Bert le Vack
Encyclopedia
Herbert 'Bert' le Vack was a motorcycle
world speed record holder throughout the 1920s and earned the nickname the 'Wizard of Brooklands' for his exploits at the Brooklands
Track. An expert racing engine tuner, le Vack worked for some of the great marques and in the late 1920s joined Motosacoche in Switzerland
as the works rider, chief designer and tuner. Bert le Vack was killed in an accident in 1931 testing the Motosacoche A50 in the Swiss Alps but is generally regarded as being one of the greatest racing motorcyclists of his day.
. Bert's first job was with Legros and Knowles, of Willesden Junction. He moved on to work for Daimler
, Napier
and the London General Omnibus Company
. Le Vack began his racing career on bicycles but once he visited Brooklands
he began tuning motorcycles and won the first hill climb he entered on a 1909 Triumph. In 1912 he competed in the London to Edinburgh Run and in 1913 he was working with another JAP test rider at Brooklands called John Wallace, who was sacked for being 'under age'. On the outbreak of World War I
they both joined Scottish car makers Arrol-Johnston
and turned their talents to designing, assembling and testing aero engines. Wallace founded Duzmo Motorcycles
In the 1914 Senior TT he averaged 45 mi/h and won a Gold Medal.
After the war le Vack had his own garage and it was a chance exchange of a Scott for an MAG-engined Edmund that re-awakened his interest in motorcycle racing. Tuning up the Edmund led to the neglect of his business, so when he had an offer of employment from Wallace he agreed and began developing Duzmo engines. He then built a competition motorcycle that he used in competitions and demonstrations. He called the bike the 'Ace' and then it became the 'Duzmo' in 1920 when Bert became well known as a racer.
Towards the end of 1920 Bert moved to the Hendee Manufacturing Co, who made Indian motorcycles in Springfield
, Massachusetts
. He joined their London Depot and developed the eight valve Indian engine. Bert married Ethel Dale in 1912 and there were four children. He divorced Ethel in 1929 and later remarried.
Le Vack was very much in favour of using alcohol-based fuels in racing and obtained supplies from a London distillery. This led to an offer to work as an engine designer for John A. Prestwich, founder of the JAP company who produced racing engines for many top marques, including Brough Superior
. Le Vack used his experience of the Indian
Powerplus on which he won the famous 500-Mile Race at Brooklands in 1921 to help JAP develop their British vee-twin into what he called a "Yank-buster" - the 'Super Big Twin', so called because of its 986 cc ohv engine. (Indian subsequently dropped out of international competition).
Although le Vack only stayed with JAP for four years he played a significant part in their success and JAP advertisements in the Motor Cycle showed Bert on a Brough Superior
with the 976 cc vee-twin JAP engine. As well as his tuning knowledge, le Vack gained a reputation for blending special racing fuels and had his own workshop in the Tottenham
factory. Described as a quietly spoken man with few friends, le Vack became something of an enigma. in a rare interview for The Motor Cycle in 1923 with the title 'The Making of a Speed Man', he described his early days when he nearly blew himself up by looking into a petrol tank at night with a match.
In the late 1920s he joined Motosacoche in Geneva
, Switzerland
, for whom he had already ridden in the 1914 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. Motosacoche built racing motorcycles and le Vack joined as the works rider, chief designer and tuner and was killed in the Swiss Alps
on 17 September 1931, while testing the Motosacoche A50 on public roads close to their factory. His ashes were returned to England and interred near Brooklands in St Mary's churchyard, Byfleet
not far from the grave of racing driver Parry Thomas. The inscription on his gravestone simply states 'In Loving Memory of Herbert Le Vack, Dearly Beloved Husband of Mary Helen Le Vack, Who Died in Switzerland, 16th September 1931'. Note it appears to record the date of his death incorrectly as 16 September 1931.
and helped keep T. E. Lawrence
's Broughs tuned. He also rode for the leading manufacturers of the 1920s, including Indian
, New Imperial and Zenith, After a time in Birmingham
at the New Hudson works, Bert went to Motosacoche and rode for them in the 1914 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Races. Bert won the Brooklands 500 in 1921 on a 1000 cc Indian. In 1923 he secured second place in the 1923 Lightweight Tourist Trophy Races with a New Imperial 250 cc - despite a breakdown that meant he had to push the bike half a mile to the finish.
Motorcycle
A motorcycle is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycles vary considerably depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions.Motorcycles are one of the most...
world speed record holder throughout the 1920s and earned the nickname the 'Wizard of Brooklands' for his exploits at the Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
Track. An expert racing engine tuner, le Vack worked for some of the great marques and in the late 1920s joined Motosacoche in Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
as the works rider, chief designer and tuner. Bert le Vack was killed in an accident in 1931 testing the Motosacoche A50 in the Swiss Alps but is generally regarded as being one of the greatest racing motorcyclists of his day.
Biography
Despite his surname, Bert le Vack was born in North London and was of Scottish descent, the son of an upholsterer and antique dealer Albert Edward le Vack. Bert's grandfather was John le Vack, a Scottish steam locomotive engineer, who moved to London from his birthplace in CaithnessCaithness
Caithness is a registration county, lieutenancy area and historic local government area of Scotland. The name was used also for the earldom of Caithness and the Caithness constituency of the Parliament of the United Kingdom . Boundaries are not identical in all contexts, but the Caithness area is...
. Bert's first job was with Legros and Knowles, of Willesden Junction. He moved on to work for Daimler
Daimler Motor Company
The Daimler Motor Company Limited was an independent British motor vehicle manufacturer founded in London by H J Lawson in 1896, which set up its manufacturing base in Coventry. The right to the use of the name Daimler had been purchased simultaneously from Gottlieb Daimler and Daimler Motoren...
, Napier
Napier & Son
D. Napier & Son Limited was a British engine and pre-Great War automobile manufacturer and one of the most important aircraft engine manufacturers in the early to mid-20th century...
and the London General Omnibus Company
London General Omnibus Company
The London General Omnibus Company or LGOC, was the principal bus operator in London between 1855 and 1933. It was also, for a short period between 1909 and 1912, a motor bus manufacturer.- Overview :...
. Le Vack began his racing career on bicycles but once he visited Brooklands
Brooklands
Brooklands was a motor racing circuit and aerodrome built near Weybridge in Surrey, England. It opened in 1907, and was the world's first purpose-built motorsport venue, as well as one of Britain's first airfields...
he began tuning motorcycles and won the first hill climb he entered on a 1909 Triumph. In 1912 he competed in the London to Edinburgh Run and in 1913 he was working with another JAP test rider at Brooklands called John Wallace, who was sacked for being 'under age'. On the outbreak of World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
they both joined Scottish car makers Arrol-Johnston
Arrol-Johnston
Arrol-Johnston was an early Scottish manufacturer of automobiles, which operated from 1896 to 1931 and produced the first automobile manufactured in Britain...
and turned their talents to designing, assembling and testing aero engines. Wallace founded Duzmo Motorcycles
Duzmo Motorcycles
Duzmo Motorcycles was a British motorcycle manufacturer. Founded in Enfield Highway, London in 1919 by John Wallace, engines for the early Duzmo machines were manufactured by the Advance Motor Manufacturing Company in Northampton. Wallace had no training as an engineer but while he was still at...
In the 1914 Senior TT he averaged 45 mi/h and won a Gold Medal.
After the war le Vack had his own garage and it was a chance exchange of a Scott for an MAG-engined Edmund that re-awakened his interest in motorcycle racing. Tuning up the Edmund led to the neglect of his business, so when he had an offer of employment from Wallace he agreed and began developing Duzmo engines. He then built a competition motorcycle that he used in competitions and demonstrations. He called the bike the 'Ace' and then it became the 'Duzmo' in 1920 when Bert became well known as a racer.
Towards the end of 1920 Bert moved to the Hendee Manufacturing Co, who made Indian motorcycles in Springfield
Springfield, Massachusetts
Springfield is the most populous city in Western New England, and the seat of Hampden County, Massachusetts, United States. Springfield sits on the eastern bank of the Connecticut River near its confluence with three rivers; the western Westfield River, the eastern Chicopee River, and the eastern...
, Massachusetts
Massachusetts
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. It is bordered by Rhode Island and Connecticut to the south, New York to the west, and Vermont and New Hampshire to the north; at its east lies the Atlantic Ocean. As of the 2010...
. He joined their London Depot and developed the eight valve Indian engine. Bert married Ethel Dale in 1912 and there were four children. He divorced Ethel in 1929 and later remarried.
Le Vack was very much in favour of using alcohol-based fuels in racing and obtained supplies from a London distillery. This led to an offer to work as an engine designer for John A. Prestwich, founder of the JAP company who produced racing engines for many top marques, including Brough Superior
Brough Superior
Brough Superior motorcycles, sidecars, and motor cars were made by George Brough in his Brough Superior works on Haydn Road in Nottingham, England, from 1919 to 1940. They were dubbed the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles" by H. D. Teague of The Motor Cycle newspaper. Approximately 3,048 of 19 models...
. Le Vack used his experience of the Indian
Indian (motorcycle)
Indian is an American brand of motorcycles. Indian motorcycles were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but which was renamed the Indian Manufacturing Company in 1928. The Indian factory team took the...
Powerplus on which he won the famous 500-Mile Race at Brooklands in 1921 to help JAP develop their British vee-twin into what he called a "Yank-buster" - the 'Super Big Twin', so called because of its 986 cc ohv engine. (Indian subsequently dropped out of international competition).
Although le Vack only stayed with JAP for four years he played a significant part in their success and JAP advertisements in the Motor Cycle showed Bert on a Brough Superior
Brough Superior
Brough Superior motorcycles, sidecars, and motor cars were made by George Brough in his Brough Superior works on Haydn Road in Nottingham, England, from 1919 to 1940. They were dubbed the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles" by H. D. Teague of The Motor Cycle newspaper. Approximately 3,048 of 19 models...
with the 976 cc vee-twin JAP engine. As well as his tuning knowledge, le Vack gained a reputation for blending special racing fuels and had his own workshop in the Tottenham
Tottenham
Tottenham is an area of the London Borough of Haringey, England, situated north north east of Charing Cross.-Toponymy:Tottenham is believed to have been named after Tota, a farmer, whose hamlet was mentioned in the Domesday Book; hence Tota's hamlet became Tottenham...
factory. Described as a quietly spoken man with few friends, le Vack became something of an enigma. in a rare interview for The Motor Cycle in 1923 with the title 'The Making of a Speed Man', he described his early days when he nearly blew himself up by looking into a petrol tank at night with a match.
In the late 1920s he joined Motosacoche in Geneva
Geneva
Geneva In the national languages of Switzerland the city is known as Genf , Ginevra and Genevra is the second-most-populous city in Switzerland and is the most populous city of Romandie, the French-speaking part of Switzerland...
, Switzerland
Switzerland
Switzerland name of one of the Swiss cantons. ; ; ; or ), in its full name the Swiss Confederation , is a federal republic consisting of 26 cantons, with Bern as the seat of the federal authorities. The country is situated in Western Europe,Or Central Europe depending on the definition....
, for whom he had already ridden in the 1914 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy. Motosacoche built racing motorcycles and le Vack joined as the works rider, chief designer and tuner and was killed in the Swiss Alps
Swiss Alps
The Swiss Alps are the portion of the Alps mountain range that lies within Switzerland. Because of their central position within the entire Alpine range, they are also known as the Central Alps....
on 17 September 1931, while testing the Motosacoche A50 on public roads close to their factory. His ashes were returned to England and interred near Brooklands in St Mary's churchyard, Byfleet
Byfleet
Byfleet is an inland island village forming a suburb of Woking in Surrey, England. It is in the east of the borough between the River Wey and the River Mole, and is within the M25 motorway....
not far from the grave of racing driver Parry Thomas. The inscription on his gravestone simply states 'In Loving Memory of Herbert Le Vack, Dearly Beloved Husband of Mary Helen Le Vack, Who Died in Switzerland, 16th September 1931'. Note it appears to record the date of his death incorrectly as 16 September 1931.
Racing career
Bert le Vack rode for Brough SuperiorBrough Superior
Brough Superior motorcycles, sidecars, and motor cars were made by George Brough in his Brough Superior works on Haydn Road in Nottingham, England, from 1919 to 1940. They were dubbed the "Rolls-Royce of Motorcycles" by H. D. Teague of The Motor Cycle newspaper. Approximately 3,048 of 19 models...
and helped keep T. E. Lawrence
T. E. Lawrence
Lieutenant Colonel Thomas Edward Lawrence, CB, DSO , known professionally as T. E. Lawrence, was a British Army officer renowned especially for his liaison role during the Arab Revolt against Ottoman Turkish rule of 1916–18...
's Broughs tuned. He also rode for the leading manufacturers of the 1920s, including Indian
Indian (motorcycle)
Indian is an American brand of motorcycles. Indian motorcycles were manufactured from 1901 to 1953 by a company in Springfield, Massachusetts, USA, initially known as the Hendee Manufacturing Company but which was renamed the Indian Manufacturing Company in 1928. The Indian factory team took the...
, New Imperial and Zenith, After a time in Birmingham
Birmingham
Birmingham is a city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands of England. It is the most populous British city outside the capital London, with a population of 1,036,900 , and lies at the heart of the West Midlands conurbation, the second most populous urban area in the United Kingdom with a...
at the New Hudson works, Bert went to Motosacoche and rode for them in the 1914 Isle of Man Tourist Trophy Races. Bert won the Brooklands 500 in 1921 on a 1000 cc Indian. In 1923 he secured second place in the 1923 Lightweight Tourist Trophy Races with a New Imperial 250 cc - despite a breakdown that meant he had to push the bike half a mile to the finish.
World records
| Year | Place | Country | Motorcycle | Speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1921 | Brooklands | UK | Indian | 107.5 miles per hour (173 km/h) |
| 1923-11-10 | Brooklands | UK | 108.48 | |
| 1924 | Cavendish Drive Sherwood Sherwood -United Kingdom:*Sherwood Forest, north of the city of Nottingham, England; the place where the legendary Robin Hood is said to have lived*Sherwood, Nottingham, a residential area of Nottingham*Sherwood -United States:... |
UK | Brough Superior | 111.1 m.p.h |
| 1924-7-6 | Arpajon | France | Brough Superior 867 cc | 118.93 |
| 1929-8-25 | Arpajon | France | Brough Superior 995 cc | 129.07 |
| 1927 | Brooklands | England | New Hudson 500 cc | 100 |