Wheels Through Time Museum, Maggie Valley, North Carolina

Wheels Through Time Museum was founded in 1992 by Dale Walksler and is home to the world's premier collection of rare American motorcycles and historically significant automobiles, from 1903 to the present. There are over 320 of America's rarest and most significant machines, each with its own story. Many are unique, one-of-a-kind vehicles, so rare that no documentation exists. Most of the machines on display are in running condition, and while we were there heard some of them started up. Even though I am not a motorcyclist, it was fascinating to see all the various motorcycles made by Harley Davidson, Indian and other companies. We met one of the tour guides who recounted interesting stories of some of the motorcycles and automobiles. If you are in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, this is a must see museum. 

The Pierce Motorcycle

The story of the four cylinder motorcycle in America lasted for 33 years. From the invention of the Pierce in Buffalo, New York in 1909 through the glory days of the Indian who ceased production in 1942. The Pierce motorcycle was produced in very limited numbers for an elite class of two wheel enthusiasts for only a few years. The Pierce was also the first American motorcycle that perfected the shaft drive system. Although the Pierce had no remarkable achievements, it did pave the way for the most successful of all American four cylinder machines.

Pacemaker by Whizzer Motor Co.

Henderson Motorcycle

On January 4, 1917, Roy Artley broke the 24-hour world's sidecar record. Art sped over California roads day and night, cramming as many miles as possible into the 24-hours. When the time was up, he had ridden 706 miles. At the end of the run, he added 122 miles to the best previous record, the motor was no warmer than if it had been put through a ten-mile work out.

Picture with above pictured bike

A motorcycle police officer stops a speeder in Buffalo, New York. The motorcycle is a 1912 Pierce four-cylinder. The Pierce was produced in Buffalo from 1909 to 1913, and quickly became the choice for police departments. 

1909 Reading Standard Board Track Racer

Reading Standard entered the racing game in 1907. It developed a series of successful racing engines and sponsored a field of professional riders. This bike remained undiscovered at Ford's Greenfield Village facility sitting for 50 years in the basement of the home of Ford's friends Orville and Wilbur Wright. It was sold to Wheels Through Time in 1990 and was restored during 1992-1993. This 1909 Reading Standard is probably the most elegant early board racer in existence.

Harley Davidson TA Prototype

Only 17 of the Harley Davidson shaft-drive trikes were ever produced. Little is known as to why they were never produced in quantity. It has many unique and experimental features such as 3-speed and reverses shaft-drive transmission. This machine is displayed in all its original condition and is noted as serial number 1. It is currently in operational condition and is used regularly.

1913 Harley Davidson 9-A

By 1913 Harley Davidson was emerging as a power within the motorcycle industry. In 1912 they had seven different models, but in 1913 they scaled back their model list, opting to use only magneto ignition, dropping the battery ignition models. The 9-A featured single-cylinder 5 H.P., 35 cubic inch engine and belt-drive transmission, and was capable of speeds up to 45-50 mph.

The close of the 1932 hill-climb season brought additional honors to Harley Davidson. Three National Championships and three Pacific Coast Championships have been awarded to the riders of Harley Davidson horse-power. Out in the west, three out of the four Pacific Coast Championships were corralled by Harley Davidson. Once again, the brilliant performance of the Harley Davidson motorcycles on the hillclimb courses of the Nation testify to their superior stamina and power. When you ride a Harley, you are mounted on the world's best.

1948 Harley Davidson Model WL

Post-war Harley displayed in original condition, fully accessorized and features original factory paint.

Still Kickin

Painter David Uhl has a few of his paintings in the museum, and I took pictures of some of them. They are fabulous and so realistic; I just loved them.

George Swim Work Shop

Inside of George Swim's work shop are two of George's old Jack Pine Enduro Racers. He raced the Jack Pine from the late 40's through the 50's. The Swim Shop exhibit changes regularly, depending on what Dale is working on. This shop was featured on History Channel's "American Restoration."

1913 Thor SR 1

This Thor is among the rarest machines housed in the museum. It is displayed in as-raced condition and is the only example of an unknown number produced. It is the only known Thor twin cylinder board track racer and is still raced by Dale annually at Wauseon AMCA races.

1916 Big Valve Excelsior

See small pic in picture above

The Big Valve X was a potent machine on the boardtracks in the 1910s. This machine is displayed in as-raced condition, and was the first variety to average over 100 mph on a 1-mile boardtrack for five miles. 

The first board track built for motorcycle racing opened in 1909 in Los Angeles. The Los Angeles Coliseum motor dome was a little less than a third of a mile in circumference; nevertheless, the new track was nearly twice as long as the bicycle velodromes which had preceded it. Almost immediately, the spectacle of men hurtling at "break neck" speeds around a wooden circular track became a passionately attended spectator sport and new tracks were built around the country. By 1910 the length of the wooden dromes had grown from a third of a mile to as much as a mile in circumference, while the banking increased from 25 degrees in the corners to 60 degrees.

1949 Harley Davidson Panhead Jack Pine
Off-Road Enduro Rider

The next section highlights the hill climbing of American motorcycle racing. Board track racing was becoming less prominent and hill climbing was taking its place. Hillclimb competitions were a place where the "Big Three" (Harley Davidson, Indian and Excelsior) could show off their machines.

The Glory Days of hillclimbing occurred in the era of 1923 to 1949. The top three fought for National Hillclimbing Championships. During the demise of the board track era which was mainly due to deteriorating tracks and the onset of the great depression, it was found that a hill was all the track that was necessary for manufacturers to compete for top honor. Above picture: rider goes over backward on a new 1936 Harley Davidson Knucklehead that has been stripped for hillclimbing. Notice the chains fixed to the rear wheel for traction.

1928 Altoona Hillclimber

Indian Silver Arrow

Eliason Motor Toboggan

Considered America's first snowmobile built from 1924 to 1963. 

The First Jet Ski

 
This home-made creation is thought to be one of the first motorized personal watercrafts ever built. Propeller driven, it seems an early mix between boat and surfboard, and is powered by a modified 1925 Harley Davidson water-cooled engine. 

Davis Motor Mine Cart

It was found in an abandoned gold mine in northern California in the late 1970's, the Davis Mine Cart is a home-built creation using most of a 1926 Harley Davidson 21 C.I. B-Model motorcycle. It also features a Ford Model-A transmission with an electric start, and was used to pull wagons of ore out of an underground mine.

1915 H-D Powered Ice Saw

Found near Crater Lake, Oregon, it is thought to have been created between the late 1910's or early 1920's. Before the advent of modern refrigeration, ice harvesters would cut blocks of ice, pack them in saw dust, then store them in an "ice box." This was one man's way to get the job done quickly and easily.

1931 Harley Worthington Grass Cutter

1973 FLH Electra Glide

Dave Marthe of Cleveland, Ohio spent 43 years of his life dedicated to his 1973 Harley Davidson FLH, now called "Dave." The bike is a fantasia of lights and chrome. All handy work was done by Dave, including design, artwork, installation and fabrication of the thousands of accessories on this unique one of a kind motorcycle.

1977 Harley Davidson FLH Electra Glide

1916 Traub

As rare an American motorcycle as you will ever see, the one and only Traub remains a mystery. It was discovered in 1967, concealed in a brick wall of a residence in Chicago, Illinois. Its maker is unknown. All of its parts, excluding the seat, carb, and magneto appear to be hand-built. None of the parts are interchangeable with the components of any other machine. The bike is in perfect operating condition and performs flawlessly to speeds in excess of 80 mph.

1914 Elk

This one-of-a-kind machine is the only known Elks in existence today. After the Flanders Company ceased operations in 1914, the inventory was purchased and relocated to Elkhart, Indiana. The remaining inventory was assembled and given a new paint scheme and sold out of a hardware store by their original purchaser. This machine is driven with a flat belt and utilizes a primitive coaster brake. The bike is run regularly here at the museum.

1916 Flying Merkel

This is another rare motorcyle. The Merkel Company began building motorcycles in 1902 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with the last built in 1917. It was built as a racer, but with the advent of WWI and advancements by Indian and Harley led to the company's decline. This machine runs and operates like new and is started for visitors on occasion.

1915 Dayton with side car

Built in Dayton, Ohio by the Davis Sewing Machine Company, the Dayton motorcycle was among the most refined machines on the market in the early 1910's. The rare buddy seat and flexible side car suggest it may have been used as family transportation, however, the odometer indicates the machine is virtually brand new.

1919 Harley Davidson

This machine features an electric light and electric horn, and original paint. Less than a dozen of this model were produced.

1932 Clobes Special

The Clobes Special is regarded as the "First Street Rod." The Street Rod originates from the years following WWII when soldiers coming home from overseas began to modify their vehicles to suit their needs. The idea was lower, lighter and faster. While it wasn't until the late 1940's and early 1950's that the movement began to catch on, it is apparent through the style and appearance of the Clobes Special that there were forward thinkers who pushed the limits of "modern design." This Clobes Special was custom built by Cletus Clobes in 1932 and is a true one-of-a-kind.

1949 Cadillac Series 62 Sedan

1933 Cadillac 7-passenger with V-8 engine

Dale's first bike

1950 General

Futuristic car designed and engineered by Carl Pebbles of GM using a Harley Davidson engine.

The Molenaar Special

This quarter-midget race car was raced by the famous Harry Molenaar of Hammond, Indiana through the late 1940's. The machine is featured in its original, as-raced condition.

Henderson Quarter Midget Race Car

The driver of  this Henderson race car is unknown, but was regularly raced in the Chicagoland area in the 30's, 40's and 50's. The engine is installed backwards and power is distributed off an idler gear to the unique front wheel drive unit.

More paintings by David Uhl:

Neiman Marcus advertisement for its vintage Harley Davidson with sidecar for its 1992 Christmas Book. For Neiman Marcus customers, motorcycle maestro Dale Walksler will scout for, secure and style to your specifications a 1939-1942 Harley Davidson. All options are all yours to stipulate. The mechanical condition will be top notch. You'll experience the pleasurable rush down a new road with a companion tucked into the sidecar, sharing the delightful deja vu of a fully restored, vintage Harley Davidson. Depending on what you choose, prices may range from $28,000 to $35,000.

1931 Harley DLD Racer

1935 Harley Davidson

This extremely rare motorcyle was used on dirt tracks across America during the "pre-class c" era, which began in 1936. Only a few known examples exist today.

They also had a section on women in motorcycling from 1905 to 1955:

Dot Robinson

Dot Robinson was born in Australia in 1912 and immigrated to the United States with her parents in 1918. Her father was a designer and builder of sidecars, and owned a dealership in Saginaw, Michigan. In 1934 Dot entered her first race; in 1940 she won the event in the sidecar class. She and her husband set a transcontinental record of 89 hours and 58 minutes aboard a Harley Davidson. Robinson became co-founder of the Motor Maids in 1941, serving as the club's first president. Dot remained an active rider until the age of 85, and it is estimated she traveled more than 1.5 million miles aboard a motorcycle. She was inducted into the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998 and died in 1999.

Properly attired female rider stands proudly with her 1912 Marsh Metz.

Bernie's Favorite

Three Hollywood starlets on a 1935 Indian Chief. (Bernie is Dale's dad.)

Farmyard Photograph

Two very plainly dressed women on a 1912 Pierce, with a most unusual wicker side car. The Pierce motorcycle was built in Buffalo, New York from 1909-1912.  

Gloria Tramontin-Struck

Gloria Struck is the lady featured in this painting by David Uhl. Gloria has been a member of Motor Maids since 1946 and started riding when she was just 16 years old. In this painting she is on her old 1950 Harley Davidson. She was just 25 years old when she made her first solo bike trip to Dayton in 1951. Gloria still does this ride every year at 87 years young (rides, not trailers). The two gentlemen in the background are Benny Campanale and Ed Kretz (on the #38 bike), both Daytona winners. At the unveiling of the painting, Gloria did not want to be the first person to see it, so she stood aside with her back to the painting and heard some ladies say, "WOW." Only then did she turn around to see it and started to cry. "It brought back a lot of memories."

Gloria has been riding for over 75 years; she has covered over 700 miles including every state in the Continental USA many times over, Canada, and 6500 miles on two trips in eight countries in Europe, where in the Alps she rode the Stelvio Pass, one of the most challenging passes in the world. She is known internationally as a motivational speaker and for decades has been an inspiration to motorcyclists and non-motorcyclists worldwide. She holds a place in the Sturgis Hall of Fame and the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame.