old photos

[c.o.]

aka HAWG posted these in the Emblem ads thread and I thought they were so great that I had to put them up here.......

[Ross]

Thanks for the photo Barry. Very cool. I've met Irving's son over the years at hockey dinners. Another sidenote, my youngest son Tyler tried out for the Chicago Blackhawks in 2002. He went to Davenport in 1991 as a 7 year old so he really can't be labelled a dumb hockey player. He was disappointed to find out that the "win a 1942 HD contest for young folk " wasn't open to Canadians. He had a great story lined up about old war veterans and their motorcycles. In the car ride down to Davenport in 1991 I had the priviledge to transport Alex Grant ( Cameron Highlander at D day) Bert Bentley(full Colonel also D day and decorated by the King of England) and none other than Irv Loewen fighter pilot of Spits and Hurricanes . Tyler although 7 got quite an education over that 900 miles to our favourite motorcycle meet. For the record they killed 2 bottles of malt scotch in the backseat and all I could do was watch and drive. Rest in peace, to the Famous 3 Amigo's.

[Barry Brown]

What a great story Ross. I met Bert and thought he was a wonderful gentleman, interesting to hear more about him.

[Barry Brown]

WAIT A MINUTE HERE! The contest wasn't open to Canadians??? I thought this club was truly International.

[pem]

Well... after consulting with Tom it appears that this postcard picture came from a track in South Eastern Ontario. Dick you in fact have unknowingly spurred me on to find out more about the race tracks north of the 49th!

Looks like I woke you guys up. What a great bunch of photos our friends from the north have posted. You are entirely welcome. Keep the photos coming. I had no idea that there were that many motorcycle enthusiast and race tracks in Canada in the early years of motorcycling. Do you know specifically which city that track was located in? I have found nothing so far online. My best luck over the years has been searching local newspapers/periodicals with a fine tooth comb. Herb taught me this. Boring as hell but when you find something it makes it worth it.

Dick

[c.o.]

Dick I've just begun the newspaper search method. It is definitely tedious for sure. The location of your track is more of an educated guess at this point than for sure fact. But it appears that it could have come from the town of the very same name as the picture you posted. Apparently there was motorcycle activity in that area in the teens.

Here's a few more pics...........


Here's a Flying Merkel in Regina, Saskatchewan



Gotta get them papers delivered...........Edmonton, Alberta



I guess the law preferred H-D in Edmonton

[exeric]

I've never seen a picture of a Merkel with a sidecar. That must have been quite a unique setup considering the Merkel has a swingarm. Thanks for posting that Cory.

[pem]

Hey Corey, sorry to get off on another tangent, but seeing how we are talking about motorcycling in Canada did you know that Perry Mack's father, James Mack, was born on July 31, 1846 at Cedar Creek, Waterloo County, Canada West. You might as well put that in your files too. But what is interesting is that on Perry's 1878 birth certificate on the line where it asks the father's coutry of birth he states U.S.A. And Perry's name even isn't on the certificate. It is amazing how history is recorded. You really can't trust anything that was written in the past unless you were actually standing there when it occured.

Dick

[Barry Brown]

History lesson for Americans. There was no Canada until 1867. Mr.Mack appears to have been from the British colony of Upper Canada although who knows. Around this time and back to the war of 1812 and the US war of Independence people were hopping back and forth over borders.

[c.o.]

I've never seen a picture of a Merkel with a sidecar. That must have been quite a unique setup considering the Merkel has a swingarm. Thanks for posting that Cory.

No problem Eric, I figured one of you fellas would make the Merkel sidecar observation.

[c.o.]

Hey Corey, sorry to get off on another tangent, but seeing how we are talking about motorcycling in Canada did you know that Perry Mack's father, James Mack, was born on July 31, 1846 at Cedar Creek, Waterloo County, Canada West. You might as well put that in your files too. But what is interesting is that on Perry's 1878 birth certificate on the line where it asks the father's coutry of birth he states U.S.A. And Perry's name even isn't on the certificate. It is amazing how history is recorded. You really can't trust anything that was written in the past unless you were actually standing there when it occured.

Dick

Dick,,,

Your last sentence I believe says it all. Thanks for the info on Perry Mack. Interesting about his father. I'm sitting here thinking that Wisconsin would have been a real interesting place to be in the early days. A lot went on there that's for sure!

[c.o.]

Wow, is anybody else getting a lot of internal server errors tonight. I'm finding it quite hard to get a post on the board.......

[jurassic]

can you name this bike ?

[jurassic]

does this original motorcycle still exist

[kval]

Jurassic
ooh!! ooh!! I know this: it is a 1885 Daimler, and yes it does still exist, I have it in my display case (1:8 scale)