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To no surprise, racing began almost as soon as motorcycles were introduced to the market, and the first organized race was held in 1901 at Agriculture Park in Los Angeles. In 1903, motorcycles participated in the Winter Speed Carnival on the hard-packed sand of Ormond Beach in Florida. Although the race was promoted to test the top speed of another new invention, the automobile, Oscar Hedstrom (1871–1960) set the fastest time of the weekend on an Indian motorcycle—a record of one minute and three seconds at an average speed of 57.35 miles-per-hour over the mile-long course. The Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) formed that same year to oversee motorcycle events. FAM-sanctioned races appeared across the country, including hill-climb competitions, speed trials, endurance runs, and closed-course races on flat, dirt tracks and banked, wooden ovals. Improvements to twin-cylinder engines, such as the overhead valve arrangement on the 1914 Jefferson racer shown here, allowed riders to exceed 100 miles-per-hour on the largest tracks. “Early American Motorcycles” is on view pre-security in the International Terminal Main Hall and online - link in bio. Don't miss the online-only catalog! This image was posted on June 03, 2021.

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