This story contains some of the masters of the antique motorcycle history realm, including Mike Parti, who restored it; Don Whalen who brokered it; Bud Ekins, who found it; Mike Bahnmaier who bought it from Mike, and of course, Von Dutch. It also involves Markus Cuff, the willing photographic master, American Iron Magazine, and the writer of the original story for AI, Jim Babchak. Let’s check the history first.
Waltham Manufacturing Company (WMC) was a manufacturer of bicycles, motorcycles, motorized tricycles and quadricycles, buckboards, and automobiles in Waltham, Massachusetts. WMC sold products under the brand names Orient, Waltham, and Waltham-Orient. The company was founded in 1893, moving to self-propelled vehicles after 1898.
Waltham Manufacturing Company was founded by Waltham businessmen around engineer Charles Herman Metz (1863-1937). Metz, who wrote insurance policies for Orient Fire Insurance Company out of New York, encouraged two employees to build a steam car of their own in the company’s premises, which led to the Waltham Steam. Metz imported French Aster engines, and secured the U.S. distributorship for De Dion-Bouton engines. Further, he imported this maker’s tricycles and quadricycles, which became his Quadra Cycle in 1899. Using De Dion-Bouton patents, WMC started building their own Orient Autogo and Orient Autogo Quad in 1899.
An early investor in WMC, Charles A. Coffin (1844-1926), first president of General Electric, ordered an electric prototype in 1898, which went in production. Metz experimented with engines mounted on bicycles. The evolving Orient Aster was one of the very first U.S.-built motorcycles.
Metz was assisted by famed French bicycle racer Albert Champion (1878—1927) who arrived in the U.S. around 1899, becoming one of the first professional motorbike racers. Metz is even claimed to have found the expression “motor cycle” for his new vehicle, first used in a 1899 ad. Further, engines of Metz’ design were developed, patented and produced around the De Dion design.
Metz also designed and sold two, three, four, five and six seat bicycles. His ultimate was the Oriten, a ten-seat bicycle of which only one was manufactured. He built one motorcycle, one gas-powered car and one electric car in 1898 and 1899 before manufacturing under the Orient name.
WMC’s first car was a motor buggy called the Orient Victoriette, followed by two runabouts in 1902 and 1903. About 400 of the earlier model were sold; the younger Orient Runabout No. 9 was not a success with about 50 examples built. WMC also grabbed the patent to manufacture American singles using the De Dion design as a guide. You can see how all this antique motorcycle stuff can become mixed.
He designed and produced motorcycles under the WMC until 1905 when lack of finances forced him to combine his operation with the American Motor Company, which manufactured the Marsh motorcycle. Their motorcycles were ultimately named the Marsh-Metz. In the meantime WMC manufactured the Orient Buckboard from 1903 through 1907.
Let’s put this history in perspective. When Charles Metz tinkered with motorcycles and automobiles, most folks didn’t have electricity in their homes, or phones, washing machines, you name it. The only way to buy gasoline was by the quart at a pharmacy. Only the very rich bought these contraptions and only as a novelty. One such buyer bought a motorcycle and tried to ride it a couple of times. The roads were way too rough and he discovered his new gadget wasn’t good for anything, so he hid it in his barn, too embarrassed to admit he bought something with no useful function.
Bud called Mike and asked him to take a run to Volcano, California to check out some old bikes in a three-car garage museum. Included in the sale was this 1902 Orient single but with an Orient Buckboard motor installed. Bud bought a couple of bikes and Mike bought the Orient. All the bikes were loaded into the back of Bud’s pick-up and hauled back to Hollywood. In the ensuing years Mike scored the correct motor from Bob McClean, past president of the Antique Motorcycle Club of America (AMCA). As it turned out Bob’s engine was #4, the number of the bike.
During disassembly, Mike discovered a seized piston with a hole in it. He freed it and welded up the hole and reshaped the crown. Apparently those thin waffled fins around the copper cylinder didn’t create enough cooling. Otherwise, the motor wasn’t in bad shape, except missing the correct French La Mar carburetor, which was rare as hen’s teeth. Steve, the famous motorcycle author, historian, restorer, and good friend of Mike’s discovered the sought after carb in England at a swap meet, or auto-jumble as they are called on the island. It was complete with its unique barrel-valve design. As you can see, they were still tinkering with design. Take a look at the plumbing running out of the head, down the side of the cylinder to the carb. “They were still figuring this shit out,” said Don.
Mike hand-fabricated the gas and oil tank. There was nothing this man couldn’t do. The battery and coil were stashed behind a sliding access door, while the fuel was stored in the unlikely curved rear tank, which doubled as the rear fender. Amazing. The other side of the flat-sided tank was the oil storage area with thin lines running down to the constant loss engine. No twist grip on the right, actually one lever adjusts the fuel/air mixture, thus retarding and advancing the spark to regulate speed. The rider tuned it as he went down the road. Remember, one speed and next to no stopping ability, just a coaster (bicycle) brake in the rear hub.
Mike had the original spindly seat recovered in leather. And although Mike had some items nickel-plated the handlebars are original from 1902. During the ‘60s no one made the 26-inch tires. Mike used another rim for a jig and stretched bicycle tires to fit.
Note: The coal miner’s kerosene headlight, barely a glow, and the taillight, which was basically a reflector. Electricity wasn’t part of the motorcycle equation just yet.
“We recently lost Mike to health issues, but the motorcycles he preserved live on and one that he was most proud of was this Orient,” Don said. “I learned a great deal about Orients from Mike. who spent a lot of time researching every bike he owned and many that he hoped to own sometime in the future. Mike was passionate about his motorcycles and their history right to the end and close to the end of his life he said, ‘He got a tear in his eye when the Orient left and still does when he thinks about it.’ I’m sure he and Bud are still fighting over what’s the best bike and who won what race!!”
Mike Bahnmaier dreamed of a Kansas motorcycle museum in 2013, started fund-raising in 2014 and construction in 2015. Mike recently built a new addition to his St. Francis Motorcycle Museum with a tornado-proof room or vault specifically designed for the rarest of bikes in his collection in Northwest Kansas. This is the first bike you see as you enter the specially fabricated vault doors.
