This page is all about the worlds fastest motorcycle of 1905 and beyond - the Peugeot 12hp 14hp.
It was a 1,489cc 45 degree V twin engine with a bore/stroke
92x112mm = 1,489cc.
The engine weighed
27kg and the whole bike weighed just 50kg - to comply with racing rules.
It had no brakes!
In its era the Peugeot was called either a 12hp or 14hp.
Some of the Records:
1904 3rd October - Dourdan 1km race 123kph (Vincenzo Lanfranchi)
1905 July 17/22 at 86mph (138kph) at Brighton, England (Henri Cissac) - sets New World record
1905 July 27/28 at 89.5mph (144kph) at Blackpool, England (Henri Cissac) - sets New World record
1905 October 8th - Dourdan 1km race 130kph (Henri Cissac)
1906 June - Ostend 139.5 kph (Giosuè Giuppone)
1906 October 11/12 - Blackpool - Giosuè Giuppone wins the event as Henri Cissac has a "failure"
1906 21st October - Dourdan 1km race 128.5 kph (Giosuè Giuppone)
You can read about Henri's exploits here and below is Henri taken in July 1905 at Brighton where he is about to or just has set his world record.
The machines. I do not know how many were made but I am told maybe 4-5.
This picture is said to be of the exact model used by
Lanfranchi in 1904 (source Bourdache & Internet various).
It appeared in the 1904 Peugeot catalogue, but was only available to "works"
riders in 1905 (Bourdache).
The frame is different
to the above picture - so maybe later?
The rear frame in other pictures is blocked by the rider - but maybe this was
Henri's own racer type of frame.
If you continue where the frame lines would be in other pictures it seems as if
this frame was just on Henri's bike.
Below Lanfranchi in October 1904 at the Dourdan where he achieved 123kph (source Bourdache)
Below Lanfranchi in October 1904 at the Dourdan where he achieved 123kph (source various - Gérard Martin , Bourdache & Internet various)
In England in The MotorCycle magazine of 1904 October 24th is the following
article and picture.
It describes the engine and machine and says the engine is 92x112mm so 1,489cc.
1904 Dourdan - Lanfranchi 1904 painted by ERNEST MONTAUT.
The picture below is Cissac and said to be 1904 at Dourdan. Source bnf (Jules Beau)
1905
Below is an aexcellent picture from Gérard Martin that shows
the Peugeot "pilots" of 1905 Champoiseau, Giuppone and Cissac.
You can see the differences between the first two V engine bikes - picture looks
like same venue at same time.
In July 1905 at Ostend the Peugeots dominate. Cissac first sets a record and
then is beaten by his fellow Peugeot works racer. The papers say "A 50-kilogram
machine, with a necessarily strong set of steel and tires, was able to find an
extra-light engine capable of taking him, in a crazy race, to more than 120 per
hour. Where were we going? 4 Where were we going? But in Ostend, where this
record phenomenon has, twice, been pulverized. For he was not beaten by a fifth
of a second, but by a second each time, Cissac reaching first at 127kph (28
seconds), then Giuppone, three days later jumping to 27 s. 1/5, the staggering
speed, for such a tiny machine, of 132 kilometers. i3 52 per hour, or 37 meters
per second." Source (La Vie au grand air : revue illustrée de tous les sports
Éditeur : P. Lafitte (Paris) Date d'édition 21st July 1905).
Below on the left is Giuppone and Henri Cissac on the right.
L'Auto-velo 9th October 1905 pictures Henri below at Dourdan.
Henri is pictured below in the 1905 20th October edition of La
Vie au grand air at the Gaillon event.
They had to say "Cissac, on his 2-cylinder Peugeot.
Cissac has achieved this
extraordinary performance: the kilometer in 31 seconds, on his machine less than
50 hilogs, the same time as Caters 90hp car"
The picture below is of Giosuè Giuppone in either 1905 at Dourdan or in 1906 at the Ostend event that he won at 139kph.
He appears to have a part of a paper racing number wrapped around his rear
cylinder and maybe the same on the front cylinder.
The lower cylinder had venting holes in and the paper was there to stop dirt
getting in the engine whilst the machine was being transported.
1906
The picture below is of Cissac said to be of 1906 (Bourdache).
Below I have put the pictures side by side to be able to
compare - not easy from different sides/angles
- but I think two different machines - look at the front fork (braced and
unbraced), handlebars, footrests and the front oil line feed.
1906 and Giosuè Giuppone now with a much larger fuel tank and a different oil line (and pump?) to the front engine feed.
In January 1907 WH Wray (Billy Wray) imports a 14hp Peugeot racer into the USA and first races it in February 1907 at Ormond beach.
Whilst we can probably never be certain which of all of the
Peugeot racers Billy bought - Billy Wrays looks most like Giuppone's - see oil
line etc.
Giuppone had won the Dourdan 1km race on 21st October 1906 at 128.5 kph -
so if Billy Wray was buying the fastest running proven bike available in
December 1906/January 1907 then this would be a good candidate.
I am told by Peter Richardson that these Peugeots probably ran on alcohol and that in the UK both George Barns and George Wilton, both purchased a 14hp Peugeot , and raced them in France , were Wilton found it too frantic and gave up , but Barnes also raced his in Italy !
1908
The well known UK racer George Barnes was racing a Peugeot in
June 1908 in Paris and below is the report of his racing it -
from The MotorCycle June 10th 1908
Pictured below from The MotorCycle of June 24th 1908 -
The last appearance I can find is with Giovanni Ravelli at the
Gaillon hill climb in 1911 - below. The bike still held the outright world speed
record.
Giovanni went onto become a WW1 flyer and be the inspiration for Moto Guzzi.
I am indebted to many people for assisting me in creating this page including: Peter Richardson, Mark Richardson and especially Gérard Martin.
This page is in development and being added to as we find more
information.
If you have corrections or additions then please get in touch.
I am adding to it as I research and learn more, all information very welcome, my email is paulg@go-faster.com
A period account of the 1905 Brighton Speed Trials is below.
II have been very kindly sent a souvenir of this 1905 event, The offcial Programme and Souvenir - below
The London Illustrated News of July 1905 had a photo feature on Brightons Speed Trials and used the picture below of Henri Cissac. /p>
It is Henri, but I think it is not of him at Brighton (but him on another bike somewhere else) as it shows a wet day and the event was dry and dusty.
His Brighton performance was not a one off either, as he seemed to do very well at many speed events in 1905.
Prior to his run in the summer of 1905 at Brighton he had earlier (pre Feb 05) set the hour record for motorcycles at 54 miles and 1058 yards.
Henri Cissac was not new to setting world records, as the cutting below from The Sydney Morning Herald of December 26th 1901 shows.
Below is a medal that Henri Cissac was awarded for a 1st place in a 1901 race - almost certainly the one above. Image kindly proved by the medals owner Skip Lane.
In August 1903 the papers reported "THE MILE-A-MINUTE. MARIC. The astonishing speed of a mile a minute was actually attained by Cissac, the French rider, on the Buffalo track, Paris, recently,. under circumstances which are somewhat amusing. Marius the wonderful successful motor cyclist, was defeated by Cissac in a race for motor bicycles, but, feeling dissatisfied, straight away issued a challenge to all and sundry. On-the following day, while he was en joying an after-dinner siesta, Cissac burst into his apartment, and, throwing 200 fiancs on the table, exclaimed, "I'll take you on. Cover my money. We will run' the race now, within 10 minutes.", lie was not prepared just then, but Anzani, aniother rider, obtained permission. from :The-to use his motor bicycle, covered the deposits, and the combatants forthwith adjourned to 'the Buffalo track, followed by an excited throng, amongst whom was Major Taylor. Sixteen horse-power mo tors were used. A terrifice pace was set, the spectators, Major Taylor espe cially, becoming wildly excited. After a few laps had been run, Anzani, seeing hlis'opportunity, shot down in front of Cissae, who in turn was obliged to go up the banking; Then lie let his engine out, and covered three miles in 3min. 1 1-isee., eventually winning the match. After claiming the 400 francs, lie and his friends repaired to a cafe, where lie regaled them with champagne. The leg-driven bicycle continues to get faster and faster, so much so 'that in the light of to-day the attainment of a mile within the min ute does not seem to be without the realm of probability. As the best judges admit, it is almost entirely a matter of a good man and gilt edged pacing, and some day the right combination will be struck and the wonderful feat accomplished. It is interesting to recall that it is only a little more than 20 years since thel mile was ridden in 3min., and less than 10 years since J, S, Johnson put the record at 2min. Only last month Walthour rode the last mile of five in lmin 12sec. The present record for the mile 1 min 16sec., held by Coete" Clearly Cissac had a need for speed!
The Sydney Morning herald of 2nd February 1905 reported"Henri Cissac, the holder of the world's hour motor cycle record of 54 miles 1058 yards, intends making an onslaught on the 100 kilometre distance on the Parc des Princes track. He has had a special machine built for the purpose, and in a recent trial reeled off miles under 60s for each The French and English public are wondering when a limit will be put on the ever increasing numbers of monster engined motor bicycles."
I suspect that the "special machine" mentioned above is the "monster" pictured above and was so probably made just to take records.
The Sydney Morning Herald of 13th June 1906 reported "Faster speeds have been accomplished on straightaway tracks, for H. Cissac, of Paris, has covered on the Blackpool Esplanade (England) a flying kilometre (1093 yards) in 25 seconds, equal to 89½ miles an hour, and a standing start mile in 50 1-5s (71 17 miles an hour)".
In 1906 he won a Hill Climb at Gallion, France and was clocked at over 80mph on the 1 in 10 gradient.
Henri Cissacs final race was the 1908 Grand Prix, below in his monster Panhard car before the race.
The period reports refer to the accident as a tyre coming off and tangling in the chain drive and the picture below would seem to show him in the pits changing that wheel.
It may have been the new Michelin detachable rims that caused the issue, they were a relatively new idea although other reports blame a puncture for the crash.
1907
1907 June 25th Ormonde Beach, Florida USA. Billy Wray runs his
14hp Peugeot over the flying start mile in 44.4 seconds.
Billy writes to The MotorCycle magazine in the UK, to point out his record.
His letter is published in the 1908 Feb 19th edition and on March 4th having
consulted the rules the magazine declares the record void as the ACU do not
recognise records created in America!
At the 1909 Florida speed event the fastest that a motorcycle managed was Walter Goerke riding an Indian at 86mph.
This would have only equalled Cissac's Brighton Speed and not bettered the 89.5 mph that Henri recorded at Blackpool, UK in 1906.
So Henri's and the Big Peugeots World record's was still standing
at the start of 1910 as The MotorCycle, UK in its January 3rd 1910 edition
had the following list of all records.
You can see that many of Henri's and the 12/14hp Peugeot's are still standing
from 1905/6.
I am researching when the records were finally broken - it was still standing in
July 1910.
You can read my ramblings about "racing" my old motorcycles:
http://www.go-faster.com/BrightonSpeedTrials2012.html