Photo: Craigslist Paso Robles, CA
We've tested quite a few powerful e-bikes lately. Ones that can accelerate quickly enough to keep up with in-town automotive traffic without a hint of fuss or difficulty. But it's one thing for a modern electric bicycle with more torque than some economy cars to be sprightly and fun to ride. But for a 76-year-old bicycle with a little-remembered single-cylinder gas motor to get that fast? Now, that's something that sounds scary. Such is the story of this 1947 Monark bike chassis fitted with a lauded Whizzer engine.
Of course, the Whizzer name has long since been lost to history for all but the most battle-hardened bicycle enthusiasts. But rest assured, back in the day, these bikes were some of the nicest you could ride without having a license. First manufactured in 1939 by an LA-based aircraft part manufacturer, Breene-Taylor Engineering, Whizzer engines were built to be easily adaptable to a wide range of American bicycles. These Whizzer motor kits effectively gave the user all the utility of a full-fledged motorcycle but without the need for registration or insurance.
During World War II, Whizzer had to lobby the U.S. Government to keep it in operation, sighting how their bike engines could be the perfect tool to transport G.I.s around military bases in Western Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific, and weapons manufacturing operations here in the States. At a time when even General Motors and Ford couldn't crank out a passenger car without the weight of the U.S. Department of War breathing down their necks, Whizzer practically stood alone in building consumer motor vehicle engines during the war.
It was two years after the war in 1947 that this particular Whizzer/Monark engine and bike combination came into being. Thanks to a new bike chain, drive belts, a rebuilt carburetor, and two brand new whitewall tires, all this bike needs to be back in ship shape is to get the simple little engine running and apply a fresh coat of paint. The owner out of Paso Robles near Bakersfield, California, also states that the fuel tank is rust-free and ready to accept the cheapest 87 octane the State of California has to offer right now. Based on the prices lately, you might be better off riding a Whizzer to work than an automobile, or even a full-blown motorcycle, for that matter.
For the kind of person too nervous or light in the wallet to fully restore an old Harley, Curtiss, or Indian bike, throwing down $2,200 for a crack at learning the basics with something less labor-intensive can only be positive growth for whoever winds up buying this bike. It could even be a great museum piece if so inclined. But it's pretty clear we all want to see this thing run again.
During World War II, Whizzer had to lobby the U.S. Government to keep it in operation, sighting how their bike engines could be the perfect tool to transport G.I.s around military bases in Western Europe, North Africa, and the Pacific, and weapons manufacturing operations here in the States. At a time when even General Motors and Ford couldn't crank out a passenger car without the weight of the U.S. Department of War breathing down their necks, Whizzer practically stood alone in building consumer motor vehicle engines during the war.
It was two years after the war in 1947 that this particular Whizzer/Monark engine and bike combination came into being. Thanks to a new bike chain, drive belts, a rebuilt carburetor, and two brand new whitewall tires, all this bike needs to be back in ship shape is to get the simple little engine running and apply a fresh coat of paint. The owner out of Paso Robles near Bakersfield, California, also states that the fuel tank is rust-free and ready to accept the cheapest 87 octane the State of California has to offer right now. Based on the prices lately, you might be better off riding a Whizzer to work than an automobile, or even a full-blown motorcycle, for that matter.
For the kind of person too nervous or light in the wallet to fully restore an old Harley, Curtiss, or Indian bike, throwing down $2,200 for a crack at learning the basics with something less labor-intensive can only be positive growth for whoever winds up buying this bike. It could even be a great museum piece if so inclined. But it's pretty clear we all want to see this thing run again.
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