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/728976
number of automobile companies including Pope-Hartford (1903- 1914), Pope-Robinson, Pope-To- ledo (1903-1909), Pope-Tribune (1904-1907) and Pope-Waverley, but a breakthrough to profitability in auto making never happened for Pope. Being a bicycle and auto maker naturally led to Pope expanding into the burgeoning motorcycle market. Pope was one of the earliest motorcycle makers in America, at first utilizing clip-on French de Dion-Bouton engines. They were marketed through the company's vast bicycle dealer network under various names including Monarch, Cleveland, American, Imperial and Columbia. The first Pope motorcycle bearing the Pope name didn't appear until 1910, a year after Colonel Pope's passing. It was under the guidance of Colonel Pope's son, Albert Linder Pope, when emphasis was really focused on motorcycle manufacturing. Production of the Pope motorcycle was done in a large manufacturing factory in Westfield, Massachusetts. No doubt there was benefit derived by having a well-trained workforce already in place in neighboring Springfield with Indian's motorcy- cle-making facilities. Pope really came into its own in the mid-1910s when it produced three single-cylinder models and a well-reviewed 61-cubic-inch (1000cc) V-twin. The big V-twin touring bike featured overhead valves at a time when most Ameri- can makers were utilizing flat or F-head configuration. Crank- cases were cast from aluminum alloy and the motor was said to be extremely smooth, owing to the fact that Pope specifically matched each set of pistons and connecting rods with another set of the exact weight. An armored- plated magneto also allowed the Pope to be ridden in all weather conditions. The front suspension used a leaf spring and the rear sus- pension saw a Pope exclusive, the use of dual plunger shocks mounted to the rear axle in a car- rier that moved up and down be- tween two posts. Spring rate was customized to the rider's weight. Wheel travel was minimal, but keep in mind that most makers didn't even use rear suspension during that era. Pope officially entered racing in 1914 after participating in a low- key way in a few races in 1913. Its biggest effort was launched for the 1914 Dodge City 300, the big- gest motorcycle race of the FAM era. Pope entered two factory riders in the race, William Lam- bert, who worked in the Westfield factory, and Atlanta-based rider Henry Lewis, as well as four more support riders. With very little racing experi- ence, the Pope team had a tough time at Dodge City. Local Kansas rider Edgar Roy, on one of the support bikes, was the top fin- isher on a Pope in 19th. Perhaps realizing how much effort it would take to go head-to-head against the established racing squads of Indian, Cyclone and Excel- sior, Albert Jr. decided to largely withdraw from factory racing, although Popes were raced by independent riders. Company advertisements of the day claim that a Pope Model M-14 broke "world's dirt track records" in Bakersfield, Califor- nia, in 1914, with one mile com- pleted in 51 seconds, as well as 67 miles, 4500 feet covered in one hour's time. However, you have to look at advertising claims of all the makers in that era with a certain grain of salt. It's difficult to find any other accounts published of those supposed records. With the advent of World War I, Pope turned its manufacturing focus to the war effort and the company ceased motorcycle production in 1918. The direct lineage of the company lived on in the popular Columbia Bicycle. It made a brief comeback when it produced Columbia scooters in the 1970s, even though many parts, including the motors, were outsourced. Today what once was Pope Motorcycles is now a maker of office furniture. CN Subscribe to nearly 50 years of Cycle News Archive issues: www.CycleNews.com/Archives VOL. 53 ISSUE 37 SEPTEMBER 20, 2016 P103