Pirate Motorcycle

[pem]

Has anybody ever seen a Pirate motorcycle or have a photo of one? That had to be the coolest name ever for a motorcycle. Next to nothing is known about them. Thanks

Dick

[HarleyCreation]

I know a couple/few were actually built and that up until a few years ago the "factory" still existed. Maybe still does.

[pem]

Herb, you probably have told me in the past but what is the address of the Pirate Motor Mfg. Co.? Do you know the current and original address? I know it was in the city of Milwaukee. The Articles of Organization were signed on Dec. 4th, 1914 by Herman Roth, Julius Tanck and John Krohn. Maybe somebody reading this will recognize a name and provide a leed. Somewhere somebody took a photo of the bike. Maybe!

Dick

[pem]

Herb, you probably have told me in the past but what is the address of the Pirate Motor Mfg. Co.? Do you know the current and original address? I know it was in the city of Milwaukee. The Articles of Organization were signed on Dec. 4th, 1914 by Herman Roth, Julius Tanck and John Krohn. Maybe somebody reading this will recognize a name and provide a leed. Somewhere somebody took a photo of the bike. Maybe!

Dick

[jurassic]

it almost looks like a yale clone

[milw.pirates]

Pirate cycle

Herb, you probably have told me in the past but what is the address of the Pirate Motor Mfg. Co.? Do you know the current and original address? I know it was in the city of Milwaukee. The Articles of Organization were signed on Dec. 4th, 1914 by Herman Roth, Julius Tanck and John Krohn. Maybe somebody reading this will recognize a name and provide a leed. Somewhere somebody took a photo of the bike. Maybe!

Dick

The address is on the bottom of the photo,834-836 Muskego ave.,I think that is near,or north of Bill Knuths H-D dealership,that was at Mitchell & Muskego,what do you think Herb?

[pem]

Thanks for the quick response. I completely forgot about that ad from 1914. Thanks for the leed. I know all the addresses were changed in Milwaukee around 1912 to 1920 so all the old addresses we know about have to be cross referenced with a directory that was printed back in the day. Both the Milwaukee Historical Society and the downtown library have a copy. This will give me an excuse to go to the big city this spring and check it out.

Dick

[milw.pirates]

PEM

Thanks for the quick response. I completely forgot about that ad from 1914. Thanks for the leed. I know all the addresses were changed in Milwaukee around 1912 to 1920 so all the old addresses we know about have to be cross referenced with a directory that was printed back in the day. Both the Milwaukee Historical Society and the downtown library have a copy. This will give me an excuse to go to the big city this spring and check it out.

Dick

Dick,
the 834-836 address numbers may mean that the building took up two city lots,since the numbers for houses in Milw. are odd or even depending on what side of the street.

[HarleyCreation]

I can remember the location of the Pirate factory this way. The building is on Muskego where the street is angled, not straight. Makes a little jog and bends. I think that angle might have been reflected in the building too. The building was like a big garage, two stories I think, and at the time I was there it was an auto body shop or car repair. The outside had a sort of quasi-Spanish styling I believe, altho that sounds kind of nutty. The owner let me go thru the building and look around. He could remember some old man telling him that in the distant past motorcycles had been built there, but he didn't know the name was Pirate.

Somewhere I should have the modern address if I could find it...but it's right where Muskego takes that "jog."

Lonnie, is that a Yale motor?

[milw.pirates]

pirate building

I can remember the location of the Pirate factory this way. The building is on Muskego where the street is angled, not straight. Makes a little jog and bends. I think that angle might have been reflected in the building too. The building was like a big garage, two stories I think, and at the time I was there it was an auto body shop or car repair. The outside had a sort of quasi-Spanish styling I believe, altho that sounds kind of nutty. The owner let me go thru the building and look around. He could remember some old man telling him that in the distant past motorcycles had been built there, but he didn't know the name was Pirate.

Somewhere I should have the modern address if I could find it...but it's right where Muskego takes that "jog."

Lonnie, is that a Yale motor?

Herb,
was that a dirty red brick building on th east side of street,I think it had green trim?

[jurassic]

the pirate is definatly not a yale engine.its close ,but the yale has the horizontal cylinder fins.if not for the angle of the fins,it would be almost identical.

[HarleyCreation]

Herb,
was that a dirty red brick building on th east side of street,I think it had green trim?

Green trim does ring a bell. Do you know the building? Not sure if east side or not. Gotta find my map and notes of it.

I pulled out my Pirate file and it has like 1 item in it but not the map, etc. Does say that the saddle was Fulerman's patented seat and that Fulerman was going to be made president of the Pirate firm. Somewhere I have a photo of the building, but I have to locate it first.

[HarleyCreation]

the pirate is definatly not a yale engine.its close ,but the yale has the horizontal cylinder fins.if not for the angle of the fins,it would be almost identical.

Yeah, Pirate not a Yale clone, but very close in general design right down to the exhaust pipes, sparkplug placement, intake manifold, cam cover shape, etc. Also notice the similar style and position of the foot rests.

Then, reading the 1914 Pirate ad: "The Pirate motorcycle, by virture of its many exclusive features....has already earned a firm place among the nation's leading motorcycles."

Now, that's another outright lie since few if any Pirates were built at that point, if ever.

However, it's possible they were referring to the supplier of their motor, the Yale people, which by 1914 did have a "firm place" among leading American motorcycles.

Just a thought...

[milw.pirates]

pirate cycle

Green trim does ring a bell. Do you know the building? Not sure if east side or not. Gotta find my map and notes of it.

I pulled out my Pirate file and it has like 1 item in it but not the map, etc. Does say that the saddle was Fulerman's patented seat and that Fulerman was going to be made president of the Pirate firm. Somewhere I have a photo of the building, but I have to locate it first.

Yes Herb, I remember the building,on the east side of the street, (where the street car bends the corner) the building at one time in the 70's was a bodyshop.and I think they had swing doors for the garage. the houses on the west side were up hill with steps out front,Bill Knuth's H -D shop was on west side of street, north of the bend,he had black and white tiles,(like a checkered flag),below both picture windows out front,that building was still there last time I was down there.

[HarleyCreation]

Yes Herb, I remember the building,on the east side of the street, (where the street car bends the corner) the building at one time in the 70's was a bodyshop.and I think they had swing doors for the garage. the houses on the west side were up hill with steps out front,Bill Knuth's H -D shop was on west side of street, north of the bend,he had black and white tiles,(like a checkered flag),below both picture windows out front,that building was still there last time I was down there.

Ken,

That's gotta be the same building I visited, which would have been around 1990-'91 or so...

You mean I was that close to Knuth's South Side store and didn't even know it? Funny, that's one thing I never did: Look for either of Knuth's shops. Just never did. Maybe next time I'm down that way I'll try to do that. Is the North Side store building still there?