1909 Pierce 4 Cylinder
Inventory Number: 5080
$150,000
First year of an American four cylinder motorcycle. Rated at 707 CC, this 275
pound single speed machine boasted a 60 mile per hour top speed.
Sold at the Steve McQueen auction.
Unfortunately, they cost more to produce than they could sell for. That put the Pierce motorcycle company into financial difficulty and bankrupted the motorcycle division, in 1914.
In 1909, George Pierce debuted the first Pierce Four, a radically different motorcycle than any other available on the market at that time. The oversized, four-inch diameter frame tubing offered a distinct look but came with an advantage by incorporating required fluids into the chassis, while cutting production costs. Unlike the FN inspiration machines, the Pierce relied on a T- head cylinder design, with the inlet and exhaust valves on opposite sides of the combustion chamber.
Sold at the Steve McQueen auction.
Unfortunately, they cost more to produce than they could sell for. That put the Pierce motorcycle company into financial difficulty and bankrupted the motorcycle division, in 1914.
In 1909, George Pierce debuted the first Pierce Four, a radically different motorcycle than any other available on the market at that time. The oversized, four-inch diameter frame tubing offered a distinct look but came with an advantage by incorporating required fluids into the chassis, while cutting production costs. Unlike the FN inspiration machines, the Pierce relied on a T- head cylinder design, with the inlet and exhaust valves on opposite sides of the combustion chamber.