Vintage Motorcycle News N°3 The Art Deco Motorcycles

KONTAKT

M

he T

SPECIAL EDITION N°3 • Fall 2019 KONTAKT 1

A ot r t o

rc D yc e les c

o

LA ROUTE A JAMAIS - RIDE TILL YOU CAN'T - DER WEG IST DAS ZIEL

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

A motorcycle publication for the motorcyclist enthusiast.

E

FROM THE EDITOR’S DESK

OK, it is time for me to introduce myself to the group. For those who met meet at the Annual Rally, they noticed my French Clouseau accent. Yeap, I was born in Northern France a long time ago. My youth was surrounded by mopeds and motorcycles. Actually, the whole family was riding motorbikes. And before settling on my final brand, I rode Motobécane, Peugeot, Honda, Gilera, Moto Guzzi and finally BMW. Actually, my last thirty years were spent on BMW motorcycles.

KONTAKT. What’s the hell is that name? Where is it coming from? you might ask. Well, I was trying to find a name that could act as a link between us. I thought of CONTACT but this name is already used by another club and probably because of my German training during my younger years, I decided to pick the German equivalent of the English name. Pronunciation is the same, meaning is the same, so why not...

EDITOR Pat Castel VMN@rogers.com COVER PAGE 1930 Henderson KJ Streamline

Notice All information furnished herein is provided by and for the newsletter Kontakt. Unless otherwise stated, none of the information (including technical material) printed herein necessarily bears endorsement or approval by any manufacturer or the editor. The editor and publisher cannot be held liable for its accuracy.

Next Edition Things are happening...

We are changing name... It looks like some people did not like the name KONTAKT... Well, I won’t go into the details of the email exchanges but let’s say it was easier to change the name than loosing my mind to the snow flake generation.

So, next year will bring a new edition with a new name. No need to make it a surprise, soon or later you will hear about it and here it is: Vintage Motorcycle News.

Ed.

Mechanic? I am not. I rely on the specialists who know better than I do. My brother tried to show me how to maintain and work on my bikes but it was not for me. I am more into computers.

My present ride is a 2000 BMW R1100RT. This bike brought many pleasures and a few scares to my life. My better half does not follow me on my camping trips. She rides with me as long as she can count on some comfort at the end of the day but that’s it. She is the indoor type. Do not get me wrong, I love my wife, she is not just into that. In fact, you will understand her better by reading the next page...

With this edition, we will spend time in the Art Deco period. Art Deco influenced the design of buildings, furniture, jewelry, fashion, cars, movie theatres, trains, ocean liners, and everyday objects such as radios and vacuum cleaners. It combined modern styles with fine craftsmanship and rich materials. During its heyday, Art Deco represented luxury, glamour, exuberance, and faith in social and technological progress. Art Deco was a pastiche of many different styles, sometimes contradictory, united by a desire to be modern. In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, the Art Deco style became more subdued. New materials arrived, including chrome plating, stainless steel, and plastic. A sleeker form of the style, called Streamline Moderne, appeared in the 1930s; it featured curving forms and smooth, polished surfaces. Art Deco is one of the first truly international styles, but its dominance ended with the beginning of World War II (quoted from Wikipedia).

In the following pages, you will see how Art Deco has molded and transformed the motorcycle industry. Some of these motorbikes are considered masterpieces and they deserve to be remembered. Let’s have a look at a few and well known motorcycles such as the Megola, the Henderson, the Majestic as well as some creations made by modern lovers of the Art Deco movement like the late Arlen Ness and recently BMW released the R18 concept, a 1800cc modern cruiser with a streamline look...

Hope you will enjoy these pages.

KONTAKT

2

Till next time...

Ed. Fall 2019

Letter from a Rally Widow Yes, I am a rally widow and proud to be one!

Well, another rally season is upon me…again. I could smell it, it's in my garage, the camping paraphernalia, the bike gears and all the extras that is needed for the loooooong ride! For my husband the rally season starts when my Christmas tree comes down, no joking here; the preparations, the attire, all is washed, scrubbed, checked and put nicely away on his bike.

Then he'll spend weeks talking about it; he loves camping and biking more than breathing; that's fine because most people who go on those trips are just like him.

I, on the other hand, cannot comprehend why anybody would pay a fee and wait a year to sleep next to a tree! Ah! the wonders of the wilderness, any word that begins with "wild" I tend to shy away from, I'll be blunt, I hate the outdoors, don't like anything that flies, crawls, slithers, wiggles or jumps; basically all bugs and critters.

My hate is well founded, since I'm allergic to spider bites.

Let's not forget "Dracula's elite squadron" of mosquitoes and black flies, they want your blood, the ants, they want your food, the wasps and the bees, well, they just want you to go away, then comes the raccoons and the odd bear they want your garbage. Must not forget the weather, which is not always ideal for camping, but this is not a deterrent for die hard riders and campers, it's part of the "fun".

I don't camp, but I do ride with my husband most weekends and we both look forward to our trips (Hotel reservations required). So there, now you know why I'm ensconced in my home, bug free, protected against the elements and the only sound I hear is my cat purring. I'm as happy to be here as he is to be there.

As I rouse my dear husband from his deep sleep it's 4am. He's up in a flash, showers, downs a cup of coffee, (no small talk this am) he's too busy layering on all the clothes laid out in front of him; then when all is said and done, just time for a quick kiss and a hug and off he goes with a smile on his face and a twinkle in his eye. My husband… a true biker and camper!

I ponder why any human being would get up so early and be so eager to put rubber to the road… for 8 hours, in any kind of weather.

Three days later, he rides back tired, wet, exhilarated by his weekend. I only have to say "So" to send him on a babbling rampage of people I don't know, of things he did, the food he ate , the new faces he met, and the weather that was not cooperating; through it all, he was with friends, had good meals, laughed and just enjoyed every minute of it; in the end isn't it just what "fun" is all about.

I'm listening to my dear husband still motormouthing at great length and in minute details all that he did on this trip; with a grin on my face, I think to myself "Wow, how lucky was I to have missed all that "fun"?

Cristina Castel KONTAKT

3

Fall 2019

The 1925 Megola

KONTAKT

4

Fall 2019

This violin-shaped motorbike was produced between 1921 and 1925 in Munich.

One of the main features of Megola, besides the visual design, is the engine: it uses a rotary unit (similar to some engines found in airplanes of the time) located inside the front wheel.

Yes, it is front-wheel drive! No chains, no belts, no drive shafts.

The Megola’s power plant is a 640-cc five-cylinder unit, with each cylinder having a displacement of 128cc and the valves mounted sideways.

To get an idea about how the rotary engine works, the cylinders rotate around the front axle at a speed six times greater than the speed of the wheel. Therefore, when the engine is running at 3,600 rpm, the wheel rotates at only 600 rpm.

The power was modest, about 14 horsepower, but the advantage was that the engine was attached directly to the wheel axle, with this feature giving it a lower center of gravity and higher maneuverability.

The design process for this motorcycle was a very ingenious one. The cylinders could be dismantled without the need for the wheel to be stripped, making service operations a breeze. And in the event of a flat tire, you did not have to take the wheel off to change the tube. The tube was shaped like a sausage and had two ends, but a continuous shape like a donut.

As a downside, the Megola wasn't equipped with a clutch or a transmission system. Starting it required a person to either spin the front wheel while the bike was suspended on its stand or push-start it. The frame contained a main fuel tank, which fed a smaller fuel tank located on the right side of the front suspension using the gravity.

Performance-wise, top speed was 85 km/h (52 mph) — that was enough to allow it to win the 1924 German Championship. Later on, improved sports models reached speeds of up to 140 km/h (88 mph).

Almost 2,000 units rolled off the factory gates, and only 10 of them are currently in operation.You can see this marvelous motorcycle at the Guggenheim Museum’s “Art of Motorcycle” display in New York City.

KONTAKT

5

Fall 2019

The Megola

Made in Germany From 1921 to 1925

KONTAKT

6

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

7

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

8

Fall 2019

1930 Henderson “Streamline” KONTAKT

9

Fall 2019

Henderson Motorcycle Henderson was a manufacturer of 4-cylinder motorcycles from 1912 until 1931. They were the largest and fastest motorcycles of their time, and appealed to sport riders and police departments.

Police favored them for traffic patrol because they were faster than anything else on the roads. The company began during the golden age of motorcycling, and ended during the Great Depression.

1930 Henderson Streamline Model The Streamline model, commonly called the "KJ", appeared in 1929, and featured improved cooling and a return to the IOE (inlet over exhaust) valve configuration, gave 40 bhp at 4000 rpm. It had a five main bearing crankshaft, and down draft carburation.

Advertisements boasted of "57 New Features".

The Streamline was fast - capable of a genuine 100 mph (160 km/h), and advanced for its time, with such features as leading-link forks and an illuminated speedometer built into the fuel tank.

Th e S t r e a m l i n e m o d e l w a s produced from 1929 until 1931, and sold for $435.

KONTAKT

On Black Tuesday, October 29, 1929, the Wall Street stock market crashed, but Henderson sales remained strong, and business continued. At this point Excelsior Motor Mfg. & Supply Co. was one

of America's "Big Three" of motorcycle production, alongside Harley-Davidson and Indian.

An unusual end The summer of 1931 saw Schwinn call his department heads together for a meeting at Excelsior.

He bluntly told them, with no prior indication, "Gentlemen, today we stop."

Schwinn felt that the Depression could easily continue for eight years, and even worsen.

Despite the full order book, he had chosen to pare back his business commitments to the core business, bicycle manufacture.

By September 1931 it was all over.

10

Fall 2019

In the first decades of 20th century, Henderson was one of the big brands of motorcycles that rocked the American scene.

They were known for using four-stroke air cooled engines and were produced between 1912 and 1931.

The company came to life in the golden era of motorcycling. The founders were the Henderson brothers, William and Tom. Back in the day, Hendersons were some of the fastest bikes out there, so they were the favorite police departments vehicles.

Unfortunately, as it happened with other companies, Henderson ceased its activity during the Great Depression.

The Henderson Streamline, is based on a 1930 Henderson Streamline KJ model and was manually modified by Mr. Orley Ray Courtney.

KONTAKT

Although unknown outside of classic motorcycle circles, Mr. Courtney was a remarkable sheet metal craftsman. He designed and built two notable custom full-bodied motorcycles during his lifetime. Both of them were purchased by Syracuse motorcycle collector, Mr. Frank Westfall.

The bike was completed in 1935, about 6 months before he was awarded, US Pat. No. 2,035,462 for his streamlined motorcycle. Here is a part of the claim from the patent:Â "This invention relates to streamline motorcycle bodies, having generally for its object to provide an air flow motorcycle that will give greater riding comfort; which will keep the motor cooler than usual in the present form of such machines in common use, and which is equipped with so-called knee action devices which give smoother riding quality to the vehicle.

Snubbers are also introduced whereby the jolting and jars of ordinary street and road riding are noticeably reduced or mitigated."

11

At first glance of this magnificent piece of machinery, skepticism strikes!

It does not seem like a motorcycle, instead of exposed wheels and the inline-4 engine, you see an aerodynamically shaped body and a ventilation grille.

Viewed from any angle, it gives you the impression that you are sighting an automobile and not a motorcycle.

Even the dashboard layout is out of the ordinary for a bike. The only element that clears the mystery are the handlebars that are wider than the body cowl and windshield assembly.

The engine is an air-cooled, 1300cc, four-cylinder unit, capable of pushing the motorcycle to a speed of 100 miles per hour.

It is quite impressive, considering the era when this motorbike was brought to life. Fall 2019

The big, shiny, front-mounted grille offers a sense of elegance, unique to the luxurious cars of the time, a feeling that is sustained by the rounded body shapes, which suggest velocity and motion in the eyes of beholders.

sight. This vehicle is owned and maintained by Frank Westfall of Syracuse.

We hope he keeps it for as long as possible in the current tip-top condition.

Without any reserve, we can call this motorcycle a piece of rolling art.

As you can see in the photos, the level of detail of this vehicle is dazzling.

Chromed dashboard bezels, chromed trims all over the body, fish-tail shaped e x h a u s t m u ffl e r s , a n d brown leather seat.

All the ingredients needed for a luxury vehicle even by today's standards.

We can unmistakably say that this motorcycle is not your ordinary daily KONTAKT

12

Fall 2019

The bike is said to be a bit of a handful to ride, probably not surprisingly, but it’s great to see that it’s getting some asphalt mileage rather than just living on

KONTAKT

threadbare carpet in a dusty museum.

As you can see by the lower-most photograph, the original paint scheme was two-tone, I kind of

13

prefer the new monotone paint work done by Frank myself, it gives the bike a more regal appearance and allows the bodywork to speak for itself.

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

14

Fall 2019

1934 BMW R7 KONTAKT

15

Fall 2019

A Glorious Relic from a Golden Age The 1934 BMW R7

KONTAKT

16

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

17

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

18

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

19

Fall 2019

After over seventy years languishing in a box, a BMW R 7 has been restored to its former glory.

Although the motorcycle, manufactured in 1934, was only ever a prototype and never went into production it is one of the most important, innovative and visually stunning motorcycles ever produced.

In BMW’s internal model designation it was referred to as R 205 and in some postwar publications (including those from BMW itself) the bike is referred to as a prototype R17 or R 5.

In fact the R 7 was always a distinct model that was the work of motorcycle engineer, Alfred Böning.

Böning produced the R7 to showcase both the design and engineering capabilities of BMW with the aim of turning it into a production model.

KONTAKT

It was a radical departure from accepted motorcycle design of the period, having enclosed bodywork, a pressed steel bridge frame and for the first time, telescopic front forks.

The 1930s was a time of engagement with the fabulous and expressive world of Art Deco.

The integrated design of the R7, with its extravagantly valanced mudguards, clean flowing lines and extensive use of chrome and steel, perfectly encapsulated this era. It was a motorcycle like no other that had preceded it or, in many ways, has been produced since.

Gone was the old saddle fuel tank; in fact it was now hidden under the expansive bodywork – as is the case in many modern motorcycles.

Motorcycles had developed from the humble bicycle and that is what, at that time, they still very much resembled.

Hand gear change was common at that time but no one had made this form of cog swapping so neat and car like.

Böning wanted to challenge that concept with the R7.

It was an elegant and functional solution to changing gears.

20

The chrome top cover housed the oil-pressure gauge and on the right hand side the ‘H pattern’, hand gear change.

Fall 2019

Original oil pressure gauge is mounted in chrome plated gas tank cover. Gear change lever moves in H-gate.

The distributor is hidden away inside the dummy gas tank. There are no untidy wires to be seen on the R7

Veigel speedometer with rotating km/h-dial.

The rider sat on the sprung saddle and gripped the side covers (that opened to reveal the electrics) with his knees, with his feet housed and protected on the alloy footboards.

The visual presence of the bike and the sleek and beautiful casting of the motor were enhanced by the lack of the usual frame tubing.

the series) was the work of Leonhard Ischinger.

The rotating disk digital speedo housed in the headlight section again was functional and different; following the style used in some prestige cars of the era.

This was a motorcycle that had it been produced would have been aimed at the premium end of the market. A gentleman’s express.

The motor and the lower covers, along with the smooth rocker covers formed a visually clean surface tapering down toward the non-rotating rear axle.

This ran parallel to the upper bodywork and flowed into the rear mudguard and was highlighted by the uniquely shaped exhaust.

The motor hung in position from the pressed steel bridge frame – something that was completely different to other motorcycles but again similar in concept to modern machines.

The engine was also completely different to the BMW power plants of the era.

The M205/1 motor was designed to take BMW in a new direction via a more modern design than had been seen previously.

The 800cc Boxer engine (a proposed 500cc version was also in

For the first time in a BMW motorcycle, the engine was a one-piece tunnel design with a forged single piece crankshaft.

The con-rod big ends were split (like those used in car engines) and ran on plain bearings.

Unusually the cylinder and cylinder head was a monoblock unit, removing the need for a head gasket, which at that time was a weak point in engine technology.

The camshaft was located below the crank, which placed the pushrod tubes below the cylinder and so gave a better position for the valves and sparkplug.

It was just one of many examples of form and function in perfect synergy.

Even the taillight is sculptured in shape and has the word ‘Stop’ illuminated in the lens.

Not an original: the tail light was missing, so this one was made in the workshop.

KONTAKT

Bosch headlight unit carries the Veigel speedometer. Dip control is cable operated. Steering stem of forks with sweeping Art Deco fender attached is fed into headstock.

21

Fall 2019

These innovations, when combined with a hemispherical combustion chamber, produced an engine with performance advantages over the BMW engines in production at that time.

Many of these features did not see production until the release of the /5 Series in 1969, a project that was also headed up by Alfred Böning.

The R 7 was a stunning motorcycle but it was deemed too heavy and expensive to go into production, so BMW changed its direction towards producing more sporting models.

However, design features and cues of the R7 can be seen in the R 17 (also a very expensive model with very limited sales success) and the R 5.

The bike was not just a design exercise, but was a road-going motorcycle, and is mentioned in an old magazine article on the R5. The journalist riding the sporty R5 wrote that he saw the R7 while riding in the mountains.

Other than this mention, there is little written about this bike. Also, and perhaps unusually, it was never even on display at any of the important motorcycle shows of the time.

The direction of BMW had changed and war was approaching.

This would be a long-term and expensive exercise, but BMW Mobile Tradition (now BMW Classic) was in a position to give the go-ahead for the restoration.

Some of the missing parts were reasonably easy to gather, as there was an amount of crossover from existing models, other unique parts were remade in Frey’s workshop.

The project was handed over to various specialists and BMW workshops.

The four-speed gearbox and final drive were pulled down and the electrical system was also completely rebuilt.

Hans Keckeisen was in charge of the bodywork, and specialist vintage Boxer engine expert Armin Frey worked on restoring the priceless motor.

The bike was stripped down to see what was usable and what would have to be remade.

The task in hand became slightly easier when the original design drawings were discovered in the BMW archives.

The engine was badly corroded and parts needed to be found from various sources.

This was not your back-yard restoration; the full financial and resources backing of BMW were called into play. The metalwork was in some cases a disaster.

The flowing mudguards were in bad condition and a lot of work was needed to get the frame in a condition that would support the engine. The specialist skills of Hans Keckeisen were stretched to the limit.

All of the team worked with a passion to have this unique motorcycle on the road in the same

The original gas tank cover had been badly repaired in the past. Defects would show after chroming, so a new one was made.

The R7 was put in a box and into storage after some usable parts were stripped and used in other projects.

For unfathomable reasons, that was the fate of the R7 until June 2005, when the box was opened.

Inside, the R7 was 70% complete, but its condition was not good.

Many parts had been severely damaged by rust and a ruptured battery had also caused some serious corrosion problems.

KONTAKT

22

Fall 2019

condition as when Alfred Böning pushed it out of the Munich workshop in the middle of the 1930s.

There was still a bit to do however.

The minor but important cosmetic trim needed to be added and final checks made.

With parts found, parts re-built and coats of lustrous black paint (of course with the signature BMW pin-stripes applied) it all came together when the R7 was finally returned to its former glory.

It was an expensive exercise, but a real labour of love by the expert team. The bike was checked, tuned and made ready. For the first time in over 70 years the R7 was kicked into life and sent out on to the road

with Hans Keckeisen behind the ‘bars.

The bike performed flawlessly and gave Hans a glimpse of just what BMW Motorrad had in mind toward the end of the 1930s.

The R 7 will not just be a static display in the new BMW Museum but will importantly be seen on the road at classic event and rallies throughout Europe and in time perhaps the rest of the world.

Many BMW aficionados were lucky enough to see it in the metal at BMW Motorrad Days in Garmisch-Partenkirchen in July.

The Art Deco period has left us with some magnificent architectural, industrial and motoring masterpieces.

Without a doubt, the R7 is one of these.

KONTAKT

23

Fall 2019

The 1934 BMW R7 The forgotten Art Deco bike

KONTAKT

24

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

25

Fall 2019

It is the 1920s. The heady period following the First World War has, without a doubt, produced some of the most iconic and beautiful European vehicles the world would see until well into the latter half of the 20th century.

The futuristic minimalism of Art Deco has superseded the organic forms of Art Nouveau, and set the template for the clean, flowing forms of Streamline Moderne that would follow.

Storied marques like Bugatti, Delahaye, Talbot and countless others are producing spectacular automobiles that will define the melding of art and design for decades to come.

It is a definition that will be cut short by the economic downturn of the Great Depression and the destruction wrought by the Second World War. KONTAKT

26

Fall 2019

The Majestic The Art Deco bike by excellence Motorcycles, too, benefit from this all-too brief period of carefree optimism.

French marques in particular are flourishing, producing modern and beautifully styled machines that attempt to elevate the motorcycle from mere populist transportation into the realm of luxurious motoring - the likes of which hadn't been seen amongst the crude, noisy, and messy contraptions that defined motorcycling at the turn of the 20th Century.

Amongst these forward-thinking designs one machine in particular has captivated designers and collectors who appreciate how the refinement of the period was applied in the two-wheeled realm.

KONTAKT

27

Fall 2019

The Majestic is one of the most intriguing of these clean, streamlined motos that, for a brief instant, promised to offer the beauty and style that was associated with the luxurious automotive brands. It was a moment when motorcycles might have caught up to the innovation and grace of the finest cars, but instead the

KONTAKT

experiment faded into obscurity. It remained a short-lived diversion in the history of the motorcycle, but for a time machines like the Majestic offered something special to riders seeking something more sophisticated.

As is the case with many innovative machines, the Majestic story begins

28

with the vision of a single person.

Georges Roy was a French industrialist and engineer born in 1888 who achieved success in the textile business - specifically in knitting and sewing equipment. He was, however, an early adopter of motorcycling at the turn of the 20th Century - reportedly his first machine was a Werner, a Parisian

Fall 2019

combined with a triangulated form between the steering head and rear wheel. The body-coloured blades of the girder front suspension, also made from pressed steel, further accentuated the streamlined design.

Being a clever and forward thinking design introducing elements that would not become the norm for decades to come, its little wonder the New Motorcycle was a commercial failure. Roy was undeterred, however, and went back to the drawing board.

machine that introduced the term "Motocyclette" in 1897.

By the 1920s Roy had developed a notion that the crude motorcycles of the day could be much improved with a more rigid chassis that dispensed with the usual brazed/welded tube structures shared with bicycles. Labour intensive and fragile when subjected to the rough roads and rigid suspensions of the period, Roy's solution was a pressed-steel structure that shared more in common with automobiles than it did with bicycles. Using steel panels riveted together into a monocoque chassis that did double-duty as frame and bodywork, Roy's vision eliminated complex welding o p e r a t i o n s a n d s i m p l i fi e d manufacture to the assembly of a few relatively simple panels; the most complicated part of manufacture would be investing in stamping machines to churn out these panels. This idea was introduced in 1923 under the Anglicized name New Motorcycle (some sources note that Roy's patent was applied for in 1925 or 1926, but most note 1923 as the year of introduction of the New Motorcycle). Production began in KONTAKT

OrlĂŠans but later moved to Chartenay sometime in the mid-1920s, with the first bikes hitting the market in 1927.

The New Motorcycle was well ahead of its time, featuring an extremely rigid chassis composed of formed steel plates riveted together in a sort of semi-circular spar arrangement that connected the steering head directly to the rigidly mounted rear axle, enclosing the rear wheel in a streamlined fender and suspending a Chaise single-cylinder engine (displacing 350cc and 500cc) between a pair of wings that extended below the main spine, with cooling/access holes cut into either side of these lower wings. The fuel tank is hidden beneath the resulting structure with only a filler cap poking through the upper spine just behind the gauges, which were also mounted into the frame. The result was a peculiar semi-faired machine that exposed some of the mechanical bits but hid others, all beneath what was a rather brilliant bit of framework that combined or supported as many components together as possible within a single unit. It was also rather pretty, with sweeping leading-edge curves 29

The result following the failure of the New Motorcycle was the subject of today's profile, the Majestic. It was more radical than the New Motorcycle in terms of styling and design, while being more conservative in its engineering. Despite its fully-enclosed appearance, the bodywork of the Majestic is not structural and the fully unitized monocoque structure of the New Motorcycle was not carried over.

The Majestic features a cosmetic shell that encloses the running gear, beneath which which is a pair of underslung square frame rails riveted together with flat bulkheads at the front and rear. Each right angle joint is gusseted for additional strength. It is an arrangement not unlike the body-on-frame automobiles of the era, resulting in a low-slung chassis reminiscent of earlier designs like the Ner-A-Car. Also shared with the Ner-A-Car was a hub-centre steering arrangement. It was unusual but not unprecedented. Â Roy himself later admitted to being inspired by the Ner-A-Car while designing the Majestic, aiming to create a similar but more elegant "moto-voiture" that offered some automotive elegance and comfort to the rider tired of crude "moto-bicyclettes".

Fall 2019

While the engineering of the Majestic might have been relatively conventional, what was unprecedented was the styling, the hallmark of the Majestic to this day. All the oily bits were fully enclosed under louvered panels, with partially enclosed fenders covering the wheels at both ends.

The rider was completely isolated from the grime and muck of the running gear and powertrain, perched upon a sprung saddle and controlling the machine via levers and bars that poke through the all-encompassing body.

interpretation of the Ner-A-Car system. As no outside firms offered anything suitable for the Majestic, this complex hub was manufactured in-house.

Presented in 1929, the prototype Majestic (which was reported as Roy's personal machine) featured an air-cooled 1000cc longitudinal four-cylinder engine from a 1927-28 Cleveland 4-61. This would not remain for production,

however. While at least two Majestics were built with a 750cc JAP V-twin (arranged, like a much later Moto-Guzzi , with the Vee transverse and the heads poking through the bodywork) and records note that JAP singles, a Chaise Four, and at least one Gnome et R h o n e fl a t t w i n w e r e a l s o employed, the majority of production machines coming out of Chartenay featured air-cooled Chaise engines.

As common for the time rear suspension was nonexistent, while the front was suspended on a pair of sliding pillars somewhat like the sprung-hub rear ends that would precede swinging arm arrangements. Steering is accomplished via a horizontal rod on the right side, connected to the vertical steering column, which acts upon a curved lever pivoting around the right suspension pillar.

The front hub does double duty, serving as the brake drum and the steering mechanism, with a kingpin arrangement stuffed within the wheel bearings that very much resembles a finer and larger KONTAKT

30

Fall 2019

most controlled and flawless way possible, applying a contrasting top coat over a base using incompatible paints that will cause the top coat to crack in a uniform fashion, something like a well-aged oil painting or antique piece of furniture. The result is spectacular and perhaps a bit tacky, giving the machine the appearance of a lizard skin handbag.

These were overhead valve singles featuring unit two or three-speed gearboxes operated by hand-shift, available in 350cc and 500cc displacements. Distinctive for their single pushrod tube that resembles a bevel tower (but contains a pair of tightly-spaced parallel pushrods) and external bacon-slicer flywheel, these powerplants were a favourite of French manufacturers during the interwar period and were used by a

variety of marques in lieu of producing their own engines.

The base price of the Majestic was 5200 Francs for a 350 with chain final drive; an extra 500 Francs netted you optional shaft drive. An additional option that is rarely seen on surviving examples was a fine "craquelure" paint option that was applied by skilled artisans. It involves a process of deliberately screwing up the paint job in the

Sometime soon after production began another altogether different Majestic was introduced. Featuring a shorter wheelbase and modified bodywork but still using the same 350 or 500cc engines, these examples appear similar to the o r i g i n a l s b u t d i ff e r i n o n e important respect - they use a monocoque chassis. Once again Roy revisited the idea he put forward with the New Motorcycle, but executed it in an entirely different fashion. Gone were the heavy and bulky lower frame rails of the first Majestics, in their place was a pair of stamped steel side panels that encompassed the lower half of the front fender and the louvered engine covers. As before bulkheads at the front and rear joined the two halves, but a flat underside replaced the open H of the original beam frame, creating a closed tub below the powertrain.

Access to the mechanical bits was maintained with a removable perforated semi-cylindrical cover that sat ahead of the driver's seat and behind the fuel tank integrated into the front fender.

These monocoque machines can be easily distinguished from the earlier Majestics by examining the number and arrangement of the body panels; the earlier beam frame chassis has separate covers over the frame rails and central side panels that are split from the fenders,

KONTAKT

31

Fall 2019

while the monocoque machines have only a single panel on each side. Â Roy's apparent interest in the motorcycle industry began to wane at this point and in 1930 he sold the whole operation to Etablissements Delachanal in Joinville-le-Pont. Delachanal were known for their production of Dollar motorcycles, using the same Chaise powerplants that Roy had put to good use in the New Motorcycle and the Majestic.

Unfortunately for Majestic (and fortunately for Roy, who got out of the game while the going was still good) the Great Depression hit Europe hard and in 1931 Delachanal was absorbed into Omnium MĂŠtallurgique et Industriel, who were the parent

KONTAKT

company of Chaise. The Majestic limped along until 1933, when production was ceased due to poor sales and high manufacturing costs.

Exact production is unknown but a few hundred examples is probably a safe guess.

Riding the Majestic was unusual for several reasons. Steering was a bit vague, an endemic problem with hub-centre designs to this day, but impeccably stable at speed. It was also agile and light footed in a way that similar machines, like the Ner-A-Car, were not. In an era barely beyond the age of flimsy motorized bicycles with questionable geometry the Majestic would have been a revelation in its refinement, if not a revolution. The relatively low weight, around 350 pounds, carried with a very low

32

centre of gravity made for tidy handling that was more than up to the meagre output offered by the Chaise powerplants. Otherwise it is remarkably unremarkable considering its appearance. It offered all the qualities that were par for the course during that era usually offered by machines that were far less expensive.

Nowadays the Majestic is heralded as a masterpiece of Art Deco design, a refined and beautiful machine from the gilded age of motoring, something so painfully exquisite that its failure to catch on is a mystery. Or at least that seems to be the consensus among us historians. No one seems to notice that the Majestic is a sheet metal sausage with wheels awkwardly grafted to either end, a goofy

Fall 2019

oversized spotlamp perched ahead of a set of messy controls stuffed through the bodywork. Nor do they point out that the construction and design of the Majestic is relatively simple and far from the coachbuilt grandeur of similarly praised autos of the period. Finally they not consider that the Majestic was targeting a clientele that didn't really exist: the gentlemanly rider who might desire a superior (read: expensive) machine as a stablemate to their elegant automobiles.

This elusive niche for well-crafted, boutique machine remains a deadly trap for many manufacturers who dare to move beyond the bounds of the motorcycle as plebeian transportation or vehicle of thrilling populist escapism. Then, as now, the motorcycle was a machine of the people - and any attempt to push a two wheeled device into the realm of luxurious motoring was almost certainly doomed to failure, or at least perpetual struggle.

During the early decades of motoring this was doubly so; the motorcycle was a machine for those who couldn't afford a car or the taxes thereupon (depending on jurisdiction). They were utilitarian and simple, inexpensive and crude.

They represented motoring for the masses and producing a machine that sought to elevate them beyond that was an ambitious gamble.

It looked like the motorcycle might very well evolve beyond its humble roots.

Of course we all know what h a p p e n e d n e x t . Th e G r e a t Depression put a damper on anything frivolous or expensive in motorcycling. Those companies who had dipped their toes into the upper end of the motorcycle market quickly rationalized their model ranges and manufacturing to survive, eliminating expensive, complicated models to focus on simpler fare. The Four disappeared

from the market for decades. Many of the small manufacturers that were cluttering up an admittedly crowded market disappeared altogether. The Majestic was just one victim of many during this period; it did well to survive as late as 1933 under Delachanal Ominium's parentage, as most machines didn't make it that late into the Depression.

With all that being said, is the Majestic truly worthy of the praise that has been heaped upon it?

For a very brief period during the 1920s it appeared that this shift could occur. Fast and elegant fours were the halo machines of the era.

Styling progressed beyond the flat surfaces and sharp angles of the machines of the 1910s. A bit of elegance was trickling down to even the most pedestrian machines, and unusual designs like the Majestic began to pop up around the world.

KONTAKT

33

Fall 2019

It is, undoubtedly, a machine that has captured the imagination of many who see it as a potential addition to the pantheon of early 20th century design. It's rather unremarkable in terms of engineering and construction, styling aside; Georges Roy's earlier New Motorcycle was a far better barometer of things to come, predicting the style and design of machines that would emerge during the 1930s and beyond. The Majestic has far less impact and was more of a curiosity than predictor of trends to come.

This doesn't make the Majestic unworthy of study and apprecia-

KONTAKT

tion. It is a fascinating machine from a period when anything appeared to be possible; a period cut short by economic collapse and the development of a destructive war. Georges Roy's brilliance as a designer is unquestionable, and deserves more praise than he ever earned during his lifetime. Values of the few surviving machines

34

( p e r h a p s numbering in the tens, but not likely into the triple digits) have been steadily increasing.

Many can appreciate the unusual elegance of the Majestic and wonder if such a machine could have set a precedent had circumstances turned out differently.

It may not rival the craftsmanship and exclusivity of a coachbuilt automobile from the same era, but it does throw a little artistry into the otherwise utilitarian realm of the motorcycle.

So feel free to enjoy the Majestic as a little bit of elegance floating on the sea of staid machines that clutter up the history books.

Fall 2019

The Killinger and Freund Motorrad

History

The Design

Aerodynamics and Steering

In 1935 a group of five German engineers named Killinger and Freund from Munich started to design a more streamlined and modified version of the German Megola front-wheel drive motorcycle that had won many motorcycle races in the 1920s.

The motorcycle featured a three cylinder two-stroke engine built right into the front wheel, transmission and clutch, with more comfortable front and rear suspension.

The first impressions of the new motorcycle was of a streamlined racing machine with rounded covers for the front and rear wheels, aerodynamically improved fork, frame, and fuel tank all built on a tubular framework covered in sheet metal.

The work took three years to complete but the result was impressive.

The engine displacement stayed the same as the Megola at 600cc but was much lighter and more simplified than a standard 100cc motorcycle of the time.

KONTAKT

Streamlining was important as aerodynamics was the first priority of the team who wanted all the moving parts covered, dirt and mud protection, and an elegant style.

Other priorities were that the motorcycle be multi-cylinder and possess front-wheel-drive. Their design met with success.

35

The rear suspension was linked to the lower end of the tubular frame and featured flexible rubber and metal elements that did not require servicing. Steering was much like an ordinary motorcycle but with more vertical

Fall 2019

telescopic elements than usual, which translated into a wheelbase that wouldn’t change much whenever the front fork dived.

Front Wheel Drive, Carburetor, Ignition The new front-wheel-drive was a vast improvement over the old Megola design.

The weight of the engine was lower. The front wheel with integrated engine had a combined weight of 50 kg (110 lbs).

Additionally, a custom carburetor without a float needle didn’t have the problems caused by vibration.

And finally, the light-weight battery ignition allowed trouble-free engine starts and helped to keep the engine weight low.

The distributor and the points were located in the hub. The technicians originally intended to build a dynastarter. These KONTAKT

improvements would have been impossible to add to the old Megola design.

The Engine, Timing, Clutch, and Transmission The three cylinder two-stroke engine used a Drehschieber (turning disk, with intake holes for exact timing of the fuel-air mixture intake).

The fuel-air mixture was sucked in by the vacuum in the three crankshaft housings as usual. The Drehschieber does the intake timing for all three cylinders.

The engine was not a radial engine associated with aircraft and there is no need for a flywheel.

All three cranks worked on one common gear. This arrangement and the recoil of the pistons in the turning direction secured a perfect balance of the moving parts.

36

The cylinders were made of KS (Kolbenschmidt) iron cylinder walls and were embedded in the Silumin alloy engine housing.

The only things that could be visibly identified as engine parts were the alloy cylinder heads with multiple cooling fins and the exhaust pipes located between the spokes of the cast alloy front wheel. These flat spokes were designed to serve as a functional cooling fan.

The two-speed transmission was built as a differential transmission and used slope-meshed gears. The clutch was made of conventional clutch disks. The clutch (with the springs at the outer circle) was located in front of the transmission.

The transmission was actuated by foot-operated steel cables. All parts of the engine allowed easy access for service work. After the removal of the engine – only two Fall 2019

bolts and some wiring had to be removed – all important parts were within reach.

Tires, Shock Absorbers, Fuel, and Seat Adjustment The tire could also be removed easily. You had to unlock a safety mechanism and then remove the tire completely with the split rim (very similar to the split rim developed by BMW).

The front brake was installed in the hub. The rear suspension also had telescopic oil-filled shock absorbers. The gasoline flowed down through flexible hoses. A panel in the frame allowed easy access to the seat springs to adjust the hardness of the seat’s suspension.

1945 at a German military installation but it is not known if this was the original prototype or another Killinger und Freund Motorrad.

Th e K i l l i n g e r & F r e u n d memorialized Even with no knowledge or interest in the amazing and unorthodox engineering that lies beneath the skin of the K&F, one’s imagination is excited by its visual impact alone.

This was the case for artist and sculptor Rolf Biebl, who placed a bronze sculpture of the motorcycle in his “Well of Generations,” which graces the

Helene-Weigel-Platz in Berlin.

Biebl memorializes not only the futuristic K&F, but has placed near it the sculpture of a motorcyclist, dressed in leathers and body armor. Consider that Biebl had thousands of images of motorcycles to choose from when he created his Well of Generations in 1990. Rather, he chose a motorcycle that had appeared only briefly some 50 years earlier, and left little influence on the evolution of motorcycle design, thanks to the outbreak of the Second World War. Biebl’s use of the K&F is clear testimony of its beauty and appeal to the modern eye.

Operational History Th e K i l l i n g e r a n d F r e u n d Motorrad (motorcycle) was test-driven after the engine was tested on a test stand. Its total weight was 135 kg (297 lb). This design was intended for civilian production but the start of World War II cancelled those plans.

One motorcycle was discovered by the US Army in the spring of KONTAKT

37

Fall 2019

Even though Art Deco has been gone for a long time, there is still today some people who cannot just let go this wonderful time. In the following pages, you will get to know some bike designers born around and way after this era.

Their work, art and craftsmanship has left a big dent in the time line. A bit like going fast forward from the 1920’s till today. Nothing wrong with that, it is just mind boggling to rediscover an old art form on today’s road.

So without further a do, let’s have a look at these retro-modern Art Deco motorcycles.

And can you guess what is the bike below?

There is 100 years between the original and this new creation...

KONTAKT

38

Fall 2019

LOUIS LUCIEN LEPOIX (1918-1998) Motorcycle designer aircraft, and rail companies defined the ideals of an era, their work embodying the hope that the age of war, disease, and conflict would end with a coming age of Modernity.

An example of Lepoix's thinking is this 'Air Concept Car', drawn up in 1942-3, with seating for 7, and a clear emphasis on a low coefficient of drag.

Occasionally a great talent slips completely off the radar of design aficionados, due to a lack of available historic material in multiple languages, or a simple lack of press.

The work of Louis Lucien Lepoix is such, one of many unsung visionary designers whose ideas and efforts were so far in advance of the motorcycling world, they weren't fully addressed by the industry for decades.

Lepoix was born Feb.4, 1918 in Giromagny, France, to a very poor family. He studied industrial design and architecture in Lyon and Paris, continuing his studies with a degree in engineering. After WW2, he worked in Germany at Dornier Flugzeugwerke (makers of interesting aircraft, etc) and ZF Friedrichshafen - whose director Dr. Albert Meier designed a small car which Lepoix clad in a shapely body, to much acclaim.

During the war, Lepoix, passionate about streamlined vehicles, sketched quite a few cars, motorcycles, and planes with futuristic curvy body styles and flowing lines.

His son claims that Lepoix, who spoke no English, had no knowledge of the work of Raymond Loewy or Bel Geddes, icons of the school of streamlining whose work for automotive,

KONTAKT

39

The general shape of the vehicle recalls Buckminster Fuller's 'Dymaxion Car', patented in 1937 (and revised in 1943), and the concept is identical - low drag equals high speed and efficiency, an aircraft for tarmac.

Th e b e n e fi t o f l o w e r f u e l consumption would have been very much on the mind of any automotive designer during WW2, given the fuel rationing imposed on all combatant nations, with eventual shortages as the war intensified.

Fuller's Dymaxion was reputed to achieve 120mph and give 30mph terrific for '37 - but the project was ultimately scuttled due to a fatal accident while the car was being tested... while a brilliant engineer, perhaps Fuller's ideas were ahead of their time as regards safety and stability. It wouldn't be sacrilege to suggest the same fate would befall the 'Air Concept Car'.

In 1947, Lepoix founded his own design atelier, initially focussing on two-wheeled projects, beginning Fall 2019

1947 with this amazingly futuristic bodywork for his 1934ish BMW R12, a 750cc sidevalve flat-twin with pressed-steel 'Star' frame, which when new was considered quite stylish, with a bit of Art Deco flair.

Lepoix purchased the BMW at an auction organized by the French military in Baden Baden, Germany (French HQ in occupied Germany at the time) and set about to completely revamp the bodywork, but not the structure of the BMW. Lepoix was a keen motorcycle enthusiast, and began work on his motorcycle with a brief to address the issue of a rider's exposure to the elements (cold hands, knees, and feet!), while making a statement about the Future. He had been KONTAKT

working on drawings and models of his concepts during the war, and his sketches plus a hand-carved model motorcycle survive today.

factory introduced their Black Prince model, which was the first fully enclosed and faired (ie, the bodywork protected the rider with an aerodynamic, wind-cheating design) production motorcycle.

To be sure, quite a few motorcycles built for speed records were designed with a full enclosure (Gilera, BMW, Brough-Superior, DKW, etc), but these were never meant for the road.

1943 The finished result is spectacular, modernistic, and very stylish, if a bit heavy-looking.

Very few motorcycles before 1947 had explored the concept of full streamlining of the motorcycle, and even more rare was consideration for the rider; in fact, it would be another 7 years before the Vincent 40

Fall 2019

Lepoix was in tune with the streamlining ideas of his time, and just that bit ahead of the curve in actually Building a motorcycle with weather protection for the rider, so early after the War. Remarkably, his sketches from the War years also include a totally aerodynamic Feet-First design, which predates the rage for this type of motorcycle (and bicycle) by fully 30 years!

Very few FF designs like this were produced prior to 1943, although hub-center steered machines with 'tankless' seating positions were built as early as the Veteran period

by Wilkinson ('09), Ner-A-Car ('19). The Ro-Monocar ('26) came closest to realizing an enclosed 'car on wheels' - the stated aspiration of so many designers.

The Monocar has the clunky bodywork of a cheap saloon vehicle, but the seeds of the idea were sown.

It's a shame Lepoix didn't have a Majestic or Ner-A-Car at hand to modify, and realize his vision of a curvaceous and appealing body style.

His later career was occupied with agricultural machinery, heavy truck cabs, aircraft, and a host of modernistic smaller designs (telephones, household appliances, etc).

Clearly he was busy with motorcycles into the 1970s; in a way, it's too bad he didn't continue

his working career into the 'plastic era' of motorcycling - the bodywork of modern motorcycles went through a long period without much sex appeal, and a man with Lepoix's flair might have produced bodywork with curvaceous sensuality over those mass-produced four-cylinder appliances.

The BMW R12 was used as a mobile calling card for Lepoix's budding design firm, and he soon gained commissions with many European factories, becoming especially known for his work on scooters (for Puch, Maico, Bastert, Walba, etc).

He also worked with Horex on a design very similar to his BMW, around a Regina twin-cylinder 400cc parallel twin model.

I'm not sure if this was done as a design exercise with the factory, or another one-off to display his skills.

In either case, both motorcycles were extensively photographed, and made his reputation as an industrial designer of note.

KONTAKT

41

Fall 2019

The Killer

BY ROD SMITH

THE CONCEPT of the patron is well established in the world of art.

Charles Saatchi is almost a household name in the UK, but before him we had New Yorker Peggy Guggenheim—who anchored the careers of Pollock and Rothko.

Parallels are now edging into the modern custom motorcycle scene, and one of the leading lights is Bobby Haas of the Haas Moto Museum in Dallas.

Bobby has built up a collection of 130-plus extraordinary motorcycles, and occasionally commissions them too. Hazan is one of his protégés; Craig Rodsmith is another, and his incredible front wheel drive motorcycle is the latest resident of the hallowed halls.

KONTAKT

It’s a classic story of patron and artist working in tandem, and begins when Bobby was suffering from a bout of insomnia while visiting the Handbuilt Show in Austin, Texas last year.

“After a sleepless night, I started surfing the net,” he tells us. “I came across grainy photographs of an Art Deco bike concocted by a group of German engineers in the 1930s.” It was the Killinger und Freund machine built between the wars in Munich.

Bobby immediately thought of Craig Rodsmith—and texted the US-based Australian expat at 3:00am. They met in the lobby of the hotel Bobby was staying in— but Craig wasn’t immediately convinced.

42

“When I proposed the idea of using this German contraption as the inspiration for a custom build, I could see the doubt in Craig’s eyes,” says Bobby. “Which was why I knew that Craig was the right person to execute this vision.”

Craig admits that he was less than enthusiastic.

“At first, I was intimidated,” he says.

“I thought he’d chosen the wrong man for the job. But Bobby believed the bodywork had ‘me’ written all over it, and should be done in polished aluminum.”

It didn’t stop there. The bike was also to be front wheel drive, with a radial engine inside the front wheel.

But Craig agreed to the project, thinking he could just buy a radial engine online and adapt it.

Fall 2019

“He’s an encyclopedia of wheel knowledge and got me a set of 3½ by 19 inch rims with a shallow center, to give a little more room.”

Incidentally, the front wheel is unique because it can only have spokes on one side—so the fuel lines and control cables can run unimpeded.

Conventional motorcycle engineering obviously does not apply here.

After all, the front axle needs to rotate and support the engine, and also drive the front wheel.

“Well, as it happens, they are not exactly readily available,” Craig says. “So I decided I’d make my own.

How hard can it be?”

He located three identical 60 cc two-stroke engines. “I whittled them down and made a unified crankcase,” he reveals. “Although

they’re really three individual cases combined.”

“Then I had to determine the wheel size. With a little coaxing, I managed to get the engine inside a 19″ rim. I needed a pair of blank and undrilled wide aluminum rims, so I turned to Matt Carroll.”

“Another problem was how to start it,” says Craig. “So I made an electric start system, which would need to basically start three engines simultaneously—and in a limited space. I then made my own Bendix drive, so the starter would disengage once the engines were running.”

Craig makes it sound relatively easy to put an engine inside a wheel, but then again, we’re not sure that he is entirely mortal.

To send engine power to the wheel, Craig has used a lay shaft, which drives a centrifugal clutch, which drives a final drive sprocket, which drives a shaft with a flange that the wheel is bolted to. Got that? Piece of cake! After all this mechanical ingenuity, it was time to move to more familiar territory: building a chassis from scratch.

“I made an aluminum lattice-style frame with upright fork legs,” says Craig. “So the wheelbase doesn’t change as the forks travel up and down.”

It’s worth noting that Craig did all this without any 3D design or CNC machinery. Instead, he’s gone the traditional route, using a small 70-year-old manual lathe and mill, along with files, hacksaws and hand tools.

KONTAKT

43

Fall 2019

His approach to the bodywork was very similar. He hasn’t even used bucks or power tools, just a hammer, dolly and English wheel.

“I wanted the body to flow, almost as if it was liquid,” he says. “I’d like to think I’ve almost got it proportionally right, from the wide front with an integrated headlight to the tapered rear body, giving it a streamlined appearance.”

Craig even made the tiny shock absorber that suspends the aluminum seat. And other exquisite details like the gas cap and ignition switch, and countless little bezels, mostly fastened with tiny stainless 1.5 mm screws to keep visible fasteners to a minimum.

“I think one of my favorite features is the scoop on the front fender,” he says. “Bobby and I discussed using a grille so that the detail of the engine was somewhat visible—in the end we opted for a scoop, which opens like a door and keeps the body appearance smooth.”

The result is one of the most striking builds we’ve seen over the past ten years. And we’re curious to know what it’s like to ride, since there are no contemporary reviews of the 1935 Killinger und Freund that inspired this machine—and its name, ‘The Killer.’

to enable genius artisans to create a masterpiece that might otherwise escape reality, and just drift away as a pipe dream.”

Craig has turned this particular pipe dream into reality, and in the process, blurred the distinction

between engineering and art. It might not be the ideal steed for an Iron Butt Rally, but it’s a clear indication that the past still influences the future. And old school fabrication skills are still out there, if you know where to look.

“It’s a running, rideable bike,” says Craig. “But I haven’t ridden it much, for two reasons: I live in the upper Midwest so there’s been too much ice and snow, and it was built primarily as a functional art piece.”

“But it’s a weird sensation of being pulled by an engine rather than pushed.”

Bobby Haas is happy. “I know from personal experience that success is all the sweeter when you accept a challenge to do something you think you’re destined to fail at. My role is KONTAKT

44

Fall 2019

Fuller Moto’s Futuristic 2029 Custom Motorcycle

KONTAKT

45

Fall 2019

1929 Majestic 2029 Majestic

KONTAKT

46

Fall 2019

A new expression of design exists within every era of motorcycle history.

What happens during a moment in time can shape how an artist sees the world, and the interpretation of that view often times becomes infused into what the artist creates.

The world today is rapidly changing at an accelerating pace, driven by progress in both science and technology.

It is unlike anything we have seen before, and these changes are impacting traditions and greatly influencing the creative process.

At its core, the art of motorcycle building is still very similar to its origins. The difference now is the role technology plays in the

KONTAKT

evolution of the craft and in the innovation of design.

Fuller Moto’s 2029 takes a nod from a bike with a revolutionary past, in a bold move to prepare us for a future where anything is possible for a new age of customs.

Built by Fuller Moto in Atlanta, Georgia, the 2029 was commissioned by the Haas Moto Museum and Sculpture Gallery to create a futuristic motorcycle concept in the style of the French 1929 Majestic.

With over 190 bikes, the expansive Haas Collection features unique and one-of-a-kind motorcycles from 1901 to present day.

Fuller Moto’s 2029 will debut during the Hand-Built Show and

47

will then be on display in the Haas Museum’s Custom Shop adjacent to two other Fuller Moto bikes, the ShoGun and the Chief Ambassador.

The Fuller Moto exhibit is a stand out in the Haas Museum. Each Fuller Moto bike on display is truly unique, sharing only the qualities of pushing limits in design and process to build something that defies the norm.

True to form, Bryan Fuller of Fuller Moto does it again with the unconventional 2029.

An electric bike with a fully enclosed sculptured aluminum body, hub-centric steering, clear polycarbonate wheels and titanium parts printed on a 3D printer, this bike is like no other.

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

48

Fall 2019

Bobby Haas, collector and owner of the Haas Moto Museum and Sculpture Gallery says of the new 2029, "We know we are doing something that has never been done b e f o r e . Th e r e i s n o a c t u a l blueprint. We are not doing a production cycle. We are doing a piece of work that is rolling art. It is unique.”

To build a piece of modern art inspired by the 1929 Majestic was an ambitious feat, but Bryan Fuller and his team were up for the challenge.

Decades ahead of its time, the 1929 Majestic encapsulated a forward-thinking, modern design and represented a new kind of motorcycle.

In keeping with the aesthetic, DNA and character of the original Majestic design, the Fuller Moto team set out 100 years later, for

KONTAKT

their 2029 to celebrate yet another new kind of motorcycle, and one that would again be revolutionary for its day.

on design concepts and provided the initial CAD model dimensions to ensure optimum form and function.

Fuller says, “There are few times in my career that we have built something so gratifying. The 2029 combines both my drive to innovate and my love of metal.”

The Fuller Team then shared the models with futurist designer, Nick Pugh to help bring these concepts to life.

With the 2029, Fuller wanted to capture next level design elements and intricacies that until today were difficult to hand craft. Instead of traditional fabrication of the chassis components, Fuller decided to open up the possibilities by using 3D metal printing.

Nick Pugh is a world-renowned movie concept artist who has designed for popular science-fiction movies like Star Wars, and has worked with movie studios such as Universal, Sony, Fox and Disney, specializing in future worlds and conveying visually complex story-telling.

He looked to parametric design, the human bones, and generative designs as the inspiration for the suspension pieces and handlebars.

3D printer Oerlikon, took the CADS from Pugh and turned the parts into metal, using light-weight Titanium.

Bryan Heidt, lead metal fabricator at Fuller Moto, worked with Fuller

Titanium is the strongest, yet lightest material currently being

49

Fall 2019

used in 3D printing. Its excellent strength to weight ratio makes it is an ideal material and allows shapes that otherwise would be nearly impossible to hand craft.

Some key visual elements of the 2029 bike were made from 3D printed Titanium.

The front stabilizer arm outside of the front swing-arm captures almost a sword shape look.

The steering plate that mounts on the hub up front and mounts the heim joint also has an unusual and unique aesthetic.

Fuller believes 3D printing is a new way of thinking but mirrors what we already know.

Fuller says, “3D printing is a lot like TIG welding, only a really fine layer at a time.”

KONTAKT

Innovation and advancements in motorcycling were purposely considered when developing the concept for the 2029.

An electric powertrain was a natural fit for the cutting edge 2029, so Fuller used a Zero Motorcycle FXS electric bike with a range of 100 miles and 78 ft/lbs of torque, as a foundation for the build.

The length of the Zero was the same dimensions of the original Majestic, but the motor was a bit low and the batteries too high in the stock chassis.

Undeterred, Fuller decided to flip the chassis upside down. The batteries were uniquely modified to be positioned down low so that the motor aligns with the tall, 23-inch wheels.

50

The team was then able to adapt the Zero to the 2029 specs and needs.

The fully enclosed sculptured aluminum body of the 2029 was designed to look very similar to the 1929 Majestic.

The initial outline was made with 1/4” steel rod MIG welded together and bolted on to the aluminum chassis. This allowed it to be removed and worked from the bench.

Patterns were made from chipboard and then shaped. 3003 H14 .063 thickness was used to form the panels.

To make the top ridges of the front and rear fender areas, first a 4-inch wide piece of Aluminum was broken in the center. Then a Pullmax die was cut on the

Fall 2019

MultiCam WaterJet to the shape desired and run through on high speed, providing a consistent streamlined side view profile to the top edge.

Fuller patterned and shaped in the “gills” in front of the low wheel.

The “gills” were constructed to be diffusers for the air that comes through the body panels, thereby reducing drag and also filling an unused and ugly space.

A tinted blue hue was sprayed inside parts of the bike’s body, including the “gills”, to reflect color on an otherwise stark silver canvas.

The color blue was inspired by the original Majestic emblem that was put on the 100 reportedly built examples.

KONTAKT

Unlike most bikes which have a traditional front fork setup, the 2029 has hub centric steering coming off of a front swing-arm.

Hub-centric steering is very unusual and has only been used in a few bikes such as the Bimota, Ner-a-Car and of course the 1929 Majestic.

While many ideas on building customs are well established, others continue to evolve as more and more technological advancements take place; enlightening us to not only see what is, but what could be.

New design processes like 3D printing parts, open up a new world of possibilities.

Bryan Heidt found a donor hub from a Bimota Spirit off a model called the Tesi.

A world where anything one can dream can be manifested into physical form.

The reliable and functional parts of the Tesi provided the right dimensions, bearing, bushings, as well as overall design.

This unleashing of human creativity was the underlying intent of the 2029.

With its unconventional style and innovative build techniques, the 2029 asks us to think different about design, and provides us a glimpse into what may be to come.

51

It leaves us thinking, “if you had absolutely no limitations, what would you create?”

Welcome to the new age of customs.

Fall 2019

1984 DECOSON

BY RANDY GRUBB

The all-new and ever exciting Decoson is one of Randy Grubb’s newest classic build. It is a cross between a motorcycle and his ever-so-famous Decoliner.

The Decoson is a custom Art Deco s t y l e a l u m i n u m b o d y t h a t is fitted over a 1984 Harley-Davidson Sportster.

“We will also be adding pictures and info of the new Decopods – which are scooters with an Art Deco aluminum body.

There are two styles of Decopods, a Bi-Pod and Tri-Pod.

The Deco-Bi-Pod is built around a Piaggio Fly 150, while the Deco Tri-Pod utilizes a Piaggio MP3 scooter. Think of them as big and little brother. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face” said Randy.

“I had a concept for a Harley project and was fortunate to meet a gentleman willing to supply the motorcycle and commission the build. The Decoson turned out just as I envisioned,” says Randy.

The Decoson won 2nd place in the Custom / Modified category at The Quail Motorcycle Gathering show, which was on May 4, 2013 , in Carmel, Ca. KONTAKT

52

Fall 2019

SMOOTHNESS

BY ARLEN NESS

If Ettore Bugatti had been diverted away from car design and into motorcycles this is almost certainly what he would have built. This remarkable art deco motorcycle was designed and built by master bike builder Arlen Ness, surprisingly there isn’t much information available on this jaw-dropping two-wheeler.

KONTAKT

53

Fall 2019

THE AERO

By Georgio Rimi

KONTAKT

54

Fall 2019

THE AERO – A BESPOKE ALLOY-BODIED BMW R100 RS BY MOTORRETRO This is the Aero – it took master craftsman Georgio Rimi four years to build using a series of hand tools and an English wheel to painstakingly shape flat aluminum alloy panels into a series of beautiful compound curves – creating a one-of-a-kind bespoke BMW R100 RS. MEET MOTORRETRO Georgio is the co-founder, along with Vaughn Ryan, of MotoRRetro in Sydney, Australia. The two men met in the late-1980s in technical college where they were constantly vying for the position of top student, despite their rivalry they become close friends, and have now spent decades restoring and rebuilding everything from vintage Ferraris and Porsches to Alfa Romeos and BMWs. KONTAKT

Georgio and Vaughn started MotoRRetro to continue their work redesigning, building, and restoring cars and motorcycles, while also offering classes in automotive metal shaping, welding, fabrication, and other related skills.

They also sell all the equipment needed to restore and rebuild classic cars, like English wheels, dollies, mallets, blocking hammers, and everything else that may be needed.

THE AERO BY GEORGIO RIMI + MOTORRETRO “In designing and building Aero I was driven to create something unique, to demonstrate what’s possible when you use your imagination, to test my own metal shaping skills and inspire bike builders of tomorrow.

55

Aero was inspired by my love of Auto Union race cars, specifically the Auto Union Type C driven in 1937 by Bernd Rosemeyer. But also by aircraft design and airstream caravans from the 1930’s to the 1950s, and the simple yet beautiful shapes and curves designers used to achieve aerodynamics at the time.” – said Georgio Rimi The project to build the aero began 4 years ago when Georgio struck upon the idea of building a modern two-wheeled German motorcycle inspired by the great pre-WW2 Auto Union grand prix cars.

He chose the BMW R100 RS as it ticked two boxes – it’s as German as Oktoberfest and it was the first production motorcycle fitted with a full fairing from the factory. This meant that the frame was already Fall 2019

Georgio Rimi with the Aero

plumbed to accept a full fairing, and it was fitted with one of the most powerful versions of the 980cc horizontally opposed twin cylinder BMW “airhead” engine.

A suitable R100 RS was found in Queensland, Georgio bought it and had it shipped down to Sydney so the strip down could begin.

“I started by sketching the design that resided in my imagination. The first step of the build was making the framework that supported the body.

It needed to be bolted to the bike, but also be quickly and easily removable for servicing.

Next, I created a wire form for each side of the bike – a 3D forming buck – which I used to make the cutting templates for cutting out the alloy panels. I used my metal shaping skills – shrinking and stretching the alloy – to create the shapes for my design. I used the English Wheel, dollies, KONTAKT

mallets, blocking hammers and a forming block to help me do this.

I decided to use some aircraft riveting and lightning punches to give the bike an industrial, aeronautical feel.

Because this was a difficult build, and required a lot of trial and effort, I also called on the ideas and expertise of my business partner Vaughan Ryan. Builds of this type take many minds and many hands to come to life.” – said Georgio Rimi A Buell Lightening front end was sourced and fitted courtesy of a custom triple tree, the front wheel was replaced with a CNC-machined front wheel by Mario Ricciardiello with the front rim wheel halves metal spun by White Horse Industry. This new front wheel keeps a single-sided perimeter rotor from the Buell with the matching calliper, all tucked neatly under the streamlined front fender.

56

The full steering-head back fairing led to a few unique challenges, the fuel taps could no longer be reached so Georgio wired up a pair of electric solenoids to do the job, and a remote operating cable was developed to operate the choke.

The original twin shock rear was replaced with a monoshock set up and the Buell forks were lengthened to achieve a standard ride height by extending all of the internals in the fork and fabricating new fork tubes.

A black leather seat was upholstered by Brett Copping to sit atop the sweeping alloy curves built to Georgio’s design using concept drawings by Roger Warsop at Retroline. A custom exhaust system was developed by Dave Reid to slot neatly through the lower bodywork and exit through two neat ports in the rear.

Fall 2019

A series of modifications to the wiring loom were made by Julian Lopez to incorporate the moto gadget M unit to power the headlight, front and rear indicators, and brake light.

“Aero is a concept bike. The design is so different to most other bikes that reactions can be quite polarising, but I built it for myself and to stretch my abilities.

I really like the front-end setup: the CNC billet front wheel with a 16 inch radial disc and the 8 spot caliper, because it adds modern technology to a retro-inspired design.

I’ve test ridden Areo a few times and the bike handles brilliantly, as would a standard BMW R100. When I ride it, I feel like a test pilot riding an experimental machine. I had the biggest grin on my face after that first ride! It’s such an amazing feeling riding something you’ve created yourself from an initial idea in your head.

I haven’t yet ridden it on the road, so I’m thinking about how it will handle in windy conditions with this type of body. I’ve had help and support along the build journey and would like to thank Vaughan Ryan, Julian Lopez, Robyn Hayes and Gary Vicente.” – said Georgio Rimi

KONTAKT

57

Fall 2019

1949 Moto Major 350

Salvatore Majorca, an engineer from Turin, Italy, prototyped the Moto Major in 1948.

Although the motorcycle was intended as an experiment in engineering, the aesthetics rested

firmly within the streamline style which was already fading from popularity as racers began opting for lighter, more maneuverable machines.

One remarkable feature of the 297cc machine was the suspension: doing away with traditional springs and hydraulics, Majorca instead utilized specially designed rubber cylinders integrated into the hub and wheel rim.

Unfortunately the motorcycle proved too expensive for production or competition with the already well established Moto Guzzi company, and only a single example exists.

KONTAKT

58

Fall 2019

Club Rally Info 8TH CVMG GREY-BRUCE RALLY August 9 to 11, 2019 For more information call Kevin Moores at 519-371-6491 or email kevinjulie@sympatico.ca or call Peter Prinsen at 226-668-9424 (cell)

Grey-Bruce Vintage Motorcycle Rally •Rally HQ at Whispering Pines Campground, Hepworth •Fees include: camping, Saturday dinner & Sunday Breakfast •You decide which traffic-free route to ride => the rally packet choices are endless •Five different waterfalls in a day’s ride? Grey-Bruce has them!

•Camaraderie of fellow vintage motorcyclists

More details at: KONTAKT

www.cvmg.ca/rally 59

Fall 2019

ONTARIO GUZZI RIDERS 2019 WEST NIPISSING RALLY August 23rd to 25th GPS 46 19 33 N -81 49 46 W

at the Joli Voyageur Resort and Campground 95 Caron Road, Lavigne, just down the road beside the Lavigne Tavern ALL MAKES WELCOME

Pre-registration fee $28USD or $35 CAD At the gate rally fee $45 CAD

Includes Saturday hot breakfast and dinner and Sunday early continental breakfast.

Friday evening is Tavern night with burgers and brats and free musical entertainment.

Awards, door prizes, campfire, group rides and 50/50 draw.

Accommodation separate. Camping $15 per night at the JV. Cabins available at the JV and other nearby sites. See website for details: www.jolivoyageur.com (705)-594-2813 Please, please, please pre-register. It helps us make it better for you.

Pre-register through the website at www.ontarioguzziriders.com via PayPal, or cheques to Phil Tunbridge, 89 Lougheed Road, Barrie, Ontario, L4N 8E1 (705)-722-3312 KONTAKT

60

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

61

Fall 2019

The Moto Guzzi Story 3rd Edition by Ian Falcon

The Kermit Chair The Motorcycle Companion

The Kermit Chair is a premier wooden camping chair made popular by the BMW motorcycle camping community. Designed with portability in mind, the chair can be rolled and packed into its included carrying bag.

The Moto Guzzi Story is a story of survival. As one of Italy’s oldest, and most legendary marques, Moto Guzzi had seen the height of success during the 1930s, and then the 1950s when they dominated 250 and 350cc Grand Prix racing.

Their withdrawal from racing coincided with a period of stagnation until the company was sold to De Tomaso in 1973. During the 1970s the V7 Sport and Le Mans were at the forefront of the new superbike era, and later, with Dr John Wittner’s help, embraced contemporary technology with the 1000cc Daytona.

If one aspect characterises Moto Guzzi it is continuity.

The great 500cc Falcone single ran from 1950 until 1976, and the V7, originally seeing the light of day in 1967, continued well into the 2010s.

This continuity breeds loyalty, and Guzzi owners are a fiercely proud breed.

Guzzis are not like other motorcycles, even Italian ones, and to qualify as a Guzzi owner requires a dedication and individuality that will be rewarded in a long term relationship.

Other titles by Ian Falloon include Moto Guzzi Sport Bible, Moto Guzzi Big-Twins Essential Buyers Guide, the Complete Book of Moto Guzzi, the Honda Story, the Kawasaki Story, the BMW Story and The Ducati Story.

He also has his own collection of motorbikes, including a 1973 Moto Guzzi V7 Sport.

From Amazon.ca Price $46.39

The Kermit Chair is a high quality, folding, wooden camping chair that is popular among motorcycle riders, overland adventurers, and casual campers alike. Most notable about the chair is its ability to be quickly and easily disassembled and packed to a portable size of 22" long x 6" diameter. With a timeless design that has been left untouched for 30 years, the Kermit Chair remains the finest-built and most comfortable chair you can pack.

The entire chair is handcrafted in Tennessee. They use white oak that is locally and responsibly sourced, and each piece is double dipped in marine grade polyurethane. This finish is thicker than a spray and will protect the chair for a lifetime. The cloth is a 1000 denier coated nylon that they cut with heat to prevent raveling. The hardware on the chair is aluminum and stainless steel, so it can withstand the elements and won’t rust over time.

AVAILABLE IN FIVE COLORS 350 LBS. WEIGHT LIMIT 30 DAY MONEY BACK GUARANTEE FIVE YEAR WARRANTY CARRY BAG ONLY 22" LONG MADE IN USA

http://www.kermitchair.com Price start at US$189.00 KONTAKT

62

Fall 2019

Write an article for this newsletter kontaktnewsletter@rogers.com

We need your stories, your anecdotes, your photos and your input. Put your bike on the cover page...

We need articles for future editions on the following topics:

Arial, BSA, Harley-Davidson, Indian, Matchless, Norton, Triumph, Velocette, Vincent and more...

KONTAKT

63

Fall 2019

Joe Bar Team is a famed series of biker comics whose main characters experience all sort of situations and adventures every-day riders encounter often in real life. The first volume was initially released in 1990 and has had ten more volumes for a total of eleven. The riders adventures were originally settled in 1975 Paris but their motorcycles were switched for more modern ones in some of the comics. The time setting is not really important, since the situations they encounter are timeless. The first issue, translated in English, being the best rated of the series.

KONTAKT

64

Fall 2019

COMING SOON TO YOUR MAILBOX

KONTAKT

65

Fall 2019

KONTAKT

66

Fall 2019