Two of the most significant photographs in motorcycling history
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| Brooklands track and motorcycle design in America - Bert Le Vack Two of the most significant photographs in motorcycling history |
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| Bert Le Vack in 1921 at the paddock of Brooklands Track, seated on a 1911 eight-valve Indian racer provided to him by Billy Wells of the London Indian Depot. Dubbed "The Camel" by Le Vack, this racer was reputedly also the one used by Charles Franklin in Brooklands racing and record-breaking before WWI. It was on this by then ten-year-old bike that Le Vack made his name as a track racer. In particular he used it to humiliate H-D when, within a day of H-D setting the first-ever 100mph UK speed record using their very latest machinery, he exceeded their effort by 5mph. | ||||||||||
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| Bert Le Vack being congratulated by Billy Wells at the end of the Great 500 Mile Race at Brooklands in 1921. Though victorious on a Powerplus that Charles Franklin helped design and then tuned for racing, Le Vack later revealed in his only ever published interview that the performance of J.A.P. v-twins during this race impressed him. He wrote to John Prestwich and said so. Prestwich responded by appointing Le Vack as head of the J.A.P. racing department in 1922. The rest is record-breaking history. [page 1] |
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