When two cylinders were not enough
In 1911, some machines may leave an impression as the Pierce Four. After all, most of the other bikes of the time still showed their roots in cycling thin, tube-framed thin and small, single-cylinder engine or occasionally twins.
not Pierce. With a massive structure and muscular, four-cylinder engine, which inspired respect to the first weapons in the motorcycle world. It 's easy to imagine that the owners taking pride of motoring past Pierce fewer cars on the roads of crude per day. Of course, it's no surprise that Pierce came to the prestige end of the spectrum motorcycling. After all, traces its roots to the Great Pierce Arrow Motor Car Co., which made some of the most luxurious American cars available. Spun off from parent company, in September 1906, the New York-based Pierce Cycle Company was started by Percy Pierce, the son of the company's original president, George Pierce. And, true to the roots of the company of luxury, the motorcycle division wanted to begin with a luxury product. E 'likely Percy found his inspiration for this machine in Europe, specifically in motion, as the exclusive Belgian FN-built, says Geoffrey Stein, associate curator of history at New York State Museum and author of "The motorcycle industry in upstate New York." as the first mass produced four-cylinder bike on the mainland, the FN had turned heads in Europe and America. "The FN had been sold in this country since 1906, so they were around," said Stein. "It's not as if Pierce had to come the idea of \u200b\u200ba four out of them." Still, companies Percy has brought some innovations to the four introduced in 1909. The empty frame of fuel has copper-coated upper sections, and the oil tube in the front. The "vibration" put engine power to the road with shaft drive, and, since 1910, had two speeds and multi-plate clutch. Other high-end touches included hidden control cables, and a spring / pneumatic front fork. From the moment the company has built this model in 1911, however, trouble was brewing at Pierce. The death of George Pierce, a bankrupt company, the resignation of Percy and eventual return shaken society. At the same time, the public's appetite for expensive motorcycles was rapidly diminishing. In 1914, the line of motion Pierce was gone.