The Motor Wheel & Fiyer

Almost no one knew, or knows now, of the existence of any of these S models. In early 1980 by pure luck, I became the owner of one of these engines. I bought a pair of old Briggs 6k Stratton engines from an old gentleman whose acquaintance I had made at a farm sale. After cleaning up these engines, one of them turned out to be a Model P, which I knew was an early model Briggs 6k Stratton. But the other engine had its model and serial number (S-102) stamped, it seems almost randomly, on top of its block and down the one side. Since neither one of these engines resembled any of my other Briggs 6k Stratton engines, I decided to write to Briggs 6k Stratton for any information they might have on either one. Their reply was quite unexpected. They told me the Model P was built in 1920. But they had almost no information on S-102, other than their records indicated this engine was shipped to the Sharplee Milker Company of West Chester, Pennsylvania, in November of 1919. This is only a few miles from where I bought the engine. They also told me they had no idea what these engines looked like, as they had never seen one and did not know of the existence of any other S model engines.

The Model S engine had a unique method of checking the oil level. This consisted of a one-inch glass window located in the back of the oil pan. All the Briggs & Stratton Motor Wheel engines also had this feature, but it was never used again on any later model Briggs &. Stratton engines.

I sent the Briggs & Stratton people a photo of my S-102, and they showed an immediate interest in acquiring this engine. Their interest is understandable, but after numerous letters and phone calls (even a visit from two of their company representatives), I still have no desire to part with S-102.

Even though S-102 does not resemble any of my other Briggs & Stratton engines, when you cut the horns off the little Motor Wheel engines, as Briggs &. Stratton had done on their initial entry into the small stationary engine market, there is no doubt these engines are identical. This gives the Motor Wheel engines the distinction of being the father of the largest manufacturer of small stationary engines in the world, with the S model as its first offspring. I bought my first Motor Wheel at a garage sale four or five years before I bought S-102 and I guess it was a few more years before I came across an article in an antique car magazine on the history of the Flyer and Motor Wheel by a man in the business of restoring these little vehicles.

Before I discovered this article, I knew nothing about the Motor Wheel or Flyer, and it wasn't until my first trip to Florida in March of 1988 that I saw my first Flyer in the flesh at an engine show. When the owner of the Flyer started the little Motor Wheel engine, for the benefit of a dozen or more onlookers, my interest in the Flyer and Motor Wheel was greatly aroused. My curiosity failed to subside until I paid the little Flyer a number of visits before leaving the show. In July of that same year, I came across another Flyer at a show in northeast Pennsylvania. The owner of this Flyer said he had pulled his out of a fence row and restored it. I haven't seen one since. I guess this was when I got the bug to own a Flyer of my own. When I got to thinking about the fact that I had only ever seen two of them while attending dozens of car and engine shows, I figured my chance of finding an original Flyer was pretty slim. But since I already had a complete Motor Wheel plus a dozen or so photos and the article in the Antique Car Magazine, I decided to make a reproduction of a Flyer. I also got some valuable information and encouragement from the now defunct Motor Wheel Club of America.