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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.

What a Honey!

The New 1951 Harley-Davidson HYDRA-GLIDE

SLEEK, smooth and beautiful. And what a performer. Takes off like a scared rabbit. Snuggles to the road like a clinging vine. Breezes over hills like a bird. Whisks you over rough spots with cloud-like ease … brings you thrill after thrill as you take in exciting race meets, hillclimbs, gypsy tours, sightseeing runs and other exclusive motorcycling fun events. You’ve never really been places and seen things until you’ve ridden this dazzler! Every moment in the saddle is fascinating. Every trip brings new adventures and new companionships. See your dealer today. Mail the coupon now.

Related posts

• You’ll always have lots of fun with a HARLEY-DAVIDSON Hydra-Glide (Nov, 1950)
• POWER that turns mountains into molehills (Nov, 1950)
• “Stream-Line” Harley-Davidson (Nov, 1950)
• Take a “GYPSY VACATION” with a Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide (Nov, 1950)
• Harley Ad: Winter Sports! (Nov, 1950)
• It’s Always Fun-Time! When You Own a HARLEY-DAVIDSON (Nov, 1950)

MOTOR BIKES SPEED HOME REPAIRS

When anything goes wrong in the house, from the furnace to the radio, a Los Angeles, Calif., resident has but to step to the telephone and at his call instantly one of a fleet of repair motorcycles will come whizzing to the rescue.

The organizer of this novel service first got together a large staff of experts in many household crafts and trades. Then he equipped them with speedy motorcycles.

The odd shape of the vehicles, patterned after bungalows, attracts attention as they speed through the streets and results in making his service more widely known. Each of the men employed is bonded and is thoroughly trained in his line as an electrician, radio repair man, plumber, carpenter, or expert in gas fixtures.

For HILLY DISTRICTS

You can save your breath and strength on uphill grades and go at a great rate of speed if you ride the well tested HOLLEY Motor Bicycle which carries an upright motor at the lowest and strongest part of the frame. Experts admit it to be the best machine on the market and it is really an indispensable one for all hilly localities. Best made in every detail.
HOLLEY MOTOR CO., Bradford, Pa.

Rockets Soup Up British Bike

A CROWD of 90,000 saw Bill Kitchen (right), noted British motorcycle racer, smoke up Wembley speedway in London recently (above) on the world’s first rocket-assisted motorcycle.

Prof. A. M. Low, rocket pioneer, and Alex Jackson, manager of the Wembley track, developed the rocket-boosted bike. The additional power is supplied by four rockets fixed over the rear wheel, two to the side. Kitchen was protected from the blast by a steel shield. Switches on the handle- bars controlled the rockets. The race rider said the “acceleration was absolutely terrific” when the rockets let go.

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• Daring Men in Seven Nations Aim to Harness GIANT Rockets (Feb, 1947)
• Space Cops to Enforce World Peace (Feb, 1947)
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• Photographing Stars with a Rocket (Feb, 1947)
• Skyrocketing to Mars (Feb, 1947)
• LIQUID OXYGEN RUNS AMAZING AUTO (Feb, 1947)

MOTOR WHEEL FOR CHEAP TRANSPORTATION

POWERED by a motorcycle engine and operated through the conventional handlebar control, a rubber-tired motor wheel has been invented which is claimed to represent the ideal in cheap and rapid transportation. The device is so simple that a youngster can operate it. The large wheel is fitted with a continuous inner track along which run a series of flanged wheels on which the mechanism revolves. The rider is seated inside the wheel on a regulation motorcycle saddle.

Auto Engine Drives Motorcycle at High Speed

Assembled especially for establishing a world’s record of more than 300 miles per hour, an oversize motorcycle powered with an automobile engine has been making speed tests on the Pacific coast. The motorcycle, weighing 1,500 pounds, is powered with a six-cylinder Plymouth automobile engine with fan and generator removed. With special timing and carburetor jets, the engine makes 4,100 revolutions per minute. The wheel-base is eighty-five inches and the over-all length is 115 inches, a standard motorcycle frame being lengthened and reinforced with steel tubing. Two large sprockets connected by a three-quarter inch chain facilitate steering, the handlebars having been moved back several inches from their original position. Two steel plates, one on each side in front of the rear wheel, serve as brakes by actual contact with the ground or track. They can be raised or lowered by a lever.

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TWO-WHEEL ANTIQUES

These snappy bikes were displayed by the Antique Motorcycle Club at their recent convention in Fishkill, N. Y.

1911 Triumph with two speeds, belt drive and gas lamp belongs to Triumph Corp. of Baltimore.

Henry Wing, Jr., with his 1928 Douglas TT. a formidable English racer of the period.

George Metzger demonstrates 1917 one-cylinder Cleveland for its owner, T. A. Hodgdon.

T. A. Hodgdon, vice-president of the Club, puts a lucifer to gas headlight on his 1916 Excelsior.

Closeup of twin-cylinder engine. 1918 vintage.

Unrestored 1907 Indian torpedo machine belonging to John Miceli of Darien, Conn.

1924 Nera-Car was a pile of junk; owner L. Risoli restored it in only three weeks.

Eleven-year-old Donald Wing and his 1903 Indian, the oldest motorcycle in the Club.

H. D. Simonds’ 1907 Yale can still do up to 35 mph on its original set of tires.

POWER that turns mountains into molehills

… and miles into minutes!
HERE’S power-riding at its thrilling best. From the moment you swing into the foam-rubber cushioned saddle . . . from the instant you twist the throttle of this breath-taking beauty, you’ll know why the Harley-Davidson 74 OHV is the one motorcycle every rider wants to own. See it! Thrill to a test ride at your dealer’s today. Ask about his easy pay plans. If you now own a motorcycle, get his liberal trade-in deal. For your copy of the action-packed, picture-filled ENTHUSIAST Magazine and illustrated literature, send 10 cents to Harley-Davidson Motor Company, Dept. P, Milwaukee 1, Wisconsin.

Harley Davidson
Hydra-Glide

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• You’ll always have lots of fun with a HARLEY-DAVIDSON Hydra-Glide (Aug, 1954)
• The New 1951 Harley-Davidson HYDRA-GLIDE (Aug, 1954)
• “Stream-Line” Harley-Davidson (Aug, 1954)
• Take a “GYPSY VACATION” with a Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide (Aug, 1954)
• Harley Ad: Winter Sports! (Aug, 1954)
• It’s Always Fun-Time! When You Own a HARLEY-DAVIDSON (Aug, 1954)

What Paris Has to Show Us in the Line of Speedy Cycle Cars

COMBINING lightness, speed and economy, the small car is becoming extremely popular. How it is establishing itself in England by remarkable speed records was graphically described in the February issue of POPULAR SCIENCE MONTHLY. On this page are the latest cycle models exhibited at the recent Paris auto show.

Gyroscopic two-wheeled cycle cars ere exhibited in experimental form. The gyroscope is attached to the rear wheel, its effect augmented by a balancing force derived from the large, heavy wheels. The chassis is by Giesberger. Practical use for the model illustrated above may be found on the narrow roads of the French colonies.

The M. A. S. E. cycle car illustrated below, has a curved chassis frame, bending upward over the rear wheels to permit an improved spring attachment. The drive is exactly the same as that of standard automobiles, and a gear shift is introduced in spite of the small power of the motorcycle motor propelling the car.

On the Weler cycle car the engine has been taken from the hood and mounted on a platform extending back of the rear wheels. This greatly simplifies the transmission problem in the light car, but exposes the six-horsepower engine.

In the latest scooters from the Otobiron shops the three and a half horsepower motor is under the saddle. The frame is larger and heavier than in former models, with a more comfortable seat. The pedals control brake and accelerator; otherwise the machine is operated from the hand grips like a motorcycle.

With a compact one and three quarter horsepower aviation type engine attached to the front wheel, the new Peugot motorbicycle shown above can make 20 miles an hour. The front fork is strengthened—the only change necessary.

The Jacquemont cycle car is air cooled and carries a five-horsepower motor cranked from the side. An unusual suspension of coiled springs in dustproof sleeves is utilized for the front wheels, reducing the unsprung weight.

Chariot of 1938 Ben Hur Drawn by Four Motorcycles

For the Ben Hur of the motor age, no four-horse team would do. Instead, the charioteer—stunting in a sports festival sponsored by a Potsdam regiment in Germany—rides on a rubber-tired chariot drawn by four motorcycles. “Reins” in the driver’s hands lead to the handlebars of all four “bikes,” which are harnessed together by three horizontal bars. The har-ness recalls certain farm tractors which are controlled by reins.

“Follow us, if you can!”

THEY all take your dust when you open the throttle of the new “Stream-Line” Harley-Davidson!

Everywhere, sportsmen are talking about this 1925 model of the world’s greatest motorcycle. Its rakish, stream-line design makes it the classiest mount on the road. It has more speed —more power. It is more comfortable (better springs and bigger tires). Yet the price is reduced!

Treat yourself to the thrill of a trial ride on the new “Stream-Line” Harley-Davidson. Test the speed, power, and vibrationless comfort of this marvelous motorcycle. But look out for “speed cops”—most of them have Harley-Davidsons too!

Harley-Davidson
The Motorcycle

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• You’ll always have lots of fun with a HARLEY-DAVIDSON Hydra-Glide (Dec, 1924)
• The New 1951 Harley-Davidson HYDRA-GLIDE (Dec, 1924)
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• Take a “GYPSY VACATION” with a Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide (Dec, 1924)
• Harley Ad: Winter Sports! (Dec, 1924)
• It’s Always Fun-Time! When You Own a HARLEY-DAVIDSON (Dec, 1924)

Girls Who Drove Motors in Wartime Start Peace Parcel Service

Parcels are being delivered all over England by a newly organized “motomessenger” service formed of girls who drove motorcycles during the war. The drivers wear attractive uniforms and use sidecars to carry express matter. Many of them are competent mechanics and take care of their own mounts. The service has proved popular with both employes and patrons.

Rocket-Cycle Explained by Professor A. M. Low of London while Alec Jackson gets ready to take-off—along the surface, he hopes. Low has been experimenting with rockets since 1917. Four of his rocket-assisted motorcycles were demonstrated at the Wembley speedway meet.

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• Skyrocketing to Mars (Jan, 1947)
• Rockets Soup Up British Bike (Jan, 1947)

Africa Hunter Brings ‘Em Home on Motorcycle

A MACHINE that can outrun beasts of the jungle is adding a new thrill to big game hunting in Africa. Donald Ker, an Englishman living at Gilku, in Northern Nigeria, recently introduced the motorcycle as a mount for his hunting trips in the Sudan. Already he has bagged seven leopards by use of his speedy machine. Each time, after the big jungle cat was shot, he lifted it across the handlebars of his motorcycle and drove it in to Gilku.

The motorcycle can follow paths and trails that would be impassable for an automobile, Ker explains, so it is an ideal mount for African hunters who need a combination of speed and the ability to get off the traveled roads. By invading the jungles with his motorcycle, Ker has been able to cut traveling time considerably and get away on week-end hunting trips.

Motorcycle Radio Transmitters Aid Police in War on Crime

DURING running gun battles with bandits, British motorcycle police can send radio calls for reserves through short wave transmitting sets.

The sending outfit is the latest police radio equipment for the quick suppression of crime. It is an addition to the usual receiving set tuned to the frequency of a central police transmitting station.

The motorcycle policeman travels with a radio operator who operates the sending and receiving sets fitted in a sidecar. When an alarm is received the motorcycle policeman rushes to the scene. If he finds that he is outnumbered and unable to handle the situation, his operator can transmit an alarm that can be picked up by other radio-equipped motorcycles in the vicinity.

Take a “GYPSY VACATION” with a Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide

THIS year … go roaming! Swing into the saddle of a super-smooth Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide and see America the thrilling, fun-packed way! Cruise down scenic back-country roads! Explore little-known wilderness trails! Adventure through out-of-way mountain, desert and lake regions. Discover the rare delights of the many picturesque places so seldom seen from car, plane or train! You’ll enjoy every moment. The miles whisk by so easily you hardly know you’re travelling. Riding a Harley-Davidson Hydra-Glide is so comfortable it’s almost like sitting in an easy chair! It’s the greatest motorcycle of all time. And you can own it on easy terms. So plan now for that “Gypsy Vacation” you’ve always wanted. See your dealer today. Mail coupon!

Related posts

• You’ll always have lots of fun with a HARLEY-DAVIDSON Hydra-Glide (Jun, 1950)
• The New 1951 Harley-Davidson HYDRA-GLIDE (Jun, 1950)
• POWER that turns mountains into molehills (Jun, 1950)
• “Stream-Line” Harley-Davidson (Jun, 1950)
• Harley Ad: Winter Sports! (Jun, 1950)
• It’s Always Fun-Time! When You Own a HARLEY-DAVIDSON (Jun, 1950)

Oregon’s Motorcycle Maniacs

DEVIL-MAY-CARE motorcyclists who think they can out-ride mounted cops had better beware of the uniformed boys of Multnomah County, Ore., whose Sheriff’s Stunt Team puts on a 45-act exhibition of derring-do that will raise goose pimples
on your goose pimples.

In case you wondered, the end man in the spectacular broad jump, below, is Ard M. Pratt, team manager and an ex-trick rider himself. Why he retired from riding to take on this job, nobody knows.

Winter Sports!

SKATING, skiing, tobogganing, ice boating — there’s a thrill in each, but none of these can match the sport of winter motorcycling on a 1924 Harley-Davidson!

Speeding with the snowflakes, over trails or roads, with a pal in the sidecar to share the exhilaration that makes you feel ten years younger!

Harley-Davidson’s ‘24 gives you motorcycling at its best. Aluminum-alloy pistons reduce vibration, prevent overheating, add speed and power; full-floating, 49-in. springs make the roomy sidecar easier riding; olive green finish, maroon striped — handsomer than ever; Ale-mite lubrication (first on any motorcycle).

Take a FREE demonstration ride today— or Saturday afternoon—with your dealer. Ask him about his Pay-as-You-Ride Plan. (And mail us the coupon below).
HARLEY-DAVIDSON MOTOR CO. Dept. P Milwaukee, Wis.

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“Terraplaning” on Boards Hooked to Motorbike Proves Thrilling Sport

SURFBOARDS, whose usual habitat is the ocean, have taken to the land in a new sport devised recently by Portland, Oregon, youngsters. The surfboards, made of ordinary planks, are pulled along over the ground at a neat clip by motorcycles, as shown below, and the participants enjoy the sport despite the ever-imminent possibility of a fractured neck, leg or arm. A clean stretch of turf makes ideal course.