History Motorcycle

1 history

1.1 experimentation , invention

1.1.1 summary of inventions


1.2 first motorcycle companies
1.3 first world war
1.4 postwar
1.5 today

history

experimentation , invention

replica of daimler-maybach reitwagen.

the first internal combustion, petroleum fueled motorcycle daimler reitwagen. designed , built german inventors gottlieb daimler , wilhelm maybach in bad cannstatt, germany in 1885. vehicle unlike either safety bicycles or boneshaker bicycles of era in had 0 degrees of steering axis angle , no fork offset, , did not use principles of bicycle , motorcycle dynamics developed 70 years earlier. instead, relied on 2 outrigger wheels remain upright while turning.

the inventors called invention reitwagen ( riding car ). designed expedient testbed new engine, rather true prototype vehicle.

butler s patent velocycle

the first commercial design self-propelled cycle three-wheel design called butler petrol cycle, conceived of edward butler in england in 1884. exhibited plans vehicle @ stanley cycle show in london in 1884. vehicle built merryweather fire engine company in greenwich, in 1888.

the butler petrol cycle three-wheeled vehicle, rear wheel directly driven /8hp (466w) 600 cc (40 in; 2¼×5-inch {57×127-mm}) flat twin 4 stroke engine (with magneto ignition replaced coil , battery) equipped rotary valves , float-fed carburettor (five years before maybach) , ackermann steering, of state of art @ time. starting compressed air. engine liquid-cooled, radiator on rear driving wheel. speed controlled means of throttle valve lever. no braking system fitted; vehicle stopped raising , lowering rear driving wheel using foot-operated lever; weight of machine borne 2 small castor wheels. driver seated between front wheels. wasn t, however, success, butler failed find sufficient financial backing.

many authorities have excluded steam powered, electric motorcycles or diesel-powered two-wheelers definition of motorcycle , , credit daimler reitwagen world s first motorcycle. given rapid rise in use of electric motorcycles worldwide, defining internal-combustion powered two-wheelers motorcycles increasingly problematic.

if two-wheeled vehicle steam propulsion considered motorcycle, first motorcycles built seem french michaux-perreaux steam velocipede patent application filled in december 1868, constructed around same time american roper steam velocipede, built sylvester h. roper roxbury, massachusetts. demonstrated machine @ fairs , circuses in eastern u.s. in 1867, roper built 10 steam cars , cycles 1860s until death in 1896.

summary of inventions

first motorcycle companies

diagram of 1894 hildebrand & wolfmüller

in 1894, hildebrand & wolfmüller became first series production motorcycle, , first called motorcycle (german: motorrad). excelsior motor company, bicycle manufacturing company based in coventry, england, began production of first motorcycle model in 1896. first production motorcycle in orient-aster, built charles metz in 1898 @ factory in waltham, massachusetts.

in period of motorcycle history, many producers of bicycles adapted designs accommodate new internal combustion engine. engines became more powerful , designs outgrew bicycle origins, number of motorcycle producers increased. many of nineteenth century inventors worked on motorcycles moved on other inventions. daimler , roper, example, both went on develop automobiles.

at turn of century first major mass-production firms set up. in 1898, triumph motorcycles in england began producing motorbikes, , 1903 producing on 500 bikes. other british firms royal enfield, norton , birmingham small arms company began motorbike production in 1899, 1902 , 1910, respectively. indian began production in 1901 , harley-davidson established 2 years later. outbreak of first world war, largest motorcycle manufacturer in world indian, producing on 20,000 bikes per year.

first world war

triumph motorcycles model h, mass-produced war effort , notable reliability

during first world war, motorbike production ramped war effort supply effective communications front line troops. messengers on horses replaced despatch riders on motorcycles carrying messages, performing reconnaissance , acting military police. american company harley-davidson devoting on 50% of factory output toward military contract end of war. british company triumph motorcycles sold more 30,000 of triumph type h model allied forces during war. rear wheel driven belt, model h fitted 499 cc (30.5 cu in) air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder engine. first triumph without pedals.

the model h in particular, regarded many having been first modern motorcycle . introduced in 1915 had 550 cc side-valve four-stroke engine three-speed gearbox , belt transmission. popular users nicknamed trusty triumph.

postwar

by 1920, harley-davidson largest manufacturer, motorcycles being sold dealers in 67 countries. late 1920s or 1930s, dkw in germany took on largest manufacturer.

nsu sportmax streamlined motorcycle, 250 cc class winner of 1955 grand prix season

in 1950s, streamlining began play increasing part in development of racing motorcycles , dustbin fairing held out possibility of radical changes motorcycle design. nsu , moto guzzi in vanguard of development, both producing radical designs ahead of time. nsu produced advanced design, after deaths of 4 nsu riders in 1954–1956 seasons, abandoned further development , quit grand prix motorcycle racing.

moto guzzi produced competitive race machines, , 1957 grand prix races being won streamlined machines. following year, 1958, full enclosure fairings banned racing fim in light of safety concerns.

from 1960s through 1990s, small two-stroke motorcycles popular worldwide, partly result of east german walter kaaden s engine work in 1950s.

today

royal enfield bullet

in 21st century, motorcycle industry dominated chinese motorcycle industry , japanese motorcycle companies. in addition large capacity motorcycles, there large market in smaller capacity (less 300 cc) motorcycles, concentrated in asian , african countries , produced in china , india. japanese example 1958 honda super cub, went on become biggest selling vehicle of time, 60 millionth unit produced in april 2008.

today, area dominated indian companies hero motocorp emerging world s largest manufacturer of 2 wheelers. splendor model has sold more 8.5 million date. other major producers bajaj , tvs motors.