Name the bike

[ricmoran]

A little help, on one of the other MC forums a fellow is asking for help as this is someone from his family. Can anyone advise what make and year this bike is? Only photo available.

Thanks for any info.

[c.o.]

The photo is a little tough to get a good bearing on. If I were to take a guess, I would say it's roughly a 1909-1911 Thor.

[rwm]

i'm believe thor made belt drives. but i never saw one yet. i need to look through some of my photos when it's not lights, tree and cookies. mmm warm cookies. i'll take a look this week.

[c.o.]

Rob, I believe you are correct. If my memory isn't failing me, 1911 was the last of the belt drives but was only used on the singles that year. I'd sure like to see a pic of one when the festivities are over. Now you've got me craving cookies!!!

[ricmoran]

Thanks Cory and Rob. Cookes and milk, oh yea.....ginger bread cookies, pecan log rolls with powdered sugar, sugar cookies shaped like a Christmas tree with colored frosting to look like lights and garland. Gee, i just put on 3 pounds talking about it!

[Coolbreeze]

I understand that the motorcycle was so rough riding and the seat was so uncomfortable that, after riding it any distance at all, you were "tho thor you could hardly thit"!

Happy New Year!

[Tom McBride]

Named after the god of thunder....?
Lightning bolt in the name aswell......

[jurassic]

the 1911 belt was the articulating frame job, also rebadged as a sears. check out the angle of the top rear legs on the frame. thats a dead giveaway.
http://img835.imageshack.us/img835/4590/thor11.jpg

[c.o.]

Jurassic, so can we agree that the photo of the bike posted is in fact an '11? I just eyeballed a photo of a '10 and you are right, the 1911 frame is a "dead giveaway".

[ricmoran]

Thanks guys, I am sure the fellow that asked about this will be happy to understand what bike it is his early family member is on. Best to you in 2012.

[Tom Wilcock]

From my information the bike looks like a Miami. The front fork looks indentical. The front fender braces are different than the Miami in my picture though. In my literature the Thors that used the trussed fork as on the Miami used a different type of springing. Tho only ones I've seen with the Miami type suspension have a single blade type fork. Tom Wilcock AMCA 3817759

[c.o.]

Tom!!! I was initially swaying toward Miami but thought that the front end on the picture ricmoran posted was a little different and went in the "Thor" direction. When jurassic posted the '11 ad I focused on the frame and paid no more attention to the front end at that point. Sorry ricmoran, I may have led you astray. If it's a Miami, it could be as late as 1916. Here are a few pics of a '15 Miami for a little reference... http://providence-ri.americanlisted.com/cars/1915-antique-motorcycle_18633759.html The fork still looks a little different to me. I wish that I could get a better bearing on the engine position. That would clear things up a bit. Goshdarnitt.. I'm stuck!!!

[LouieMCman]

Cory your link shows a 1916 Miami that was for sale and later sold by Dave. The 1915's were all battery models, I beleive, I have a data base with a number of Miami's the latest being a chain drive motor. The picture is my 1916 Magneto model, all the Miami front ends were the springer type unlike the Thors.

[c.o.]

I was waiting for you to chime in Louie!!! What do you make of the picture that was posted at the start of the thread?

[ricmoran]

Tom!!! I was initially swaying toward Miami but thought that the front end on the picture ricmoran posted was a little different and went in the "Thor" direction. When jurassic posted the '11 ad I focused on the frame and paid no more attention to the front end at that point. Sorry ricmoran, I may have led you astray. If it's a Miami, it could be as late as 1916. Here are a few pics of a '15 Miami for a little reference... http://providence-ri.americanlisted.com/cars/1915-antique-motorcycle_18633759.html The fork still looks a little different to me. I wish that I could get a better bearing on the engine position. That would clear things up a bit. Goshdarnitt.. I'm stuck!!!

No need apologize, it is all in good fun. The fellow that asked over at the V Rod forum, most if not all folks over there ride newer Revo technology, so this stuff lightens and brightens their world as well. With that, who knows maybe one or two of them or hopefully more get interested and head this way.

Thanks again for figuring this out for the fellow rider.

[c.o.]

Ahh... I just get a little obsessed with this stuff is all. Glad to hear there is interest in this old iron on other forums.

[ricmoran]

Yes there is interest when a family member rode back in time.

I've been doing a little bit to promote early riding when the opportunity presetns itself. In Hawaii, there are few of the classic and even less early bikes around.

Met a young fellow at the HD dealership, he advised he was in proces of doing valve lash check on his V Rod. I was in the same process so he asked if he could see what was up with doing this.
We met because of my Knucklehead sitting in the parking lot and he has interest in early iron. He's in his late 20's.

So we rode yesterday and when we stopped at Punchbowl - Memorial of the Pacific WWII, Korea, Viet-Nam military members memorial , we talked about our ride around Round Top while visiting the cemetary.

He was asking about how the clutch works along with braking as the previous ride is through some great S's and other challenges. So I told him to sit on the bike and I'd show him how to place his feet. He is tall, about 6'6" so he was having some issues but figured it out. My wife said to me, show him how to start the bike, so I did, then once started, said to him, take it around the park for a spin.

Needless to say he got a kick out of it, the same way my son did the first time he rode the bike.

Both came away with the same "I gotta get one of these".

There is a lot of interest with younger riders to be sure, and with that, the more interest, the better.

His next request was "when you do work on the bike, can I hang around to pick up tips on what to do".

Trying to upload vieos to You Tube of the ride mentioned above and if it works I'll post a link shortly. Seeing your avatar, and knowing others are in winter, the ride is through a tropical rain forest and mountains on Oahu.

Thanks again for the help.

[motorheadmike]

Its a 1912.. 1912 is the only year with the front end reiforcements , the outrigger bars can be seen in the photo. I have the same machine in parts ..

[c.o.]

Mike!!! It's a 1912 what? :D

[rwm]

Mike!!! It's a 1912 what? :D
cory i have never seen a 1912 WHAT

[denismccarthy]

Hey Ricmoran

I'll run it up the flag pole here at the Museum for you. I does look like a Thor... I'll get back to ya!

Denis
(Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum)

[c.o.]

Just a slight hijack with apologies in advance.... Denis, have you stumbled across the Warwick yet?

[ricmoran]

Thanks guys for all you detective work on this.

[denismccarthy]

Here's a little bit of stuff Ricmo

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/jdenismccarthy/Thor_Model_CM_500_cc_AIV_19111.jpg

http://i1205.photobucket.com/albums/bb423/jdenismccarthy/Thor_500_cc_19091.jpg

And here are a couple of links: http://motorklasik.co.cc/tag/thor/

http://nl.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bestand:Thor_Model_CM_500_cc_AIV_1911.jpg

Hope that helps! See ya in the funny papers!

Denis

[ricmoran]

Hey Denis, thanks for that...lets see which toon are we shooting for?

[amsracing]

I saw a new friends bikes yesterday...He Has a original 1911 single Thor chain drive.... original family owned with the only 1914 Arizona (1st year for bikes to have plates in Az.) License plate I've ever seen he told me his Dad had ridden it to Collage back in 1914 and it quit running they got him a car and hung the bike in the rafters of there machine shop for the next 50 years...it's in a room now with other restored bikes,along side a 8 valve Indian Boardtrack racer a 1911 HD single,a Thor twin and another red Thor single.....currently working on his Henderson inline 4 what a collection just a few miles from my house...lucky man to have thease ...he also won the Famous Riddler (top Hot Rod in the USA) award for his 32 duece coupe a few years back...he's a great man with a vanishing skill....seeing the past and being able to bring it back thanks Jay Tee.....your the best! Dave Boydstun AKA grasshopper

[ricmoran]

How about some pics?