I saw one of the Flying Merkels in the classic orange paint at the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamoosa Iowa. Loved it some much I bought the Flying Merkel T Shirt and refrigerator magnet. If you ever get near this museum you should plan to spend the whole time they are opened there...there is so much to see!
The quality of your vlog offerings has improved remarkably lately. You’re telling solid stories without filler. Good photos good supporting narrative. The history of Merkel was fascinating. Keep it up.
I live 7 miles from the Middletown, OH factory where these were built. In fall of 1911 production was moved from Pottstown, PA to Middletown. Joe Merkel came along as part of the deal. Miami Cycle & Mfg Company were a well know bicycle manufacturer, brands such as Racycle & Miami. The 1912 design was continued while Joe Merkel completely redesigned the entire motorcycle, hence the rear monoshock suspension introduced in 1913. Production continued until about 1916 when the supply of German bearings dried up due to WW1. Bicycles were produced until 1922. I have 2 of the bicycles, a 1917 Miami & a 1920 Racycle, although I recently donated the Miami to the Middletown Historical Society to display in their museum.
I personally knew a man who worked at his father's dealership selling Flying Merkels in Peekskill, NY from 1915-1918. After which, they switched to selling automobiles. "We could only get them in yellow!", he told me, laughing.
A friend of mine found a 1916 Indian Power Plus in an old barn. It mas complete except the engine was missing. all original paint, although somewhat rusted. It was a board walk racer. It was very cool to see in person and sit on it. Too bad the engine was missing..
A good friend of our family had one of these in his collection. Before he died, I got to go down to Las Vegas with him and see his whole collection get auctioned by Mecum. At that time, it was the largest antique American motorcycle collection owned by one person. I’m sure several museums bought some of his bikes.
I watched board track racers at Wauseon Ohio and Davenport Iowa, such great race machines. Harley had what they called the wrecking crew, one member had a piglet and that's where the term "'HOG" came from. Cyclone also made a great racer. Bart you may want consider looking into Al Crocker and his story. Stay in the wind all you riders!
I have no idea why, but these early machines, which were scarcely more that motorized bicycles, the spirit of innovation which birthed them, and the sheer STONES it took to ride them speaks to me far more than most modern motorcycles
My grand father (John Thomas Pocock) owned and raced a Flying Merkel motorcycle. sadly, I have no photos of him racing or of him with his bike. However, I do have the memories of the many stories he used to share with me and his love of that motorcycle.
I have only seen 1 Flying Merkle. It was at the Sacramento Easy Riders show over a decade ago. It was a gorgeous bike. I think it was yellow with board track style handlebars.
I don't usually comment, but I'd love to see a video from you about motorcycle racing history, from the 1st racetrack at Brooklands in 1907, that inspired boardtrack and oval racetracks of the USA.
Awesome Job 💪! I love learning old Engineering in motorcycles beginning's. I still believe that innovations from the past can be Reevaluated into the best application's in Today's production's.. Great work's. Keep on Going.💪
I really love these historical presentations. I was recently in the market for a chainsaw, so I did a lot of research to make sure i bought the right machine. I was surprised to learn there's never been a successful American chainsaw manufacturer. Great video. Keep crushing.
really? I thought that Husqvarna made Chainsaws until 1980 in the USA? Now they are not, or they make the parts overseas and ship them to the USA for Manufacture.
Placed joke ad for a mrkl 4 sale 16 yrs ago. $250. Bogus non exist phone. Paper that printed ad got calls from around the world. (Really). Had no idea that would happen was
There was a very early bike that had an engine mounted on the front wheel. Jay Leno did a video on it years and years ago. It cracked him up and he said " The engineering question no one ever asked." I bring this up as maybe something you might want to do a video on.
Working in a Auto manufacturing factory in the 1960 I remember seeing one there in a collection in South Australia . I always remember the odd name and orange paint job .. I think the bike is still the Birdwood motor museum in. South Australia .
You missed the most advanced motorcycle of that period... the bevel driven overhead cam Cyclone. A 1000cc V-twin built in my home state of Minnesota. But overall good job. I love your postings. Rick
It seems that the competition between the small companies created many innovations, that would be used by the larger companies in the end. Competition is good and competition between many is good, it would be a benefit to have it again in all our economic sectors.
Their reproduction is much better looking to me than the HD Sportster tribute model and well priced. Now in my 8th decade I'm getting a bit old for such toys but it would make one hell of a final rider to carry me into the sunset of my life.🤣
Why do you have an image of Blackpool Tower, realy very interested to know why this image was shown ie was there a connection with Mr william Llyons of Swallow cars, the founder of Jaguar cars located in Blackpool
I think HONESTLY, a Foreblad SP or a MEW Goldwing CAN be put on that Merkel Sentence... But since a Fireblade SP is NOT a bike competing in COMFORT than technically No, but if it had the same views as a Goldwing, then yes... A goldwing is the best of the best and it IS EXTREMELY RELIABLE...
Am I the only one who sees that in 1901, everything was "decades ahead of its time?" lol If he'd built it in the 1870's, then yeah, it would have been ahead of its time.
It's a shame reliability and quality won't sell well to consumers. People want big numbers for performance and specs, loads of gadgets and gimmicks all of that at the lowest price. Anything different will be hopelessly niche and ultimately fail in the marketplace
That's crazy talk. Quality and reliability sell incredibly well. Honda sells tons of bikes and every one of them will go 100x the distance a Merkel will without an adjustment or maintenance. The industry now vs then is apples and oranges.
@@rustyshackleford4728 You're comparing a modern mass-produced bike to a hand made thing from a million years ago. All modern bikes are more reliable! If you paid attention to this channel you'd know best of the best typed stuff is niche, like Bimota for example even Honda's best of the best forays ended up being commercial failures
Very nice & informative thank you, until the trite sh1te at the end with the Suzuki comparo and bean counting nonsense. We have abominations like the Vee Strom (& equivalent SUV tanks) because people keep buying the damn things.
Nomen est Omen... German Chancellor Angela Merkel was also 20 years ahead of her time... unfortunately going back in history. If only she had been supporting her name in motorcycle business
its a lot better because it was designed by real ingeniers not like the rest of the american builders bassiclly cowboys designs like harleys or indians
It's probably in good running order, the old timers weren't sophisticated, I've been around a few others and sound miserable until warmed up and the ignition manually tweaked for optimum smoothness. It wasn't under load, was only sitting on rollers that were allowing the engine to lope and miss sustained ignition.
Another great history of a fascinating bike, thanks. While I've never ridden anything that old, the my very first powered vehicle was a WWII vintage Whizzer that we found at the dump, without engine or transmission, belt drive. My brother and I took an old lawnmower engine, made one speed reduction with belts and pulleys, and did the clutch the same way the early Merkel did at 1:22 in your video: an idler that tensioned the drive belt. Very crude but it worked, at least until our grumpy neighbor called the cops on us. The cops were nice but that was the end of our Whizzer excursions.
