Glenn H. Curtiss "Fastest Man On Earth" 136.3 MPH 1907

Born in Hammondsport, NY, in 1878, his insatiable curiosity, mechanical ability and ambition soon became evident. By the time he reached his teens, bicycles and speed had become a near-obsession with the young Curtiss. He was a champion bicycle racer for years and naturally progressed to designing and building his own machines. By 1902, Curtiss, with three employees, was manufacturing his own motorcycles under the trade name, "Hercules". In a measured-mile run at Ormond Beach, Florida, on Jan. 23, 1907, Curtiss's V8 powered motorcycle was officially clocked at 136.3 mph. On that day, and for years afterward, Glenn Curtiss carried the title, "Fastest Man on Earth". Replica motorcycle.

Category:

Autos & Vehicles

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• Curtiss
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[callmeshane303]

Jesus fuck - 136 mph on that ....... maybe for straight short runs on sand.... frightens me to death.

[ridedirtba1]

Hell, Their are still people that think the earth is flat and Santa Claus is real.

[tomview1]

@DBMalone you and Dawgya1 - dudes! trains and motorcycles don't rate for much in the history of Glenn Curtiss. V8 motorcycle were a starting point - this guy is the father of the American Aircraft industry. I think there is much that you both don't know, knowing that I don't know enough to know.

[foxnad]

WAT A NICE BYK!!!!!!!



[DBMalone]

@DawgYa1 Maybe, but there were those in the railroad industry who did get that FULL blast of wind in the face... notabley the brakemen who ran along the tops of the train and jumped from car to car turning the brake wheel in order to slow the train down (this was in the days before the invention of the airbrake in the 1870s).

Look, I was just trying to point out the falacy in the idea that people thought you couldn't travel more then 30 mph, that's all. Cleary they could and they did.

[DawgYa1]

@DBMalone I think that the idea was if your face was blasted with high speed air, such as on a motorcycle you would not be able to breath, people road IN rail cars so would not get the FULL blast of wind in the face.

[DBMalone]

@hud42cdo You make the statement that it was commonly believed that people were unable to breathe at a speed over 30 mph. I make the statement that trains were moving at exess of 50 mph at that time. In fact, they had been doing so for quite some time. You come back and say "on a motorcycle", even though you did not include that in your statement.

You say I should know my motor history. I say you need to learn Logic.

[hud42cdo]

@DBMalone on a motorcycle-what has this video got todowith trains-know your motor history-

[DBMalone]

@hud42cdo How is it possible that it was believed that people couldn't breathe at a speed over 30 MPH? Trains were moving at least 50-60 MPH at the time.

[mrspogg]

Looks extremely safe, I have bigger tires on my bicycle..