I rode a rare motorcycle today

[Kiwi_Roy]

I went to our usual Sunday coffee.
A friend turned up on a 1922 NerACar he imported from UK
https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/motorcycles/a-hundred-years-on-the-ner-a-car-is-still-a-weird-wonderful-machine/
Whatever you learnt about riding, this experience is unique.
Single cylinder 2 stroke Brass flywheel with a friction drive flywheel to leather covered wheel driving the rear chain front drive sprocket.
The engine has a cast iron cylinder with head in 1 (no head gasket)
Hub center steering
Rear drum brake.
The right hand lever squeezes a band around the friction driven wheel shaft.
he thinks there might be one other in Canada, most are in museums.
Flywheel type ignition like a mower engine about 3:1 compression, to stop it press a spring tab to short out the plug

[slopokes]

I am from Missouri !!!

[faffi]

How was it to ride?

[PeteS]

There is a guy in Syracuse, NY that has a couple and rides them. I think he did a Cannonball cross country run on a Ner a Car.

Pete

[Kiwi_Roy]

How was it to ride?

I only rode it in the car park, the steering seems very floppy until you get moving
Brakes are good for 102 YO bike, no front brake just drum rear by LH foot pedal and a band that clamps around the front sprocket shaft activated by RH lever.
Throttle and choke are lever style
Clutch is engaged by rolling left twist grip in reverse to a normal throttle.
Top speed is ~ 30 MPH

[Ncdan]

I went to our usual Sunday coffee.
A friend turned up on a 1922 NerACar he imported from UK
Whatever you learnt about riding, this experience is unique.
Single cylinder 2 stroke Brass flywheel with a friction drive flywheel to leather covered wheel driving the rear chain front drive sprocket.
The engine has a cast iron cylinder with head in 1 (no head gasket)
Hub center steering
Rear drum brake.
The right hand lever squeezes a band around the friction driven wheel shaft.
he thinks there might be one other in Canada, most are in museums.
Flywheel type ignition like a mower engine about 3:1 compression, to stop it press a spring tab to short out the plug

Do you have a picture as I have no idea what kind of machine you are talking about?

[Tkelly]

Missouri is the show me state.

[PeteS]

Neracar







Pete

[Kiwi_Roy]

Do you have a picture as I have no idea what kind of machine you are talking about?

I attached in a link in my original post
https://www.hagerty.co.uk/articles/motorcycles/a-hundred-years-on-the-ner-a-car-is-still-a-weird-wonderful-machine/
My friends is not as immaculate as these but it will give you an idea

[cliffrod]

Very cool.  Awesome to hear about you getting to ride one. 

There’s been a Ner-A-Car at the local HD dealership on display here in Spartanburg for at least 40 yrs.  It used to be parked in the front window with an Indian Board Track racer, while all the other collection/display bikes (HRD Vincent, Indians, various race bikes, etc.) were simply on the floor in the corner next to the window behind a piece of plain rope.  Nothing special.  some restored, some as found & last ridden..  just cool old bikes.   I’m not the only one who spent lots of time studying details on these bikes.  The Ner-A-Car has always been the legitimate curiousity/oddity of the group.

At the new dealership building built in the 90’s, now they’re all parked up on the mezzanine around the inside of the showroom.  Still fun to know they’re there, but now they’re much less accessible.

[RinkRat II]

   
     Very cool to be able to experience a unique ride like that. I'm jealous!

     Paul B 

[John A]

Very few of us will have the experience of riding one of those.

[Kiwi_Roy]

There are a couple of pictures here of the starter gear and friction drive.

https://www.yesterdays.nl/product/neracar-1922-285cc-1-cyl-ts-2909/

[Tkelly]

Built in Syracuse,odd that one would go to the U.K. then back to B.C.I like the add copy,lose the grouch on your way to work.That describes my lawyerly life.When the weather turned good I actually looked forward to heading out.

[PeteS]

Apparently they were made in both Syracuse, NY and the UK.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ner-A-Car

Pete

[JJ]

Neracar







Pete

Billed as "The Safety Cycle" and yes, they were made in Syracuse, New York! 

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

Very cool! I made friends with a gentleman riding a Ner-A-Car in the 2023 Motorcycle Cannonball event. Though Cannonball Baker was able to ride one across the country in 1922, this one did not do particularly well in the event. The frame flexes and looked like it would make for a very squirmy ride. It was still great to see one in action.

[Spuddy]

ULTRA COOL! You might think you drive/ride it. But  more likely it drives you.

[Kiwi_Roy]

Very cool! I made friends with a gentleman riding a Ner-A-Car in the 2023 Motorcycle Cannonball event. Though Cannonball Baker was able to ride one across the country in 1922, this one did not do particularly well in the event. The frame flexes and looked like it would make for a very squirmy ride. It was still great to see one in action.

That's bizarre, Carbide Headlamp and GPS

[Tkelly]

Cannonball Baker rode one across the US in 7 days ,almost 500 miles per day.My uncle told me whe he was a little kid in the 20s ,riding on dirt roads with his father in a car in the rain they passed 2 bikers who his Dad called tough devils.

[Dr. Enzo Toma]

That's bizarre, Carbide Headlamp and GPS

No GPS, that's a roll chart for the day's route, and a digital tachometer / speedometer / trip meter. GPS instruments are permitted in the Motorcycle Cannonball event for displaying distance and speed (bicycle computers), but they cannot have navigation capability. The headlamp is upgraded to LED internals. Some folks ran real carbide headlamps, but didn't illuminate them and instead attached rechargeable bicycle lights to their antique motorcycles.