Birth of the First Motorcycle, Maybe Ep281s

Birth of the First Motorcycle- Episode 281

In 1885, the Reitwagen, or "riding car," emerged as the first motorcycle, a creation of Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. Despite earlier steam-powered two-wheelers like the Michoud-Péry and Roper of 1867-1869 and the 1884 Copeland, Daimler's invention earned him the title of "father of the motorcycle."

The Reitwagen's claim to being the first motorcycle hinges on its internal combustion engine. The Oxford English Dictionary uses this criteria, but some argue that its four wheels instead of two raise doubts. These outriggers, acting as auxiliary stabilizers, point to a deeper issue: Daimler's invention needed training wheels due to lacking well-understood principles of rake and trail.

The Reitwagen's engine was a compact high-speed single-cylinder model patented in 1885 as the "grandfather clock engine." It featured a float-metered carburetor, mushroom intake valves, hot tube ignition, twin flywheels, and an aluminum crankcase. With its 264 cubic centimeter engine mounted on rubber blocks and spring-loaded outrigger wheels for stability, it reached speeds of about seven miles per hour.

Daimler's son Paul took the first ride on November 10, 1885. Though its seat caught fire due to the engine's hot tube ignition beneath it, by 1886, despite improvements, the Reitwagen had served its purpose, and Daimler halted the project in 1886 to chase four-wheel dreams. A fire devoured the original creation in 1903, but replicas echo its memory today.

Some speculated that Daimler never intended to craft a motorcycle, but the engine's small size demanded it. He never pursued two-wheelers after the Riewagen, and mass-produced motorcycles only appeared in 1894.

The Riewagen remains the cornerstone of all automobiles – air, sea, land – igniting the internal combustion engine motorcycle revolution. As electric powertrains loom on the horizon, gas-powered motorcycles will become even more cherished. So ride with fervor on your fire-breathing steed and savor these final decades before exhaust notes surrender to whirring whispers.