Cyclone production numbers

The Lyon story is true as I have the letter to Giorno. I presume Giorno's regret was purely financial judging the way he treated his acquisitions.

[HarleyCreation]

Who had a Cyclone?

This was a photo sent to Giorno with an offer to sell this bike for $3500 in 1973, an offer which Giorno eternally regretted not taking. I believe Egeberg was a bike dealer in Minneapolis. The vendor was a Chicago bank manager Bob Lyon and he said the bike was authentically restored by factory employees from a racer.

I don't think Giorno mentioned this Cyclone to me. In 1973 $3500 was a LOT. You could still buy running Knuckleheads for $350. And he bought that Crocker for a song and he sang it himself.

Still, I can understand his "eternal" regret. My avatar pix shows I like yellow bikes...

There were 3 Egberg brothers: Roy, Chas. & John. My notecard says their dad(?) was a Minneapolis motorcycle dealer going back to 1896. But unless he was a dealer for "The Motor Cycle" by Pennington, that must mean bicycle dealer.

I've heard that Lyon story, but also that it was bogus. Not sure. Did Egberg own the Cyclone? Seems like he owned another super-rare engine or two with a shady background behind them. Better not say more...

Cyclone restored from a racer again suggests almost no road bike production. I'm thinking a VERY small handful.

Question: Does anyone have original evidence of a road model Cyclone bought by a private owner and used for road purposes c1915?

Barry,

Do you know the story behind this photo? I know Strand was the motor designer, but how do the other guys fit in? All I know is that Egbergs were Minneapolis motorcycle enthusiasts going WAY back.

This was a photo sent to Giorno with an offer to sell this bike for $3500 in 1973, an offer which Giorno eternally regretted not taking. I believe Egeberg was a bike dealer in Minneapolis. The vendor was a Chicago bank manager Bob Lyon and he said the bike was authentically restored by factory employees from a racer.

[HarleyCreation]

Bill Ottoway (Team Manager), Howard Campell (Pitman, Jim Davis, Otto Walker, Ray Weishaar, Maldwyn Jones, Ralph Hepburn, Fred Ludlow, Irvin Janke, Ben McGinnis (Pitman) and Henry Sieverson (Hank Syvertson) and Lacy Crolius (Advertising Manager Harley-Davidson Motor Co.)

Nice.

Yeah, Crolius is pretty tall at that. I'm thinking the "spy" might well be him. It sure would fit his job and constant presence at races.

Good catch on Hank's name too!

Danke

[HarleyCreation]

I think you might be right Herb. The spy could very well be Crolius. He is pretty tall in the picture I cropped this photo from. The only thing that looks different is the cleft in his chin. But I think it is more pronounced becaue of the lighting. Ears look the same. This photo was from April 1914.

Ever since you told me about the Rowell Special I have been looking for more info. No luck!Somewhere there has to be a photo of that race. Maybe we'll get lucky and somebody will realize they had it all along.

Dick

I looked at a few more photos of Crolius and he doesn't look short. Gotta find the whole photo of the spy in the lineup to see if he really is tall or the other guys around him just short or sitting. I see the cleft chin, but the lower face and ears are close. One thing, Crolius did hang around all the races during this period and was even with the Harley pit crew at Dodge City in 1914. So his presence with a camera would be logical.

I was hoping Barry's photo might be the "Rowell Special" race, but I don't think so. Still, it might be described in one of the mags of the day. But I don't have them. Wouldn't it be something to find another Perry-motored bike?

[HarleyCreation]

In 1973 this beauty was for sale for $3500. Restored from a racer back to a road bike by the original guys who built it! ! How's that for a change? Left to right Roy Egberg, Andrew Strand, Paul Paladi. Could this bike now belong to Lane Plotner? I think Lane's bike came from Harrahs and $3500 was big bucks for an old bike in 1973.

Barry,

Do you know the story behind this photo? I know Strand was the motor designer, but how do the other guys fit in? All I know is that Egbergs were Minneapolis motorcycle enthusiasts going WAY back.

[Harleyson's]

Lacy Crolius

Bill Ottoway (Team Manager), Howard Campell (Pitman, Jim Davis, Otto Walker, Ray Weishaar, Maldwyn Jones, Ralph Hepburn, Fred Ludlow, Irvin Janke, Ben McGinnis (Pitman) and Henry Sieverson (Hank Syvertson) and Lacy Crolius (Advertising Manager Harley-Davidson Motor Co.)

[pem]

I think you might be right Herb. The spy could very well be Crolius. He is pretty tall in the picture I cropped this photo from. The only thing that looks different is the cleft in his chin. But I think it is more pronounced becaue of the lighting. Ears look the same. This photo was from April 1914.

Ever since you told me about the Rowell Special I have been looking for more info. No luck!Somewhere there has to be a photo of that race. Maybe we'll get lucky and somebody will realize they had it all along.

Dick

[HarleyCreation]

I'm pretty sure Barry's Milwaukee stamped photo is from the June 20, 1915 race. A 100 mile event I believe.

There were only 3 races in Milwaukee in 1915 (not 4 like they promised) and the dates were changed, but only the June 20 race seems to fit the bill. On May 2 it was reported that Carl Escherich was negotiating with the Joerns people in St. Paul for quote: "a fast yellow devil Cyclone." Promos for the June 20 race promised that Carl Goudy (also in this photo) and Bob Perry would attend. The Aug. 1 and Sept. 19 races do not say that or mention them. Besides, on 18 Sept., Goudy was at a race in Rhode Island. Unlikely he was in Milwaukee to race the very next day.

If someone has the June 20 race results in some period mag, that would probably tell the tale. My info all comes from the Milwaukee Journal and is not complete. They didn't publish complete results, sometimes not at all if the race was on a Sunday (no Sunday edition).

Too bad the photos isn't of the Aug. 1 Milwaukee race. A machine called the "Rowell Special" was entered. This was described as a "dark horse" entry. Frederick Rowell was an engineer at A. O. Smith at this time and Perry Mack also worked there. Dick knows about this. Unless this was a Smith Motor Wheel in a 100 mile race against Harleys, Excelsiors, Indians, etc. it had to be some top notch one-off racing job.

Possibly with a Perry E. Mack OHV motor?

I wonder if results of the Aug. 1 race in period mags mention the "Rowell Special?" It would be very cool to find out and learn what this bike might have been.

[HarleyCreation]

Here's a close up. of the "spy"

The "spy" looks like he could be Lacy Crolius, but I'm not sure that Crolius was this tall. Wish we could see his eyes better. Unless like Chris said, he's a spy for Indian in disguise.

[jurassic]

Mcqueen's Cyclone

[Chuck#1848]

Thanks Jurassic!

Not a bad looking sidecar rig at all ,and it looks like it get's used a bit to
I am a bit curious, but what are the chances that the cyclone emblem was applied to the top of the nose of the sidecar and not the sides?
Would that be a Rodgers sidecar given the time line of the bike?

[Harleyson's]

Classic Bike / February 1985 / McQueen's Machines

$20,500 was not unreal . . .

[c.o.]

After continuing to study pics in Steve Wrights "American Racer" I thought I'd just shoot him an e-mail and see what he thought on the "blue" subject. Here's what he had to say...... "I am sure they had a dark blue paint option, I have had a look for info, but no luck yet. It would seem that an alternative to their Chrome Yellow would be logical as it would not appeal to everyone, why lose a sale due to a simple option of paint choice?" As you can see there's still speculation but he's diggin' for info. Maybe we'll hear word on this yet!

[jurassic]

i dont remember this cyclone being at the chandler auction. i dont know if its the only one with a sidecar or not. i thought lattin had one???