Reminiscing about motorcycles
When I was growing up on Rose Avenue in Kelowna, a couple of our neighbours had interesting motorcycles. Ray Barber, who lived on Royal Avenue where it dead-ended east of Pendozi (now Pandosy) Street, had a Henderson 4.
I always thought that it was an Indian 4, but Ray told me years later that it was Henderson.
In the 1930s and earlier, there were three main manufacturers of motorcycles in the USA: Harley Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior. The latter was made by Schwinn Bicycle Company, which also made the Henderson 4.
Another neighbour, Bob Knooihuizan, had an Indian Twin with streamlined fender skirts, a distinctive feature. He lived on Pendozi Street, opposite the end of Strathcona Avenue. I think they were the only people in our part of town who rode motorcycles.
Mr. Shelley, at Speedy Service, had a couple of Harley’s with sidecars. He delivered groceries and meat with them. One went through the ice on Okanagan Lake, but Mr. Shelley and the machine both survived this unfortunate incident.
Then, after World War II, Gordie Allan and Ed Field started Comet Service, and they also had a couple of sidecar jobs.
Before my time, there were probably lots of older bikes which were worn out. In the early 1950s, someone at the Kelowna Courier office called Jenkins Cartage to move something, I don’t remember what. However, I do remember that there was a garage on Lawrence Avenue, right behind the Courier building, which was on Water Street. A big door faced Lawrence Avenue, and when it was opened we discovered that the walls of the building were lined with motorcycles and scooters — mostly from the teens or earlier.
I suspect that they may have belonged to George Rose, former longtime editor of the Courier.
Mr. Rose also owned the Metz roadster, which was later on display in the showroom of Sam Miller’s Begg Motor Company, on the southeast corner of Ellis Street and Bernard Avenue.
All of the aforementioned vehicles would have been a great acquisition for the Kelowna Museum. I don’t know what eventually happened to them.
Ian Collinson had our local motorcycle shop, in the 1400 block of Ellis Street, opposite Kelowna Memorial Arena. He rode a circa 1929 Harley, among others. Under the workbench, he had a V Twin engine which he informed me came from a Thor.
At that time, I had been hauling gravel from the Okanagan Mission and noticed, through an open garage door, a motorcycle with no engine. It was at Dr. Ootmar’s old place, just before DeHart Road. I have an idea that the engine and motorcycle went together.
Another combination that I saw about that time, in the early 1950s, was a sort of home-made machine. I think that the cycle was called a Blackbird. The engine was in the sidecar. It was a Briggs and Stratton or similar model. Since I only saw it once, perhaps it was an unsuccessful experiment.
A good place to see antique motorcycles is at the vintage motorcycle weekend at the historic O’Keefe Ranch, near Vernon, if it is still being held. This meet has been held on the weekend after Canada Day. The oldest machines, both circa 1913, are usually an Indian belonging to Art Gavel and a Triumph or Ariel belonging to Jim Green.
I recall reading about Ben Hoy, our local Department of Agriculture man, using an Indian for his field trips. In the 1920s, he travelled the Valley to look at orchards. It must have been rough riding on the gravel and dirt roads of the time.
By about 1950, even the side roads were being paved, and so motorcycling became much more enjoyable.
Ian Collinson sold many bikes, including BSA, Triumph, Ariel and Royal Enfield. In 1961, I had a Matchless twin 650 cc.
Charley Adam is a lifelong resident Kelowna. He is a descendant of the pioneer Clement family, which came to Kelowna in 1898. For many years, Charley Adam worked at Jenkins Cartage, in Kelowna. This article is part of a series submitted by the Kelowna Branch, Okanagan Historical Society. Additional information would be welcome at P.O. Box 22105, Capri P.O., Kelowna, B.C., V1Y 9N.