Any Guesses on The Make Model and Year

D

Davideo

Active Member
A friend sent me a couple of pictures of antique motorcycles but have no idea of make and model of this one that appears to be made in U.S.A. judging from the name on the mail box.
Antique Motor Cycle 2_InPixio.jpg
 
Looks like the fuel tank says Merkel, the rounded fuel tank ends look like this very well could be a Merkel. It could be a Flying Merckel, it's the V-twin model 884 cc, 6 H.P. a little smaller displacement than the present day small HD Sportster.
 
Citi-sporter said:
Looks like the fuel tank says Merkel, the rounded fuel tank ends look like this very well could be a Merkel. It could be a Flying Merckel, it's the V-twin model 884 cc, 6 H.P. a little smaller displacement than the present day small HD Sportster.
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Thanks for that. Not being familiar with that brand I was not getting anywhere with reading the name on the tank.
 
Funny that the horsepower on that old V-twin engine isn't much more than a Predator 212cc. Think back about those antique engines of that era: They largely were running atmospheric intake valves, ( no intake cam, the suction of the intake stroke pulled fuel air into the engine against a weak coil spring poppet valve..) low compression ratios of probably 4:1, rudimentary carbs, total loss gravity or low air pressure drip engine lubrication. Little or no aluminum castings, most heads/ cylinders and pistons were made of cast iron, very slow RPMs probably not much more than 2000 RPM at top speed.
 
Citi-sporter said:
Funny that the horsepower on that old V-twin engine isn't much more than a Predator 212cc. Think back about those antique engines of that era: They largely were running atmospheric intake valves, ( no intake cam, the suction of the intake stroke pulled fuel air into the engine against a weak coil spring poppet valve..) low compression ratios of probably 4:1, rudimentary carbs, total loss gravity or low air pressure drip engine lubrication. Little or no aluminum castings, most heads/ cylinders and pistons were made of cast iron, very slow RPMs probably not much more than 2000 RPM at top speed.
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That is amazing. Engine design has come a long way from those days. I suppose the Merkle twin was a two stroke and a good 80 cc could probably match its power.
 
Davideo said:
That is amazing. Engine design has come a long way from those days. I suppose the Merkle twin was a two stroke and a good 80 cc could probably match its power.
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They were 4 stroke, there's a youtube of some guy who motorized an antique bicycle with a replica of an antique atmospheric intake engine of about 200 cc's he built on a lathe. Atmopheric intake engines are really slow turning and there's a lot of inconsistent firing at higher rpms so it's sort of self-governs..

 
Low RPM's for sure, but also much longer strokes and larger heavier crank shafts than modern engines.

So even with all their crudeness, inefficiencies and low HP ratings they still made lots of torque! They could certainly move you down the road (or up a hill), albeit slowly by todays standards...
 
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