At the Creation

[Baytown]

Finaly recieved my copy of Herb Wagners, 'At the Creation' from Amazon (geez that took a while!).
The book looks great thanks Herb, and I'm really looking forward to getting into it.
You really need to distribute it in Oz / En Zed!

Best wishes everyone.

Ken

[HarleyCreation]

Re: At the Creation

Originally posted by Baytown
Finaly recieved my copy of Herb Wagners, 'At the Creation' from Amazon (geez that took a while!).
The book looks great thanks Herb, and I'm really looking forward to getting into it.
You really need to distribute it in Oz / En Zed!

Best wishes everyone.

Ken

Did I do my homework?

There are a few minor errors and additions, but nothing major has changed since that was written.

[Baytown]

I just finished my other book, so I'll start yours tonight. It'll be fine mate I sure!!! (Who am I to argue!)

Best wishes Herb.

Ken.

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Baytown
I just finished my other book, so I'll start yours tonight. It'll be fine mate I sure!!! (Who am I to argue!)

Best wishes Herb.

Ken.

Thanks.

I'm happy if people want to challenge or test any of the findings in that book.

There are still a lot of blanks and questions about the beginnings of H-D and hopefully more evidence is out there.

Who knows where it may come from?

[Baytown]

G'day Herb.
I've just finished you book, and enjoyed it greatly. Even though I'm hard core Indian, I must admit the early HD looked a much more efficient, modern design as you pointed out. I've never really thought about the issue of HD almost setting the standard for design / layout post 1908, but after looking at the pre 1909 Indian, you're right. Funny, there is a 1907 Indian Single here in Oz, and I only ever admired the machine. Never compared it to any other from the same era. I'll pay more attention to it when I see it next.
Anyway Herb, thanks for the fascinating and well thought out book. Should be compulsory reading for all early US bike fans.

Best wishes.

Ken.

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Baytown
G'day Herb.
I've just finished you book, and enjoyed it greatly. Even though I'm hard core Indian, I must admit the early HD looked a much more efficient, modern design as you pointed out. I've never really thought about the issue of HD almost setting the standard for design / layout post 1908, but after looking at the pre 1909 Indian, you're right. Funny, there is a 1907 Indian Single here in Oz, and I only ever admired the machine. Never compared it to any other from the same era. I'll pay more attention to it when I see it next.
Anyway Herb, thanks for the fascinating and well thought out book. Should be compulsory reading for all early US bike fans.

Best wishes.

Ken.

Thanks.

It came as a surprise to me as well that the early Harley-D set a new standard after 1905 (with a little help from Joe Merkel and Ole E.).

I think what gets lost in those very early years is how fast bikes were evolving back then. Previously to doing that book I more or less looked at the pre-1910 era as pretty much all the same: primitive bicycle-like machines.

But it turned out that what was cutting-edge technology in 1901 when the Indian was prototyped was increasingly obsolescent after 1903-04-05 and certainly behind the times by 1906-07-08.

I think that because Hendee was a bicycle guy, he stuck to the motorcycle as being a motorized bicycle long after some others no longer did. Some predicted that motorcycles would become even lighter in weight as time went on, but the "western" motorcycle quickly evolved into something heavier and more powerful due to distance and poor roads.

And as it turned out, the motorcycle really wasn't a motorized bicycle, but a new kind of machine. Indian came back strong in 1909 with the "heavyweight" concept, but that had allowed upstart H-D to get a jump during 1905-1908.