What's So Mysterious About The 1916 Traub Motorcycle?

It's the stuff of a childhood fantasy: a wall in an old house is taken down to reveal a beautiful classic motorcycle from 50 years prior. The Traub branded motorcycle is the only one of its kind, and the near-pristine bike appears to have features that were ahead of its time. It's not exactly the holy grail, but it'll do.

Most of the details regarding the bikes original story are vague and unverifiable, only adding to the mystery. But here's what we sort of know. In 1967, a Chicago plumber was repairing a leak and found a motorcycle instead. At the time and for years afterwards, very little was known about the one-off motorcycle that still runs. There were no photographs or documentation, and no one had ever heard of the brand Traub. Only the impressive, for its time, handmade features were clear: a rare twin-brake/single-cam system, a V-twin engine with a capacity of 1,278cc, and a top speed of 85 mph.

It's unlikely the Traub rose from the earth or was left behind by an alien species like a motorcycle out of science fiction. Clearly, someone had to have built it. The Traub name gives strong hints, and points to one Gottlieb Richard Traub, who appears to have run a motorcycle shop out of a garage on his property, not far from the bike's resting place. How it got there has inspired some tales, including that the bike was stolen from Traub by the building owners' son, who hid it behind the wall when his father sent him off to war as punishment. It's a good story, but the details are very much unconfirmed, and the dates don't seem to match up.

As for Traub himself, he never filed a stolen report with the police, but in 1907 had written a letter to the editor of Motorcycle Illustrated, describing one he built:

"Dear Sir – ... find the enclosed picture and specifications of a motorcycle made by myself throughout engine and all. I worked on this cycle about one year, putting in the time only between 7 pm and 11 pm. I also worked Sundays."

He then goes on to describe specifications that are similar to the mysterious machine, including "power, 4 horsepower; bore and stroke 3 1/4 by 4 inches; auxiliary gasoline tank, 1/2 gallon; speed, more than the roads will stand." This may not be the exact same bike, but it could have easily been an earlier incarnation. Traub died in 1952, never publicizing the bike, or its theft, beyond his letter to the editor.

After the plumbing work that led to its discovery, the Traub had numerous subsequent owners. Initially, a local motorcycle dealer, mechanic, stuntman, and racer named Torello Tacchi, traded a $700 Suzuki for it, and years later Bud Ekins — otherwise known as racing enthusiast Steve McQueen's stunt man — purchased the bike. It changed hands a few more times before settling at Dale Walksler's Wheels Through Time Motorcycle Museum in Maggie Valley, NC, who still takes it out for a ride once in a while.

We may not know the real story behind the bike, but at least it's getting air. How the disappearance impacted the long-term legacy of the Traub motorcycle remains to be seen. Surely fifty years in isolation behind a wall couldn't have helped. It's safe to say, however, that the iconic motorcycle landscape might look a bit different today, had the innovative bike been ridden by more people than its creator, and maybe, a thief.