY-DAVIDSON TOPPER

Like father, like son… happy with the new Topper.

What a ride — gentle as a billowy summer cloud … with dual suspension and large foam rubber saddle. Dependability — plenty of get-up-and-go. Automatic Scoot-away transmission—no shifting or clutching needed.

Dad is sold on safety features like the large diameter wheels and sure-stop front and rear drum brakes. Tells everyone about Topper economy — up to 100 miles to the gallon.

Mom’s a Topper fan, too! She likes its good looks: sharp, clean lines molded in tough beautiful fiberglass… two-tone color styling … chrome-plated instrument panel.

See your Harley-Davidson dealer. He will arrange a fun-filled demonstration ride. Or send in the coupon for literature.

HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR CO.

Dept. P, Milwaukee 1, Wisconsin

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All-Weather Motorcycles Are Being Modernized

Above is shown a “weekend” motorcycle with side car and one track trailer, which was one of the most original vehicles exhibited at the Berlin international automobile show. The trailer is capable of accommodating a tent and poles, collapsible boat and camp equipment.

Rough riding is made easy by the O.E.C. Blackburne three-wheeler motorcycle which is shown above going through its paces. The motorcycle was especially designed to negotiate the roughest country and was submitted to tests before representatives of the War Office at Gosport, Hants, England. The performance over shingle and broken ground was amazing and impressed the army officers. The cycle is constructed to withstand the roughest usage and to maintain a good speed over ground that would put many machines out of commission. It is believed to be specially adapted to military work over shell-torn highways and open fields.

At left is shown a motorcycle with an automobile chassis. This motorcycle proved to be one of the feature exhibits at the motorcycle show held in Olympia, England. It has a four-cylinder water-cooled engine which is completely enclosed, as is the instrument board. This unique motorcycle is capable of a speed of 100 m.p.h.

Here is a side view of the Opel rocket motorcycle which has been built on the same principle as his rocket cars. This exhibit of the Opel Works attracted a great deal of attention at the Berlin Motor Show. It has been successfully tried out by Herr Fritz von Opel who a short time ago startled the world with the first successful flight in a rocket propelled airplane. His experiments with rocket automobiles, motorcycles, and airplanes have been attracting world wide attention.

The new Ascot-Pullin all-weather motorcycle and side-car is shown above as it appeared in the London motorcycle show. The enclosed side-car and well fendered wheel is one of the features of this vehicle shown with a variety of machines intended for service in all kinds of weather. Folding side-cars were among the outstanding features.

Here is a close-up of the complete dashboard fitted to the Ascot-Pullin motorcycle and shown at the London exhibition. There is a three-section windshield, rear vision mirror and usual meters.

Streamline Shell PEPS UP Motorcycle

JOE SZAKACS, of Lincoln, Nebraska, has equipped his motorcycle with a 22 gauge aluminum shell which, besides improving the appearance of his machine, has increased the speed and reduced the weight by four pounds.

Only two pieces of strap steel, shaped to fit, were needed. Access to the engine is gained through three round snap-shut doors, each using a single hinge and a small arrangement comprising a steel coil spring which is connected to the door inside the shell. This spring rides in a rounded metal groove and prevents binding.

Most of the jointing was done with small rivets through a light strip of steel placed underneath and carrying a row of rivets through each adjoining aluminum edge. The front wheel was equipped with an aluminum disc to hide the spokes, while the rear wheel is not so equipped. Cranking the engine, shifting gears, and other details are as easy as before the shell was made. The paint job is a bright orange.

Dummy Motorbike Teaches Safety

RAILWAY workers on English roads get thorough training in First Aid. Below are seen two railroad men practicing rescue work. The “victim” is pretending he has been knocked off his motorbike, while the engineer is treating him for injuries. Feature of this episode is cardboard motorbike.

Side Car Serves as Boat
A MOTORCYCLE side car which doubles as a canoe on trips to the beach or river bank has recently made its appearance in Germany. The car is fitted with small metal pontoons which keep it upright in the water. Future models will be fitted with rudders, completing the transformation from side car to a navigable boat.

There’s nothing like a Vespa

For the happiest time of your life. The fun way to go places… and save money too.

See your local Vespa Dealer. He’ll be happy to take the entire family out for a thrilling test ride. For an illustrated brochure showing all three Vespa models send ten cents in coin to cover handling and mailing to:

Vespa Distributing Corporation
3 East 54th Street, New York 22, New York

Outboard Motor Powers Bicycle
AT a recent automobile show an outboard motor was shown as a power plant for a bicycle. The motor is attached to the handlebars and delivers its power to the front wheel through a friction drive which operates directly on the tire.

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Auto SCOOTER

IN CROWDED metropolitan centers across the country the thin trickle of new automobiles is helping one problem —transportation—but heightening another. Parking lots are bursting with automobiles of commuters, curbs are lined and every city has a parking problem which no plan has solved. Increased costs pose another serious problem for the average family. Car prices have risen beyond comfortable reach. One-car families which ordinarily might be two-car families can’t afford the extra outlay of $2,000 or more, even if auto deliveries could be made next week.

At Salsbury Motors, Inc., Pomona, Calif., an automobile-type production line is pouring out a new type of motor vehicle which may be a partial answer to these problems. Salsbury is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Northrop Aircraft, Inc., creators and builders of Flying Wing bombers. The new scooter—which might be described as a cross between a light car and a motor bike -has speeds up to 35 mph and does 65 miles to the gallon. The single-cylinder, six-hp engine is air cooled and weighs only 56 lbs. Clutch and transmission are automatic.

Bike Disguised as Motorcycle
WHAT is this younger generation coming to? When you and I were kids a bike was a bike, and lucky was the boy to get one without any trimmings whatsoever. But now look! Even the tiny tots must have a bike, and an ordinary one won’t do. It must be designed as the Graf Zeppelin, or in this case, a real motorcycle.

Twenty Miles to the Pint Is Motorcycle’s Record
One hundred twenty miles on less than three quarts of gasoline is the record of an “underslung” type motorcycle built by a Los Angeles man and exhibited at the San Diego exposition. Its wheels are less than knee-high and equipped with balloon tires. The one-cylinder motor drives the front wheel with a belt.

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A Home-Built Miniature Motorbike for Youngster

by THEODORE HODGDON

A youngster will get some keen thrills out of driving his own specially designed midget motorbike along the highways at a clip of 40 m.p.h. Read this article to learn how to build one of these miniature jobs or cut down a big machine to make it suitable for a 10-year-old boy.

AN EXCEPTIONAL opportunity for the mechanically-minded person to exercise his ingenuity and creative ability is afforded in the construction of miniature motorcycles for youngsters ranging all the way from three up to eight or ten years of age.

When complete, these tiny motorcycles operate exactly like their larger brothers, which may be seen in the hands of sportsmen and motorcycle policemen. The tiny engines propel the little machines along at 35 or 40 miles an hour, yet are easily controlled at a twist of the wrist by regular motorcycle throttle and spark grip.

Needless to say, the youngster who is in possession of one of these custom built motorbikes is the envy of all his friends, and his grownups may feel that they are performing an educational service for the youngster in teaching him so early in life to control powerful forces.

If desired, a regular three-speed gearbox may be fitted, so that the young rider may learn to shift gears, as well as control engine speed in learning to drive the machine. A system of electric lights, electric horn, and other accessories, are adaptable to these tiny machines by the use of bicycle parts.

Also if desired, where there is more than one child in a family a diminutive sidecar can be put together and fastened to the motorcycle in orthodox manner so that young brother may take little sister for a ride through driveways, and perhaps across neighboring fields.

There are really two methods of constructing miniature motorcycles. The first is to design the small machine from start to finish, using pneumatic tricycle or bicycle wheels up to 15 or 16″ in diameter, constructing the frame of steel tubing, flattened at the ends and bolted together, and using a small one cylinder outboard motor engine, or perhaps an old washing machine engine or even a lawnmower motor, provided it is small enough.

These very small machines will weigh only 35 or 40 lbs. when complete, and therefore not very much power is required to propel them along at a brisk clip. Three speed gears are not really necessary on so small a machine, but almost any motocycle dealer will have on hand a small three-speed gearbox which may have been taken from some ancient lightweight motorcycle.

Usually these gearboxes are not too heavy, and they may be neatly installed in the frame, as shown in the drawing on this page.

“Grown-up” Bike Cut Down to Midget Size The second method of building a miniature two-wheeler is that of taking the ordinary sized motorcycle and cutting it down to ten-year-old boy’s size as shown in accompanying illustrations. In performing such an operation on the large machine, it is best to start with a motorcycle that is not too large, such as a 37 cu. in. twin, or perhaps a 21 cu. in. single. The builder should then secure a large sheet of paper (brown manila wrapping paper will do). Pin it on the floor or wall, and lay out the new design for the frame, full or half scale, figuring on taking out sections here and there so that the engine when put back into the frame will clear the ground by only two or three inches, and the frame itself will hug the top of the engine very closely.

Sections Sawed Out of Bike Frame The shortening of many of the frame tubes is necessary, and this is easily accomplished by sawing out sections and putting them back together with reenforcements inserted as shown in the sketches.

The front forks and the rear fork tubes also must be shortened to accommodate the pair of small wheels, preferably airplane wheels, of about the size used on the tail skid of the great trimotor Ford airplane. These wheels complete with tires may be secured as small as 12″ in diameter, although it will be far more economical to use regular airplane wheels and tires, which may be purchased second-hand in sizes as small as 15 or 16″x-3-1/2″ or 4″ (tire size).

The mudguards must also be cut down and by careful heating and occasionally splitting with a hacksaw they may be bent to perform with the size of airplane wheels which you employ. A little ingenuity will solve the problem.

The installation of the front wheel offers no particular difficulty but the rear wheel, before it is installed in the fork, must be fitted with a sprocket on one side and a brake drum on the other. This may be accomplished by a simple brazing operation. It is not necessary to go into an expensive machining operation in fitting the brake and sprocket to the rear wheel, because of the light weight and slow speed which the small motorcycle will achieve.

The gasoline tank of a regular motorcycle may be cut down as shown in the sketches. The front portion of the tank is removed, and the rear portion forms a neat tank provided the front end is done well with pains and much careful shaping put into the job.

Handlebars also must be shortened and perhaps a bicycle seat installed in place of the large motorcycle seat.

Nearly all electrical equipment can be put back into the machine except perhaps the storage battery and generator, for which it is possible to substitute one or two dry cells in a bicycle lamp case.

When complete the entire motorcycle may be carefully enameled with a two-tone color combination such as may be seen on the late sport model motorcycles put out by the great motorcycle factories.

The construction of a tiny sidecar to fit a motorcycle of this type is a comparatively simple matter. The chassis is built up of tubing, either bolted or brazed together, depending upon the facilities available to the builder. A bolted chassis will do, provided no very high speeds are attempted with the tiny machine. The body itself is easily built up of a wooden frame, covered with sheet tin or aluminum and upholstered with padding and leather obtained from old automobile cushions.

This tiny body may be hung upon small buggy seat springs or coil springs, such as may be found in almost any automobile spare parts depot.

When ready for the road, the miniature motorcycle should start easily, either by pushing or by kick starter, and the carburetor control should be adjusted so that it will run at very slow speeds, in order that the youngster may become accustomed to it without fear of its power. In fact, it is advisable to set the adjusting stop screw on the top of the carburetor so that the throttle cannot be opened more than perhaps one-quarter or one-half of its full throttle, at least until the youngster becomes accustomed to the motorcycle.

If carefully planned and painstakingly constructed, one of these miniature motorcycles can be a source of great pride both to its young owner and the man whose handwork it represents.

Motorbike Racer for Youngsters

MINIATURE motorcycle racing is the latest innovation to be, introduced in Berlin parks for the amusement of youngsters. Riding midget motorcycles, which have side cars and all like the big motorbikes, these midget racers speed around a miniature track especially built for them, while spectators cheer from the grandstands.

The midget drivers are outfitted like the professional racers, having helmets, goggles, numbers, in fact, practically everything but the experience. The photograph above shows two youthful racers about to start on a whirlwind race around the tracks. The amusement scheme is drawing crowds of youngsters avid for the thrills of the sport.

Fido Gets Motorcycle Side-Car
BEFORE the bicycle went modern and acquired a motor, Fido could get his Sunday airing with the rest of the family under his own power. He can never hope, however, to keep up with the speedy motorcycle, so one English dog lover has installed a miniature sidecar for Fido’s private use. The tiny sidecar is equipped with its own private celluloid windshield which folds back as shown in the photograph below, protecting the dog from the elements.

AMATEUR Dare-Devils GIVE MOTOR-CYCLE RODEOS

WEARING natty military uniforms and riding standard American-made motor cycles, a group of thirty-three amateur riders, all Los Angeles, Calif., business and professional men, recently won for the United States the International Motor-Cycle Trophy, emblem of world supremacy in acrobatic riding. Organized two years ago under the sponsorship of Victor McLaglen, motion-picture star, these dare-devil amateurs spend their spare time learning new tricks and giving thrilling exhibitions of stunt riding in western cities. Their coveted world title was captured from a team in Mexico City, which previously took it from the police team of London, England.

In addition to the international cup, the Victor McLaglen Motor Corps also holds the world’s record for live weight put on any stock motor cycle. Fourteen men, with a total weight of 2,503 pounds, were pyramided upon one machine, which had not been strengthened in any way except that its standard tires were inflated to 120 pounds pressure. Exhibitions include not only acrobatic riding but also complicated evolutions performed with military precision by the corps’ formation drill team.

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Packing Thrills in a Motorcycle T.T. Track

by WALTER E. BURTON

ONE of America’s newest and most exciting sports is misnamed: there should be an “N” between the initials of T. T. racing, for there are few forms of excitement that contain more high-explosive qualities than this motorcycle pastime.

A T. T. race is an American, and usually a miniature, version of the famous Tourist Trophy races held yearly on the Isle of Man. It is a motorcycle contest packed with thrills, spills, dust, speed, breath-taking moments and a lot of fun for everyone concerned. It looks like an elaborate and noisy way of committing suicide; but surprisingly few bones have been broken in such competitions. In fact, women riders frequently tackle the milder parts of a T. T. course.

Let’s accompany the Ohio Ramblers on a Sunday afternoon visit to their T. T. track, which is scarcely a year old. The Ohio Ramblers is a motorcycle club, made up of riders who live in and near the city of Mas-sillon.

The Ramblers’ track is, so the club members claim, one of the most perfect in the state, if not in the country. It is the result of a long and careful search for just the right kind of land. An outstanding feature is that spectators can stand on top of any one of several neighboring hills and view the entire course. There are no large trees in the area, only a few shrubs—mostly bushes bearing long, sharp thorns which riders have learned to respect.

This being merely an informal practice run, the machines are standard in design and equipment. For actual racing, special stripped motorcycles generally are used. All of the riders wear leather crash helmets as a matter of protection.

The starter drops the white flag. The motors, which had been dead, leap into action^ and in a flash the sextet is roaring around the first turn. This is a very mild turn, being only a right-angle one, partly banked. Hardly have the machines straightened out when the leading one strikes the first of a series of hairpin curves. Some of these curves are tilted at dizzy angles on the side of a hill. Now the skidding cycles have negotiated them safely, executing in the process a few dizzy and dust-raising fish tails, and are headed down a short but steep bank preparatory to making a sharp right-hand turn and climbing to the top of the steepest and tallest hill on the course.

When the dust clears away, a rider is seen struggling to his feet. His machine is lying on its side a yard away.

The five remaining machines, after engaging in a short but lively hill-climbing contest, have reached the high point of the course, and have idled down for the next test. This is a descent of a rocky, loose-dirt hillside that would make a mule pause and consider. But the motorcycle roughriders do not hesitate. Down the hill they slide, and skid around the sharp turn at the bottom, showering the surrounding bushes and a few venturesome spectators with dirt. There are two sprawling flops on this bottom turn, but the riders are up in an instant and on their way.

Then come a series of up-and-down waves scrambled with a few more hairpin turns, and the motorcycles are on the home stretch. There remains one more formidable obstacle.

The track has been dug away to produce a sudden rise of perhaps two feet, over which a rider has to leap in order to complete the run. Because stock machines are being used the cyclist hop this miniature cliff with considerable caution, flying through the air perhaps only 10 or 15 feet. However, in actual competitions, when stripped machines are being used, riders sometimes make broad jumps of 60 feet, and clear the ground by 4 or 5 feet.

And that, in brief, is what a run over a T. T. course is like. For the most part, the machines travel in low gear, although on some of the more gentle parts of the track, shifts into higher gears can be made.

The track is so designed that various routes can be taken for these spins, to provide practice in negotiating sharp curves, climbing steep hills, making leaps and doing other tricks.

An approved T. T. course is as irregular as its designers can make it, and includes both right and left hand turns, and, if possible, a hill that will necessitate gear changing.

All starts are made with dead motors. The starting positions of contestants are determined either by qualifying trials or by drawing, whichever the promoter of the race specifies. The approved AMA system of flagging is used for controlling the race.

Although a typical Tourist Trophy race seems, especially to the spectator who is not familiar with motorcycle pranks and feats, to be an extremely risky, rough-and-tumble affair, there are some hazards that are barred. For instance, although the course can include such obstacles as ploughed ground, hairpin turns and steep hills, there must be no streams, ponds or other water hazards to negotiate. The presence of a mud bog or water splash would make the event, in the eyes of motorcycle race authorities, a Cross Country instead of a Tourist Trophy contest.

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The Scooter Goes To Town

Last year only 5,000 motor scooters were turned out by all the companies in the field. This year, one Chicago company expects to build 10,000 units. The motor scooter is a sturdy little workhorse, as well as a pleasure vehicle.

Production of motorized scooters is an infant industry that is growing fast. Left, three-wheel car, one of the adaptations of the scooter.

Center, the scooter facilitates car delivery. Left, loading package sidecar. Above, streamline windbreak dresses up the scooter. Note the headlamp.

Top, the scooter even goes to sea in this form. Center, left, light delivery scooter. Right, trailer attached to the scooter makes possible cheap delivery. Parking on the sidewalk is an additional advantage.

Left, power plant and transmission hookup of the typical scooter. Speeds around thirty-five miles per hour and super-economy are features. Up to 120 miles on a gallon of gasoline is possible. What the future holds for the scooter no manufacturer can predict. The fact that it has survived the fad stage augurs welt for its permanency as a means of transportation.

Motorcycle Is Knee-High on Airplane Tail Wheels
Only knee-high to a motor “cop,” a miniature motorcycle built in Los Angeles rolls along the highway at forty miles an hour on two airplane tail wheels. It stands twenty inches high and weighs only sixty-one pounds. Powered by a two and one-half horsepower outboard motor, this midget bike has made a hundred-mile round trip to the top of Mount Wilson, taking steep hills readily and traveling 150 miles on a gallon of gasoline. The frame was cut down from an old bicycle and reinforced. Throttle, spark and cut-out switch and brake lever are mounted on the handlebars. A friction generator for the lights operates off the rear wheel.

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AMAZING TWO-WHEEL AUTO
The Bi-Autogo’s designer was only 24 when he conceived this sleek and powerful vehicle intended for early car connoisseurs.

BACK in 1908, James Scripps Booth, well-known artist-engineer of Detroit, felt that the standard auto was somewhat prosaic. He believed something should be done toward instilling novelty and new sporting enthusiasm into motoring for hobbyists attracted by more costly cars. A powerful two-wheel sports car—the Bi-Autogo—was his answer. Booth got his inspiration for the 8-cylinder V-type engine from a De Dion car he saw in Paris and designed his own 45-horsepower version with the first Detroit-built V-8 engine.

Not intended for taking children to school, the fast super-sport job was finally completed in 1913 at a cost of $25,000. Road tests were conducted. The engine and drive mechanism worked perfectly but steering difficulties caused work on the model to be discontinued.