Need help in identifying motorcycle

[c.o.]

Notice that the stolen Comet didn't have a license plate. I'll bet half the bikes on the road in 1909 didn't get registered. Did it get recovered? Don't know. Maybe it's hidden in some barn or shed to this day!

How many survived is a mystery. Don't know of any surviving Comet motorcycle. When you look at the THOUSANDS of bikes of all makes registered back then it boggles the mind. It gets really spooky when you look at the many beautiful 36EL serial numbers of later years and you wonder what became of them. Each motorcycle ever built had an ultimate unique fate of its own. Wouldn't it be cool to know what that fate was just by looking at a serial number or an old picture?

I have to correct myself in the previous post. Leo O'Oconnor did not become the Experimental Dept foreman in the 1920s. He became the guy in charge of the Exp. Dept. test riders. Frank Trispel was the Exp. Dept. foreman at that time; later replaced by Ed Kiekbusch, the guy who didn't believe that the Harley motorcycle needed a fuse in the wiring system. Those guys were traditional.

Herb,

I find myself wondering "what happened to that bike?" nearly every time I look at an old photo. It would be very cool to find out the story behind a bike from a serial number. I always appreciate your historical input. Threads like this are where it's at!!!

Check this out.. http://www.competitiondist.com/image...%20IMG_4799.JP it came from Lonnie Sr.s Competition site.. http://www.competitiondist.com/harley-people.php it's worth a look around!!!

[pem]

The Sheboygan stolen Comet article PROVES that they did build some with the spring fork/frame. Not just a promise or a drawing but an actual bike. That is good to know. Now we need a photo of one.

I wouldn't worry too much about hp oddities within the motorcycle regs. They are authentic enough, but many mistakes and goofs. Useful tho.

For reg #802 my notes say "Mfg by F. Kittliga" in addition to saying Leo O'Connor. Doesn't yours show that? I was hoping to verify the name, not as Kittliga but as Kittlitsch or Kittlitschko! If so, that's naming Frank (Sr./Jr.?) as the main guy and that people knew it.

BTW, Leo O'Connor later became a Harley factory guy and was their Experimental Dept foreman in the 1920s. Again, gotta wonder if he didn't have an early connection with the Comet factory. Employee?

Also: for #1391, my notes say "mfg by Galitiergo/Galitiesczo" Could that actually be Kittlitschko again??? Mfg. by Kittlitschko? I'm thinking that. Can you make it out?

Ref #802, I must have missed that. But I don't think so. With a reg. date of 05/13/1910 it must have been one of the last bikes made by the company as they dissappeared pretty much after June 1910 although #1719 was registered on 05/03/1911 with #5 serial number. I think #1719 was made by the Comet Motor Mfg. Co. but who knows for sure. And there was already a ser. #5 registered in 1909. So that's two #5's. Could be it is the same bike. Just can't be sure. I'm going with a new numbering system. I think there is no question that Frank Kitlitschko Jr. was the main man behind the Comet motorcycle. Then again that's just an educated quess. I still think our friend Perry Mack was
involved somehow

Ref #1391, I hard a very hard time making out the name as you did. I just guessed at some of the spelling because it was so hard to read. It deffinitely did not say Kittlitschko though. We'll prbably never know for sure.



For our Harley-Davidson friends here is a little tidbit. If you own a 1911 signle with ser.#A-111 it was registered by our friend lacy Crolius on 05/17/1911. 4 hp Reg. #18126. Maybe somebody out there has this bike or motor. Wouldn't that be cool!

Dick

Here's the actual registration for #1391

[HarleyCreation]

Milwaukee Comet

Dick, when you say you don't have #802, do you mean not as a photocopy of the microfilm?

The bikes were registered in random fashion for the most part, altho you can see a steady rise in H-D serial numbers, including the later appearance of "A" numbers when they entered production.

Some bikes were entered twice when they were sold and re-registered. I've encountered that too.

I read #1391 Comet reg from your post of the original as: "Galitszgo". That might be somebody's incorrect spelling of "Kittlitschko" as heard spoken verbally and then written down on a form. Some of those guys were foreign born and had accents. I think the same thing might be present in #802. If that's true, then Kittlitsch was getting credit as manufacturer. That doesn't mean that Perry wasn't involved, only that Frank was the main man and riders recognized that.

My count is 32 or 33 Comets. I think we can safely double that as actual production. Not too shabby for a Milwaukee Harley-clone bike that nobody heard of before. I didn't know it was Milwaukee at first either. Later on it hit me.

[pem]

Herb, your right. I don't have a photo of #802. But I see I made a copy of the Shoe motorcycle. Looking at it more closely maybe it doesn't say Democratic Party Co. See what you think. It's still pretty cool and one of. It's amazing how many one of's and homebuilt's were made before 1912. I'll bet we could almost double the total of motorcycle manufacturers in this country if we went thru all the old records.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Dick

[c.o.]

Herb, your right. I don't have a photo of #802. But I see I made a copy of the Shoe motorcycle. Looking at it more closely maybe it doesn't say Democratic Party Co. See what you think. It's still pretty cool and one of. It's amazing how many one of's and homebuilt's were made before 1912. I'll bet we could almost double the total of motorcycle manufacturers in this country if we went thru all the old records.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Dick

I blew up the Shoe registration Dick and I could clearly read Democrat (Party???) Co. I wonder if it had anything to do with horse buggies??? As far as the one off's it's got me wondering how many stood the test of time. I expect they would be rarer than a strap tank Harley these days....

[talbot-2]

Herb, your right. I don't have a photo of #802. But I see I made a copy of the Shoe motorcycle. Looking at it more closely maybe it doesn't say Democratic Party Co. See what you think. It's still pretty cool and one of. It's amazing how many one of's and homebuilt's were made before 1912. I'll bet we could almost double the total of motorcycle manufacturers in this country if we went thru all the old records.

Merry Christmas everybody!

Dick

I believe that you will find that the "Shoe" was registered to the "Democrat Printing Company" located at 114 S. Carroll Street in Madison, WI. "Democrat Printing" opened in 1905 and is still in business as the "DEMCO Company". Their history can be found at www.Demco.com.

A thought to ponder........Do you think that the "Shoe" could have been a 4 cylinder gasoline motorcycle with a motor number of 480 and a license number of "1333" ?

[pem]

Hi Cory, I don't know of any one of's personally. I'm sure there might be one in somebody's collection that they just don't realize what they have. Or maybe they do. What do you mean about horse buggies?

Dick

[c.o.]

Dick,

I sure would like to know about any surviving one-offs. The Traub comes to mind. This is the kind of stuff that keeps the ol' mind occupied. As for the horse buggies, it was just a wild shot in the dark. I was referring to the Democrat buggies of yesteryear. Somewhere I have photos of family crossing the border into Canada at the turn of the century in such rigs as well as the good ol' wagon!!! I'm thinking talbot-2 may be onto something with his "Democrat Printing Company" theory.

[c.o.]

While searching the internet for Comet clues... I found this... http://www.motorbase.com/auctionlot/by-id/1883097774/ So we know there's at least one replica on the planet. I'm guessing there may be more. I find it interesting that the article eludes to "rare originals" I'd be curious to know what that is based on.

[pete reeves]

Cory.
Sorry but your latest lead may be a dead end. I think that the Comet mentioned in this article was in fact a timeless replica of a 1910 H-D painted to represent a Comet.
Pete Reeves 860

[pem]

I believe that you will find that the "Shoe" was registered to the "Democrat Printing Company" located at 114 S. Carroll Street in Madison, WI. "Democrat Printing" opened in 1905 and is still in business as the "DEMCO Company". Their history can be found at www.Demco.com.

A thought to ponder........Do you think that the "Shoe" could have been a 4 cylinder gasoline motorcycle with a motor number of 480 and a license number of "1333" ?

Another puzzle solved. Thanks Talbot. That sure makes sense. Getting different interpertations and thoughts from fellow club members is great. That's one of the things I like about this site. Now what are the chances they have a photo of the bike? Your right about the ser# and reg# but I don't think it was a 4 cylinder. More like 4 hp.

Cory, I have seen that so-called "Comet" replica before it was taken off their website. It was just a HD replica with a different paint job. When I saw it I sent them an email and the bike was removed form their website shortly. There is another Comet replica at the museum in Annimosa, Ia. A much more fatihfiul copy(made from photos) but I'm not thouroghly convinced it has an actual Comet motor. I think it is more of a "fantasy" bike as your refer to them. None the less it looks pretty cool. I attached another motorcycle registration this time for a "Meator". I first thought they meant Meteor but I found more than one registration with the same name. But as Herb has said they certainly could have screwed up when it was registered. And being that meteor is so close to comet in meaning it sure makes you wonder.

Dick

[c.o.]

Cory.
Sorry but your latest lead may be a dead end. I think that the Comet mentioned in this article was in fact a timeless replica of a 1910 H-D painted to represent a Comet.
Pete Reeves 860

Pete,

You jogged my memory. I do recall seeing that bike now. Thanks!

[c.o.]

Another puzzle solved. Thanks Talbot. That sure makes sense. Getting different interpertations and thoughts from fellow club members is great. That's one of the things I like about this site. Now what are the chances they have a photo of the bike? Your right about the ser# and reg# but I don't think it was a 4 cylinder. More like 4 hp.

Cory, I have seen that so-called "Comet" replica before it was taken off their website. It was just a HD replica with a different paint job. When I saw it I sent them an email and the bike was removed form their website shortly. There is another Comet replica at the museum in Annimosa, Ia. A much more fatihfiul copy(made from photos) but I'm not thouroghly convinced it has an actual Comet motor. I think it is more of a "fantasy" bike as your refer to them. None the less it looks pretty cool. I attached another motorcycle registration this time for a "Meator". I first thought they meant Meteor but I found more than one registration with the same name. But as Herb has said they certainly could have screwed up when it was registered. And being that meteor is so close to comet in meaning it sure makes you wonder.

Dick

Dick!!

O.K. I guess that explains why there was no photo accompanying the listing. I'll have to get the film that is piled up in my library developed!! Maybe I've got a shot of that Anamosa "Comet" replica. I'm not sure though as I would like to think I would have remembered it. Thanks for posting the registrations. I've seen the "Meator" reference before. There sure is a pile of motorsickle history that comes out of Wisconsin! Great stuff!!!

[pem]

Out of the blue I got a phone call from a man I met 20 some years ago. I told him to call me if he ever found any old motorcycle photos. Well he found photos of 2 motorcycles. One is an absolutely fabulous photo of a 1910 Comet motorcycle. It's the best photo of a Comet I have ever seen. It shows a Comet but without any name on the tank but it is a Comet. No doubt. This Comet has a tool box on the front fender and also has the leaf spring suspension as seen on the P.E.M. from 1912. We know that in 1910 Comet came out with a single cylinder with that type of suspension but we have never seen a photo of it. There were at least 3 Comet motorcycles found in the 1910 Wisconsin registrations that were from the city of Hartford as there was a Comet dealer in Hartford. There were also others that were from the Hartford area. Hopefully with a little digging we can find the name of the rider. The rider seems to be a seasoned rider as he has gauntlet motorcycle gloves and leggings and what looks like a leather cap and maybe leather pants.

The man I got the photo from said that it was taken on Rural St. in Hartford, WI. He and his brother recognized the street in the photo as they both live in Hartford and that's where he got the photo. He doesn't remember who he got it from though. An interesting coincidence is that Frank Kenzler from the Kenzler-Waverley Co. of Cambridge, WI. also lived in Hartford. Frank and Perry Mack in 1911 were going to build a motorcycle in Cambridge but the enterprise never got off the ground and no motorcycles were built. But in one article Frank Kenzler was credited for designing the leaf spring frame later used by Perry Mack to build his 1912 P.E.M. Could Frank have been behind the Comet motorcycle leaf spring frame?

Scan_20241122 (4).jpg
Scan_20241122 (3).jpg Comet mc2.jpg



The other motorcycle(motor bicycle) is of an unknown make. The photo was also taken in Hartford near the old Central School which burned down. We used to play in it when we were kids before it was torn down. It is an attached motor which was fastened to a bicycle above the front wheel. I don't recognize it and it might have been a prototype from the West Bend Co. or Chrysler which had a large factory in the old Kissel Kar buildings. If memory serves me right they made go cart motors and such. It appears to have wing decals on the tank. Anyway anybody recognize the motor? To me it could be from the 40's or 50's but I really don't know.
Scan_20241122 (2).jpg
Scan_20241122 (2).jpg

Dick

[exeric]

That is a remarkable, and truly historical photograph, Dick. The Comet looks to be an advanced motorcycle for the time with it's full suspension and quality, well executed construction. I notice it used Bowden cable as opposed to the Excelsior, Indian articulated method of control. Supposedly the Bowden system was quite expensive in the early days with Harley-Davidson being an early proponent of it. I don't know if it was so expensive, or Ex, and Indian were just cheap. All-in-all the Comet was a very attractive motorcycle in it's day, however, the gas tank could have been a bit sportier. Just poring over the picture, I see it as being a motorcycle that should have been successful, and appreciated by consumers. I guess it always comes down to exposure, advertising, and availability. In that respect, you have to hand it to Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior for getting their products out there. Cannot thank you enough for your efforts as a historian, and sharing what you find.