Motorcycling in 1903

[pegasus1300]

The first person to cross the US on a motor vehicle was George A Wyman on a motorcycle. Check this out read his story. They also have several 1903 motorcycle magazine issues scanned in that you can read. This a really neat website and some good reading for those cold winter days when some of us can't ride.

https://wymanmemorialproject.blogspot.com/

 

[Motorcycledave]

Oakland Motorcycle Club & San Francisco MC

I am a past member of Oakland Motorcycle Club founded in 1907 and many of the pictures
you see are there in the club house also San Francisco MC founded in 1903 has many super
photos, SFMC was featured on the Jay Leno show, google them you will see plenty of fun old motorcycle info. The oldest motorcycle club in the nation is the Yonkers MC founded also in 1903 but a few months before SFMC. The Pasadena Motorcycle Club in Southern CA was founded in 1907 all are still going strong, If you are in the area go visit them sometime on club night and check out the history hanging on the walls.

The first person to cross the US on a motor vehicle was George A Wyman on a motorcycle. Check this out read his story. They also have several 1903 motorcycle magazine issues scanned in that you can read. This a really neat website and some good reading for those cold winter days when some of us can't ride.

https://wymanmemorialproject.blogspot.com/

 

[pegasus1300]

I am a past member of Oakland Motorcycle Club founded in 1907 and many of the pictures
you see are there in the club house also San Francisco MC founded in 1903 has many super
photos, SFMC was featured on the Jay Leno show, google them you will see plenty of fun old motorcycle info. The oldest motorcycle club in the nation is the Yonkers MC founded also in 1903 but a few months before SFMC. The Pasadena Motorcycle Club in Southern CA was founded in 1907 all are still going strong, If you are in the area go visit them sometime on club night and check out the history hanging on the walls.

Thanks for that info Dave I will do that and see if I can find out more old motorcycle fun.

 

[UtahPete]

I am a past member of Oakland Motorcycle Club founded in 1907

I'll bet it's no coincidence that Oakland was the home base (maybe still is?) of Sonny Barger's infamous chapter of the Hell's Angels Motorcycle Club.

 

[pegasus1300]

Sorry Pete how is that relevant? I missed something there.

 

[UtahPete]

Sorry Pete how is that relevant? I missed something there.

Sorry, that was a bit of a left turn without signaling.
Oakland being the home of both one of the nation's oldest motorcycle clubs and the most infamous Hell's Angels chapter; wonder if there's a connection somewhere?

 

[Road-Kill]

and in 2117 people will look back at the year 2017 to both motorcycles and those who rode them and say.......

"damn...they rode those jalopies?"

"How did they survive without the modern gear we have today?"

"how did they manage to ride without self driving Google motorcycles?"

"how scary it must have been to risk injury? they didn't have crash protection force fields like we do today"

In 1903 people saw motorbikes as amazing, maybe even better then a horse.
In 1903 you didn't need a license.
In 1903 you didn't need to register your bike.
In 1903 you didn't need insurance.
In 1903 you were freer then today.

 

[Chupaca]

Thanks...

Great link and I especially like the "Legalized hold-up" the government finds the value in the "ticket"...:roflblack: So that's when it all started....

 

[ARtraveler]

Good information. :bowdown::bowdown:

 

[Motorcycledave]

No connection

Sorry, that was a bit of a left turn without signaling.
Oakland being the home of both one of the nation's oldest motorcycle clubs and the most infamous Hell's Angels chapter; wonder if there's a connection somewhere?

 

[UtahPete]

No connection

Okay, thanks. I lived in the Bay Area during the '70s and remember seeing Hells Angels couples wearing their colors shopping in the local department store just like regular folks. But then you read in the papers about the drug-running, prostitution, gun battles with cops, etc. It was an interesting time.

 

[Motorcycledave]

At Oakland MC

There are a bunch of pictures, you know the narrow l-o-n-g old time kind
on the walls showing lots of riders on little more than a bicycle with a very small engine
getting ready for an over night ride to Livermore..... from Oakland that is about 30 miles.
can you picture yourself packing up food drinks sleeping bag tools extra parts and such to go
30 miles, but remember it was all dirt roads if there were any roads at all.
Those old guys were TUFF