Here are a couple of pictures of my Grandfather and friend with their motorcycles. We haven't been able to identify them as of yet and aren't sure we will be able to from these pictures. I thought some of the guys that frequent this forum might be able to help. My Grandfather is the shorter of the men and holding the middle bike in both pictures. That would be the one we would most like to identify. We believe that the bikes were made prior to 1913. Any help is appreciated...

Can't help, but did notice that folks seemed "dressed up" when getting out in those days. I'd almost bet though, given the era, that those are some Indian bikes.

Send the photo to Barber Motorcycle Museum -> they'll tell who was on the design team - who installed the engine & what they ate for lunch .

Might even have this same picture of your Grandfather .

Bad ass pic.

The problem is in those days, everyone made "motorcycles." There weren't just a few big manufacturers like there have been since the 30's. Around the turn of the century, mom and pop shops would make motorcycles which weren't much different than bicycles with a little engine fitted. All they had to be able to do was skillfully bend tube and braze joints. So where they were would probably give a hint about who made them, because they didn't necessarily ship finished motorcycles across the nation back then. The railroads were steam-powered, trucks were crude and there were no Interstate Highways. It's likely the bikes were made in the same state they were sold.

Maybe Excelsior?

Looks like the middle bike from first pic is on the left in second pic.

Take your pick....

https://duckduckgo.com/?q=1913+moto...;iar=images&iax=images&ia=images

Looks like Harleys had more squared fuel tanks and Indians were more rounded but so were many others.

About a 1909-1910 Yale single cylinder.

Yale Motorcycles 1906-1915. Built by The Consolidated Manufacturing Co. Toledo Oh.

I'm too damn ignorant to show a pick here, or y'all could see for yourself. But found good pics that I was able to match several similarities & roughly sort out the year.

Neat photos for sure.

Yep, that straight drop header pipe on the right side of cylinder head is a giveaway.

That looks like it might be the maker. Never heard of Yale before. The years match up pretty well too. He would have likely sold it around 1913 and drove it several years before that. Would have liked to have found it in an old barn somewhere. But my grandmother said if he rode it to see her once more, he could forget coming to see her again. Of course that was her story and he had already passed away and couldn't dispute it. I can't imagine riding that motorcycle 100 miles on the roads of 1912 to see a girlfriend.

Thanks for all the help!

They look like Yales all right:



Good catch!