Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1970's

I • ;! .. 8. l>. ... '" tD N c: " '" \@ .- w Z W ..J U > U The author and Wild Bill Gelbke lseatedl with the ultimate for the big bike enthusiast, the Gelbke Special. by Amos Gardlin The Gelbke Special goes far beyond an earthly motorcycle. In fron t of the Gelbke is a transparent door which can be seen and touched, inviting entrance. Once the door is gingerly opened and the threshold crossed by the fascinated observer" the gate will close automatically beh ini! , leaving the man and the Gelbke together, on a level never before attained. The initial visual impact is so dynamic that one gets the impression that more visits arc required for appreciation, with intermission between for digestion. I got the same metaphysical trip several years ago when I first saw the Boeing 747 fuU scale mock up at Everett, Washington. After approximately six trips, the sheer size and brawn of the structure finally etched itself on my overloaded brain cells and I wen t away full of reverence and mubling to myself. Before we get into the impression of this machine, let's set something straight! THE GELBKE MACHINE PICTURED PREVIOUSLY AS A CYCLE NEWS CENTERFOLD WAS NOT A PRODUCTION MODEL. IT WAS A DESIGN AND FABRICATION EXERCISE, NOTHING MORE. THE ROAD BURNER PICTURED IN THIS ISSUE IS A PROPOSED PRODUCTION MODEL, WITH NUMEROUS CIVILIAN AND POLICE OPTIONS, SIMILAR TO THE SALE OF A CUSTOM SEMI-TRUCK. THE MANUFACTURER IS HIGHLY AWARE OF THE INDIVIDUAL TASTES AND REQUIREMENTS OF THE PROSPECTIVE BUYER. SPECIFICATIONS ARE SUBJECT TO CHANGE. On the technical specifications. The heart of the monster is a limey MG engine pushing 2000cc with a four speed automatic mounted below the engine. This engine is standard equipment on the BMC front drive cars. The engine is rotated 90 degrees from , the automotive layout and the crankshaft is in line with the wheelbase. The drive take-off is parallel to the crankshaft to the rear wheel. The rear hub carrier is very similar to the BMW 750 motorcycle, and incorporates small but very strong bevel gears. A radiator and cooling fan duct are mounted ahead of the engine and are barely noticeably because of the immense size of everything else. Chrome plating is used liberally on the engine accessories and the automatic transmission casting is in finned aluminum. A large car battery is situated directly behind the gearbox on the very bottom of the frame resulting in a low center of gravity. Needless to say, the BMC electric starter is standard equipment. The front end is of a trailing link type with the pivot located at approximately two o'clock position to the front whccl. Two huge hydraulic dampners with external coil springs arc mounted over the shocks, similar to au tomotive overload units. The Gelbke is' available with Harley-Davidson Hydraglide forks, though the trailing link front forks are recommended because of superior ride, handling, and strength. An angular headligh t nacelle houses two sealbeam bulbs, with a short windshield behind it. A bullet proof Lexan windscreen is one of the many police options available. The front wheel is a pressed steel unit, similar to an automobile. The handlebars are of the flat track type, though considerably wider and with more swccp back. A conventional throttle twist grip is installed on the' right side and the front hydraulic disc brake is actuated by a handlebar lever which can be mounted • on the righ t or left side, depending on the rider's preference. The fuel tank , like the rest of the machine, is gargantuan. It doesn't in te r fe re with the rider's knees, however, and looks "natural." On the .. righ t side of the gas tank is a Gelbke exclusive, an instan t parking brake at fingertip reach. Normally, the lever is in the upward position. If the lever is flipped down and the foothrake is pumped twice, the parking brake is engaged until the tank lever is flipped up. This feature is very convenien t when waiting for a traffic ligh t on an incline, since 1300 pounds arc uncomfortable to hold in one place. The Gelbke's philosophy and perhaps the basic design purpose, is to provide the rider with a maximum amount of comfort at all times. The seat is a deluxe Harley-Davidson pogo stick-type and provides unusual comfort, balance, and low riding position. The hinged floorboards are ,also a la Harley, excep t that they are considerably beefier and edged with chrome-plated chain. A Harley type hydraulic rear brake pedal is on the righ t, and no con trol is presen t nor needed on the left floorboard. Just the ticket for kicking vicious dogs. The transmission lever is mounted just below the gas tank, on the left side, somewhat similar to the old handshift Indian bikes. If the left arm is dropped down, it will fallon the shift lever (ultra convenien t). Reverse is used to back up the machine. The shift lever is housed in the chrome and black BMC selector, with each gear clearly marked. Rear suspension is Harley-Davidson and the standard Milwaukee shocks and springs work perfectly well. The rear , suspension, incidentally, is the only real Harley-Davidson hardware used on the Gelbke. The Gelbke is in no way related to the 74; it is a new concept which goes a giant step beyond any' previous motorcycle ever manufactured. The Gelb ke frame is one of the few components that is not angular. Because of the tall engine - transmission unit, the frame is not particularly obvious and is basically a duplex steel tube type. The tubes follow the contour of the machine in a fairly conventional manner. The most noticeably design feature is an extremely low bend in the tubes as they curve down behind the engine for a low seating position. Chr;'me safety bars arc installed front and rear. The rectangular box clamped on the front crash, bars is on temporarily, for illustrating the case of adding accessories. The saddlebags are easily twice the size of any unit currently available. Of particular in terest is the low mo!'" ting position, which results in two advantages: (1) a low center of gravity, (2) balanced weigh t loading of the saddlebags is not too critical. Do you have to be a weight lifting, protein tablet-popping gorilla to wrestle with the Gelbke? Not at all, race fans. A mere plop on the plush seat will convince the Don Knott types that this machine is 1ow, comfortably and easy to handle. Balancing is a cinch, stability is unbelievable, and the con trois are few and easy to reach. Personalization is at a maximum, and the instrum~ntation is complete, clear and concise. The ride is better than most cars and certainly superior to any car in that weight category. The handling is stable to the po in t of being indescribably and vibration is nonexistent. The acceleration is most impressive and cruise spccd is an honest 100 mph at approximately 4500 RPM. Last but not least, the Attention Factor. The Gelbke Special has got to be the biggest ego trip conceivably in the . entire transportation history of mankind. No yellow Stutz Bearcat or silver-gray Rolls Royce, nor a Lippizaner stallion a Roman chairot comand the atten tion of the public like the Gelbke. The ooh's and the aah's, the questions and star~s, the amazemen t and open mouths, and the general mind-boggling "look~tdatthing" impact is a shockwave that will never ebb away. I would venture to say that alongside the Gelbke, Lady Godiva and her horse would place a pretty poor second. or

• Cover