LaRay Engineering and Equipment Company was a short-lived American manufacturer based in Milwaukee. LaRay’s only model, the Power Cycle, was built for only one year supposedly somewhere between ’46 and ’48. A reported 2,500 units left the Wisconsin factory prior to the IRS shutting La Ray down for unpaid back taxes.
The Power Cycle featured an air-cooled, four-stroke Clinton Eagle 701-ASL single-cylinder engine paired with a centrifugal clutch from the Mercury Clutch Company that utilized actual mercury. The 2 hp single sat low in a primitive frame, resulting in a particularly low center of gravity that aided the model’s handling. This was furthered by fore and aft suspension with dual axles and tension-style independent springing upfront. A pair of coil springs soaked up bumps before they were transmitted to the bicycle-style saddle.
This particular restored 1947 example is in excellent condition both cosmetically and mechanically. It features the model’s original Clinton Eagle engine and is said to be in full working order, down to the lighting-coil-powered head and taillights. It’s definitely an interesting bike with some unique features.
You can find this 1947 LaRay Power Cycle for sale here on Craigslist in Elk Grove, California with a price of $6,500.