Phenomenal Speed Made in Daytona Beach Trials
February 1920
The roar of the Harley-Davidson motor rolling along the beach at
Daytona, Fla., at over 100 miles an hour during the recent time trials,
for a moment drowned the noise of the breakers the Atlantic,
rolling up on the sand, not a stone's throw away.
Greater speed than has ever before been recorded in the annals of motorcycle history was attained
by the Harley-Davidson team in the experimental trials that were held at Daytona Beach, Florida,
during the week of February 15th.
Fred Ludlow with his pocket-valve Harley-Davidson
which made 102.87 miles per hour
On February 13, a pocket valve Harley-Davidson, ridden by Fred Ludlow, broke all
world's professional motorcycle records by covering a kilometer in 21.75 seconds. This was
the rate of 102.87 miles an hour, a performance that stamps the Harley-Davidson stock
design as the most efficient in the world.
On February 15, an 8 Valve Harley-Davidson, ridden by Leslie Parkhurst,
broke the four professional world's records for 1 kilometer, 1, 2 and 3 miles.
The kilometer was run off at a rate of 103.39 m.p.h. , this breaking the record
established by the pocket-valve Harley-Davidson on the 13th.
111 Miles an Hour
On February 16, in a terrific burse of speed, an 8 valve Harley-Davidson motorcycle,
ridden by Leslie Parkhurst, smashed all world's motorcycle records in the professional
unrestricted class by covering 1 kilometer in 19.98 seconds, which is at the rate of 111.98 m.p.h.
Three other world's records were broken by the same machine on that day, - the 1 mile in
32.45 sec. at a rate of 110.94 m.p.h., 2 miles at a rate of 109.39 m.p.h., an 5 miles at 107.86 m.p.h.
"Red" Parkhurst piloting the famous 8-Valve "Bullet" sidecar
over the beach at 84 miles an hour with Ludlow as passenger.
On February 17, four new world's sidecar records were established in the 61 cu. in. class
when Leslie Parkhurst's 8 valve Harley-Davidson hurled a Harley-Davidson "Bullet" sidecar
trough space at the rate of more than 84 miles an hour. In another try-out, the same day in the
unrestricted class, Parkhurst covered 5 miles at the rate of 87.52 m.p.h. incidentally breaking
the world's records for the unrestricted class for the 1 kilometer, 1 mile, 2 and 3 miles.
The crowd rushing to meet Parkhurst and Ludlow
(in the famous "Bullet" sidecar)
after one of their record-breaking dashes.
The intricate looking, but absolutely accurate and never failing
Electric timing device, the only instrument of its kind in existence.
Seconds are recorded to a hundredth part. A chronometer testet at
several gouverment stations is the master time piece.
The famous Warner electrical timing instrument, which is the property of the
American Automobil Association
and which has been used to time all important world's automobil records for several years.
This instrument has been tested by the U.S. Bureau of Standard in Washington, D.C.
and the U.S. Naval Time Station on the Pacific Coast.
In all these Florida Time Trials, the timing was under the direct observation of M. & A.T.A.
Refree R.A. Leavell, who has charge of the timing of practically all important records
made by the American Automobil Association during the past few years.
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