Chariots. Did you ever have these in America?

[Tommo]

These photos were taken in 1936 and show two of the HD J model powered chariots that raced on the Palmerston North Showgrounds Speedway.
We're looking at building a modern version of them powered by Vee Twin Hondas so as we can do demo runs on the same Speedway.
Thought some of you might enjoy these photos.

[c.o.]

Those are some awesome pics!!! I've seen photos of rear mounted chariot attachments with a bike and rider towing somebody behind them but nothing quite like that!

[Chuck#1848]

Now that's cool Tommo, it always amazes me what people did with motorcycles in the early days you always seem to have some interesting photos of what the people did in NZ..but......shouldn't the chariot wheels have some cutting blades on them to cut out the other persons spokes.

[Robert Luland]

Really cool stuff but death is will come to all of us sooner or later. What I never could understand was why mankind will go to great lengths to find ways to speed it up. Bob L

[Dave Minerva]

Killer Cool pics

[koanes]

Great pictures. I am curious about how the chariot driver controlled the motorcycles, I see the long cable for throttle but what about clutch and gear change, no brakes?

[T. Cotten]

Tommo and All!

If my memory serves (I only read this last month),
that one of the two in this photo was Armand Magri (hope I remembered that right),
at the California State Fair in '38 (or was it '39...)

(My written info is at the shop. And I can't remember if I got the photo from this forum, or Chris Haynes' great site, the url for which I forget.)

...Cotten
(I think.)

[Tommo]

Tom those are VL's but that is what I was getting at and now the question is, did Ernie Pink here in NZ get his ideas from the US built ones or was it the other way round.
Putt Mossman was running two of the local speedway tracks here in NZ around the time they were built so maybe the idea came from him and was based on what he had seen in the USA.

[Tommo]

Kyle apparently they were pigs of things to control and crashes of some kind were to be expected by one or other of the riders.
With the ones here in NZ the only control the rider had was the steering and the throttles.
Each grip, which was an old spade handle, was turned inwards to open the throttle of its respective bike, left side, left bike and right side, right bike and to turn you pushed away from yourself with one rod and pulled on the other one.
Just picture it and then you can see how crashes were inevitable. you're twisting your left wrist clockwise while pulling it towards you to turn left and at the same time you right wrist is twisting anti-clock and pushing away from you and you're trying to make sure the power is about even on both bikes so they go at least somewhere it the general direction you want to go.
To start off required an assistant who put both bikes into second gear engaged the clutches and jumped off leaving you to control it with throttles only.
Maurice Andrews, who is one of the guys pictured, is still alive and talking to him about riding and racing these devices is such a treat as just looking at photos just doesn't give you all the answers

[koanes]

Thanks for the explanation Tommo. I can imagine the assistant cranking the machine on the right, rocking the clutch back and placing it in second gear, then straddling the motorcycle on the left to repeat the procedure. He then most likely would have operated the clutches from the unit on the left, coordinating his right and left foot cluch engagement with the chariot operator working both throttles. Did the assistant try to stay on his feet when he bailed, or did he tuck into a ball and roll to safety. Something to see for sure.

[T. Cotten]

Since the edit function vaporizes, I must add another post:

I find it was Armando Magri, in '38, and Chris's site is http://www.vintageamericanmotorcycles.com/main.php

And my name really is spelled that way!

...Cotten