Canadian Harley-Davidson Pioneer Hamilton Mack Laing

Barking Betsy

Canadian wildlife naturalist Hamilton Mack Laing was an early adopter of motorcycle touring. In 1915, Laing joined a handful of others who had crossed the U.S. by motorcycle. His adventure remained largely unknown until the publication of his journal in 2019. Here is look at some of Laing's exploits, and his cherished 1915 Harley-Davidson 11F, he dubbed 'Barking Betsy.'

Photos courtesy of Ronsdale Press.

Chronicled Account

Laing's cross-country odyssey took him from New York City to San Francisco, in what he described as “a six-weeks perambulation on two wheels.” He chronicled the trip in an account entitled the Transcontinentalist, which he later submitted to the Harley-Davidson's Enthusiast magazine. Rejected for being too long for the monthly publication, Laing's story languished for over a hundred years. 

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Motor Pitch

Ever sales-minded, Harley-Davidson did acknowledge Laing's desire for a more powerful engine in his unpublished account. The rejection letter, now housed in the British Columbia Provincial Archive, Canada, included a comment about a motor in development that “would make old Betsy look like a mere weakling.” The pitch worked, and in 1917 Laing bought a new Model J, with the potent 'New Master 17 Motor.'

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Right Sort

Laing called himself a 'motorcycle-naturalist,' seeking “the joy of the road.” In a bid to avoid cities and only travel through small towns and on secondary roads, Laing got lost outside Cleveland, Ohio. There, he encountered two other Harley-Davidson riders who pointed him westward. The exchange was memorable for Laing, and he later wrote thinking of the motorcyclists, “Fraternalism of the right sort truly.”

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Unending Road

Laing's journey took him through twelve states. While crossing Nebraska, he met up with his brother Jim 'Frat' Laing, who had ridden south from his home in Manitoba, Canada on Mack's 1914 Harley-Davidson Model 10-F Twin. As they neared Nevada, they encountered Smith Johnson, another intrepid rider who joined them — heeding what Laing penned as the “lure of the unending road is a call that will not be denied.”  

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Combs and Ruts

America's rural roads tested both rider and machine. Laing recounted that he met his nemesis on the Nebraska roads. The mud-lined tracks were either a “soupy liquid,” or 'combs' and ruts. “We rode the combs till we fell into the ruts, and when we got wedged there we heaved out and started again.” In the wet clay, “the engine raced helplessly...and each wheel insisted on picking its own route.” 

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Genuine Kindness

Travel conditions were harsh for Laing and his compatriots. Along with endless tire punctures and mechanical difficulties, Laing suffered from alkali poisoning from drinking bad well water. Although trying, their journey was helped by those they met. Appreciatively, Laing reflected, “Blessed indeed is the man who shows genuine kindness to a stranger, to one he has never seen nor will ever seen again.” 

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Commemorate Park

On August 8th, 1915, Laing rumbled into San Francisco after riding 3,842 miles. In 1917, he returned to Canada to serve as a munitions instructor in the Royal Flying Corps, and the Militia Rangers during the Second World War. He lived in British Columbia until he died in 1982, aged 99. His work in wildlife preservation is commemorated by the Mack Laing Nature Park in Comox, British Columbia, Canada. 

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Best Piece

In 2019, avid motorcyclist and writer Trevor Marc Hughes picked up where the Enthusiast left off — so many decades ago. He published Riding the Continent, an edited version of Laing's journal. In what Laing called “a mighty film, a four-thousand-mile reel of wonderland,” Hughes ranks as “perhaps the best piece of motorcycle-writing known to him.” 

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