Traub

[L. A.]

Anyone have ANY info on this bike, please???????????

[Tommo]

Traub

Not very much. Hugo Wilson's book "The Encyclopedia of the Motorcycle" has a mention of this make that reads as follows:

Traub c1916
A typical American side-valve V-twin built in Chicago, the Traub was only ever made in prototype form.

I told you it was'nt much but maybe someone out there can add to it.

Tommo

[L. A.]

A big 'Thank You'!

Thanks Tommo...I've searched online for any info, for a friend, but have had no luck...anything's a start...again...thanks!

[jonnycola]

I went looking through my books, and I found some information on it, from the Illustrated Directory of American Motorcycles. Apparently it was built by a Mr. Traub around 1916, and it was stolen shortly thereafter. 50 years later, a plumber in Cicero, Illinois found it under the front porch of a house that he was working on. A call to the previous owner revealed that the machine was stolen by his son. He had gone off to WWI and he never returned. An owner of a chicago motorcycle shop traded a Yamaha for the Traub, and he later restored it. Bud Ekins was in chicago working as a stunt man for the Blues Brothers movie, and he bought it, and then sold it to Richard Morris. It was then Bought by Dale Walksler, and it now resides in his Wheels Through Time museum.

Heh, thats the best I can do

John Koller

[L. A.]

Traub...

Thanks John...those are some pretty interesting facts!

[Barry Brown]

Traub Info

I have some interesting info on the Traub. I have a large collection of early magazines and in one of my circa 1912 issues is a letter to the editor with a photograph of a gentleman with a motorcycle he constructed entirely on his own. The letter is signed Mr. _Raub ,( OBVIOUSLY A TYPO) it has been 7 years or so since I looked at this and it was not flagged so it may take a while to find! The intersting thing is that you can clearly see the cast in name on the crankcase of the cycle in identical fashion to the later side valve bike that was found walled up! So it would appear that the ingenious Mr. Traub made more than one cycle, and this would seem evident judging the quality of the later machine. ( the early one looks damn good too!) I wil try to find the letter.

[L. A.]

'the letter'

Would love to see this letter...could you let me know when you have found it?
Thanks!

[Barry Brown]

TRAUB followup

Well, I've started looking but don't hold your breath! When I originally found the bit I sent a copy to "Rotten" Richard Morris and he was ecstatic. Whether or not that photocopy was passed on to Dale Walksler ( the present owner) I do not know. I did mention it to him but I guess when you own 17 zillion beautiful old bikes Traub history means ZIP! Cheers, Barry

[Barry Brown]

MORE TRAUB INFO!

I found the letter to the editor from Richard Traub( typo says traut in the magazine but from the picture you can clearly see TRAUB cast into the crankcase just like the later Traub that Dale Walksler now owns! The letter and accompaning picture are in the July 1907 edition of ""The Motorcycle Illustrated" The bike looks fantastic a big belt drive vee twin , possibly Traub's first of how many bikes? Here is the text of the letter.
Mr.L.H.Cornish, Chicago,May 25, 1907.
Dear Sir,
Enclosed find one dollar for which sendme the Motorcycle Illustrated beginning with June issue. Also find enclosed picture and specifications of a motorcycle made by myself throughout engine and all. I worked on this cycle about one year putting in the time only between 7:00 p.m. and ll:00 p.m. I also worked Sundays. Thismotorcycle has no wonderful qualities but will run as good as any four-horse power motorcycle I know of. Specifications - weight, 275 pounds. Wheel base: 55 inches, TankCapacity, 3 1/2 gallons gasoline, one gallon oil. Sufficient for 125 miles. Power, four horse. Bore and Stroke, 3 1/2 by 4 inches. Auxiliary gasoline tank, 1/2 gallon. Speed, more than the roads will stand. Perfect grip control, throttle and spark motor is geared 3 3/4 to one. It has a cycle chain with washers and does good service. Has never troubled me yet and I rode all of 1500 miles. The belt is not my own idea. Tanks have gauge glasses so you can see at an instant how much gasoline you have. Hoping to see this in print. I am, respecfully, Richard Traub. 749 North Paulina Street, Chicago, Illinois.

It is obvious Mr. Traub was a very ingenious and talented home-based engineer. Many of us today would be happy to complete a restoration of a bike in such a short time. It would be interesting to know the address of where the later Traub was found as his address in 1907 is given above. Maybe someone should go and check that address and see if the earlier bike might be walled up as well! If anybody wants to see the photo I would be happy to Email it to them. Barry.

[HJahn]

I wonder if that "275 lb" spec for the Traub might be another typo?

Specs for the 1907 Harley-Davidson V-twin model were for a "167 lb" machine, also built on a 55-inch wheelbase.

Traub doesn't look to be 100+ lbs more.

Not nearly as classy looking as the 1907 H-D twin either...