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Who invented the motorcycle?
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The motorcycle we currently ride today was developed in 1885 by the German engineer Gottlieb Daimler. Daimler was born on March 17, 1834 in a village near Stuttgart, Germany. He became a gunsmith's apprentice in 1848 and continued until 1862. During this time he gained factory experience
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In 1872, his interests turned to the internal combustion engine, when he joined Gasmotorenfabrik Deutz as technical director. Here he met up with Nikolaus Otto, pioneer of the four- cycle engine. It was during this time he became convinced steam engines were an outmoded form of power for the future. Wilhelm Maybach, a man who also understood the drawbacks of steam, soon joined the quest to produce and perfect the gasoline engine.
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By 1876 the commercial development of the Otto four - cycle engine was complete. Daimler insisted on precision and wanted to spend more time on research and development while Otto was content with two engines a day leaving the plant doors. Daimler decided it was time to move on.
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In 1881 Daimler and Maybach set up a factory for developing light weight, high speed internal combustion engines. At first, the development of a reliable self-firing ignition system seemed impossible, but after many trials an air-cooled single-cylinder engine operating at 900 revolutions per minute was developed. This new design was 770 revolutions per minute faster than Otto’s engine. Daimler and Maybach patented this design in 1885. |
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That same year, Daimler and Maybach created what is known as the world's first motorcycle by mating this newly designed engine to a bicycle.
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Click here to see the original patent of Daimler and Maybach's engine! |
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Click here to see the original patent of the first motorcycle! |
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