1935 Simplex Servi-Cycle Motorbike
date: label: date made
content: 1935
name: label: maker
content: Simplex Manufacturing Company
notes: label: Description
content: Beginning in 1935, the Simplex Manufacturing Corporation of New Orleans made motorbikes, which were smaller and lighter than motorcycles. Their simple designs made personal transportation accessible to young people and adults. Owners found many uses for Servi-Cycles, including errands, pleasure rides, and package delivery using a three-wheeled model. Top speed was 40 miles per hour, and average cruising speed was 30 miles per hour. Postwar sales were strong, but Servi-Cycle sales declined in the 1950s because of the growing popularity of imported motor scooters. Simplex ended motorbike production in 1960 but made motor scooters until 1972, when the company went out of business.
label: Location
content: Currently not on view
place: label: place made
content: United States: Louisiana, New Orleans
setName: label: See more items in
content: Work and Industry: Transportation, Road
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content: Bicycling
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content: Industry & Manufacturing
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content: Sports & Leisure
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content: America on the Move
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content: Transportation
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content: Road Transportation
creditLine: label: Credit Line
content: Gift of Paul Treen
dataSource: label: Data Source
content: National Museum of American History
identifier: label: ID Number
content: TR.317365
label: accession number
content: 230387
label: catalog number
content: 317365
objectType: label: Object Name
content: motorbike
label: Other Terms
content: motorbike; bicycle; Road
physicalDescription: label: Physical Description
content: steel (body material)
label: Physical Description
content: rubber (tires material)
label: Measurements
content: overall: 36 in x 27 in x 74 in; 91.44 cm x 68.58 cm x 187.96 cm
label: Measurements
content: overall: 38 in x 27 in x 73 1/2 in; 96.52 cm x 68.58 cm x 186.69 cm