The Pope Model L 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 ...
produced by
Pope Manufacturing Company
Pope Manufacturing Company was founded by Albert Augustus Pope around 1876 in Boston, Massachusetts, US and incorporated in Hartford, Connecticut in 1877. Manufacturing of bicycles began in 1878 in Hartford at the Weed Sewing Machine Company fact ...
in Westfield, Massachusetts,
between 1914 and 1920.
The Model L was, at , the fastest motorcycle in the world when introduced.
It was technologically advanced for its time, with features not found on other motorcycles, such as
overhead valve
An overhead valve (OHV) engine, sometimes called a ''pushrod engine'', is a piston engine whose valves are located in the cylinder head above the combustion chamber. This contrasts with earlier flathead engines, where the valves were located be ...
s,
chain drive
Chain drive is a way of transmitting mechanical power from one place to another. It is often used to convey power to the wheels of a vehicle, particularly bicycles and motorcycles. It is also used in a wide variety of machines besides vehicles. ...
(from 1918) and multi-speed transmission.
It was also expensive at $250, as much then as a
Model T
The Ford Model T is an automobile that was produced by Ford Motor Company from October 1, 1908, to May 26, 1927. It is generally regarded as the first affordable automobile, which made car travel available to middle-class Americans. The relati ...
automobile.
[ (Another source of competition were ]cyclecars
A cyclecar was a type of small, lightweight and inexpensive car manufactured in Europe and the United States between 1910 and the early 1920s. The purpose of cyclecars was to fill a gap in the market between the motorcycle and the car. A key ...
)
Specifications
Specifications in infobox to the right are from the Smithsonian Institution.[
]
Postage stamp
A five cent United States postage stamp was issued in October, 1983, with an engraved image of the Pope Model L.
See also
*List of motorcycles of the 1910s
List of motorcycles of the 1910s is a listing of motorcycles of the 1910s, including those on sale, introduced, or otherwise relevant in this period.
The 1910s has their share of expensive historic motorcycles sold at auction, especially the bra ...
*FN Four
The FN Four was the world's first production inline-4 motorcycle, manufactured in Liége by Fabrique Nationale from 1905 until 1923.Edwards 1997, p. 43 It was also, at , the world's fastest production motorcycle from 1911 until 1912.Brown 2006, p ...
*Sears Dreadnought
Sears Dreadnought was a motorcycle sold by Sears in the 1910s. The motorcycle featured a V-twin made by Spacke. It was sourced from Spacke's cyclecar and had . This engine was also used by Dayton, Eagle, Minneapolis and Crawford. In addition to th ...
*Thor Model U Thor Model U was a motorcycle that debuted in the 1910s with a 7 hp V-twin in the Thor marque of Aurora Automatic Machinery Company of Illinois. The 1913 model came with a 61 ci (cubic inch) V-twin engine, with the V at an angle of 50 degrees. In 19 ...
*List of fastest production motorcycles
The fastest production motorcycle for a given year is the unmodified motorcycle with the highest tested top speed that was manufactured in series and available for purchase by the general public. Modified or specially produced motorcycles are a dif ...
References
External links
*
{{s-end
Motorcycles of the United States
Motorcycles introduced in the 1910s