Pioneers of American Motorcycle Racing, Chapter 16

Pioneers of American Motorcycle Racing

by Daniel K. Statnekov

Chapter 16

1919 was not a good year for Excelsiors on the race track. The Chicago company was unable to advertise even a single victory in any of the National Championships contested in the first year of racing after the war. The only publicity that Ignaz Schwinn's motorcycle company could generate came from inter-city distance records set by their famed long distance pilot, Wells Bennett. Although Excelsior's exact production figures were not known, it was obvious that their sales position was a distant 3rd as well.

Everyone in the Excelsior engineering department was hopeful about the Chicago company's prospects for the 1920 racing season. McNeil and Perry had finished work on the Cyclone-inspired overhead-cam engine and dynamometer tests had demonstrated that their new powerplant developed sufficient horsepower to run away from the competition. The completed machine was a formidable statement of brute horsepower, designed to win back the glory for Ignaz Schwinn's motorcycle company.

The first important meet of the year was scheduled to begin on January 4th, at Ascot Park in Los Angeles. The Excelsior team arrived early in order to warm up their new equipment and familiarize themselves with the track. In practice, the new overhead-cam racer fulfilled the promise of its Chicago "bench test." It had thunderous power and was capable of very high speeds.

The day before the opening event of the Ascot meet, it was announced in the pits that Bob Perry would ride the new Excelsior "wide open" and try for a record lap. Spectators gathered at track side to watch Ignaz Schwinn's "favorite son" make the record-setting attempt. The following account is the combined eyewitness reports of Bob Perry's last lap:

Perry was traveling too fast and in fact was going at a speed which was estimated at 95 to 100 mph; faster than any machine had ever traveled over the Ascot Park course. The Excelsior rider tempted fate by taking the lower turn wide open at the top of the track. He started to skid on entering the turn, clipped the iron guard rail at the top of the track, but managed to save himself and start down for the pole.

Halfway to the pole, however, the machine skidded and went down hard. Bob was thrown clear off the machine and with terrific momentum was carried along feet first toward the top rail. When Perry hit the dirt apron at the top of the track his momentum stood him on his feet; falling over, he continued to slide head first until he struck one of the upright outer posts at the top of the track.

"Shrimp" Burns was one of the first to reach the unconscious rider. Along with some of the others, the Shrimp gently lifted the injured rider into a sidecar which carried him down the track to an ambulance. Perry was rushed to the hospital where it was found that his skull had been fractured at the base, his jaw broken and he had other injuries about his head. He never regained consciousness from the time of the accident at 4:15 until 9:40 that night when he passed away. "Little Bob" was 28 years-old at the time of his death.

It has been reported that upon receiving the news of Perry's death, Ignaz Schwinn was so enraged that he stormed into the design department where he smashed several of the new overhead-cam engines that were being assembled there. Out of respect for Bob Perry's memory, Schwinn ordered the remaining Excelsior team riders to retire from the upcoming 100-mile Ascot race.

The opening event of the 1920 season then became a contest between Indian and Harley-Davidson. Although the Springfield company had not spent nearly as much money in their racing department as their Milwaukee rival had spent to develop their "banjo" 2-cam, a special version of the Indian Powerplus motor had also been perfected.

Charles B. Franklin was responsible for the sidevalve's improvement. Born in Dublin, in 1880, Franklin (like Jacob DeRosier in the U.S.) became fascinated with the motorized 2-wheelers when they first appeared at the turn-of-the-century. As a young man, the Irish enthusiast became an avid rider and throughout the early years was an outstanding competitor.

This brought him to the attention of Indian's representative in Great Britain, and in 1911 he was invited to ride for the Indian team at the famous Isle of Man TT. In that event DeRosier fared poorly, but Franklin placed 2nd in a memorable three place victory for the Springfield company. This success combined with the Irish engineer's reputation as a keen student of advanced motorcycle design brought him to the attention of Indian management.

Just before America entered the war, Franklin resigned from his life-time civil service position, and accepted President Hendee's offer to join the Springfield company. He arrived in America in December of 1916, and immediately went to work as Charles Gustafson's assistant. By the end of the war, Franklin had finalized his design for the (soon to be famous) Indian Scout and engineered improvements for the Powerplus and the old Hedstrom 8-valve as well.

Charles B. Franklin's improvements were significant. In the long run, the Irish engineer's contribution to Indian would be as auspicious as William Ottaway's contribution to Harley-Davidson, both men would pursue their life's passion to the benefit of their respective companies.

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