BIKES: The Mystery Of The Traub

Motorcycling Lifestyles

BIKES: The Mystery Of The Traub

SPEED.com author Neale Bayly encounters another rare gem, the Traub.

Neale Bayly | Posted April 28, 2010 Charlotte, NC

Coming to him in the mid nineties by way of Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins, the Traub is now one of the “crown jewels” in his collection of 240 American motorcycles. (Photo: Neale Bayly)

Found hidden in a bricked-up wall on Paulina Street in a suburb of Chicago forty years ago, the mystery of the Traub motorcycle that was pulled from its dark, secretive hiding place of fifty years remains unsolved to this day. As the only example ever to be found in the world, this totally unique, one-of-a-kind motorcycle has provoked more questions since its discovery than it has provided answers. With all attempts to reveal its true identity leading only to frustrating dead ends, at this time we have to be content with the hard facts that have been collected by its current owner, Dale Walksler.

As the man who owns the world famous Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina, Walksler has been riding, working on, and collecting rare American motorcycles for nearly forty years now. And, in all his years around these old classics he has never seen anything quite like the Traub. Coming to him in the mid nineties by way of Steve McQueen and Bud Ekins, the Traub is now one of the “crown jewels” in his collection of 240 American motorcycles, and actually gets ridden on a fairly regular basis: Dale has even had the engine apart, to cure a knocking noise that turned out to be worn out rod bushing.

Talking with him about the components inside the engine, he told me with great enthusiasm, “Everything inside the engine is just magnificent. The pistons are hand made, and have gap-less cast iron rings, the engineering and machining being simply years ahead of their time.” During the reassembly process the only parts Dale had to fabricate were the base gaskets. The bike actually doesn’t use any other form of gasket anywhere in the engine as it is so perfectly machined: A significant indicator that this was not a mass-produced machine.

With the majority of the components on the bike being hand made, it is the “off the shelf” parts that have allowed Walksler to determine an approximate date of 1916 to be put on the Traub. Using a Schebler carburetor, a Bosch magneto, a Troxel Jumbo seat, and period wheel rims, the bike’s creator left some concrete clues behind. The rest of the bike though is extremely unique, and closer inspection of the rear brake reveals a dual-acting system. A single cam is responsible for pushing an internal set of shoes, while pulling an external set. As far as Dale knows, this single cam system/twin brake system has never been used on any other American motorcycle.

Power is provide by a beautifully crafted 78 cubic inch V-twin engine, which features a 4-inch stroke, and 3-½ inch bore.

Stepping round the other side of the bike, I notice two clutch levers. There is a conventional foot operated mechanism, and a hand lever that sits alongside the fuel tank on the left hand side. The lever gate for the shifter is also totally unique, with what could have been the first three-speed gearbox on an American motorcycle. If that is not unique enough, it actually features two separate neutral positions, which are marked on the shift mechanism with a zero. These are found between first and second gear, and between second and third gear.

Power is provide by a beautifully crafted 78 cubic inch V-twin engine, which features a 4-inch stroke, and 3-½ inch bore. Yielding an engine capacity of somewhere around 1300cc, which was extremely large for the day when the majority of the engines from that era were around a 1000cc (61 cubic inch), Thor and Spacke excepted. Using a similar valve arrangement as a Reading Standard, the top of the cylinders feature a gas primer valve, although Dale tells me that this is not really an unusual feature. What is unusual on the engine though, is the adjustable crank case breather and all the engine fasteners, again all completely unique to the Traub and whoever built it.

As one of the highlights of any tour through the Wheels Through Time museum, the Traub is enjoyed by thousands of people every year, some of them lucky enough to hear it run and see it riding around the museum grounds. Shrouded in mystery, and cloaked with intrigue, the Traub motorcycle was without a doubt many, many, years ahead of its time. With its wonderful innovations, intricate machining and impressive attention to detail you might never see an American motorcycle this rare again. With no photographs, no documentation, or anyone claiming to have any knowledge of its existence, it appears for now, anyway, that the mystery of the Traub motorcycle will remain. Until maybe one day when someone unearths some solid clues and the story will be fully told. You just never know!

See Photos of the Traub

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