In the early twentieth century it became famous as “the fastest man on earth”, but it was not just that. This is the story of Glenn Hammond Curtiss, visionary father of motorcycling founder whose name lives on today thanks to the project of another visionary biker.
In the far 1906, in a decidedly pioneering era, Glenn Hammond Curtiss became “The fastest man on earth” after hitting the record of 136.36 miles per hour on a motorcycle with a V8 engine he built himself.
Stop for a second and rework: early twentieth century, self-made motorcycle with V8 engine and speed record a 218 km/h!!!
Despite his record, little is said about his motorcycle activity in his biography, not to diminish its importance but because Glenn Curtiss was a pioneer not only in motorcycling, but of the American industry and aviation. He lived only fifty-two years, but they were enough to write his name in history.
In that time, Glenn Curtiss represented “the indie alternative” first to Harley and the Davidson brothers and then to the Wright brothers. Her, it was the number one pilot card 1 of the American aero club. After the ground record, in fact, he tried to break records in the air. He had a life full of inventions and primates and, ironia della sorte, he died from complications of one (oggi) banal operation of appendicitis.
Mr Curtiss was a visionary and we can consider him one of the founding fathers of American motorcycling and beyond. Thanks to people like him today we can live our passion. Although he started building motorcycles on bike frames as early as 1901 and made the V-twin well before Indian and Harley-Davidson though, our Glenn did not achieve the same industrial fame. Perhaps also for this Matthew Chambers has decided to dedicate this new venture to him: the Curtiss Motorcycles.
Da Glenn a Matthew: “do it until the end”
Curtiss Motorcycles is a pioneering new venture started by Matthew Chambers aiming to become the Tesla of motorcycles. In the next two, three years, we will see if his vision will have commercial success.
Today Curtiss Motorcycles is looking for financiers with an online equity campaign and it has already collected important sums that have made it possible to build the first prototypes.
In 2020 we will also see the Hera of which we see a sketch here and which is a tribute to the V8 motorcycle with which Glenn Curtiss conquered his historic record.
Chambers is not at the first experience and is already known in the industry for giving birth to Confederate Motorcycles, from which in some ways this new project is an evolution as I have described in questo articolo.
Will Curtiss Motorcycles succeed in conquering that industrial supremacy that its founding and spiritual father did not succeed?
#RIDEMORE
