What is this Motorcycle???

[indianmotocycle]

Here is one that has lots of cycle gurus scratching there heads.. Quite a wheelbase on this one. All guesses welcome as we do not know..

[Guest De Soto Frank]

Maybe a one-off ?

I can't find anything quite like it in my motorcycle books...

It has leading-link front forks with a leaf-spring, similar to Indian, but that doesn't look like Indian execution...

The frame-extension looks reminiscent of some of the British machines of the period, like the Scott or the Ner-A-Car...

???

Any idea if this is American or European ?

[1937hd45]

Predates "Biker Babe" era that's for sure. One cylinder belt drive with two up prevents any chance of a speeding ticket. Background looks European, their roads were better at the time for something like that. Probably French.

[nearchoclatetown]

Did you notice how long the belt is? The tensioner is way at the bottom, which would keep the belt from grabbing her dress.

[1937hd45]

That is a good thing.

[curious]

The front end is sure reminiscent of a 1909 Harley...see www.wheelsthrutime.com ..looks like the seat section for "Daisy" might have been added later cause the support structure looks newer than the frame of the bike,and thicker tubing...Her clothing is late 1900's American

[olcarherb]

My guess is that this machine represents some "inventor's" (perhaps the man in front???) idea of the "next best thing" circa 1908-1914 or so, that never got off the ground(ie became commercially viable), probably due to lowering of the price for the Model T Ford during the early - mid teens, an event that spelled doom not only for many such "ideas", but also for most of the remaining motorcycle firms and a number of car companies as well. The machine, which appears "used", in fact, "well used" was just the sort that a financially challenged, yet mechanically innovative young man (nowadays I'd say young person but I believe it is probably near 100% accurate to state "young man" with reference to this period) might "cobble up" into what is depicted to show off his latest brainstorm. From the tanks and cylinder design, I'd guess the machine originally started out as a circa 1908-1911 commercially available model that was perhaps now "past it's prime", which could've been as soon as 1910-1914. Note there appears to be no clutch, which started to appear in circa '07-'08 and was pretty much industry standard (as either a true clutch or at least a belt tensioner) by about 1909-10-11 at the latest. The tank appears to be of '08-'12 vintage and a non moveable belt tensioner would suggest a 1906-1909 original manufacturing date. On a personal note, the "driver" just strikes me as being "European" in looks and dress, though a first generation immigrant to the USA would undoubtedly be virtually indistinguishable photographically from such a native "European". And on a lighter note, and as an aside to "Curious", I have to ask where in our great country you saw women dressed in such fashions 10-15 years ago (late 1900's American)??? I would have loved to have been at that cocktail party/fashion show!!!