1911 Curtiss Marvel

If you know the name Glenn Curtiss, you’ll probably remember him for his aviation exploits before World War I. Flying his own planes, he trounced established names such as the Wright brothers in competitions. And despite being American, he was awarded the #2 official French pilot’s license—after Louis Bleriot, who flew the English Channel in 1909. But Curtiss’ first interest was motorcycles rather than airplanes. He not only set the motorcycle land speed record, but also beat the mighty Indian Motorcycle Company in endurance races — via Bike EXIF