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Norbert Schickel Joins Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2011

The fourth member of the Motorcycle Hall of Fame Class of 2011 has just been announced, with the honor going to early American motorcycle pioneer Norbert Schickel. He will join magazine editor and innovator Phil Schilling, industry leader Fred Fox and roadracing champion Doug Polen, at the induction ceremony this November.

"It's fitting for the Motorcycle Hall of Fame to reach back 100 years in time and honor one of the true pioneers of American motorcycling," said Jeffrey V. Heininger, chairman of the American Motorcycle Heritage Foundation, which raises money for the Hall of Fame. "The Hall of Fame honors and memorializes the men and women who have made motorcycling great. And without early pioneers like Norbert Schickel, there would be no American motorcycling."

Schickel was part of the motorcycle design boom that occurred in the United States between 1905 and 1915. His vision and designs were evident in the two-cycle motorcycles that he developed. He also helped popularize the twist grip control and had a patented "spring fork front suspension" and "fly wheel magneto."

Schickel unveiled his first motorcycle at the 1911 Chicago Motorcycle Show, and Schickel Motor Co. began producing motorcycles in 1912 in Stamford, Conn. The company sold more than 1,000 motorcycles, but was forced to file for bankruptcy and close its doors in 1924 due to competition from the automobile industry and other motorcycle manufacturers.

"It was an incredible thrill to learn that he has been selected for the Motorcycle Hall of Fame," said Ken Anderson, Schickel's grandson. "He would be thrilled and humbled. If he were here, he would say there are many others who are more deserving."
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