Gearhead feature



Where to start? I named the bike Gypsy Belle. She was my gypsy and the adventures we had are too numerous to mention. I’ve had her for 40 plus years now and she’s been solid to me.


Back in the day, custom parts and performance components were difficult to find or afford. The previous owner lost his leg in a bike accident and installed a 10-over glide on this bike. I put her back to stock. Lee had built her for his needs. “She was a Belle before yours was a Belle,” he said.

I bought her in 1979 or 1980. I have owned her since I got rid of my ’78 and a 1/2 Lowrider Shovel. She has tall ape hangers from the original ape-hanger company, Flanders. Her seat is a one of a kind, King/Queen custom, by Bar Enterprises.



Back then, custom stroker kits were not available. If you wanted a fast bike, you had to find UL wheels. Or you ran over-sized or higher compression pistons and a cam. Even modifying a carb was something and installing an S&S air cleaner improved the air flow. The Belle has a .030 over 74 cubic inch engine with an Andrews B grind Cam, S&S pushrods and lifters.



The carb is a Bendix with a Gary Bang adjustable jet kit. The wire hanging from the pushrod cover is to unstick the float needle valve once in a while. The exhaust is a combination of many different sets, with the accent on connecting the one-piece muffler, which is a repop fishtail of a 1930s vintage.
I installed an CCI air filter modified with a Harley Anniversary emblem.

Keep in mind that a lot of bikes were kickstart and if the engine got serious compression, they could be tough to kick over.



The heads were built by Ed Walker at Walker’s engine and frame. I don’t believe they shaved the heads for higher compression on Shovelheads. That became a big deal with Evos. Shave the heads, add a cam, pipes and an S&S air cleaner and an Evo would fly.

The rear fender came from L.A. Panhead, and old friend. It is modified to except FX fender struts. The taillight is a tombstone remake and the headlight is classic Bates. Her color is midnight blue with pear.



The battery is an FX style with crate strap tie-downs. All front controls are stock with slight modifications. She has an old-style oil cooler that bolts to the left front peg. Oil coolers were always a big deal in hotter areas. The point cover which is a Grateful Dead head given to me by a brother who has left us for the great beyond. My kicker cover was given to me by Bandido Fred.

The future plans for the Belle is to put everything I can into a wishbone rigid frame for more of a show than a long hauler.



There is a story behind many of the parts on the old girl. I have to give special thanks to my wife, the J woman, T.J., Big George, Texas Fred, Wizard, Wildman Terry, the guys over at Motorcycle Michaels, Big Jim (he had a hand-painted an Easyriders tank logo on his super glide), Uncle Geno (for his stories, real or not) and many others who had an influence on how the old girl turned out. A lot of old school thought went into the build. The outlaw influence and necessity needs were part of the plan also. We just have to live by the moto “Ride hard or just go home.”

Thanks for the opportunity to display the Gypsy Belle.

–Gearhead




Owner: Gearhead
City/State: Torrence, California
Value: 40 Years worth
Time: Too much

Engine

Type: Shovelhead cone style
Year: 1970 H-D
Displacement: 74 cubic inches
Builder: Ed Walker and Gearhead
Pistons: .030 over
Cam: Andrews 8-grind
Ignition: Stock
Carb: Bendix with Gary Bang adjustable jet kit
Air Cleaner: Custom Chrome with H-D anniversary logo
Exhaust: Many pieces with 1936 Fishtail muffler

Make: H-D
Type: Stock 4-speed with kicker kit
Builder: Ed Walker
Clutch: Barnett’s with roller bearing kit
Primary drive: Still a chain

Make: Stock H-D
Type: Swingarm
Mods: All stock tabs replaced



Make: H-D
Type: Wide glide
Mods: Was 10-over, put back to stock

Both
Make: H-D
Size: 16-inch
Brakes: Stock Disc
Tires: Old School Classic Continentals

Sheetmetal: H-D color later than 1970
Color: Midnight Blue with pearl
Mods: Cleared with 1936 Decals



Headlight: Bates
Taillight: Tombstone re-pop
Dash: Panhead style from Custom Chrome
Rear fender: FLH hinge mounted to FX rear struts
Seat: Bar Enterprises (King/Queen) with glove box
Misc.: Machined components from aerospace machinists

 
NCOM BIKER NEWSBYTES
Compiled & Edited by Bill Bish,

 
ALL MOTORCYCLE RIDERS URGED TO SUPPORT FEDERAL ANTI-PROFILING MEASURE
The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) and the Confederations of Clubs is calling on all motorcyclists nationwide, from patch holders to independents, to contact their Congressional Representatives to ask for their support of House Resolution 255, a bipartisan anti-profiling measure being considered in the U.S. House of Representatives that is identical to Senate Resolution 154 passed by unanimous consent in the U.S. Senate on December 11, 2018.
 
H.Res.255; “Promoting awareness of motorcycle profiling and encouraging collaboration and communication with the motorcycle community and law enforcement officials to prevent instances of profiling,” was introduced early in the 1st Session of the 116th Congress (2019-2020), on March 26, 2019 by Rep. Tim Walberg (R-MI), and currently has over 125 bipartisan co-sponsors.
 
As defined by both nonbinding Congressional resolutions, S.Res.154 & H.Res.255, “motorcycle profiling” means “the illegal use of the fact that a person rides a motorcycle or wears motorcycle related apparel as a factor in deciding to stop and question, take enforcement action, arrest, or search a person or vehicle with or without legal basis under the Constitution of the United States.”
 
Concerned riders can contact their U.S. Rep. by calling the Capital Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and request that they join their colleagues in cosponsoring H.Res.255 to help thwart law enforcement from unfairly targeting motorcycle riders for traffic stops, questioning and citations.

RPM ACT TO PROTECT RACING HAS BEEN REINTRODUCED IN CONGRESS
Legislation to protect the right to convert street vehicles into dedicated racecars — known as the RPM Act — is “well positioned” to become law in 2020 now that new versions of the bill have been introduced in Congress, according to the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA), an industry trade association representing the specialty automotive industry.
 
U.S. Representatives Patrick McHenry (R-NC), and Raul Ruiz (D-CA), along with 30 bipartisan co-sponsors, introduced H.R. 5434, the Recognizing the Protection of Motorsports Act of 2019 on December 16, 2019, complementing the Senate’s version of the bill, S.2602, introduced October 18, 2019 by Senators Richard Burr (R-NC) and Joe Manchin (D-WV).
 
The RPM Act, if passed, would reverse the Environmental Protection Agency’s 2015 interpretation of the Clean Air Act that it does not allow a motor vehicle designed for street use — including a car, truck, or motorcycle — to be converted into a dedicated racecar.  The bill also would protect the motorsports-parts industry’s ability to sell performance products.
 
The legislation cleared several major legislative hurdles in the previous Congress, including passage by the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee and hearings in the House and Senate.
 
The practice of converting street cars into competition vehicles went unquestioned for nearly 50 years until 2015, when the EPA took the position that converted vehicles must remain emissions-compliant, even though they are no longer driven on public streets or highways.
 
Motorsports competition involves tens of thousands of participants and vehicle owners each year, says SEMA, with most of the vehicles being raced on the estimated 1,300 racetracks operating across the U.S. are converted vehicles that the EPA currently considers to be illegal.

CONGRESS EXTENDS TAX CREDITS FOR ELECTRIC MOTORCYCLES
The U.S. spending bill recently agreed to on December 17, 2019 includes extension of tax credits for home EV charger installations, electric motorcycles, and fuel-cell vehicles.  These credits were previously extended through the end of 2017, though that time the extension was retroactive, as taxpayers didn’t know about the incentive during the incentive period.  Now, those credits have been extended retroactively again by Congress — covering the last two years, since 2017 — and have been extended forward to the end of this year.
 
Due to an amendment made to the year-end spending bill, taxpayers will once again qualify for a 30% rebate (up to $1,000) on costs associated with the installation of an EV charging station, a 10% credit (up to $2,500) on 2- or 3-wheeled electric vehicles such as electric motorcycles, and a $4,000 credit for the purchase of a new fuel-cell vehicle.
 
These credits previously expired at the end of 2017, but will now be available through 2020.  The credits are available retroactively so, presumably, this means that taxpayers can and should file amended returns for previous years.

HELMET REPEAL EFFORTS ACROSS THE COUNTRY
Since 1966, when Georgia became the first State to require helmet use by law, America has gone through periods of nearly 100% conformity with every state except California passing mandatory helmet laws, through two federal helmet law mandates, both since repealed, to today with only 19 states and the District of Columbia requiring helmets for all riders.
 
Now, with state legislatures back in session entering the new year, several of those states are hoping to be the next to nix their lid law, following most recently Arkansas (1997), Texas (1997), Kentucky (1998), Florida (2000), Pennsylvania (2003) and Michigan (2012).  Louisiana weakened its motorcycle helmet use law in 1999, but re-enacted it in 2004.
 
Already this year, West Virginia has introduced bicameral legislation on January 10th, HB 2070 in the House and SB 153 in the Senate, that would allow you to operate or be a passenger on a motorcycle without a helmet, provided the rider is 21 or older and has held a motorcycle license for at least two years. In addition, SB 154 would allow certain out-of-state residents ride a motorcycle in West Virginia without helmet.
 
Missouri, which last session passed a helmet repeal through both houses of their legislature, only to see it vetoed, once again, by their governor, has introduced another bill on January 9th to exempt persons 18 or older with a valid motorcycle license from wearing protective headgear while riding a motorcycle or motortricycle.
 
In New York, A6895, introduced January 8th, provides that motorcyclists over the age of 21 shall be exempt from the requirement to wear a helmet when operating or riding a motorcycle, while A3004 “requires motorcycle users to wear helmets that meet the federal motor vehicle safety standards and which have been impact-tested by the U.S. department of transportation, the commissioner of motor vehicles or by an independent laboratory approved by the commissioner of motor vehicles.”
 
Meanwhile, companion bills A214/S320 authorizes the commissioner of transportation to conduct a comprehensive study of the efficacy of motorcycle helmets.
 
Vermont’s legislature is considering S203, an act relating to motorcycle helmets, which “proposes to amend the motorcycle helmet law to only apply to motorcycle operators and riders under 21 years of age and creates an exemption from the motorcycle helmet requirement for those operators and riders who are participating in a parade.”
 
The number of registered motorcycles in the U.S. is near historic highs, with more than 8.4 million registered motorcycles as of 2014, according to the U.S. DOT’s Bureau of Transportation Statistics.  This is up from 4.3 million in 2000, nearly doubling over the past two decades.

NEW DRIVER ACCOUNTABILITY LAW IN OREGON
Effective January 1, 2020, it is now a CRIME for a (grossly) negligent driver to injure a motorcyclist or their passenger. It also requires careless drivers who injure riders or passengers to attend safety school and perform 100-200 hours of community service including driver training and traffic safety.
 

 
WASHINGTON STATE ENDEAVORS TO MAKE ROADS SAFER
The state of Washington passed some important motorcycle-related legislation that went into effect as of January 1, 2020 in an effort to increase motorcycle safety by making motorcycle endorsement testing more rigorous, and also increased penalties if you’re caught riding without a license.
 
Previously, the cost of getting caught without a motorcycle license was lower than the cost of actually taking motorcycle training classes, but as of 2020, it’ll now cost you less to obtain the proper training than it will to get caught riding without a license.  The full penalty for riding without a license will now cost $386, with all fees considered.
 
Part of this has to do with Washington state’s Target Zero highway safety plan, which aims to get serious injuries and fatalities on state roadways down to zero by 2030.  An ambitious plan, to be sure, but one key point regarding motorcyclists is the state’s intention to make the permitting and endorsement process for motorcyclists be a more meaningful evaluation of their skills and also making endorsement testing more difficult for riders seeking to get a license.

MOTORCYCLE MARKET TRENDS
As another year comes to a close, it is a great time to reflect on what has been generally a successful year for the Powersports industry, according to Jeremy Jensen, president of the Motorsports Group at Wells Fargo CDF, who reports some consistency from previous years, unexpected strengths, and a few areas of opportunity for next year:
 
UTVs — Retail of side-by-sides saw a nice rebound in the second half of the year, some of which was weather driven, and the segment continues to grow in the mid-single digits per year.
 
ATVs — Sales of ATVs have been consistently solid throughout the year, and expected to be up by low single digits by the end of 2019, with much of the growth coming in the 400-600cc sector. Given typical cannibalization of ATV by the UTV sector, this is a promising result year over year.
 
Motorcycles — Overall, motorcycle retail sales are very similar with 2018 levels, however, different product groups are driving strength and weakness. Sport bikes, which was a successful sector last year (specifically <500cc), has fallen back. Off-road bikes, however, will be up by double digits percentage with dual sport models also posting growth this year. Heavyweight motorcycles remain a key industry challenge as the industry continues to adjust to the preferences of the millennial generation. 
 
Product innovation continues to be strong with technical advancements, new models, and improved performance and comfort. Whether it’s being able to connect your phone, a more advanced GPS system, or an improved suspension, vendors are leveraging technology and looking for ways to enhance the rider experience.
 
From a dealer standpoint, a great area of opportunity is continuing to focus on building the local rider community.  Organize events, let people feel and experience the products, introduce diversified groups of people to powersports, and continue to leverage social media as a way to reach new audiences.
 

 
HONDA PATENTS VERTICAL AIRBAG FOR MOTORCYCLES
The idea of fitting an airbag to the front of a motorcycle has been around for almost as long as the airbag itself, and Honda pioneered the technology on its Gold Wing over a decade ago, but for the system they recently patented, the airbag launches vertically in front of the rider instead of mounting atop the center console.
 
The main problem for motorcycle designers wanting to incorporate one on a bike is packaging. While cars have plenty of space within the dashboard, side pillars and seats to stash the airbag and its inflation hardware, motorcycles are almost always devoid of such space. The new system that Honda has just registered shows a small, airbag system that is compact enough that it can be mounted within the front-end bodywork of a small motorcycle or even a scooter.
 
QUOTABLE QUOTE: “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it often rhymes.”
~ Samuel Clemens (a.k.a. Mark Twain) 1835-1910, American writer, humorist
 

ABOUT AIM / NCOM: The National Coalition of Motorcyclists (NCOM) is a nationwide motorcyclists rights organization serving over 2,000 NCOM Member Groups throughout the United States, with all services fully-funded through Aid to Injured Motorcyclist (AIM) Attorneys available in each state who donate a portion of their legal fees from motorcycle accidents back into the NCOM Network of Biker Services (www.ON-A-BIKE.com / 800-ON-A-BIKE).

They also have a great online tutorial explaining all the key components of the engine and electrical and fuel system and what starting points should look like and how to adjust and modify. You can find the free web-based training here:

http://streetperformancetuner.harley-davidson.com/training/ENU/index.html

The software offers a guided smart tune process to quickly navigate through whether you’re a new to tuning or experienced.

You can also record and view service codes for diagnostics and troubleshooting.

If you plan on riding the same elevation this is all you need. The system should allow you to go to other elevations but may not run optimized. If this is a concern Harley also offers an option for this, it is the Screamin’ Eagle Smart Tune PRO Automatic Tuning Module (ATM). It automatically tunes your bike for the combination of performance components, temperatures, altitude, and vehicle load conditions you are operating in.

It constantly monitors the motorcycle and modifies the ECM on the fly to give maximum performance in most conditions. It is able to do this by the wideband O2 sensors it utilizes reading oxygen levels in the exhaust stream to determine the optimum air/fuel ratio, spark advance and timing your bike needs at the moment.

In order to take advantage of this option you do need to have the Screamin’ Eagle Pro Street Tuner also. If you add this at a later date you do need to upload a new map with the selected wide band sensors. Then all you have to do is ride and enjoy.

Install is a straight forward procedure:

1.    Remove saddlebags

2.    Remove main fuse

3.    Remove seat.

4.    Remove battery

a.    Release ECM from top caddy. Move out of the way.

b.    If present, move purge solenoid forward to release from top caddy

c.    Models with security system: Release HFSM antenna from top caddy and move out of the way

d.    Release connectors from anchors on top caddy

e.    Remove fasteners

f.     Cut cable straps. Move harnesses to allow more clearance for the top caddy

g.    Push top caddy forward to disengage front of caddy from front hold-down bracket. Lift and remove top caddy

h.    Disconnect both battery cables, negative battery cable first.

i.      Pull up battery strap to raise battery. When battery is extracted far enough to get a good grip, grasp battery and remove

5.    Remove right front footboard and brackets from frame.

6.    Disconnect front and rear heated oxygen sensor (HO2) connectors

a.    Note routing of oxygen sensor harness and placement of cable straps along the frame

 Remove exhaust system.

8.    Rework exhaust pipe. Use Exhaust Oxygen Sensor (Wide Band HO2) Bung Drill And Tap Tool Kit (Part No. 14900105) to complete procedure or install Screamin Eagle High-Flow Exhaust System with Street Cannon Mufflers for HO2 sensor installation

a.    Note that no rework is required on Screamin Eagle High-Flow Exhaust System. Bungs accept wide band HO2 sensors.

9.    Install wide band heated oxygen sensors. Using Oxygen Sensor Socket (Part No. HD-48262-A) Torque: 40–60 N·m (29–44 ft-lbs)

a.    Do not install sensors that have been dropped or impacted by other components the sensing element may be damaged

b.    Replacement sensor assemblies have threads coated with anti-seize lubricant and a new gasket.

c.    The electrical connector must be clean and free of any dielectric grease.

10. Install exhaust system with new exhaust gaskets

a.    It is acceptable for the wide band sensor strain guide to make contact with the transmission cover.

b.    If there is contact between the O2 sensor body and transmission cover, install a couple of washers or a spacer under the mid-frame exhaust clamp. Up to 0.200 in of spacer is acceptable.

11. With the ATM inside the battery box, route grey and black connector harnesses

a.    Start at front right corner of battery box area.

b.    Slide grey or black connector harness (1) between the brake lines (2) and frame rail.

c.    Slide connector harness along until it exits the battery box area and enters side cover area.

d.    Repeat procedure for other connector harness.

12. Route the grey and black connector harness leads out behind the ABS control module and connect to main harness. Color match connectors: black to black and grey to grey.

13. Clean mounting surface with alcohol pad. Remove liner from adhesive backing and install dual lock tape to ATM. Remove liner from adhesive backing of dual lock tape and install ATM to back of battery compartment.

14. Install ATM with wire harness facing right toward the inboard side of the frame

15. Route and connect ATM ground wire to clean ground post and torque to 6–10 N·m (50–90 in-lbs)

16. Front HO2 sensor (long harness lead):

a.    From front sensor, route and secure O2 harness along the inboard side of the right frame downpipe. Install cable straps as needed.

b.    Route and secure harness along inboard side of the lower frame toward the O2 sensor connector. Install cable straps as needed or use existing clamps and retainers.

c.    Connect O2 sensor connectors.

17. Rear HO2 sensor (4, short harness lead):

a.    From rear sensor, route and secure O2 harness along top of transmission (4). Install cable straps as needed.

b.    From battery box area, route and secure ATM harness toward the O2 sensor connector. Secure with cable straps as needed.

c.    Connect O2 sensor connectors.

18. Make sure all harnesses and connectors are secured and not located in any hot zones.

19. Install right front footboard and brackets to frame

20. Install battery, battery caddy and attach ECM.

21.  Install seat. After installing seat, pull up on the seat to verify that it is secure.

22. Install main fuse.

23. Install saddlebags.

24. Use Screamin’ Eagle Pro Street Tuner to complete installation. Download new ECM calibration when installing this kit.

 

The Pro Street Tuner software can be downloaded from

http://streetperformancetuner.harley-davidson.com/StreetTuner.aspx

You will need the VCI serial number found on the label located on the back of the VCI in order to download. It is important to understand that the device can only be used on one motorcycle.

If you have issues downloading make sure that Pop-ups are not blocked in your browser for the website.

Connect the VCI to the computer and to the motorcycle. The drivers should install automatically once the VCI is detected.

Note you will need separate purchase of Screamin’ Eagle Tuner Cable Kit

https://www.harley-davidson.com/store/se-tuner-cable-kit-pa-18-41000018–1

You should see a green check mark next to the motorcycle in the lower left corner.

On the tuning tab make sure that O2 sensor is selected to wideband in order to get the proper map for ATM.

I found the system to be great! I have over 1500 miles on the bike so far with no issues. I can say that the system is very responsive with one down flaw that is dictated to Harley Davidson by the US government. There is a speed cap of 111.8 mph. If I was a track guy that would bother me, but for the open road I find that plenty fast enough. I have used other software’s in the past and found that Harley did a great job with the package. It is easy, very intuitive and just plain works.

 

 

https://www.harley-davidson.com/store/street-performance-tuner-kit

https://www.harley-davidson.com/store/smart-tune-pro-automatic-tuning-module

https://www.harley-davidson.com/store/se-tuner-cable-kit-pa-18-41000018–1

 

 

Editor’s Note: Bikernet got ahold of an historic home in Deadwood in the Presidential area. We decided on a Chinese whorehouse theme. We discovered this 110 year-old home was built over the original cemetery where Wild Bill was buried. Someone got the bright idea to dig up the bodies and move them up above Lincoln Street. Here’s some of the Chinese history in Deadwood.

In the recent TV series Chinese man enters a barn followed by Doc Cochran and Johnny Burns, a thug working for the infamous saloon owner, Al Swearengen.

The Chinese man carries a body slung over his shoulder. As he reaches a hog pen, he tosses the body over the fence and into the mud. Ravenous hogs rush to the body and begin to tear it apart. “That’s Mr. Wu,” says David Milch, the Executive Producer of HBO’s hit series Deadwood, during his commentary on Episode 1, “I love this guy.”

Deadwood is a gritty, captivating show. The series portrays its Chinese characters as mysterious, hardworking, lower class people. But were the Chinese of the real Deadwood like those depicted on TV?

I traveled to Deadwood in the Black Hills of South Dakota to find out who these Chinese of Deadwood really were. Jerry Bryant, research curator and resident archaeologist at Deadwood’s Adams Museum, invited me to his office. I explained my mission and then asked, “Jerry, what are the similarities between the Chinese of the historic Deadwood and the HBO series?”

“None,” he shot back. “For instance, the TV show has Chinatown off to the side of Main Street when in reality, Chinatown, or as the residents of Deadwood called it, the Badlands, was actually a part of Main Street. Deadwood is a long skinny town at the bottom of a gulch with hardly any room for side streets. As you enter Deadwood Gulch from the north you pass through Elizabethtown, then the Badlands, then into Deadwood.”

“And another thing,” Jerry added. “There were never any Chinese prostitutes kept in cages. The good citizens of Deadwood would never have put up with that.”

For the next hour, Jerry gave me a rapid lesson on Deadwood, the Chinese, what to read, where to research and who to contact on Chinese frontier history.

“Okay, one last thing I’ve got to ask,” I said toward the end of my interview. “Did the Chinese really feed human bodies to the hogs in Deadwood?”

“Never happened,” he answered, with a chuckle.

The first two seasons of HBO’s Deadwood portrayed the Chinese as rough, hardworking, shadowy underworld characters. But is this portrayal really true? Milch states on HBO’s Deadwood website, “I want to make it clear that I’ve had my ass bored off by many things that are historically accurate.”

So who were Deadwood’s Chinese? Where did they come from? What goals did they have? What lives did they lead? And what happened to them? Jerry gave me several good leads to begin my search for the real Chinese inhabitants of Deadwood that revealed a story far richer than what viewers can extract from TV.

The Real Deal

During the mid-1800s, China’s southern Guangdong province was in turmoil. Guangdong along with its capital, Canton, was a hothouse of rebellion against the Manchu dynasty, which, 200 years earlier, had invaded China from Manchuria, conquered the nation and replaced the Ming dynasty. Famine and the destruction of crops during periodic rebellion against the government resulted in the deaths of millions of people.

The addictive opium was also wrecking thousands of Chinese lives. British traders smuggled opium into China. When the Chinese government tried to enforce an embargo on opium shipments, the British government attacked, forcing the Chinese to consent to the trade. In 1847, British banks cut off funding to businesses in Guangdong for over a year, throwing 100,000 men out of work. Desperate husbands, fathers and sons grasped at the rumors of Gum Shan—Gold Mountain.

James Marshall found gold at Sutter’s Mill in California in 1848. A Chinese man living there wrote to a friend in Canton about the discovery. Soon everyone in Guangdong was talking about Gum Shan, where a person could pick up gold nuggets off the ground. The Chinese gold rush was on.

The men’s plan was to find enough gold in Gum Shan so that the family back home in Guangdong could live comfortably. Once the Chinese prospector achieved this goal, he would return to live in luxury in China.

But when the Chinese came to the goldfields, the Chinese miners were so efficient at mining that their white neighbors became jealous and began restricting the mining rights of the Chinese.

Some of these miners shifted gears and found jobs with the Central Pacific Railroad, which was building the transcontinental railroad from the west. Central Pacific recognized that the Chinese worked faster, cheaper and better than the white workers did. It was their expertise in explosives and working on cliffs that made building the railroad less costly. On May 10, 1869, when the railways were joined from east and west to create the transcontinental railroad, the Chinese were out of a job.

Chinese prospectors and business-men spread throughout the West. Wherever there was a new strike, the Chinese made their way to that mining district—California, Arizona, Nevada, Montana, Idaho, Washington and Colorado. The predominantly white population developed prejudices against the Chinese based on their different language, work ethic, dress and culture—all causing friction. To lessen hard feelings against them, the Chinese began to work old placer mines that whites believed were useless. They also opened businesses that held little conflict with whites, such as restaurants, laundries and stores carrying Asian goods. Most Chinese lived the American dream—they were independent businessmen.

Paha Sapa Gold

By 1874, prospectors had explored all of the continental U.S. for mineral deposits—all that is except one area, which lay within the Great Sioux Reservation; Paha Sapa in the Lakota language, Black Hills in English.

Lieutenant Col. George Armstrong Custer led an expedition through the Black Hills in 1874. The expedition’s geologists reported to Congress the positive prospects for gold and other minerals, triggering an illegal gold rush to the Black Hills.

At first, the government tried to round up and evict the trespassers but soon gave up its attempts and embarked on a course to buy the land from the Lakota people. Meanwhile, streams of miners poured into the Black Hills. In the fall of 1875, prospectors entering Deadwood Gulch in the northern Black Hills discovered gold along Whitewood Creek. Miners started to lay claims; but the real rush for gold did not start until the spring of 1876.

Chinese prospectors were not far behind the first discoverers of gold in Deadwood Gulch. One early arrival was Fee Lee Wong.

Wong and his brother had left Guangdong, finding jobs as laborers in Gum Shan. In 1870, 24-year-old Fee Lee and his brother arrived in California.

With news of gold in the Black Hills, Fee Lee took a job as a cook with a small party of white prospectors headed for the Hills. Along with the usual hardships of the trail, the party fought off attackers. When the prospectors reached Deadwood in 1876, they staked claims and divided them by lot among the group. One of the members wanted to exclude Fee Lee, but the others overruled him, and Fee Lee received two claims. Gold was soon discovered on the claim next to Fee Lee’s claims. He may have sold his claims for as much as $75,000, but there is no record of the property transaction. Deadwood’s fires destroyed many of the early records. Fee Lee’s story is one of the more fortunate ones.

Most Chinese headed to Deadwood via train to Cheyenne, Wyoming, or Sidney, Nebraska. From these railheads, they rode a stagecoach 300 miles to Deadwood or traveled alone or in small groups. Some followed the Missouri River from the Montana and Idaho goldfields to Bismarck or Fort Pierre, Dakota Territory, and then crossed the prairie to the Black Hills.

Just as Fee Lee did, some Chinese acquired placer mining claims. As time went on, most of the claims were worked over. The mining turned to hard rock, requiring lots of capital and manpower. Most of the Chinese did not have the money to invest in equipment and people to perform that intensive type of mining. But they still bought old placer claims to rework them and extract more gold.

Opportunists

Another successful way that they made money was by opening a laundry service. Think about it—a large population of young, dirty, hungry miners with excess cash (or gold dust). These men did not waste their time cleaning their clothes and cooking their food; they were in Deadwood to find gold.

The Chinese laundry operators were pretty clever. They saved the wash water from the miners’ clothes and sluiced it, recovering gold dust—in other words, mining the miners. Half the recorded Chinese population in Lawrence County, of which Deadwood was the county seat, were involved in the laundry business, according to the 1880 U.S. Census.

The number of Chinese who owned restaurants was greater than those owned by Caucasians. The 1898 Black Hills Residence and Business Directory listed 11 restaurants in Deadwood, seven of which were Chinese-owned. The Chinese learned to cook what American prospectors wanted to eat—for the most part, steak, potatoes and other standard fare. Wong Kee, the owner of the Bodega Café, had a standing joke with his patrons. “What kind of pie do you want?” he’d ask. The diner would name his favorite pie. Wong would then laugh and say, “We have apple.”

Fee Lee Wong used his profits from his mining claim to open the Wing Tsue Emporium on Deadwood’s Main Street. Wing Tsue is Cantonese for Assembly of Glories. Fee Lee spoke English well and was respected by and socialized with the non-Chinese community.

His advertisement in the 1898 directory reads: “Wing Tsue, Dealer in Chinese Groceries and Provisions. Chinaware and Japanese Goods, Silk Handkerchiefs, Silks and Dry Goods of all Kinds. Fireworks, Chinese Curios, Novelties, Etc., Etc. I also carry a full line of Chinese Medicines, Chinese shoes and Clothing. Americans as well as Chinese are invited to call and Inspect my goods.”

The Chinese were employed in a wide variety of positions including house servants, private cooks, barbers, physicians, lumberjacks, prostitutes and gamblers. They owned real estate, including hotels and opium dens. Some Chinese even became cowboys. A “Chinese cowboy” was “seen on the street yesterday. He was rigged out with leather pantalets, belt, cartridges and gun,” reported the 1895 Black Hills Daily Times.

An accurate count of the Chinese population of Deadwood is hard to determine. The 1880 census recorded 221 Chinese in Lawrence County, with 110 of them living in Deadwood. But some researchers think this figure is an underestimation because the Chinese distrusted the government. The census takers probably only counted those who owned property, ran businesses or were employed by whites. Other facts recorded by the census reveal 202 Chinese males and 19 females, mainly between the ages of 18 and 45. So there was a large population of single Chinese men.

These men had even less of a hope of finding a good spouse when Congress passed the Chinese Exclusion Act in 1882. The act cut off almost all new immigration to the U.S. from China. The Chinese population of Deadwood became stagnant as the men became older and were unable to send for their wives or marry within their race. Fee Lee Wong was one of the lucky ones. He brought his wife to Deadwood in 1884 before amendments tightened provisions in the original law.

White Pigeon Ticket

Cut off from traditional family and female companionship, the young Chinese males of Deadwood enjoyed many of
the same pastimes as their white neighbors, including a good drink, camaraderie—male and female—and most of all, gambling.

Mark Twain quipped about the Chinese, “About every third Chinaman runs a lottery.” The Chinese bet on everything. Some of their favorite betting games included poker, fan-tan and white pigeon ticket, also known as the Chinese Lottery. The Chinese Lottery was popular with whites. They bought tickets, even though they couldn’t identify the Chinese characters. Apparently, any bad feelings some whites may have had toward the Chinese didn’t extend to gambling; they believed the Chinese would give them the correct winnings. The Chinese Lottery eventually evolved into the game of keno.

Legal Opium Dens

The Chinese enjoyed a drink of rice wine and the standard alcoholic drinks consumed by many of Deadwood’s residents. A number of Chinese also used opium, which was legal to sell and use in Deadwood during the early years. Opium den owners bought a license from the city, the same as saloon owners. Most Chinese smoked opium for med-icinal purposes or pleasure. Deadwood’s non-Chinese residents who ventured into the opium dens came to experiment with the drug.

Soon enough, the Black Hills Daily Times editor sounded an alarm for these opium dens in a February 11, 1882, issue: “The attention of city authorities is called to the opium joints now being conducted wide open in that portion of the city known as Chinatown. Where white people, and black ones too, hit the pipes as often as they can raise 50 cents. Owing to the fact that none of the old joints have been molested for some time, several new ones have started up, where can be seen at almost anytime of the day or night, forms of men and women stretched out perfectly unconscious of their surroundings, reveling in the pleasant dreams that the devilish narcotic brings to them for a brief one hour. If the evil cannot be suppressed a restriction can at least be put upon it that will prevent its further spread.” Congress finally outlawed opium use in 1909.

Fun and Games

Fire was always a major concern in Deadwood. Fee Lee Wong’s store was the source of a fire in 1885 that damaged other buildings in Chinatown. The Chinese organized two fire hose teams. Each team consisted of 10 men pulling a two-wheeled cart with fire hoses.

The teams marched in Deadwood’s July 4, 1888, parade, dressed in traditional and Western clothing, carrying banners and flags, and accompanied by a band playing Chinese music. The mostly white crowd clapped and cheered as they passed down Main Street. After the parade, the two teams held a race for the “fastest Chinese hose team in the world.” The contestants lined up on Main Street, but before “go” could be shouted, someone tossed an exploding firecracker and the race was on. Fee Lee’s team was well out in front; but one of the men stumbled and fell. Hi Kee’s team won the race—200 yards in 30 seconds. No one knew of any other Chinese fire hose teams, so the citizens of Deadwood declared Hi Kee’s team the Champion Chinese Hose Team of the World. No one, to date, has ever contested the claim.

The Chinese participated in American holidays like 4th of July and Christmas, but they went all out for their own celebrations, the most spectacular holiday being the Chinese New Year. It’s usually celebrated in February, with the start of the new moon, and lasts 15 days. The Chinese prepared weeks in advance for the New Year. During the celebration, they closed their shops and took a vacation from work. They decorated their houses with banners, paintings and lanterns. They shot off fireworks and firecrackers day and night. The Chinese marched in parades accompanied by their bands. They paid off all their debts, invited one and all to visit their homes, and gave the visitors gifts.

Joss House to Tongs

The Chinese built a Joss House, or temple, on Deadwood’s Main Street, where they conducted Buddhist and other Chinese religious ceremonies. The Joss House also served as a meetinghouse.

Some Chinese became Christians through the efforts of Deadwood’s Congregational and Baptist Churches. The members of these churches conducted night schools for the Chinese to learn how to speak, read and write English.

Mayor Sol Starr and Dr. Henrich Wedelstaedt, both prominent Deadwood citizens and members of the city’s Masonic Lodge, worked with the Chinese to establish a “Chinese Masonic Lodge.” This lodge was never part of Freemasonry. The Chinese allowed only Mayor Starr and Dr. Wedelstaedt to attend their lodge functions. The Chinese Masonic Lodge was a prominent organization, and the Deadwood newspapers often mentioned Chinese masons. It may actually have been a Chinese tong.

There were possibly two tongs in Deadwood. Tongs were important social societies that provided their members fellowship, recreation and social services. Sometimes tongs engaged in criminal activities. No evidence has been found to show that Deadwood’s tongs had a criminal element, but the hatchet was the weapon of choice for tong members and it was sometimes wielded in local attacks.

But the Chinese may have had good reason to strike out. White mobs were known to loot and burn Chinese homes. In 1878, a short-lived anti-Chinese organization, the Caucasian League and Miners Union, emerged in the northern Black Hills. Its mission was, “to protect the interest of white miners.” During the league’s short existence, assailants burned down four Chinese houses and attempted to blow up another house.

Kuong Wing, one of Deadwood’s Chinese leaders, printed a general letter in the paper to assure the white population that the Chinese wanted to be good neighbors and not take their jobs. Through this published assurance and the goodwill efforts of friends of the Chinese community—Mayor Sol Starr, Judge Granville Bennett and others—the Caucasian League faded away.

As time went on, the Chinese and non-Chinese of Deadwood learned to tolerate, if not enjoy, each other’s company. Whites even came to the assistance of their fellow citizen, Fee Lee, who had traveled to China for a visit. On his return to the U.S., the Immigration Office detained Fee Lee in Port Townsend, Washington. Some of Deadwood’s citizens learned of Fee Lee’s plight and contacted the Immigration Office. He was allowed to return home.

But still, Deadwood was a rough town, and the Chinese were also victims of murder and crime. At times, Chinese fought each other. Tong Hay and Ton Lem Sang attacked Ching Kee Lang with hatchets. The police arrested them, and a lucky Ching Kee Lang recovered from his wounds.

On November 27, 1877, two people murdered Di Gee. One attacker smashed her in the face with a hatchet, while the other stabbed her repeatedly in the back with a small knife. The coroner stated that Di Gee must have died from multiple blows to the head. The authorities determined that the attackers did not rob her.

Who murdered Di Gee? No one knows. The Chinese would not cooperate with Deadwood authorities. One thing is certain; after the murder, the people who moved into Di Gee’s house heard a knock on the door at night. Di Gee’s voice cried out, “Moo shot ngin,” meaning “Don’t kill.” Then they heard the sounds of her murder but never saw anything. The occupants soon moved out of the house, and no one would live in it. Neighbors also began hearing Di Gee’s voice and moved away.

Chinese funerals were usually exciting extravaganzas. The Chinese struck the gong at the Joss House to notify everyone of a death. Everyone dressed in white or brightly-colored clothing and joined a procession to take the body to the cemetery. People carried banners and lighted tapers called Joss sticks, and tossed firecrackers and colored pieces of paper. A Chinese band played cymbals and drums. Sometimes the Deadwood City Band led the procession. It was a joyous parade. Many of Deadwood’s non-Chinese residents joined the procession, as well; some out of friendship, others out of curiosity and others went for food and gifts.

Mount Moriah, Deadwood’s Boot Hill, is a steep climb from the gulch below. From on top, the people saw all of Deadwood. After burying the body in the Chinese section of the cemetery, the Chinese would pass out food and gifts to all who attended. The Chinese left food at the gravesite for the spirit of the departed to eat before starting on its journey to heaven. Children often hid themselves and waited until everyone left so they could raid the food left behind for the spirits.

One popular Deadwood legend states that a white man asked a Chinese man when the dead would come out of the graves to eat the food. “Our dead will come up to eat our food when your dead come up to smell your flowers,” he replied.

Many Chinese had provisions in their contracts with the companies that brought them to America, that if they died here, the contract companies would ship their bones back to China. After the body had been in the ground for two or three years, an undertaker or Chinese worker dug up the bones, wrapped them in newspaper or cloth, placed them in zinc-lined boxes and shipped them back to China. Some people believe most of the bodies were removed from Mount Moriah, while others believe many are still buried there.

The Last Remnant of Chinatown

Since not many Chinese formed families, thanks to the Chinese Exclusion Act, the Chinese population slowly drifted away from Deadwood, either heading back to China or to other Western towns. By the mid-20th century, Deadwood’s Chinese lived on only in the memory of those whites who had been children when the Chinese were an integral part of town life.

Although Fee Lee Wong found success in the U.S., he was still a traditionalist and returned to China with his family in 1919 so that his children could learn their Chinese heritage. Fee Lee died in China in 1921, but many of his children yearned for the U.S. and returned. In 2004, Edith Wong, Fee Lee’s great-granddaughter, organized a family reunion in Deadwood. Sixty-seven members of the Wong family arrived in Deadwood for their first family reunion and posed for a group photograph in front of the Wing Tsue building.

If you visit Deadwood today, you will find little left of the Chinese. During Deadwood’s annual Days of ’76 parade, a local girl is designated the China Doll and rides on a parade float. The Adams Museum displays Chinese photographs and artifacts for the public to view. Visitors can also drive up to Mount Moriah to view the remaining graves in the Chinese section of the cemetery.

But the last recognizable remnant of Deadwood’s Chinatown was destroyed just last year. On December 24, 2005, Gene Johner, the owner of Fee Lee Wong’s Wing Tsue Emporium, demolished the building, in direct violation of Deadwood’s historic preservation ordinances. As of publication, the complaint filed by the City Commission was still being investigated.

The only building left in Chinatown is the Hi Kee store, now called the Deadwood Gulch Saloon, but Adams Museum’s Research Curator Jerry Bryant says it has been refurbished and bears no resemblance to its original structure. For all intents and purposes, Deadwood’s historic Chinatown is gone.

The old saying goes “Art imitates life.” Well in Deadwood, you can say, “Art imitates life—life imitates art.” The City of Deadwood has built a mockup of the HBO Deadwood set, complete with a replica of a hog lot named Wu’s Pigs.

But if you listen late at night, you just might hear the China Doll cry out, “Moo shot ngin.”

 The Custom Strider Program is an initiative of The Flying Piston Benefit produced by Marilyn Stemp of Iron Trader News and Jeff Najar of Biker Pros to raise awareness and funds for non-profits and individuals in the biker community. Each year a new class is unveiled at the Flying Piston Benefit Builders Breakfast at the Sturgis Buffalo Chip the first Sunday of Sturgis Rally.

A portion of the funds came at the Mecum Auction held at Southpoint Casino in Las Vegas. The event went on all week from January 20 to 26, 2020 but my nerve-wracking day was January 24th.

That’s when three Tiny Custom Striders, originally revealed to the riding public at the Flying Piston Builders Breakfast at the Buffalo Chip last August, rolled across the auction block.

Among the three, built by Todd “Gilby” Gilbertson, Brian Klock and the late Jessi Combs (all featured here), it was Jessi’s tiny board-tracker that hit home with auction goers. In fact, the little bike garnered a bidding war that took it way beyond expectations, ultimately selling for $11,000.

The Klock Strider, a mini Suzuki racer patterned after a real bike built for Ricky Carmichael (and signed by him on the tank) went to Steve and Joan Klein for $1200.

Gilby’s gold and chrome chopper brought $3600 from Jill Parham. The board-tracker and chopper headed directly to the National Motorcycle Museum in Anamosa, Iowa, for display – to be joined by the Klock bike after motocross season ends.

Pat and Cris Simmons were the happy winners of the Jessi bike and that’s appropriate: Cris and Jessi had been close friends for years, sharing the stage most recently at the Buffalo Chip’s Biker Belles signature ride August 2019, just days after the bike was unveiled. Cris also owned a custom Harley Softail that Jessi had built for Biker Belles in 2013.

The only thing missing that thrilling day at the Mecum auction was Jessi herself. Her shocking death on August 27, 2019 as she raced to set a land speed record, still leaves a hole in the hearts and minds of car and motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide.

But her efforts and influence will continue to resonate when the money raised from the sale of the tiny board-tracker results in programs being installed in several kindergarten PE classes through AllKidsBike, teaching kids in those schools to ride bikes over the next five years.

That effort to build skills, confidence and new motorcycle riders among both girls and boys, is something Jessi championed. It’s our hope that her friends and family are pleased with this outcome.

And Drum-roll please: Here are the bikes

Flying Piston Strider Customs 2019

By Marilyn Stemp

“The fearless Jessi Combs was born for everything automotive. Her passion to get in the driver seat and behind the wheel of nearly anything with a motor has led her through some amazing and unusual achievements. With a degree in custom automotive fabrication, Jessi has reached out to millions with her build skills on TV shows such as All Girls Garage, Mythbusters and Overhaulin’ to name a few, as well as through community and educational outreach.

As the fastest woman on four wheels, first ”Queen” of the Hammers, Ultra4 National Champion, and a Baja 1000 podium finisher, she empowers many through the act of simply leading by example. Her desire to show more women (and men alike) that they too can build their ideas, go fast, get dirty, have fun, and still be feminine shines through everything she does in life.”

The bio you just read was provided by Jessi Combs as she agreed to participate in the Flying Piston Tiny Strider Custom project. I had asked her to join us the first year and she declined, saying she didn’t have time.

When I later saw her in Austin after the first-year bikes had been unveiled, she said: “You’re going to ask me again next year and I’m going to say I’m too busy. Don’t let me! I want to build one of those! I already have the idea!”

And so it was. When her tiny board-tracker was revealed at the Flying Piston Builders Breakfast at the Buffalo Chip last August, it stole the show.

The only thing missing that thrilling day was Jessi herself. Her shocking death on August 27, 2019 as she raced to set a land speed record, still leaves a hole in the hearts and minds of car and motorcycle enthusiasts worldwide. But her efforts and influence will continue resonate when the money raised from the sale of the tiny board-tracker results in programs being installed in several kindergarten PE classes through AllKidsBike, teaching kids in those schools to ride bikes over the next five years. That’s building new riders!

As Jessi might have said – and as she signed off on emails: vroo00O00oommm… Jessi

Flying Piston Strider Customs 2019:

Story by Savannah Rose

Brian Klock and the Klock Werks crew built an incredible custom Strider with a definite Klock “flair,” – to riff off one of the company’s signature components, the Klock Werks Flair windshield. Inspiration for the build came from Ricky Carmichael’s Suzuki M109r that the KW crew had modified, and yes: that’s Ricky’s autograph on the tank!

The little gray bike boasts red paneling with yellow pinstriping along the custom made “gas” tank and fenders, which Dan Cheeseman and Randy Rothlisberger fabricated in the Klock shop.

The rear fender even has a fender mount reminiscent of an H-D bagger, which is nearly a tiny version of the motorcycle fenders Klock Werks produces. Up front, Brian included an LED headlight for those kids who just aren’t ready to put the bike away because it’s dark! Wrapped around the headlight is a one-off mini-Flare windshield, based on the product the KW crew are known for.

Brian was happy to take on the challenge of what is most definitely the smallest bike the crew has ever built, as he and Dan are huge proponents of All Kids Bike – the Strider Foundation initiative that strives to make bike riding a part of kindergarten P.E. curriculum.

The Klock team even helped provide funding in their hometown of Mitchell, SD to bring the program to the elementary schools there. Brian says, “Anything we can do to raise awareness for Strider and the programs that push kids to ride bikes, exercise and be creative is a win.”

The Flying Piston Benefit was honored to have the Klock Werks crew on our team for the 2019 Class of Strider Custom Builders.

Gilby’s 2019 Flying Piston Strider Custom
Todd Gilby Gilbertson of Gilby’s Street Department

Story by Diane “Shadow’s Wife” Jones

Initially, Donnie Smith was on task to create a custom Strider Custom for the Flying Piston Benefit. However, as the time drew near, circumstances conspired to keep it from happening. But as happens in our motorcycle community, Donnie’s friend Todd “Gilby” Gilbertson, graciously stepped up and took on the project in the last few weeks before the deadline.

Gilby has been in the custom pinstriping and painting business for about 30 years, starting at the young age of 13 years old. As time went on and his skills increased, he added welding and fabricating, working his magic on all kinds of vehicles including motorcycles, altering frames, handlebars and more. His business, Gilby’s Street Dept., is located in River Falls, WI, and the radical customs Gilby builds are fully roadworthy.

As for the tiny Strider Custom, the pressure was on to make it happen, so Gilby resorted to his motto: “Never stop, never give up.” He and crew took to designing a Strider bike in the chopper style to honor his friend and colleague, Donnie Smith.

He wanted the Strider custom to be fully functional and rideable and so every modification was considered in the overall design. When he cut the neck, the rake of the front end changed, tilting it forward. This resulted in a change in the swing arm position so he had to bend the seat post – all to ensure proper function.

Gilby’s buddies at J&B Plating chromed the handmade front end in just one day! Impressive to say the least. Gilby and his team did the lettering, gold leafing, pinstriping and paint, finishing off the custom Strider with a perfect clear coat, ultimately creating a tiny chopper that gets double-takes every time!

For more information about this effort contact: Marilyn Stemp, 828-205-8482, marilynstemp@gmail.com or www.theflyingpiston.com

About Strider: Strider designs lightweight bikes that build two-wheeled balance, coordination, and confidence in children. Strider is helping kids learn to ride and developing new motorcycle riders through the AllKidsBike movement which makes bike-riding a part of kindergarten curriculum.

www.allkidsbike.org, www.striderbikes.com

*The 2019 Strider Custom Builder Class was: Todd “Gilby” Gilbertson, Jessi Combs, Xavier Muriel, Brian Klock, Steve Reed, Roy & Nikki Martin, James Washnok, Devin Henriques, Eric Hermann, Alumni of Motorcycle Missions and Count’s Kustoms’ Horny Mike, Shannon Aikau and Ryan Evans.

Car manufacturers these days are in a race with each other to manufacture the most environment-friendly cars. Companies have been researching on many different fuels to see which one of them is the most-effective, cheap and reliable fuel.

The focus these days is to extract as much energy as you can from a fuel and also keep the pollutants in the exhaust to a minimum. This is why companies are continuously looking for alternatives to improve efficiency and environment-friendliness.

History of Automobile Fuels

The history of car fuels goes way back to the 19th century. For different kinds of motors and boats, different types of materials were adopted to use as fuels to fun different types of motors. The first experimentation of its kind was done by Nicephore Niepce in 1806 when he tried to use coal dust to power a boat engine.

This experiment didn’t run as successfully as he would’ve liked, so the coal dust usage as a fuel was halted for some time. But it made a comeback once more in 1892 when Rudolf Diesel, who later went on to manufacture a compression-based engine tried to use coal dust as a fuel. This was definitely not the best approach, so Diesel shifted to a compression-based ignition engine instead.

Going back to 1886 when the first ever commercial automobile was made, gasoline made its debut as a commercial engine fuel. Karl Benz in Mannheim developed the first ever gasoline engine-based wagon in 1886. But, even at that time, a lot of people preferred to use batteries instead of gasoline. The batteries in those days were not really powerful and efficient enough to last long, so the idea of them being a permanent automobile runner eventually failed, despite the fact that Lohner-Porsche had strongly adopted battery usage.

The batteries at that time were expensive, and due to the cheapness and availability of petroleum fuels, the idea of having batteries to power cars died for the next century. So, gasoline was adopted as the main fuel king at that time, and it still is today. When cars were evolving, fuels evolved as well.

When drivers go to a gas station to fill their car with gas, they cannot find a 100% pure gasoline. Putting the right fuel in your car is vital, if you fill up gasoline in diesel or diesel in gas it can be a costly mistake. Trust me it does happen, a lot! What we know is that gasoline is a mixture of many different organic compounds. Earlier versions of gasoline had some disadvantages such as increased knocking and self-ignition problems, so other materials were added alongside the gas in order to prevent such issues. For instance, tetraethyl lead was included in the gasoline mix to remove the self-ignition issue.

With the passage of time, more environmental issues with gasoline arrived such as dangerous lead pollutants which were a danger to the environment. So, catalytic converters were introduced which really helped greatly to reduce the amount of lead in the exhaust gases. These days, ten percent ethanol is added to gas as a knock preventer so that the car runs smoothly without making too much noise.

Diesel has incurred a similar history as well which originated after the experiments made by Rudolf Diesel. He experimented with several fuels from coal dust to peanut oil. From there, the use of diesel grew bigger and bigger. Diesel is a more efficient fuel as compared to gasoline and has more than 30% fuel efficiency. This is due to the fact that diesel has a much higher compression ratio, which results in more efficiency.

Types of Different Car Fuels

Due to research initiated by different companies, many more fuels were discovered after gasoline. These sometimes offered a solution to some of the restrictions of the preceding fuel. Here are the different types of fuel.

Gasoline

Gasoline/Petrol has a huge history of being a reliable car fuel. It has been the fuel of choice for cars for more than a century now. Gasoline has an advantage of producing immense acceleration which comes from its property of a quickly igniting fuel. So, to prevent the fuel from igniting too quickly, it is mixed with other substances to create a blend, which brings some equilibrium into the fuel efficiency as well as car acceleration.

Diesel

Diesel has long been in usage after Rudolph Diesel first used it in his compression ignition engine more than a century ago. Diesel fuel is used in diesel engines, which are famous for their longevity and long, grueling drives. That is why most of the vans and trucks you see on the road are running on Diesel.

Diesel engines are much more fuel efficient and can constantly run for long periods without any interruption, which is perfect for the heavy-duty tasks which trucks must perform. But, these days, a number of sedans and luxury cars utilize a diesel engine as well, which gives the customers an option of choosing either the gasoline variant or the Diesel variant of the same model. (This option is becoming less however due to the various diesel engine scandals created by a number of German automakers.)

Liquefied Petroleum (Propane)

Propane used in Canada and the US isn’t of pure quality. It is mixed with Butane or Propylene and used for lighting small fires. However, it is one of the most cost-effective oils and is used as a fuel in the UK hybrid cars.

Propane-engined cars do not produce as much smog and pollution such as diesel and gasoline. That is why it is expected to take more share in the fuel usage in the world in the next few years as it is cheaper and more environmentally-friendly.

Compressed Natural Gas

Compressed Natural Gas is an acronym for CNG, which also acts as fuel in a number of vehicles. It can be used as a fuel in the gasoline engine as well, which means both gasoline and CNG can be run on the same engine. CNG is more than 75% less environmentally harmful as compared to both gasoline and diesel.

CNG is also much cheaper than the usual fuels and its usage seems to be on the rise in countries such as Pakistan and India. Many drivers have the CNG kit attached to their car.

Ethanol

Ethanol is also termed as a bio-fuel because it is extracted from sugarcane and corn. It is one of the fuels which can be used as a viable alternative to run a gasoline engine. Ethanol can be a good and affordable potential alternative to fossil fuels but in order to do that, you need a lot of sugarcane and corn. Ethanol production, even if done on a large scale, will not be able to meet even half the demands of a big country like the US or the UK. But, it is cheap, affordable and very environment-friendly.

Which Fuel is the best for your Car?

Simply put, there is no best fuel for a car. Each fuel has its own advantages and disadvantages. Some cheap fuels do not have a high mileage rate, while other more expensive fuels with a higher mileage can be more hazardous for the environment. Accessibility is also an issue for other fuels than gasoline and diesel.

Each fuel has its own pros and cons and a fuel engine should be chosen depending on the requirements of individuals and what they want from the vehicle.

Anthony Arnold has been in automotive industry for years. He specializes in car engines and loves to share his experiences online in different blogs and articles.

Editor’s Note: The opinions expressed in this article are those of the author. But I always needed high-test in my chopper to get to her side quick!

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