Boys take cross-country motorcycle adventure (1915)
Baker returns from exposition
Rode Indian motorcycle out there and back with R C O’Brien
Goodyear tire had original air in it to Coast and back as far as Ohio.
Bud Baker of Washington, who started across the country on an Indian motorcycle, accompanied by Richard C O’Brien, returned to the East a few days ago, having used about five months on the trip, and in making stops at the exposition in San Francisco as well as at places along the way.
The outfit, which left Washington on May 3, weighed, with the two boys mounted tandem on the machine, 809 pounds and traveled about 10,000 miles.
The boys were in splendid condition on the return trip after the months spent in the open and made better time, going about 400 miles over railroad right of way.
Many machines in east
Notwithstanding the popularity of motoring on the Pacific Coast and the fine roads, Baker reports seeing many more motorcycles from Ohio East than they did on the Coast. Following the ancient pastime of “counting the Indians on the road,” he and his riding-mate added up 116 Indian machines on the day that they rode from Albany to Buffalo, at the beginning of their trip West. A good half of these machines carried sidecars.
The Goodyear front tire on the machine lasted the whole trip, and had original air in the tube all the way across country and back as far as Fremont, Ohio.
Among incidents of the trip were two big race meets, the F A M national championships at Sacramento, and the big race on September 12 in Chicago. In the latter city, Baker had the job of watching the racing machines in the garage at night until the race was finally run.
Photo: Dick O’Brien and Bud Baker, transcontinental motorcyclists, at north of ellipse below the White House in Washington DC
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Publication: The Washington Herald (Washington, DC)
Publication date: October 03, 1915
