Pronounced (cal-vin-uh-lee-bru)

It’s been a long time (two weeks in fact) since I’ve given you an old school Friday classic motorcycle post. That’s why today I have something special to present. There is a ton of history behind this company (along with every other one) so in my attempt to keep it brief, I’ll have to leave out some things but the goal is just to give you a little history lesson.

The Italy based Aermacchi company, founded in 1912 was actually an aircraft manufacturer (don’t you love how just about every motorcycle company started out doing something completely unrelated before engineering motorcycles?). Production stopped at the end of World War II but many decades later, Aermacchi is still highly known for their jet trainers. Around 1945 the company started production on the MBI which was a three wheel truck. Lino Tonti was the actual designer that introduced the motorcycle design and in 1950, he designed a (not so contemporary styled) 125cc one cylinder two stroke engine called the Macchi. Picture a scooter/motorcycle mesh if you will. The Macchi went about 45mph and had a three speed transmission. The production of bikes stayed pretty consistent in that style until about 1955. A fellow by the name of Alfredo Bianchi took Tonti’s place when he left the company. That’s when Aermacchi started producing really futuristic sport style looking motorcycles.

Aermacchi produced the Chimera which was an interesting bike. Everything was enclosed in the body work which at the time was allow die castings and steel pressings. As cool as the bike was, and as much as everyone loved it, it didn’t get much playing time. After 1964, production on the bike was stopped with only a few bikes produced. People were interested in seeing the engine of the machine and the Chimera was a little too ahead of its time.

Aermacchi might be better known for its history of racing. In 1958, they brought us 250cc’s on the Grand Prix circuits and winning came very often for the racers who rode those bikes. Aermacchi and Harley-Davidson teamed up and created a company called Aermacchi Harley-Davidson and the bikes they raced with had Aermacchi Harley-Davidson badges on the tanks. Those were street bikes that were converted to racing bikes. The two merging companies took 50/50 shares and that ultimately tapped them into the North American market. In 1972, Harley-Davidson took control of the company by acquiring all shares and Aermacchi concentrated on the production of military aircraft.

Some photos below for your viewing pleasure:

4.5 Horse Power Ghibli

Photo courtesy of unkown source

The Chimera originally had a 175cc engine and then graduated to 250cc

Photo courtesy of Vanishing Point Bikes

Aermacchi Harley-Davidson Ala D’Oro had a 350cc engine

Photo courtesy of unknown source

Aermacchi Harley-Davidson

Photo courtesy of Moto Italiano NY

Ladies and gentlemen, we’ve made it through another fabulous week. Orange County gave us a heavy order of rain with a side of thunder and lightning last week but this time around gave us a wonderful dish of sunshine. I hope you all have a safe weekend.

Today, for Old School Friday, I think we should talk about the Adler. In 1886, the company Adler Fahradwerke AG was established by Heinrich Kleyer to manufacturer bicycles. They also manufactured typewriters and cars as well. Germany however during the first decade of the 20th century is where they produced all their self manufactured motorcycles. Like a lot of manufacturing companies at that time got themselves involved with arms production and ended up getting their factory blown to pieces. But right around 1949, they got back down to business and brought us the M100. It was a tiny one, with 98cc 1 cylinder three speed. They gave us the M125, M150, and the M200 in 1951 and right after that, they gave us the M250 two stroke. These were well built machines and won several races over the next couple of years.

Next on the list, in 1954 Adler had another busy year. They gave us the MB150, MB201, MB200, MB250 and MB250S all four speeds. Sadly a year later, sales started declining even though the bikes were still winning races, sales weren’t adding up. Their merger with Triumph fell through as well. In mid 1958, the company decided to do away with motorcycles, and focus on the manufacturing of typewriters. Such a sad departure, but a run from 1900 to 1959, is one heck of a stretch, standing ovation Adler. Below are some photos taken from random sources.

Manufactured in 1902, with a rear wheel belt drive.

Adler Biclycle, photo courtesy of under50cc.com

Adler MB250

Well ladies and gentlemen, give yourself a pat on the back for making it through one rough, windy, rainy week. With showers loitering since Sunday, it’s no surprise that we’re officially in a State of Emergency. I hope you all plan to do a little bit of relaxing this weekend because after a week of commuting through this monsoon, you’ve much earned it.

Today I just want to briefly talk about an oldie but goodie. A manufacturer of bicycles Ignaz Schwinn used his Chicago based factory to manufacture (as they called it in Great Britain) the American X. It was an Excelsior V-Twin motorcycle. Two brothers, William and Tom Henderson captured the attention of Schwinn in which he was so impressed by their design, he made the brothers a generous offer to work with him on future designs in which the brothers gladly accepted. In 1919, due to creative differences the Hendersons withdrew themselves from the company. Tom Henderson went his own way and his brother William, in his Philadelphia based factory started work on his new creation which was known as the Ace.

The speed of this bike was remarkable for it’s time. With over 1200cc’s it’s no question that this bike was an instant hit. Peoples demand for this bike was so huge that it put the company in a serious bind. Having to pay high costs for materials left the company short on cash. The President of Ace at the time (Max Sladkin) kept the company alive by raising money through various events. In 1922, the distance from Los Angeles to New York (over 3,300 miles) was reached less than a week by Cannonball Baker in which Baker also came in rough 17 hours ahead of the trans continental record.

Unfortunately, in 1923, Henderson was collided with another car while testing one of his newer model bikes and did not survive the accident. He did however, leave behind one hell of a legacy. His induction to the hall of fame came in 1998. Hendersons death put the company back on shaky grounds. Bringing in new designers weren’t enough to keep the company going and in 1924, the factory closed it’s doors. Three years later, in 1927, the Ace appeared at the Motorcycle Show in Madison Square Gardens. To everyones amazement, the Indian Company were in negotiations of taking over their design. The bikes came in the signature red finish wearing the name Indian with an Ace logo on the tank making the Ace, an Indian.

I love this picture, this is courtesy of fineart.com

Look at this thing, it’s just a marvelous piece of work. It was made to break speed records, and that it did.

Another shot in a different color. Coast to coast in less then a week. I don’t even think I can do that in my Jetta.

With the introduction of iPhone App Mondays, I felt it well balanced to follow up with something for the end of the week. T.G.I.F, and with that in mind, I’d like to show off some of the greatest creations by some of the greatest minds in motorcycle engineering starting with the ABC. In 1912, owner Ronald Charteris and Chief Engineer Granville Bradshaw founded a company called All British (Engine) Company, they later changed the name to All British Cycles. During the turn of the century, in 1913 they introduced a 500cc twin. Used for pumping out trenches in Flanders during World War I, the engine didn’t get any motorcycle play until a little later. A lot of their popularity came from their long term association with the aircraft company Sopwith. After WWI, the need for manufacturing aircraft’s was not a huge demand, so that’s when Bradshaw stepped in and designed the flat twin engine five years before BMW adopted (or as we say, “jacked”) the design. OK, so that was nearly a hundred years ago, I have no right to say BMW jacked anyone but that 398cc Machine model of 1919 was a huge sensation at the annual Motorcycle Show. I can go on and on about them but pictures are worth a thousand words.

This picture shows ABC’s four speed gearbox. A little hard on the eyes now a days, but it was a hit back then.

I love this shot, 398cc engine, this one could reach up to 60mph.

Because of the companies financial difficulties, the introduction of an improved valve system was stopped. What a piece of work that would have been.