A Fistful Of Fast
August, 2002
Before the 20th century began, doctors debated whether the human body could survive speeds greater than 60 mph. Motorcycles, first designed as pace vehicles for bicycle race or as labor-saving devices (no peddling up hills), quickly settled that question. In 1904 Glenn Curtiss took a five-horsepower Hercules bike up to 67.4 mph. Soon, commentators were writing about the motorcycle's ability to annihilate distances. Three years later, Curtiss put a 40 hp V8 engine into a two-wheeled frame and yea...
