I ran across this picture a while back, and found it rather fascinating. It’s one thing to see old bikes and scooters displayed in a museum, but quite another to see them doing what they did back in their day. This is a high-school parking lot in 1947; there’s a “Tex” on the license plate. Apparently, scooters (Cushmans) and light bikes were quite popular. The question is, what brands are those small-displacement bikes? (Harley’s 125 cc Hummer didn’t came out until 1948.) Can anyone ID any of these bikes (click on picture for full size)?
While I’m not much of a motorcycle guy, I know several license plate collectors who would salivate at the sight of such a nice 1947 Texas motorcycle license plate.
The one in the far-right foreground is a Cushman, as is the one to its immediate right (left in the pic) with the rear bodywork missing and the gas tank exposed. There’s two more to the far left, one with the rounded rear cowl partly cropped out of the frame, and another right next to it with the weirdly can-like tail light housing riveted(?) to the fender. I think I see a 5th one in the back row, facing the camera and just to right of center.
The one next in line beside the two Chushmans at the left, standing vertical rather than leaning on a kickstand, and with a cloth saddlebag over the rear fender, is a Whizzer bicycle conversion. The tank seam and shape is distinctive, while the rest is whater the bicycle contributed.
As for the rest, no clue. Funny that as a bike guy, the only ones I can’t ID are the true motorcycles.
The school building looks like Arlington Heights High School in Fort Worth, Texas.
The”true motorcycles”are Simplex servi-cycle.All 5 of them.Made in New Orleans with a
stationary(Clinton?)engine and direct belt drive.No clutch so when you stop,the engine would go off too.In ’53 they added clutch and automatic transmision.
There was a new Whizzer that came out in the late 90’s.Don’t know what happened to it.I think the factory never closed but they divercified into other metal constructions.
I can’t recognise the one behind the cushman without rear bodywork.The one with the white hand grips and the white line on the gas tank.Could be another Simplex but
what’s that on the rear mudguard?An overgrown stop light?A police siren?An audio speaker?Just jocking…
Thank you.