Motorcyclism

Motorcyclism: Life on a Motorcycle

𝙎𝙪𝙗𝙢𝙞𝙩𝙩𝙚𝙙 𝙥𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙤𝙜𝙧𝙖𝙥𝙝..

• 𝐎𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐚𝐲, 𝐉𝐮𝐧𝐞 𝟏𝟑, 𝟏𝟗𝟏𝟕 •
On this day, June 13, 1917, Alan Bedell left Los Angeles, California on his Henderson motorcycle arriving in New York City traveling 3,296 miles in seven days, sixteen hours and fifteen minutes later, breaking the record set by "Cannonball" Baker on an Indian Twin.

The Henderson motorcycle suffered just one flat tire, went through three sets of Champion spark plugs and used three Duckworth chains. Bedell suffered just one crash, which somewhat damaged his knee, on a wet road in Indianapolis and averaged 17.89 mph.

Using the stock 3.5 gal gas tank, Bedell's only changes to the machine were the addition of a Mesinger air cushion saddle and a Carlton generator to power the original Coffman spotlight.

Unfortunately, the young Californian was not to make or break many more records, as tragically his young life ended a short time later when he fell victim to the influenza epidemic of the First World War. Bedell died on February 24, 1918 at age 21.

𝙋𝙝𝙤𝙩𝙤: Alan Bedell when he set a transcontinental record in 1917.

𝘼𝙡𝙖𝙣 𝘽𝙚𝙙𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝙖𝙩 𝙁𝙞𝙣𝙙 𝙖 𝙂𝙧𝙖𝙫𝙚 findagrave.com/memorial/143715088/alan-t_-bedell

𝐊𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐨𝐟 𝐂𝐨𝐨𝐥..
Photo of Indiana born Steve McQueen aka "King of Cool" on his 1940 Indian 74ci Chief motorcycle. Used as his 'Hollywood' bike, it was sold as part of the McQueen estate when it was auctioned at Las Vegas in 1984 as lot 651.