Unnamed early engines--why?

[shawcycle]

It's always puzzled me why anyone would build bike engines and not put their name on the crankcases. In the case of the Shaw a possible explanation has surfaced. A number of unmarked Shaw engines have surfaced in recent years with factory engine numbers and other traits that place their age in the mid teens. A recent photocopy page of the Montgomery Wards 1916 catalgue describes a Wards marketed motorbike that is identical to the Shaw. The ad also states that the bikes "are shipped from a factory near Kansas City." This makes me think that these unmarked Shaws may have been the ones marketed for a time by Wards. Anyone have other explanations or theroys? Did Sears, Wards, or other retailers market other brands in the early years with the manufacturer's real idenity hidden? Are there other explaninations for the mystery bike engines? John Hasty

[jonnycola]

Steffey

Yes, Steffey Motor Attachments were the same. They had no identification on the crankcase at all. Companys like that never made thier own machines. Sears Motorcycle engines were made by Spake, who later made cyclecar engines. I have never looked in an old Montgomery Ward booklet, but what other kinds of bikes did thet offer?

[shawcycle]

All I have is the one page of the 1916 Wards catalogue. I don't know if they offered other makes or not but that brings up another question. When did Wards association with the Hawthorn name begin? (Trying to slide an early bicycle question in here--sometimes they had motors on them)
John Hasty

[Michael.Voice]

Yes... and no...

Sears, Deluxe, Crawford and Eagle were all proprietry brands of motorcycles. In other words, they bought Deluxe (Spacke) engines, frames, gears, trasmissions, forks etc and assembled them then branded with each their own label or name. Some of this seems to be like a franchise, yet Dayton used the identical engine, except that they had the Dayton name cast on the side of the crankcase - though was still made by Spacke Manufacturing Co.

Hence these 5 motorcycle brands are similar and in some areas, identical with very minor differences. Dayton went on to make a 3 speed V-twin still with the Spacke Deluxe motor in it, but still went out of business in 1916 with the last of their stock assembled and sold off in the 1917 season. The 3 speed had a completely different frame and as yet I do not know of a 3 speed made by the other brands mentioned.

I expect this was done by many companies trying hard to compete with Ford's Model T which put death to much of the smaller motorcycle industry firms in USA as they simply could not compete on cost of making and sales to support them.

Thats my 2 cents worth...

Regards

Michael Voice
Mad Kiwi Antique Motorcycle nut (addicted to preservation of our bike history)

[Michael.Voice]

Yes... and no...

Sears, Deluxe, Crawford and Eagle were all proprietry brands of motorcycles. In other words, they bought Deluxe (Spacke) engines, frames, gears, trasmissions, forks etc and assembled them then branded with each their own label or name. Some of this seems to be like a franchise, yet Dayton used the identical engine, except that they had the Dayton name cast on the side of the crankcase - though was still made by Spacke Manufacturing Co.

Hence these 5 motorcycle brands are similar and in some areas, identical with very minor differences. Dayton went on to make a 3 speed V-twin still with the Spacke Deluxe motor in it, but still went out of business in 1916 with the last of their stock assembled and sold off in the 1917 season. The 3 speed had a completely different frame and as yet I do not know of a 3 speed made by the other brands mentioned.

I expect this was done by many companies trying hard to compete with Ford's Model T which put death to much of the smaller motorcycle industry firms in USA as they simply could not compete on cost of making and sales to support them.

Thats my 2 cents worth...

Regards

Michael Voice
Mad Kiwi Antique Motorcycle nut (addicted to preservation of our bike history)

[Michael.Voice]

Yes... and no...

Sears, Deluxe, Crawford and Eagle were all proprietry brands of motorcycles. In other words, they bought Deluxe (Spacke) engines, frames, gears, trasmissions, forks etc and assembled them then branded with each their own label or name. Some of this seems to be like a franchise, yet Dayton used the identical engine, except that they had the Dayton name cast on the side of the crankcase - though was still made by Spacke Manufacturing Co.

Hence these 5 motorcycle brands are similar and in some areas, identical with very minor differences. Dayton went on to make a 3 speed V-twin still with the Spacke Deluxe motor in it, but still went out of business in 1916 with the last of their stock assembled and sold off in the 1917 season. The 3 speed had a completely different frame and as yet I do not know of a 3 speed made by the other brands mentioned.

I expect this was done by many companies trying hard to compete with Ford's Model T which put death to much of the smaller motorcycle industry firms in USA as they simply could not compete on cost of making and sales to support them.

Thats my 2 cents worth...

Regards

Michael Voice
Mad Kiwi Antique Motorcycle nut (addicted to preservation of our bike history)