The modern day alternative to the horse and carriage was of course the first automobile, creating a self-propelled way of getting around town in a much more efficient and compact way. It can similarly be argued that the “safety bicycle” originating in the late part of the nineteenth century, was the first crude version of today’s motorcycle.
The safety bicycle was a simpler and safer version of the penny farthing, which consisted of one very large front wheel and one very small back wheel, named after the coins penny and farthing for their size. The large front wheel had to be carefully mounted by the rider and was not easy to mount or dismount, and was only ridden by certain people. The safety bicycle, however, had many benefits and was the branching point from which bicycles and motorcycles began. Not only was it easier to mount and di
smount, but the front and back wheels were of equal size, making for a steadier ride, easy propelled movement, and accessibility overall.
From here we see a quick progression into motorcycles and ease of movement, as it was not long after this that internal combustion engines were added to these bicycles. Pierre Michaux was one of the first to create a steam-powered engine in the 1860s, dubbed the velocipede which went on to influence many others to create single and twin cylinder velocipedes using steam and coal energies. His son Eric took up his father’s career path as did others, some even dying in the creation along the way. A small boiler engine was even added to the penny farthing bicycles in 1881 that allowed speeds of up to 12 mph to be reached.
All of these incredible designs and innovations paved the way for Gottlieb Daimler to produce his famous invention. Gottlieb Daimler is univer
ally credited for the invention of the first recognised motorcycle in 1885. Then called the “motorised bicycle”, it soon melded into the word motorcycle for obvious reasons. He produced the very first motorcycle with a diesel engine back in 1885. It was called the Daimler Reitwagen and was a simple wooden bicycle equipped with a 264cc diesel-powered engine.
Vastly different from many of the previous bicycle designs, this German designer used two outrigger wheels for its upright posture and turning axis, a lower level of gravity, and revolutionary turning technologies that made it more similar to a car than the previous bicycle designs. In fact, it was often called the “riding car” as it created a much simpler way of travelling. It was innovative in its design and blew open a whole new world of possibilities for what is now recognised as the motorcycle.
