The Flying Merkel was a

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

of the American company Merkel in

Milwaukee Milwaukee ( ), officially the City of Milwaukee, is both the most populous and most densely populated city in the U.S. state of Wisconsin and the county seat of Milwaukee County. With a population of 577,222 at the 2020 census, Milwaukee is ...

, which relocated later to

Middletown, Ohio Middletown is a city located in Butler and Warren counties in the southwestern part of the U.S. state of Ohio, about 35 miles (47 km) north of Cincinnati. The population as of the 2020 census was 50,987. It is part of the Cincinnati metrop ...

.Jerry Hatfield: Standard Catalog of American Motorcycles. 1898–1981. Krause Publications, 2006, ., pp. 378–384 The motorcycle was produced from 1911 to 1915.

Early days

The founder of the company, Joe Merkel, began designing engines for motorcycles in 1902, and built his own motorcycles beginning in 1903, including a one- cylinder engine with a capacity of 316 cc, which was also used in the contemporary

Indian Indian or Indians may refer to: Peoples South Asia * Indian people, people of Indian nationality, or people who have an Indian ancestor ** Non-resident Indian, a citizen of India who has temporarily emigrated to another country * South Asia ...

. In 1908, he set up a company under the name of Light Manufacturing and Foundry Company in

Pottstown, Pennsylvania Pottstown is a borough in Montgomery County, Pennsylvania. Pottstown was laid out in 1752–53 and named Pottsgrove in honor of its founder, John Potts. The old name was abandoned at the time of the incorporation as a borough in 1815. In 1888 ...

. His motorcycles displayed the trademark "Merkel Light" on the tank. In 1910, he offered the first two-cylinder engine. In 1911, the company was taken over by Miami Cycle and Manufacturing Company of Middletown, Ohio. Subsequently, the trademark was changed to "Flying Merkel", and a bright and shiny orange paint was used, which was later described as "Merkel orange".The Art Of The Motorcycle. Guggenheim Museum, Las Vegas, 2001, ., p. 114.

Technology

The Flying Merkel had a conservative engine-control system featuring an automatic inlet valve and a preset outlet valve. The V engine initially displaced and delivered , through a two-speed gearbox and a belt drive, for a maximum speed of . A motorsports version without brake was available with a engine, including roller bearings, Bosch magneto ignition, Schebler carburetor, and chain drive. The roadworthy version had a

band brake A band brake is a primary or secondary brake, consisting of a band of friction material that tightens concentrically around a cylindrical piece of equipment or EMUs to either prevent it from rotating (a static or "holding" brake), or to slow it ...

on the rear wheel and was sold for

US$ The United States dollar (symbol: $; code: USD; also abbreviated US$ or U.S. Dollar, to distinguish it from other dollar-denominated currencies; referred to as the dollar, U.S. dollar, American dollar, or colloquially buck) is the official ...

325. An innovation was the motorcycle fork, patented by Joe Merkel as a "truss fork", which could be seen as a predecessor of the

telescopic fork A telescopic fork is a form of motorcycle front suspension whose use is so common that it is virtually universal. The telescopic fork uses fork tubes and sliders which contain the springs and dampers. The main advantages of the telescopic for ...

. The Flying Merkel had an automatically dripping oil feeder, which was subsequently copied by Indian and

Harley-Davidson Harley-Davidson, Inc. (H-D, or simply Harley) is an American motorcycle manufacturer headquartered in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States. Founded in 1903, it is one of two major American motorcycle manufacturers to survive the Great Depressi ...

. In 1913, a new model appeared; the engine had now an automatically controlled inlet valve and a spring-loaded

kickstarter Kickstarter is an American public benefit corporation based in Brooklyn, New York, that maintains a global crowdfunding platform focused on creativity. The company's stated mission is to "help bring creative projects to life". As of July 2021, ...

. Production ceased in 1915. The Flying Merkel achieved its iconic status through the shape of its tank and the colorful body paint.

At auction

A replica of the racing version was auctioned in January 2012 at

Bonhams Bonhams is a privately owned international auction house and one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers of fine art and antiques. It was formed by the merger in November 2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son & Neale. This brought to ...

for nearly €30,000. A 1911 Flying Merkel Board Track Racer went for US$423,500 in 2015 and a 1911 Flying Merkel for US$201,250 in 2011.Gizmag - World's most expensive motorcycles
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Revival

Currently, Greg Merkel, the great-great grand nephew of Joe Merkel, has taken ownership of the trademark "Flying Merkel" and has started a revival of the brand called "Flying Merkel Inc".

Riders

Cleo Francis Pineau Lieutenant Cleo Francis Pineau (23 July 1893—29 May 1972) was an American World War I flying ace credited with six aerial victories.The Aerodrome websitRetrieved 18 February 2010. He was a renowned motorcycle racer both before and after the war. ...

* margerat Gast(Nagengast)

Early days

Technology

At auction

Revival

Riders

See also