1905 Land & Water Trike Sighted in Iowa!!!

[HarleyCreation]

It's winter and 5 inches of fresh snow fell here last night so it's time to post my favorite cabin fever wish-I-had-one ride.

Yes, if I were a replicator artist type like some of our amazingly talented club members, I would have to build one of these babies! It would be great fun to chug down the road (slow vehicle sign on the back) to the nearest boat landing and without even slowing down drive this thing right into the water! Then make a circuit of all the docks and piers and stuff and then chug back out of the water dripping wet and back down the road road!

Don't these guys look like they're having a blast in their awesome 1905 dream baby?

Thanks to Floyd Clymer (v. 5, p.34) we have the dope:

"Craft That Travels on Land and Water."

Built in 1905 at Jessup, Iowa, by T. Richmond. Has hinged paddles on wheels that automatically open and close as the wheels revolve. For winter use ice boat spikes are fastened and a runner put under the forward wheel, a change that takes only a few minutes to make.

[HarleyCreation]

GRRR!

For some reason I can't get the image to OPEN on the page! Does it open for anybody else? I made it open in the "TEST" forum okay, but can't get it to open here.

Maybe I see the problem. The [img] code is OFF for me on the Pre-16 Forum, even though it is set to ON in my CP.

Does the image open for you other guys on the page?

[portagepan]

It opened right up for me.

[Lonnie]

me too.

[petri]

No problem here either.

What was the motive power? A small engine I guess. Somewhere I've seen, a picture/drawing of something like this powered by a sail.

Howard

[c.o.]

Cool pic Herb! The weather's getting' crappy here tonight.........looks like another dump of snow.......

Oh, have you had the servi-car out this winter?

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by c.o.
Cool pic Herb! The weather's getting' crappy here tonight.........looks like another dump of snow.......

Oh, have you had the servi-car out this winter?

We had minus 20 F. here last night, but at least with the cold comes nice sunny days.

No, I haven't had my trike out this winter at all. Getting old I guess. Riding that thing in the winter used to be a ritual of mine. Now I don't care at all.

Sad....

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by petri
No problem here either.

What was the motive power? A small engine I guess. Somewhere I've seen, a picture/drawing of something like this powered by a sail.

Howard

I wondered about the motive power too. It didn't say, but it must have been a small engine. From the 1905 date and look of this thing it wasn't built for speed, that's for sure. But it was pretty big with lots of passengers, so probably a medium-sized lugging single of industrial quality would be my guess. Maybe one of those cool early Evinrude singles with gearbox attached.

Or maybe (considering the 1905 date again), they saw one of the first Harley-Davidson ads for bare motors and ordered one from the boys in Milwaukee!

We do know that a 1905 Harley engine did end up in Iowa without the rest of the bike....hmmm...you don't suppose????

Or maybe they got fancy and put a cool early opposed twin into this thing -- smooth power! I can't remember the names, but have seen opposed twins on the U.S. market similar to a BMW, XA, or Harley Sport Model engine offered at a very early date.

Maybe once on the lake they did hoist a sail, kicked back, and opened some beers....

[Chuck#1848]

Originally posted by HarleyCreation


We had minus 20 F. here last night, but at least with the cold comes nice sunny days.

No, I haven't had my trike out this winter at all. Getting old I guess. Riding that thing in the winter used to be a ritual of mine. Now I don't care at all.

Sad....

HC

What year is the trike?
I had a early 60's hd sidecar on a 72 fl that I use to ride year round weather permiting don't mind the cold so much it's the darn slush and salt that raises hell with the electrics and all

[HarleyCreation]

Originally posted by Chuck#1848


HC

What year is the trike?
I had a early 60's hd sidecar on a 72 fl that I use to ride year round weather permiting don't mind the cold so much it's the darn slush and salt that raises hell with the electrics and all

A fellow winter rider. A man after my own heart!

The trike is a parts job: 42WLA motor in a spoke wheel/mechanical brake Servi-Car chassis without the metal box and with a stock spring fork front end.

How was your 72 FL w/sidecar set up? Reverse? Winter windscreen? Adjustable fork?

I had a series of winter Harleys including a 50FL all set up like the above. My brother owns it now. I loved winter riding. And you're right, the cold didn't usually stop me either, but I sure bundled up!