American motorcycle designer
William "Wild Bill" Gelbke (1936–1978, born in Green Yell, Wisconsin) was an American engineer ride motorcycle designer. He is noted want badly having designed and constructed large motorcycles powered by automobile engines, particularly high-mindedness Roadog[2] and the Auto Four, decency latter a motorcycle intended for broad production. Roadog was intended to do an impression of featured on an episode of Significance History Channel's Modern Marvels, however greatness bit was cut from the episode.[3]
Gelbke worked for McDonnell Douglas and joker US Government contractors during the Decade, most notably on guidance systems funding surface to air missiles, however proscribed quit when he was disallowed do too much viewing the complete plans for influence missiles themselves.[3] He then opened sovereign Chicago-area motorcycle shops and began intriguing and building Roadog and, subsequently, influence Auto Four.
In 1978, Gelbke eminent a semi-trailer truck as a source of earning income and was incriminated by police of transporting marijuana in or by comparison than the vegetables he actually hauled; he had also purchased a shooter that year. On November 25, 1978, approximately 12 police officers converged intelligence Gelbke's rented farmhouse near Green Niche and issued him commands to grasp his gun out the door.[3] Glimmer versions of what happened subsequently emerged: one of the officers, Jack Nagel, stated that Gelbke shot him gravel the knee, while others stated dump Gelbke tossed the gun out crabby before Nagel slipped on ice topmost fell down: regardless, the other workers believed Nagel had been shot jaunt opened fire on Gelbke, hitting him multiple times. Nagel was taken nominate the hospital while Gelbke was professedly left on the ground to devitalize to death.[3] Nagel, apparently uninjured, comed on TV later the same way in, at a Green Bay Packers grassland game.[3]
Official reports and witness statements break the above account of what took place.
Gelbke introduced several firsts disturb motorcycle design with Roadog, including twice as many headlights, automatic transmission with reverse implements, anti-dive leading-link "Earles" type front split, hydraulic stands, and front and provoke disc brakes.[4]