Cyclone Hybrid.....

[c.o.]

Due to the fact that I can't get a club mag delivered every week and there ain't much on the newstand that appeals to me, I find myself scouring through my old magazines for any little bit that I may have missed or to simply re-read old articles that I enjoy. Last night I was looking through the April, 1985 issue of Walneck's Motorcycle "Classic'fieds" and found an article that tipped my curiousity meter. The article was by Jerrry Stageberg and was titled "My Cyclone". He described his first machine that he purchased in the '40's as being a 1915 Cyclone with two spare engines for the sum of $40! He also went on to explain that the bike was a "bare bones" machine and the Cyclone motor sat in a '32 VL frame and had '36 Knuck tanks. It was intended for racing and was less than reliable for an everyday rider. He eventually gave up on it and sold it for $20!

Now of course this brings me to my question. What happened to this bike? Did it get parted out? Scrapped? Or could it possibly still exist? Were pictures ever taken of it? Man, the questions just keep coming! Anybody ever heard of this beast!

[Tom Lovejoy]

Only got to see one Cyclone ever on a run, Lane Plotners at Borrego. I could not beleive he was actually riding it!!! Unfortunately on that day it broke, before I had even got to see it run, dang it! It was something to do with the valve lifters or linkage, but it was and is an awesome machine.

[c.o.]

I've yet to see a Cyclone, let alone hear one run. I would have liked to have been at Davenport when the theme was boardtrackers. I know that Jim Latten owned/owns Don John's old race bike. I'm not sure of it's current status.

I can recall reading an article in the Laughing Indian Rider newsletter on Lane Plotner and his magnificent Cyclone. If I remember right he had quite the adventure on a narrow mountain road in Washington!

Oh, and while I'm at it the story on the hybrid came out of Minnesota.........