# Merkel



## filmonger (Sep 16, 2014)

just thought this was interesting - so anyone in LA...should go have a look

A motorcycle exhibit in a cemetery? Who knew! ( I agree ) Steve Sexton happened across an article in the L.A. Times about a motorcycle exhibit at Forest Lawn Glendale's museum and it looked like they had some interesting and rare bikes there. And they DO!






This one MAD - Just Crazy!

http://www.realclassic.co.uk/ridesfiles/pioneer_run_classic_london_to_brighton_2014.html

One problem with focusing on esoteric machinery is that it is difficult to find any detailed information which is annoying as Paul Valkenet, who had brought this motorcycle from the Netherlands, went to great pains to explain the pronunciation. It would appear that Lurquin-Coudert were manufactured in Paris between 1899 and 1914, M Coudert apparently being a well know bicycle racer. Although the company specialised in selling single cylinder and v-twin engines they also built complete motorcycles as well as tricars and cyclecars. This example dates from 1904 and has a 210cc single cylinder engine; judging by the number of levers on the tank it must be a challenge to ride.





Heinz Kindler brought his 1910 3hp Wanderer all the way Germany. Like so many others the marque started life in 1902 as an engine attached to a bicycle although Wanderer subsequently produced 250cc single and 500cc sidevalve V-twins. Capacity grew after the war then in 1928 a brand new machine arrived with a 498cc ohv single cylinder engine, three-speed unit gear box, shaft drive and a pressed-steel frame. Investment in this model may have contributed to Wanderer's collapse the following year but the design was sold to F Janacek who manufactured the machines in Prague as the JAnacek-WAnderer which was later abbreviated to the better-known Jawa brand.





This 1914 JES which would have been built some five years after JE Smith of Gloucester first started manufacturing motorcycles. As can be seen the 116cc, four-stroke engine is set within a bicycle frame and powers the rear wheel by belt drive; there is also a front-mounted, gear-driven Fischer magneto. 1920 saw engine capacity raised to 142cc but using the same concept; thereafter various engine makes, types and capacities featured. JES acquired the Connaught marque in 1924 which was also the year the brand disappeared from the scene - presumably no coincidence.





[video=youtube_share;6HxzHoAoA5E]http://youtu.be/6HxzHoAoA5E[/video]


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## hoofhearted (Sep 16, 2014)

*Great Thread - filmonger !!!*

Very Well Written ... and I thank you for the content !!!

...............  patric



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## thehugheseum (Sep 16, 2014)

neat! thats my buddy starting the merkel..........i know where a few original merkels are for sale.....they cost enough to buy a few barns full of collectable bicycles!


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## bricycle (Sep 16, 2014)

kool bikes


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## thehugheseum (Sep 16, 2014)

shameless plug.........bri not even close to the same realm........theres an old saying that goes something like "you get what you pay for".......theres a reason merkels are $100-$300k bikes and a 30s/40s bicycle with a smoker motor attached are $5k

   i guess the cool thing about the 5k smoker bike is that you dont have to feel bad about riding or destroying it.......but merkels and the like have well transformed from something you consider destroying/riding into straight up high end art


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## bricycle (Sep 16, 2014)

lol...... no kidding, I thought I had posted under nickinators thread, I moved it already.


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## chitown (Sep 16, 2014)

*as the wiz, Bri should be able to post in any thread...*



bricycle said:


> ...I thought I had posted under nickinators thread...


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## bricycle (Sep 16, 2014)

Thanks chi-twn ...yea, but the Wiz should know better......  must have been a "hasty" post, left over from my "striking Cobra days".......


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## thehugheseum (Sep 16, 2014)

i love that old crow,sorry for confusion,been workin not internerdin


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