Born in 1878, Curtiss displayed a remarkable talent for mechanics and inventiveness despite having only completed the 8th grade. As a young man, he took a job as a Western Union bicycle messenger, and before long, gained a reputation as a winning bicycle racer. He had a passion for speed and bicycles and soon was the owner of three bicycle shops, selling and repairing machines.
By the mid to late 1890s, internal combustion engines were becoming increasingly more available. Curtiss soon developed an interest in motorcycles and set out to build his own. He purchased an E. R. Thomas engine rated at 1 hp. It proved too weak for his desire so he replaced it with their 3 hp model. He now had the power he wanted but the engine was unreliable. He believed that he could do better.
Curtiss was soon designing and casting his own engine parts. He also developed a carburetor of his own design, using a soup can. By 1902, Curtiss offered his own single cylinder motorcycle for sale in all three of his bicycle shops. He labeled his new motorcycle "Hercules" and it soon developed a reputation for power and speed, turning in the fastest time at a road race sponsored by the NY Motorcycle Club that same year.
In 1903, Curtiss took the land speed record for a 1 mile run at 64 mph (103 km/h) on a 1000cc V-twin. That same year he also won 1st place at America's first hill climb. In 1904 he attended his first speed run at Florida's Ormand Beach. He turned in a time of 8 minutes and 54.4 seconds for a 10 mile run, at an average speed of 67.3 mph (108.3 km/h). His record stood for 4 years. He had earned a reputation for speed and daring and had acquired the nickname of "Hell Rider". Curtiss was well known to personally pilot his machines in a multitude of contests, often competing, and winning, against giants of the day such as Harley Davidson and Indian.
In 1905 Curtiss learned that there was another motorcycle manufacturer using the name Hercules. He dropped the name and continued building motorcycles under the name of Curtiss.
By this time Curtiss had begun providing engines of his design for the aviation industry. Alexander Graham Bell (inventor of the telephone) regarded Curtiss as "the greatest motor expert in the country" and invited him to join in his Aerial Experiment Association. In addition to motorcycles, Curtiss was soon designing aircraft.
Curtiss's need for speed still wasn't finished with him yet. In 1907 he took one of his engines intended for use in aviation and fit it into a lightweight, elongated frame of his design. Why was it elongated, you ask? Well, this wasn't your typical engine of the day. It was 4 Curtiss designed V-twins sharing a common crankshaft to make one of the earliest V8s. It was a 269 cubic inch F-head design (intake over exhaust) that produced a whopping 40 horsepower. It was too powerful for the typical leather drive belts and chains of the era, so his machine used a drive shaft and gear arrangement to drive the rear wheel. In fact, it was so powerful, that there was concern that the engine would tear itself from the frame of the motorcycle and it had to towed up to 40 mph before running under its own power.
On January 24, 1907, at the Ormond Beach, Florida speed runs, Glenn Curtiss piloted his machine to the unbelievable speed of 136.6 mph (219.45 km/h). Not even the steam locomotives of the day had reached such speeds. Unfortunately, the drive shaft broke on his return run and began flailing about. Because of his experience in many speed trials, and through his strength and determination, Curtiss managed to maintain control and bring his machine to a safe stop. Due to his not completing his return run, his record speed wasn't "officially" recognized. It didn't matter much though, the newspapers gave him the title of "the fastest man on earth". It took four years before any vehicle ever achieved such speeds again. His speed wasn't beaten by a motorcycle until 1930.
Curtiss continually became more involved with the aviation industry. He eventually abandoned his work with motorcycles by 1911. His engines and his work gained him a place in history as a founder of America's aircraft industry, and although his motorcycles and exploits were legends of his day, his motorcycle career was all but forgotten among the many motorcycle legends to come.
No comments:
Post a Comment