The Wagner Motorcycle Company (1901–1914) was established in Saint Paul, Minnesota, by George Wagner as an offshoot of the former Wagner Bicycle Company.The Motor way, Volume 14. L.L. Bligh, 1906 It produced approximately 8,500 Wagner motorcycles and was one of the first manufacturers to position the engine low down, using a "loop frame"American bicyclist and motorcyclist, Volume 6. Cycling Press, 1911 at a time when most companies were producing high-engined Indian clones.Standard Catalog of American Motorcycles, 1898-1981. Jerry Hatfield. Krause Publications, 8 Feb 2006
The push rod engines ranged in size from 15 cubic inches in 1904 to 29 cubic inches by 1911, had a suction intake valve and were driven by a V-belt.Cycle and Automobile Trade Journal, April 1, 1905. The vehicles had many unique features not found in other motorcycles of its time, for example, using the loop frame as part of the exhaust system.Telephone magazine: an illustrated monthly magazine, Volume 25. Fred B. De Land, John C. McMynn, Frederic Auten Combs Perrine, Carl E. Kammeyer. 1905 - Technology & Engineering Vols. 1-2 include a "Syntopical index to current electrical literature".The Vincent in the Barn: Great Stories of Motorcycle Archaeology. Tom Cotter, David Edwards. MotorBooks International, 14 Sep 2009 Prices ranged from $175 to $210.Popular Mechanics May 1909 The highly curved frames had brazed bronze fittings and early models had front baskets fitted.So Away I Went! William Bushnell Stout. Ayer Publishing, 1980
Women's model In 1909, it produced a women's "drop frame" model which brought the company to national renown in the hands of Wagner's daughter Clara, one of the world's first documented woman motorcyclists.Making Her Mark: Firsts and Milestones in Women's Sports. Ernestine G. Miller. McGraw-Hill Professional, 29 May 2002
End of production By 1914, sales had decreased dramatically, so Wagner sold the company to the Motorcycle Accessories Company.
Bibliography Winkowski, Fred. 100 Motorcycles 100 Years: The First Century of the Motorcycle. Richard E. Mancini Book Sales, 2003.
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