The Pierce Four was the first four-cylinder motorcycle produced in the United States.[7] The model is included in the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame Classic Bikes[8] and Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum. Touting its inline-four engine as "vibrationless", Pierce sold the motorcycle for $325,[2] rising to $400 by 1913, which was expensive at the time, making it popular with "more prosperous sportsmen". George N. Pierce, owner of the GN Pierce Co, built refrigerators and bird cages in the 1890s, and expanded into bicycle manufacture by 1892, with their famous 'arrow' logo; many of their bicycles used a shaft drive for the rear wheel. 3 members of the GN Pierce Board of Directors traveled to Europe in 1900, to acquire new technology, and purchased a DeDion engine to power a new automobile, the Pierce's son Percy was a competition driver of Pierce Motor Car Co automobiles, and by 1907 he was appointed head of the new Pierce Cycle Co, with the intention of producing motorcycles. Following factory tradition, he traveled to Europe for technical inspiration, and acquired a Belgian FN Four in 1908, which was shipped back to the Pierce factory for study.

[10] As the world's first production four-cylinder motorcycle, the FN was the apex of current technology, and the Pierce engineering team used the FN as a reference for their own four-cylinder motorcycle introduced in 1909; [11] The new Pierce was innovative, with a stressed member engine and shaft drive,[6] and a frame of very large-diameter tubing, that both hid the control cables and held oil and gasoline internally.[13] The large diameter tubing is said to have increased the frame's strength, and reduced the number of parts required, making manufacture less expensive.used motorcycles for sale in conroe tx[14] Unlike FN's engine, the Pierce had a T-head sidevalve motor, and cam-driven intake valves rather than the 'automatic' (opened by atmospheric pressure) inlet valves of the FN.[5] The Pierce was thus quite an improvement on the FN, and was the first four-cylinder motorcycle manufactured in the USA. motorbike shop in chippenham

Early models had no clutch and fixed gearing, like the competing FN Four, but the1910 model was greatly improved, with a clutch and two-speed transmission. The motorcycle is said to have cost more to build than its sale price and eventually bankrupted Pierce Motorcycle Company after fewer than 500 were built. The Pierce Four was exhibited in the Guggenheim Museum's The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition in Las Vegas.honda motorcycle dealers ann arbor michigan[15] Examples are held in permanent collections of several museums, including the National Motorcycle Museum in Iowa,[16] the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Museum in Ohio,[17] the Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum in Alabama,[18]Sammy Miller Motorcycle Museum in England and the Dreamcycle Motorcycle Museum in Sorrento, British Columbia.motorcycle helmet rental san francisco

^ a b c American Motorcyclist ^ a b c ^ Clayton (2008) states that fuel was carried in the top tube and seat tube. Oil was carried in the down tube.Each year in Janaury, the bright lights of Las Vegas, Nevada play host to vintage motorcycle enthusiasts and collectors from around the world when the Las Vegas Antique Motorcycle Auction comes to town. Put on by Mid-America Auctions, this three-day event brings literally hundreds of machines to the auction block, including many exceptionally rare American-made motorcycles dating back to the early 1900s, and sometimes even earlier. motorcycle gear selector indicatorThis year’s auction is slated for January 10th-12th, and has garnered the attention of the motorcycle world even more-so than in years past, as over 600 machines spanning over a century have been consigned for sale.honda motorcycle dealers clearwater

For twenty-two years now, the Las Vegas Auction has helped determine the marketplace for vintage and antique collector motorcycles. Over more than two decades, the auction has become the largest single motorcycle sale on the planet, breaking its own record numerous times. But the auction serves as more than just a venue for buying and selling motorcycles. Fittingly, it has become one of the premier social events for the unique and diverse breed of vintage motorcycle collectors. Where else can one mingle with thousands of like minded enthusiasts, while watching millions of dollars in machines roll across the auction block, and maybe even throw in a bid here and there too. As in years past, Wheels Through Time Museum curator Dale Walksler will be heading out west for the event, but this time he’s going for more than just fun! Early this winter, Dale was contact by three individuals who were interested in finding their machines new homes, and agreed to represent each seller and their respective machines at the auction.

And these aren’t your ordinary motorcycles either!Each of the three machines are exceptionally rare, early American motorcycles, preserved in remarkable original condition. First, a 1905 Reading Standard "Pocket-Valve Special" — a machine that hadn’t seen the light of day in more than 100 years. The bike still retains the original seat and tires. Second, a beautiful 1913 Harley Model 9-B, which remained in the Cincinnati area since it was sold new. Dale and crew managed to get this one running in a half-hour after it sat idle in a shed for 80 years.   Lastly, perhaps what will be the most unique machine at the auction — the Belle of the Ball — a 1912 Belt-Driven Pierce Two-Speed. This motorcycle remains in fantastic original condition, and shows virtually no signs of wear. Preserved in its original maroon paint with gold striping, the bike still retains the tandem seat, original V-belt, and original white tires. After only a few minutes of work on the machine, Dale had it up and running as if it was new.