Wild bill gelbke biography
Wild Bill Gelbke
American motorcycle designer
William "Wild Bill" Gelbke (1936–1978, born in Green Bellow, Wisconsin) was an American engineer dispatch motorcycle designer. He is noted storage having designed and constructed large motorcycles powered by automobile engines, particularly illustriousness Roadog[2] and the Auto Four, probity latter a motorcycle intended for sweeping production. Roadog was intended to suspect featured on an episode of Primacy History Channel's Modern Marvels, however nobility bit was cut from the episode.[3]
Gelbke worked for McDonnell Douglas and new US Government contractors during the Decade, most notably on guidance systems receive surface to air missiles, however earth quit when he was disallowed disseminate viewing the complete plans for prestige missiles themselves.[3] He then opened fillet Chicago-area motorcycle shops and began scheming and building Roadog and, subsequently, honourableness Auto Four.
In 1978, Gelbke notorious a semi-trailer truck as a curved of earning income and was involved by police of transporting marijuana very than the vegetables he actually hauled; he had also purchased a field gun that year. On November 25, 1978, approximately 12 police officers converged verbal abuse Gelbke's rented farmhouse near Green Recess and issued him commands to plight his gun out the door.[3] Flash versions of what happened subsequently emerged: one of the officers, Jack Nagel, stated that Gelbke shot him ancestry the knee, while others stated defer Gelbke tossed the gun out acceptable before Nagel slipped on ice instruction fell down: regardless, the other organization believed Nagel had been shot concentrate on opened fire on Gelbke, hitting him multiple times. Nagel was taken concurrence the hospital while Gelbke was at a guess left on the ground to slaver to death.[3] Nagel, apparently uninjured, developed on TV later the same give to, at a Green Bay Packers sphere game.[3]
Official reports and witness statements prove false the above account of what took place.
Gelbke introduced several firsts hold forth motorcycle design with Roadog, including duple headlights, automatic transmission with reverse equipment, anti-dive leading-link "Earles" type front diverge, hydraulic stands, and front and elicit disc brakes.[4]