Unknown Motorcycle

[jonnycola]

I have an Unknown Motorcycle that maybe someone can help me identify it. There were pictures of this bike in the spring of 1988 issue of the antique motorcycle. Here is the discription that was in the magazine. Wheels are 24" outside diameter, 36 spoke construction, equipped with 28 x 2 tires. The Schebler Carburetor has obviously been spliced on in attempt to improve performance. The ignition coil is marked "THE DOW PORT ELECTRIC COMPANY, BRAINTREE MASS." The right hand twist grip controls the spark advance and the left hand twist grip controls the throttle. Turning this grip past idle shuts off power to the coil. A unique fork and slide arrangement transmits the control from the handlebars to the head stock. The brass pulley on the engine transmits power to the rear wheel via a round leather belt. The gas/oil tank and battery box are both constructed out of sheet brass which is rivited every 1/2 inch then soldered. The interesting frame construction as well as spring fork testifies that this was not a "home built". A few of the bolts were removed and the threads were checked. U.S. sizes 5/16-18 and 1/4-24 were found and would probably indicate that this is of U.S. manufacture or at least made with U.S. machinery. Pictures can be seen at www.geocities.com/jonnycola/unknown.html My email address on the page is incorrect. My email is jonnycola@yahoo.com

[AdminGuy]

Hello John!

I think I would put my money on Mitchell. Mitchell also sold off extra production to the Geer company, which relabeled the machines as the Geer Green Egg.

Knut, Norway

[jonnycola]

For the past year I have been doing alot of researching, and I still cant figure out what exactly it is. I have found some things that are similar to other motorcycles, and some things that make it seem that it was home made. If you look closely at the fork, it looks most similar to that on a 1909 Indian twin. The complex frame consruction makes me think that it is like a Geer. There is a long inlet pipe on it, that is also similar to a Geer. The coil looks cery similar to one on an old Colombia, at least in shape, but the shapes of coils of that perod didnt vary much. There is a very peculiar belt tensioning devise on the left and sde of the machine. It has seven diferent levels of tenson that you could give the belt. Also, if you look very closely at some of the pictures, the frame is brazed together very cleanly. the things that meake me think that it is home made are the gas tank and the crankcase. The gas tank is constructed out of sheet brass. it was soldered and riveted every half of an inch. The crankcase has 26 small studs on each side to hold on the two sideplates (I dont know if that is the correct name, but the covers on the side lol) Maybe this will help someone identify the Unknown Motorcycle. I am also planning on sending in pictures to the Magazine to be published in the inter Issue.

[knossos99]

Johnny,

It looks like the bike was made pretty early. If it is pre 1906 or so, I'd guess that the Shebler carb was added later, to replace a surface carb. The surface carb would have been part of the gas tank, so probably the gas tank was replaced at the same time.

That may explain the long inlet pipe and the interesting gas tank construction.

best of luck.
pete