A Short History of Harley-Davidson's Early OHV Racers - Episode #33

April 14, 2015

Updated - July 30, 2015

By: David L. Morrill
@MototiqueRacing

Sylacauga, Alabama

Early Harley-Davidson Blanked Off OHV Single Cylinder Racer - ca. 1916
Lonnie Isam Jr. Collection

The idea behind this episode comes from a single photograph shared on Facebook by Lonnie Isam Jr. Lonnie's family has a long history of involvement in antique motorcycle restoration.  The photo shows a rider, whose name escapes me, seated an early Harley-Davidson single cylinder overhead valve (OHV) half mile dirt track racer.

The introduction of Harley-Davidson's all conquering eight valve racers of the teens and twenties, is a bit of a mystery. Little is known about the development of these engines, but I have been able to find a few period articles that may shed a little light on the story. In Episode #30, on the birth of Harley's 11-K racer, I detailed Harley-Davidson's late entry in the professional motorcycle racing game.  When they did, they started with a racing engine loosely based on their 1914 production pocket valve single cam V twin. While this engine was quickly competitive, Harley's chief competitors on the track had been racing exotic overhead valve racing engines for years. Harley's Race Engineer, Bill Ottaway, realized he would quickly reach the limit of the pocket valve racer's development, and so he began developing special four overhead valve cylinders. The exact history of when this development started has been lost to time, but it appears it began sometime in 1915.

1915 Harley Davidson Single Cylinder Pocket Valve Racer
R. I. Jones Collection

While Harley-Davidson had a 1915 single cylinder racer, for reasons unknown, Ottaway chose to use the V twin bottom end, as the test bed for his new engine. This was accomplished, by blanking off one cylinder. By removing one cylinder, piston, rod, and rebalancing the crankshaft he created a blanked of 30.5 ci. single. The 30.5 ci class had been created to slow down the 61ci V twins, which were previously used on the half mile dirt tracks popular in the period.

It is pure speculation, but Ottaway may have chosen to develop the new OHV cylinder, on a single cylinder engine, because the single has a straight intake from the carburetor to the cylinder. The V twin uses the same T shaped intake used on the production engines, with the carburetor sticking out to the right or left of the engine.  That style intake creates more turbulence of the incoming gas/air mixture.

Maldwyn Jones made his reputation on the racing circuit riding Flying Merkle racers but decided to switch to Harley-Davidson for the 1916 racing season.  Bill Ottaway installed one of the new Harley-Davidson blanked off 4 valve race engines into a special lowered Merkle racing frame and fork jones had developed.  Due to his short stature, Jones preferred the Merkle frame's lower seat height, and better fork. Jones would use this bike to win half mile races across the country. Jones also went on to race a Harley-Davidson 8 Valve engine in the same frame and fork combination.

Maldwyn Jones - Harley-Davidson 4 Valve Racer - 1916
R. I. Jones Collection

By April 1916, the OHV single was ready for its first race test. Several bikes were sent to the half mile races held at Roanoke, Virginia on April 30, 1916. The new single cylinder OHV racers were fast right from the start, with team rider Ray Weishaar wining several races.  He even lapped an "OHV ported" Indian in one of the races.

Motorcycle and Bicycle Illustrated - June 1916

Harley-Davidson wasted no time in advertising the new racer's win, with a two-page ad in Motorcycle and Bicycle Illustrated.

Harley-Davidson Ad - Motorcycle and Bicycle Illustrated
July 9, 1916

Now, there was certainly more to Ottaway's plan than just building a single cylinder half mile racer, and there was. He was also, at the same time, developing an eight-overhead valve V twin to challenge Indians eight valve racers.

8 Valve Harley Racer - ca. 1916
Lonnie Isam Jr. Collection

For this venture, he also used the 11-K V twin bottom end. New front and rear OHV cylinders were added, and testing began. By June 1916, the new V twin OHV racer was ready to race, and was shipped to held at Detroit, Michigan on June 11, 1916.

 Motorcycle and Bicycle Illustrated - June 1916

Bill Brier won a heat race on the new eight valve racer, but the new racers suffered teething problems in the longer races, and development continued.

On July 4, 1916, the new 8 valve racer proved its speed by winning the pole for the biggest race of the year, the Dodge City 300. Floyd Clymer, on his first time on board the new 8 valve racer, set the pole time. While Clymer led the race, he eventually slowed with engine problems, Irvin Janke went on to win the race for Harley-Davidson on one of 8 valve racers.

Motorcycle Illustrated - July 6, 1916 

Harley-Davidson Racing Team - 1916 Dodge City 300

The new 8 valve racers showed also their dominance in the 100 Mile Championship Race at Sheepshead Bay, New York. Harley-Davidson took five of the top six spots, proving the new 8 valve racer was more than a match for it's competition.

Harley-Davidson 8 Valve Racer Ad - July 6, 1916
Motorcycle and Bicycle Illustrated 

A new two cam bottom end was developed for both the V twin racer, and the blanked off single. In the hands of Harley's 'Wrecking Crew" Racing Team riders, both of these bikes went on to become a dominant force in racing for years to come.

1923 Harley-Davidson 2 Cam OHV Racing Engine Patent Drawing
WWAG.COM

1928 Harley-Davidson 2 Cam Racing Engine
R. I. Jones Collection

In 1921, Harley-Davidson ceased involvement in professional racing. They did however continue to provide select riders with race bikes thorough their dealer network.  One of the beneficiaries of this program was Gene Walker of Birmingham, Alabama. Walker, an Indian Factory team member, was one of the top riders in the country.

In mid 1921, Walker was suddenly fired by Indian for refusing to ride in the Dodge City 300. Left without a ride, Walker returned to Birmingham, and went to work for his former Birmingham Indian teammate, Gail Joyce, who was now the Birmingham Harley-Davidson dealer. Walker got his hands on a blanked off two cam Harley-Davidson and began racing it. How this came about, has been lost to history, but perhaps Harley-Davidson saw a way to poke their former racing rival Indian. Walker would become a dominant force on half mile dirt tracks around the country.

Gene Walker - Harley-Davidson 2 Cam Single - 1923
Don Emde Collection

After dominating the half mile races on the Harley two cam Harley single in 1923, Harley-Davidson issued an ad touting his dominance.

Harley-Davidson Ad - 1923

The Harley-Davidson ad may have been the final humiliation for Indian, as they quickly rehired Walker. Sadly, he died of injuries sustained in a practice crash on the half mile track at East Stroudsburg, Pennsylvania in June 1924.

After Walker's death, Indian threatened to pull out of racing if the displacement was not reduced to slow the bikes on the half mile dirt tracks. The displacement was reduced to 21ci. -350cc. In 1926, Harley introduced a new single cylinder OHV racer, which came to be known as the Peashooter, for the unique popping sound it made. Most of these bikes went to Europe, Australia, and New Zealand, but a few stayed here for use on half miles, and cinder tracks.

1927 Harley-Davidson Peashooter Racer

Harley-Davidson CAC Cinder Track Racer

When the Great Depression hit, American motorcycle companies were struggling to survive, and racing activities were curtailed. They would return in the 30s with Class C racing, which outlawed specialty racing machines not based on production models. This was not the end of the exotic OHV racers.  The technology was used to build alcohol powered hill climb racers.

1930 Harley-Davidson DAH Hill Climber
R. I. Jones Collection

As the years passed by, few examples of these early OHV racers have survived, and they are among the rarest of Harley-Davidson's early racers.


Sources:

Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review

Don Emde Collection

Lonnie Isam Jr. Collection

Motorcycle Illustrated.

R. I. Jones Collection

Birth of a Racer, Harley-Davidson's 11K Stripped Stock Racer - Episode #30

January 6, 2015

Updated - January 17, 2016

By: David L. Morrill

@MototiqueRacing

Sylacauga, Alabama

The story of Harley-Davidson's entry in racing in 1914, is one of the great success stories of early American Motorcycle Racing. Harley-Davidson was late in entering Championship Racing. They faced stiff competition from Indian, Excelsior, and others, who all had long histories of competition at the championship level. Harley's weapon of choice would come to be known as the 11K Stripped Stock Racer. Although it started out as little more than a production bike stripped for racing, with hard work, and perseverance, it evolved into a race winner in less than a year.

1914 Harley-Davidson 11K Stripped Stock Racer

The story of Harley-Davidson's first true racer goes back to 1910. In their 1910 Model 6 production line they listed a single Model 6E. It was described as a "Factory Stock Racer, 30ci F head single." According to Techs Harley Davidson Vin Information Guide 1910-1919 there was a single Model 6E racer produced in 1910.

Early Teens Harley-Davidson Racer
Doug Olson Collection

While Harley-Davidson steadfastly avoided entering the deadly serious business of early board, and dirt track, Championship racing, they did compete in endurance run events. Around this time, road race events became popular. These events were generally run over courses made up of public roadways, and therefore did not require the specialized racing machines used in track racing.

This form of racing appealed to the Harley-Davidson management, as it highlighted both the speed, and reliability of their production motorcycles. When their customers had success, it found its way into their Harley-Davidson's advertising.

Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review - September 1912

Harley-Davidson Ad
The Call-Leader (Elwood, Indiana) 
October 2, 1912

William "Bill" Ottaway
Pioneers of American Motorcycle Racing

The first serious step towards developing a true racer came in 1913, when William Harley hired engineer William "Bill" Ottaway away from rival Thor Motorcycles and had developed their highly successful Factory racers. Ottaway became Harley's assistant in the newly formed Harley-Davidson Racing Department and was given the monumental task of developing a competitive racer from the 1914 Model 10 production bike. Through 1913, Ottaway slowly adapted the 61ci Pocket Valve IOE (intake over exhaust) production V twin engine for racing.

Daniel Statnekov, author of Pioneers of American Motorcycle Racing, believes that the basis for the race engine was a production motor built with looser tolerances for use by police departments. This motor came to be referred to as an "A" motor. That certainly makes sense, as these early engines had cast iron top ends, and total loss oiling systems. Racing drastically increased the heat, and stress engines components were subjected to.

By July of 1914, the new racers were ready for their first test in a major race. The new racers were shipped off to Dodge City, Kansas for the biggest race of the year, the 300 Mile Coyote Classic held on July 4th.

Harley Davidson Racing Team - 1914 Dodge City 300

The bikes in the Team photo above, show the production roots of the Harley-Davidson Team's new racers. They feature frames, that are similar to the 1914 Harley production V Twin frame, and spring front fork. They retain the floorboards of the production bikes. The engines appear to have new gear case covers, with oil pumps cast into them.

The blistering July heat in Dodge City, was a test of both man, and machine. The new racers showed competitive speed but lacked the reliability for such a long event. Only two of the six team's bikes, where running at the end of the race.

Despite the setback at Dodge City, continued develop the racing engines. By the end of the initial development, the race motors would feature larger intake ports, manifold, carburetor, along with stiffer valve springs, a special cam shaft, and steel flywheels, and the oil pump, which was cast into the gear case cover mentioned earlier. This motor would come to be referred to as "Fast" motor.

Track testing continued, and in September, a two-page ad touting the 11K's recent racetrack victories appeared in the September 22, 1914, edition of Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review.

A few days later, Leslie "Red" Parkhurst won the 10 Mile Stripped Stock race at Wisconsin, and his teammate Roy Artley finished second.

While the Wisconsin race was a only regional race, Parkhurst, and Artley, did beat Excelsior team rider Joe Wolters.  Parkhurst and Stratton had the similar results at Brainerd, Michigan State Fair's 3 Mile, and 10 Mile Stripped Stock Races.

The Brainerd Daily Dispatch (Brainerd, Michigan) - September 14, 1914

Atlanta Constitution - November 15, 1914

In the October 6, 1914, edition of Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review, the first ad appears mentioning a 1915 Close Coupled Stripped Stock Model 11K for sale for $250.00. The ad claims the bike has 11 horsepower, the same as the 1915 V twin Production bikes. There is little doubt at this stage in development, Bill Ottaway was getting much more horsepower, from his 11K racing engines.

The 11K racers were ready for another track test in Championship event by early October. "Red" Parkhurst traveled to Birmingham, Alabama for the One Hour FAM Championship Race. He was joined in Birmingham by Atlanta racer Johnny Aiken, and New Orleans racer Arthur Mitchell, who were provided racers through the new Birmingham Harley-Davidson dealer William F. Specht Jr.

The bikes run on the one-mile dirt oval in Birmingham were track bikes, featuring a short-coupled racing frame, and the new girder style rigid front fork pictured below.

Arthur Mitchell at Specht's Harley-Davidson Birmingham, Alabama
O.V. Hunt - 1914

Despite stiff competition from Indian riders Gene Walker and Gail Joyce, along with Excelsior rider Joe Wolters, Parkhurst won the One Hour FAM Championship Race, along with several preliminary non championship races held at Birmingham. Parkhurst win in the Championship Race survived two post-race protests, and Harley wasted little time in touting their first "Championship" win. Parkhurst's win showed the 11K racer could compete on equal footing with serious competition. This was a big step forward for the Harley-Davidson racing program.

Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review - October 1914

In early November, Parkhurst won the 5, 10-, and 25-Mile Races at the San Angelo Track in Phoenix, Arizona. Teammate Roy Artley, finished second in the 10-, and 25-Mile races. As a result of the positive press Harley-Davidson got from their wins in both Birmingham, and Phoenix, Harley-Davidson decided to send a full team of riders to the Savannah 300 Mile Road Race on November 25, 1914.

1914 Savannah 300 Harley-Davidson Team Riders 
Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review - December 1914

At the end of the grueling event run over 11 miles of public roads, Harley-Davidson rider Irving Janke finished third. The bikes used by the team riders appear to be the same style production framed racers used in the earlier Dodge City 300. Sadly, Harley-Davidson rider Gray Sloop of Mooresville, NC., and Zeddie Kelly of Savannah, were killed in separates accidents during the event. Sloop and Kelly are in this team photo above.

Harley-Davidson made a major change to the 1915 production V twin engine, casting a new wider crankcase, with webbed reinforcement, a wider/heavier crankshaft. Several race motors based on the new 1915 motors were built, but testing proved them to be slower, than the narrow case race motors. The narrow 1914 style case continued be used throughout the life of the pocket valve race motors. It was updated several times, with new castings to adapt to changes in cylinders, etc.

Having proved the 11K racer could be competitive, in the country's most demanding races, the bike was put into production for 1915. The new racers were provided to both factory riders, and through their dealer network to select racers. There were some eight versions of the new racer listed as "Specialty Models" for sale in 1915.

1915 Harley-Davidson 11KT

These two photos, show the two major versions of the new 11K racer. Factory rider "Red" Parkhurst is pictured with the 11TK Track Racer, and Joe Wolters with the 11KR Roadster Racer model.

Red Parkhurst - 11KT (left) Joe Wolters - 11KR (right)
Harley-Davidson Archives

Joe Wolters, who had provided stiff competition to Parkhurst at Birmingham, and denied a win in the Savannah 300, due to a last lap blown tire, had switched from Excelsior, to the Harley-Davidson Team for the1915 racing season.

Joe Wolters - 11KR (left)  Joe Wolters - 11KT (right)
Harley-Davidson Archives

According to Tech's Harley-Davidson VIV Information Guide 1910-1920 the eight variants of the 11K Racer. Production numbers are provided, when listed in the guide:

Specialty Models

Model 11K4 - Track Racer, F head single with magneto 
Model 11K5 - Roadster Racer, F head single with magneto
Model 11K12 - "Fast Motor", F head V twin with magneto
Model 11K12H - "Fast Motor", F head V twin with electrical system
Model 11KT - Track Racer, F head V twin with magneto
Model 11KR - Roadster Racer, F head V twin with magneto 
Model 11KRH - Roadster Racer, F head V twin with electrical system
Model 11KTH - Track Racer, F head V twin with electric

The new racer quickly proved to be a winner, in the hands of team rider Otto Walker. In April, Walker won the Venice, California 300 Mile Road Race.

Daniel Statnekov@Pioneers of American Motorcycle Racing

Walker followed that up in July, with a win at the Dodge City 300. These were two of the biggest races in the country, and Otto Walker and the new racer became a force to reckon with. In just one year of competition, the new racers had proven they could win major Championship races against the best riders in the country.

1915 Harley-Davidson Ad
Motorcycle Illustrated

After the 1915 season, Harley Davidson made two major changes to their new racer. The first was a new Keystone frame, which removed the frame loop under the engine, and sandwiched the engine between two mounting plates on the sides of the engine. The second was the introduction of a new overhead valve cylinder, with four valves per cylinder.

Bill Ottaway, took a "Fast" Motor" bottom end, removed the front cylinder, piston, and rod. With a rebalanced crankshaft, he created a "blanked off" four valve 30.5ci. single. Maldwyn Jones, who had recently come to Harley-Davidson from Merkle, won several races using the new engine.  Eight valve racing V twin racing engines were also built, which used the "Fast" motor single cam bottom end. The "Fast" motor bottom end was eventually replaced by a special two cam racing bottom end.

Maldwyn Jones  Harley-Davidson Blanked Off
Single Cylinder 2 Cam 4 Valve Racer

While development continued on the pocket valve engines, they were usually relegated to backup status to the eight valve racers. In the longer races, the eight-valve racer, were used as rabbits, to make the competition run harder to keep up.

The production numbers for some of the 11K racers produced between 1915 and 1918 are listed on Tech's Harley-Davidson VIV Information Guide 1910-1920 as follows:

1915 

11KT (Twin - Track) - 37 

11KR (Twin - Road race) -121 

1916

16S (Single - Track) - 12

16T (Twin - Track) - 23

16R (Twin - Road Race) - 82

1917

17S (Single - Track) - 5

17T (Twin - Track) - 1

17R(Twin - Road Race) - 12

1918

18R (Twin - Road Race)

  

Beginning in 1917, various limited production specialty racing models based on special "Fast" motors were produced, along with the 4 and 8 overhead valve racers introduced in 1916. There are no production numbers for these specialty models.

The eight-valve engines were faster than the pocket valve motors but did not always have the reliability to finish long races. Several of the tried-and-true pocket valve racers, were often entered as insure a win.

Harley-Davidson Single cam 8 Valve racing Engine
http://www.antiquemotorcycle.org

In 1921, the factory built several " blanked off" racing engines, using the latest pocket valve cylinders. These single cylinder racers were known as SCAs (single cylinder alcohol), as they they ran on alcohol. 

Harley-Davidson Keystone Frame SCA Racer
Wheels Through Time Museum Collection

Harley-Davidson SCA "Blanked Off" Pocket Valve Racing Engine

The pocket valve racing engine, which debuted with the 11K racer, stayed in production through the 1920s, with various updates of the engine cases, cylinders, etc. While it would come to be overshadowed by the eight-valve racing engine, it was Harley-Davidson's first Nationally competitive racing engine, and was directly tied to the development of the eight-valve replacement.


Sources:

antiquemotorcycle.org

Atlanta Constitution

Bicycling World and Motorcycle Review - 1914

Birmingham, Alabama Public Library Archives

Brian Slark & Kelly Stewart@Barber Vintage Motorsports Museum

Chris Price@Georgia Motorcycle History

Daniel Statnekov@Pioneers of American Motorcycle Racing

Doug Olson Collection

Harley-Davidson Archives

Matt Walksler@Wheels Through Time Museum

Tech's Harley-Davidson VIN Information 1910-1920

The Call Leader - Elwood, Indiana - 1912