Pierce Motor Bicycle

About nine years ago I toured the Gilmore Auto Museum. Welcome to the Gilmore Car Museum There was a Pierce Motor Bicycle on display that I was facinated by. I took a couple of pics of it. It was made in the early 1900's This link decribes the history of the bike. History of the Pierce-Arrow Motor Car Co. - Trucks & Motorcycles I though those in this forum would be interested in seeing how they used to make em.

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Very cool! I'd give my right arm for one of those bikes.

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Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
- Albert Einstein

Thats a motorcycle - not a 'bike'.

The engine is a 4 cylinder inline and a stressed member in the frame. The upper frame tube includes the fuel tank and the oil tank is mounted in the front down tube (manual press-oiler).

Top speed was somewhere around 40-45mph. 2 speed tranmissions and multi-plate clutches were fitted.

There were various machines of the same configuration. These included the Belgian FN machines, the Nimbus 4 cylinder, and the henderson (some of which were retrofitted with 6 and in one case a U8 engine).

Oddly at least 2 of those machines shared an engine issue in that cylinder 3 would overheat at excessive speeds.

FN later made single cylinder machines with water cooling - a small aircraft style radiator was fitted up to the front section of the fuel tank area.

Interestingly some of the most advanced machines were made in czechoslovakia by the concern that would later become Skoda.

The Henderson machine put out either 18 or 22hp in standard and high compression forms.

Jemma xx

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It's interesting that power from the engine was conducted to the rear wheel via a drive shaft, rather than a chain....very cool.

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Any intelligent fool can make things bigger and more complex... It takes a touch of genius - and a lot of courage to move in the opposite direction.
- Albert Einstein

I always call my motorcycles bikes, plus the fact this one had a crank & pedals for human propulsion made it interesting. I do like the driveshaft.

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"The things that will destroy America are prosperity-at-any-price, peace-at-any-price, safety-first instead of duty-first, the love of soft living, and the get-rich-quick theory of life." TR

It looks very cool! Almost has that "Lowrider' look...

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Check out www.VeniceMotorBikes.com

A window into the past, when a person was allowed to ride such a contraption. Excellent .

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The only normal people are the ones you don't know very well.

Now that you mention it you are exactly right.

The Pierce will just about manage 45 mph cruising - but because of the engine size I would have to have a full motorcycle licence to ride it. The only difference between my GEBE and the Pierce is 3 cylinders, x00cc and a little more weight... it doesnt really make all that much sense now I come to think about it.

I would love to get a hold of one of these, although I would go for one of the later FN's most likely with the clutch and transmission - or the rudge multispeed. I just love the look of them.

Jemma xx

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