THE BACKWOODS COLLECTION As one of the most prominent early American motorcycle manufacturers, Reading-Standard stood out in a crowded marketplace by prioritizing innovation, reliability and approachability in its motorcycles. This award-winning 1915 Reading-Standard V-twin, also known as R.S. or R-S, represented the brand at the height of its 20-year production. Based in Reading, Pennsylvania, Reading-Standard began producing lightweight, single-cylinder motorcycles in 1903. Like many of America’s earliest motorcycle brands, R-S borrowed its design heavily from Oscar Hedstrom’s popular Indian motocycle, including using the Hedstrom-designed engines produced under license by the Aurora Automatic Machinery Company. Within three years, R-S began exploring innovative approaches of its own, including three-wheelers, lowered saddle positions, mechanical valves and beefier bearings and chains. In 1907, R-S engineer Charles Gustafson pioneered a sidevalve engine, becoming the first in the industry to implement the engine design, which would become standard by the 1930s. Gustafson later left R-S to join the Indian team in Springfield, where he helped refine the sidevalve engine and boost its popularity among enthusiasts. The company, which relied on its reputation of having been “built and tested in the mountains,” was also an early supporter of the racing game, fielding competitors and teams in all forms of the sport. Among the most notable pioneer racers to mount R-S motorcycles were Paul Derkum, Ray Seymour, J.A. McNeil and Ralph Hepburn, the perilous board track motordrome stars. By the mid-teens, R-S was rolling nearly 2,000 machines off its line in Pennsylvania, a small production compared to its Big Three competitors but enough to outlast all other competitors. Though R-S supplied some motorcycles for the war effort in World War I, the company also benefited domestically from the over-commitments made by Indian, Harley-Davidson and Excelsior as one of the best motorcycles available in those years. Coming from The Backwoods Collection and previously of the acclaimed E.J. Cole Collection, this meticulously restored 1915 Reading-Standard 7 HP sidevalve V-twin won the AACA Senior National First Prize in 1974. Finished in R-S’s standard Nut Brown paint and ample nickel plating, it features Acetylene lighting, a sprung leather saddle, a leading-link sprung fork and a luggage rack. NO RESERVE S138.1 1915 READING STANDARD V-TWIN
