Glenn H. Curtiss built the foundation for his airplane engine fame on the knowledge and prestige he gained from building and racing motorcycles. By 1902 he and three other employees were manufacturing motorcycles under the brand name "Hercules". He made a name for himself by winning first place at a Labor Day race in New York on a machine of his own design, building credibility for his brand name. In 1907 Curtiss won this first prize trophy and set a land speed record in Providence Rhode Island where he went 63.8 miles per hour over a one mile course.
This object is not on display at the National Air and Space Museum. It is either on loan or in storage.