Between 1909 and the late 1920s, motorcycle racing was not the polished, professional spectacle we know today. It was raw, violent, intoxicating — and held on colossal oval tracks made entirely of wood. These “Motordromes” formed the first golden age of American motorsport, where riders on primitive machines reached speeds that modern commuters would consider insane.
Today, the era feels almost mythical. Yet for two decades, board track racing shaped motorcycle culture, engineering, and the fearless identity of the early rider.
A Sport Built on Splinters and Speed
Board track racing emerged from bicycle velodromes. Promoters recognized that motorcycles — at the time lightweight single-cylinder or V-twin machines — could reach breathtaking speed on the same steeply banked ovals. The surface was built from 2×4 boards of Oregon Pine, laid tightly and treated like a giant wooden wave.
Tracks ranged from one-eighth of a mile to over a mile long, with banking that allowed riders to hold the throttle wide open for the entire race. No braking. No rolling off. No hesitation.
The sight was unforgettable: roaring V-twins, crowds just meters away from the action, and a wall of wooden planks blurring beneath thin tires.
The Machines: Primitive but Ferocious
The bikes of the board track era were unlike anything before or since. Built by American giants like Indian, Harley-Davidson, and Excelsior, these machines prioritized one thing: pure speed.
- Minimal brakes — or none at all
- Total-loss oiling systems that sprayed oil everywhere
- Direct drive with no clutch
- Narrow handlebars for aerodynamics
- Rigid frames with no suspension
Engines typically used F-head (IOE) or early OHV designs. Despite their simplicity, they routinely pushed beyond 160 km/h (100 mph) — a terrifying speed when you’re wearing goggles, wool, and leather gloves.
Why Fans Loved It: The Sound, the Smell, the Risk
Crowds poured into motordromes because they offered a thrill unmatched by any other sport at the time:
- The smell of hot oil and gasoline
- The violent howl of unmuffled engines
- Riders fighting for position just centimeters apart
- Near-misses that felt choreographed by fate
Board track racing was a pure adrenaline economy — and America was addicted.
Why Riders Did It: Glory and Death in Equal Measure
The riders were young, hungry, and astonishingly brave. Many came from modest backgrounds and saw motorcycle racing as a path to fame and financial survival.
They knew the risks. Everyone did.
Mechanics would inspect a bike and then, with a straight face, tell the rider something like: “Hold on. If something happens — you won’t know it.”
Crashes were catastrophic. The lack of brakes and the wooden structure meant that riders often slid into splintered boards at full speed. A single mistake could take out half the field.
The press gave the tracks a new name: “Murderdromes.”
Engineering Lessons Written in Blood
As brutal as it sounds, board track racing pushed motorcycle engineering forward:
- Carburation developed faster because riders needed stable mixtures at high speeds.
- Frame stiffness became a priority to keep bikes stable on steep banking.
- Engine cooling, especially fin design, improved under constant full-throttle strain.
- Manufacturers experimented with valve timing, cam profiles, and higher compression ratios.
Modern motorcycle performance, in a strange way, still carries the DNA of these early experiments.
The Beginning of the End
Board track racing didn’t die because fans lost interest. Crowds loved it until the very end.
The real problem was safety — or the lack of it.
A series of widely reported crashes between 1911 and 1925 turned the public against the sport. Promoters couldn’t keep repairing the wooden surfaces fast enough. Riders demanded better conditions. Cities refused to license dangerous tracks. And the cost of building and maintaining a wooden motordrome skyrocketed.
By the late 1920s, the era was over.
What remained were stories of impossible bravery and a handful of grainy photos showing riders leaning into corners at angles that defy reason.
Why This Era Still Matters
Board track racing is more than a forgotten chapter — it’s a symbol of:
- Raw mechanical purity
- Fearless riding
- The spirit of going all-in
- Timeless, minimalist design
- The origins of motorcycle culture as we know it
For riders who appreciate heritage, craftsmanship, and the unfiltered connection between machine and soul, the board track era is a reminder of where our passion began — on wooden walls, full throttle, with nothing held back.