This bike is deceiving. Mistakenly restored by one of the high masters of vehicle restorations, Steve Huntzinger, it conceals its heritage. It currently looks like a select piece of Fabergé jewelry, which conceals the magnificent history.
You are forced to test your imagination as you think about this used spindly, almost a bicycle, 1908 Indian single-cylinder motocycle, which was built by the new Indian Motocycle company to be manhandled by stunt riders in the Globe of Death.
Imagine this vibrating and shaking contraption flying around a giant metal mesh spherical ball or globe in the center of a circus or carnival. Imagine the rider training crashes, the dings and dents over the years. Think about the constant loss oiling system and the float bowl in the Hedstrom-Indian carburetor trying to adjust being ridden upside down or at 90 degrees while taking laps against a curved mesh wall.
Today, highly suspended dirt bikes still fly about Globes of Death while vintage riders perform in wooden slat, Walls of Death, like riding around in a giant beer mug made from wood. Spectators stand on the top edge and wait for the riders to foam over the shear edge into the crowd, providing thrills, chills and spills for anxious crowds all over the country.
You can imagine the abuse, the wear and tear, and the accidents behind novice riders trying to pedal start this magneto fired machine for their first ride in a Wall of Death.
This bike’s history is a colorful one and can be traced back to a cover story in the April 1909 issue of the Motorcycle News. Pictured on the front cover was a photograph of C’Dora, a stunt rider and carnival performer sitting atop this 1908 single, while clad in a circus outfit for the period: Short pants and a jacket with exposed arms. Under the photograph were the words, “C’Dora who loops “the Globe of Death” on an Indian Motocycle.” Women stunt riders were unheard of in 1909.
The 1908 this gem contained all the rare modifications of a racing machine including a short-coupled frame, which meant it was 6 inches shorter in length and height. Imagine how tiny this puppy was, but it sported a larger displacement motor, with a bigger cylinder and piston.
The rail over the tire was built to help push the bike for race starts. The pedals were designed for starting and would disengage when the bike fired, just like a bicycle. The rider was forced to learn how to handle it with pedals loosely flying is different directions constantly.
In the original article, the female rider tied rags around the tires and rims to hold the tires in place, if and when a clincher might peel off the rim and hit the road. The rags may have also improved traction against rough surfaces and oil soaked slick tires.
This ride was a true historic adventure on two wheels.
I spoke to the master Steve Huntzinger who at 6’4” had to ride this puppy around the track at Hershfield to qualify for AMCA judging. He told me the original frame contained several gussets where it broke and was repaired. “I can’t remember if I removed them all and repaired the frame.” If a frame member is too damaged to clean and bondo for paint, he will generally replace the tube and weld or braze it in place.
He also welds broken fins on flatheads. In this case Indian machined the cylinder, so he could machine a new one. Only the head was cast. Also, in this case all the top end pieces were polished before being nickel-plated.
So, you begin to see the glorious intricacies that go into restoring a classic bike to this level. You can now also taste the actual history behind this individual bike. Once battered and beat on for the excitement of carnival spectators, it is now a Steve Huntzinger jewel on display in the Richard Bunch, All-American Motorcycle Collection in San Jose, California.
