F116 1917 INDIAN JOHNSON MOTOR WHEEL Innovation in motoring was in no short supply at the turn of the 20th century, a fact to which this unique and rare Johnson Motor Wheel from 1917 can attest. Just as innovators like Glen Curtiss, William Harley and Oscar Hedstrom came into the industry through necessity, creativity and a diverse range of technological interests, so too did the creators of this slight but mighty little engine kit. The Johnson brothers, five in total, developed a keen interest in the emerging technology of the late 1800s at a young age, an interest supported by their machinist father. Being of little means, they used what limited resources they could to produce an engine of their own design in 1903 to power their homemade rowboat. Along with two of his brothers, Harry and Julius, Louis continued to design and manufacture small boat engines for the local market until 1909, when they turned their attention to aviation. In 1909, their first monoplane design was complete, but it wasn’t until 1911 that they refined their design and launched a successful aviation business and flight school. In 1913, they invested heavily in designing a 12-cylinder engine for a Russian contract. The deal fell through, and to add injury to insult, a tornado crippled their small factory in Terre Haute, Indiana, leaving the brothers in financial ruin. They returned to manufacturing small boating engines to recover, but the ever industrious Louis had a new idea for a 2-cylinder, two-stroke engine kit to motorize almost any bicycle. NO RESERVE The patent was filed in 1916, incorporating a refined magneto design by Dick Oglesby to address high-speed spark issues in the initial design. The engine was a success and so reliable that the U.S. Army contracted the Johnson Motor Wheel engine to power generators and trench pumps during World War I. This restored 1917 Johnson Motor Wheel kit has been cleverly mounted to an Indian Motobike bicycle, with the Motobike’s “gas tank” battery holder replaced with an actual fuel tank. The kit features the 154cc horizontally opposed two-stroke, 2-cylinder engine, with the drive sprocket in between the crankcase and the external flywheel. The other components of the original kit are a shock-absorbing and spring-reinforced 26-inch rear wheel, a lever-style throttle, spark controls and a kill switch. Indian’s “electrically equipped” Motobike features a truss fork, electric headlight, mudguards, rear stand, mechanical horn, coaster brake and sprung seat. Initial sales of the Johnson Motor Wheel were promising at an original price of $97.50, or $140 for a kit pre-assembled on a bicycle. Still, as auto prices dropped and the more prominent manufacturers also introduced ultralight motorcycle models, Johnson’s motor kit lost momentum. The kit was discontinued in 1921, though licensed engines were produced in England as the “Economic.” This rare 1917 Johnson Motor Wheel and Indian Motobike combination is a unique piece of American motorcycle history.
