Cyclone production numbers

[c.o.]

That is a great picture! I love how the fellas back then just made stuff work...

[SMS]

now that is a cool picture. really amazing .do you know where it was taken? email a clear copy ,and i'll post it bigger.

Thanks. That is my Grandfather in St. Paul, Minnesota.
I have a better one of that shot without the date stamp (from when I took a picture of a picture) I'll get to in a few days.

[jurassic]

Grrrrrrreat thread guys.

Keep the Cyclone stuff coming.

BTW, they were not all yellow. In fact they were not all even made of steel tubing...

now that is a cool picture. really amazing .do you know where it was taken? email a clear copy ,and i'll post it bigger.

[SMS]

Grrrrrrreat thread guys.

Keep the Cyclone stuff coming.

BTW, they were not all yellow. In fact they were not all even made of steel tubing...

Sverre, I am sure I read somewhere that Reading sold all the old Cyclone/Reading ohc patterns etc. to someone or company in Europe in the 1920's. This would seem to be an obvious link to the Koehler Escoffier. ohc.

[sveger]

Cyclones and more

I do agree with Barry in that the Koehler Escoffier from France have a clare resemblance to the Cyclone engine design. I was at Monthlery France at the vintage race many years ago where a OHC Koehler Escoffier was raced, that was spectacular, sound was terrific.

Jurassic, the dutch text is roughly as this;
Mr. Herkuleijns is shown on his Excelsior racer ready to compete with Mr. Brinkhof who sits on his Thiem racer. The Thiem is an American Machine with a Cyclone engine. The Cyclone engine is a very special design with its bewel driven OHC design. Picture is taken approx. 1917.
Later on the text explains a lot on Mr. Herkuleijns Harley racer.

Obviously there have been a Cyclone motor in Europe and it might very well have influated on the beautyfull Koehler OHC`s.

Very cool photos both the reading Standard with Cyclone motor and the pic from the Netherlands.
Sverre
AMcN
http://AmericanMotorcyclesNorway.blogspot.com

[jurassic]

[jurassic]

can someone translate?

[HarleyCreation]

It appears that the Cyclone motorcycle wasn't a very good design. It looked better than it ran.

For example, here are two newspaper articles that aren't too flattering.

09/16/1916, The Evening Tribune, Albert Lea, Mn.

"The Cyclone motorcycle is some cyclone all right, all right. And even if it looks in action like a yellow streak, it doen's seem to show a sign of a yellow streak while on duty."

03-18-1917 Galeveston Daily News

"Motoring Department: I am anxious to know the proper method of grinding in valves. I have a Cyclone motorcycle which has developed leaky valves and have tried to stop the leaks and cannot get good compression. Perhaps you can advise me how to do it and how to get the results. An early answer in your columns would be very much appreciated. C.E.L."

Looks like you can ad another one to your list Herb as this second one is on Texas. And we even have the intitials of the owner.

Dick

Good finds!

That first one is a little obscure to me, but the second is clear enough.

Yep, looks like we got a 4th road model Cyclone in our virtual registry.

Is there a number 5?

[jurassic]

[pem]

It appears that the Cyclone motorcycle wasn't a very good design. It looked better than it ran.

For example, here are two newspaper articles that aren't too flattering.

09/16/1916, The Evening Tribune, Albert Lea, Mn.

"The Cyclone motorcycle is some cyclone all right, all right. And even if it looks in action like a yellow streak, it doen's seem to show a sign of a yellow streak while on duty."

03-18-1917 Galeveston Daily News

"Motoring Department: I am anxious to know the proper method of grinding in valves. I have a Cyclone motorcycle which has developed leaky valves and have tried to stop the leaks and cannot get good compression. Perhaps you can advise me how to do it and how to get the results. An early answer in your columns would be very much appreciated. C.E.L."

Looks like you can ad another one to your list Herb as this second one is on Texas. And we even have the intitials of the owner.

Dick

I recall reading somewhere that Reading sold the design etc. to some firm in Europe. I have always speculated that this design may have then morphed into the late twenties "Koehler Escoffier " bevel gear ohc racing twin of which I read only 13 were made and has an uncanny resemblance to it's possible forebearers. Am I alone in this idle speculation?

[HarleyCreation]

Notice in the blurb about the R-S/Cyclone that it continued to have reliability problems.

If the few Cyclone road models produced also were unreliable, that might have contributed to their sudden demise before real production got underway. Along with WWI economic factors, of course. That was a bad time for small motorcycle factories.

[jurassic]

[c.o.]

I hear that Reading Standard racers were equipped with Cyclone engines and possibly took over Cyclone. Any truth to this?

I've heard something similar Chris but it was a last attempt at holding onto some form of the Cyclone line ........here's a pretty good article. There seems to be no references for proof but the three pages make a good read anyway....

http://www.ultimatemotorcycling.com/...ike?page=0%2C0