View 30 motorcycles of yesteryear at Packard museum in Warren

BY JORDAN COHEN

VINDICATOR CORRESPONDENT

WARREN—The Ninth Annual Antique Motorcycle Exhibit at the National Packard Museum in Warren is more than just a classic collection of motorized two-wheelers: it’s a trip into American history.

The exhibit kicked off Saturday and runs through May 31.

“It’s interesting when you see how far we have come,” said Jeffrey Higgins of Hubbard, who recently purchased a 1971 BMW motorcycle. “I’d like to own one of these.”

The display features 30 motorcycles, some more than 100 years old. All have one thing in common: they were “Made in the USA”— the title of this year’s exhibit.

One attention-getter is a 1912 Pope Big 4, the only unrestored cycle in the exhibit. It is original in every aspect from its color to its flat belt drive, a hand pump for oil and an unusually small gas cap.

“There were no gas stations at the time, so riders would take a one-gallon can and buy their gas at the hardware store,” said Bruce Williams, exhibit co-chairman. “That’s why the gas caps on these old machines are so small.”

The cycles and riders had another major problem in those days. There were few if any paved roads at the time, and the Pope looks it.

Kick-starters for motorcycles were not invented until 1914, Williams noted, so many of the machines had to be started much like bicycles. The rider kept pedaling until the engine kicked in. That was the case with the 1902 Sylvester & Jones cycle, which had no clutch.

In the early 20th century, America had a thriving motorcycle industry.

“We used to have 300 motorcycle manufacturers in this country, but by the late 1920s, it was down to three,” Williams said.

One of them was Harley Davidson, the only major American motorcycle company still surviving today. Ohio at one time had 30 motorcycle companies, and several of their products, including the Miami made in Middletown and the Cleveland, are included in the display.

“We think there was one around Youngstown, but we haven’t been able to track it down,” Williams said.