When a plumber arrived at a Chicago suburban home in 1967 to fix a water leak, he had no idea he was about to make one of the most bizarre discoveries in motorcycle history. To access the leaking pipes, he had to break through part of a basement wall. Behind the bricks sat a motorcycle that had been sealed away for decades - a machine so rare and advanced that experts would later declare it the rarest motorcycle in the world.

The 1916 Traub is the only example of its kind ever found. No advertisements, no production records, no other survivors. Just this single motorcycle, hidden away like a mechanical secret, waiting to be rediscovered.

Engineering Decades Ahead of Its Time

When motorcycle experts examined the Traub, they were stunned. This wasn't just some forgotten relic - it was brilliantly engineered with technologies that wouldn't become standard for years.

The heart of the machine is a beautifully crafted 78-cubic-inch V-twin engine with a displacement of 1,278cc, which was massive for 1916. But size wasn't its only trick. The Traub featured a twin-brake/single-cam system that was unique among American motorcycles of the era. The level of craftsmanship and innovative thinking suggested this was built by someone who understood not just how motorcycles worked, but how they could work better.

Various experts who've studied the bike agree: whoever built this was operating on a different level.

The Mystery Builder

Evidence points to Gottlieb Richard Traub as the likely creator, though the mystery has never been completely solved. Why would someone build such an advanced motorcycle, produce only one, and then hide it behind a wall? The questions multiply faster than the answers.

Some theories suggest it was a personal project that never went into production. Others wonder if it was hidden during wartime, or if there was some family drama that led to its burial in brick and mortar. The truth remains locked in the past, as mysterious as the day the plumber's sledgehammer first broke through.

Still Roaring After 109 Years

Today, the 1916 Traub resides at Wheels Through Time Museum in Maggie Valley, North Carolina. But here's what makes this museum different: their motto is "The Museum That Runs." These aren't static displays gathering dust.

Museum curator Dale Walksler doesn't just keep the Traub behind glass - he rides it regularly. Visitors lucky enough to catch the right moment can hear the 109-year-old engine fire up and watch it cruise around the museum grounds. In 2023, Walksler and his crew were working on repairing the kickstart assembly, demonstrating their commitment to keeping this unique piece of history operational.

The fact that this motorcycle still runs is remarkable on its own. But that it runs well, with its original advanced engineering still performing as intended, is a testament to whoever built it all those years ago.

A Living Legend

The Traub represents something rare in the world of vintage motorcycles: a complete mystery that's also completely functional. Most barn finds need extensive restoration. Most "revolutionary" designs from the early 1900s are revolutionary in name only when examined by modern standards.

The Traub is different. It was ahead of its time when it was built, it remained ahead of its time while sealed behind that Chicago wall, and even today, it commands respect from motorcycle historians and engineers alike.

Thousands of visitors see it every year at Wheels Through Time, but only a privileged few hear it run. And when that V-twin engine rumbles to life, it's not just a motorcycle starting up - it's a century-old mystery making itself heard, one revolution at a time.

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