anzani

[rwm]

some more photos

[American X]

In the book Murderdrome is a lot of information also photos. (about 100 pages of France) www.American-x.org

[Steve Slocombe]

Yes I can recommend that book by Thomas Bund. It covers early board and cement track racing in France, Germany, England and the USA. Page 88 shows a picture of the Italian Alessandro Anzani in 1905 on a board tracker. The next page shows a later French ad for Anzani motors, with a picture of a six cylinder radial engine and text saying he made 3 - 24 cylinder motors of 3 - 160 horsepower. A three cylinder Anzani Y-motor powered Bleriot across the English Channel in 1909, and some of his big V-Twins powered privateer racer motorcycles round Brooklands track in England in the 1920s. He seemed to be a proprietary engine manufacturer like J.A. Prestwich, but also like Glen Curtiss in the USA he started on bikes then moved on to aviation. Interesting guy, and nice motor!

[American X]

Anzani was a bicycle racer like most early motorcycle racers. He first worked for Hurtu and then Alcyon and Buchet. He was one of the famous board track racers in Paris from 1902-1906. In 1906 he opened a factory in France in Courbevoie for motors. Beside Motorcycle engines he made 3 Cylinder W Motors for Motorcycles as well as for aircrafts like Bleriot and pacing engines up to 4500 cc! The engine you have in the Thread is from the twenties. I think from the english or italian factory. Anzani was a manufacturer like JAP and MAG. The book Murderdrome (500 Fotos) has many photos of Anzani and also of other famous French board track racers which came also to the U.S. like Grapperon, Contant etc. for racing. They got the experience on tracks like velodrome Buffalo (named after Buffalo Bill because the Wild West Show was there) Parc de Princes and Velodrome d`Hiver. There are photos of motorcycles you never saw.
In France board track racing started around 1900, followed by Germany, Benelux and England. Every town had a velodrome which was also used for motorcycle racing. There were hundreds!
In the US there were some races in concrete velodromes around 1904/5 but the real board track racing started around 1908/9. In Europe we had never the circular tracks like the US. All the wooden tracks were replaced by concrete velodromes because of the maintaining costs. Today only one outside board track in Hannover / Germany is there. Spending about $35.000 a year to maintain it. We had the chance to ride on this track. The guy who takes care of the track is 76 years old! When he will pass away, that`s it.
see the videos on www.American-x.org

[sirhrmechanic]

Gorgeous piece of industrial design... not just a motor, art!

Thanks for posting. Wish I knew something about the bikes. But admiring your pictures for sure!

Cheers,

Sirhr

[American X]

I forgot to mention: only 600 copys of the book Murderdrome printed. Size 11" x 11" approx 3 kg (6 pounds) hardbound, color print. 320 pages. Printed in April 2013. Not available in book stores.
From the Enthusiast for the Enthusiast. Not for making profit!
so hurry up if you want a copy. If you have trouble with reading the webside, contact me in the forum