Cycle News is a weekly magazine that covers all aspects of motorcycling including Supercross, Motocross and MotoGP as well as new motorcycles
Issue link: https://magazine.cyclenews.com/i/1219692
CN III ARCHIVES BY LARRY LAWRENCE J ack Mercer was one of the people most responsible for the growth of Triumph motorcycles in America during the 1950s. This was made evident while talking about Mercer with veterans of the trade who remember him. Mercer was a field rep, the last of an era of road warriors traveling the country setting up dealer- ships and doing whatever was needed to help existing shops sell more motorcycles and earn more profits, as well as establish new dealers. In the 1950s, Triumph became a "cool" alternative to Harley-Davidson for motorcyclists, and for guys like Jack, a man who genuinely loved motorcycling and the people involved in the sport, it was a golden age. Jack enjoyed getting to know his dealers and cared about helping them in any way he could. Enthusiasts like Jack built an industry and helped set the stage for the motorcycling explosion of the '60s when baby boomers came of age. Mercer was born in 1917 and raised in the North Bronx when the area was still rural. The Boston Post Road meandered past Jack's childhood home and was still cobblestone. He was involved in motorcycling from a young age, along with his brother and dad, who worked for Con Edison. It was on two wheels that Jack first enjoyed getting to ex- plore areas in and around rapidly P126 THE HAPPY JACK CLUB The girl didn't take kindly to the remark and reacted by throwing a loaf of bread at Jack, which of course, knocked over the hot tea onto his lap. "What a way to treat a cripple!" Jack joked. The pretty young Irish girl would eventually become Jack's wife, Eddy. The couple honeymooned by motor- cycle, then, and along with their girls, Bonnie and Laurie, would go on to become one of the best-known families in motorcycle circles of the 1950s, traveling to races and motorcycle shows, helping dad sell subscriptions to British motorcycle magazines. growing New York City. Motorcy- cling became a fabric of Jack's life. And on these rides, Jack got to know fellow riders far and wide, among them were the very first generation of motorcyclists in America, so his knowledge of the pastime ran deep. This would serve him well. One of Jack's buddies was a motorcycle racer who was recov- ering at home after a crash. Jack also had a spill on his bike, was on crutches and went to com- miserate with his friend. There was a cute girl there watching the family's children. The girl offered Jack a hot tea because that's what good Irish girls did in those days. Jack was reclining on a chair, injured leg propped up when he made a wisecrack. Jack Mercer getting ready to photograph and report on a race. PHOTO: MERCER FAMILY COLLECTION