A motorcycle is a two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by handlebars from a saddle-style seat, built variously for commuting, long-distance touring, sport riding and off-road use. The 1885 Daimler Reitwagen, built by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Germany, is generally credited as the first internal-combustion, petroleum-fueled motorcycle, though the first mass-produced motorcycle came later, from Hildebrand and Wolfmüller in 1894. Motorcycles are a major means of transportation worldwide rather than chiefly a recreational vehicle: in 2021 around 58.6 million new motorcycles were sold globally, a figure comparable to that year's car sales of 66.7 million, and they are especially prevalent across Asia and Africa, where small-capacity machines under 300cc dominate the market and Indian manufacturers, led by Hero MotoCorp, are now the world's largest producers of two-wheelers.
Facts
SignificanceThe Daimler Reitwagen of 1885 is credited as the first internal combustion motorcycle, and Hildebrand and Wolfmüller's 1894 machine became the first series production motorcycle, establishing powered two wheeled transport as a manufactured product rather than a one off experiment. 1 Manufacturer or BuilderGottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach 1 FAQs
What was the Daimler Reitwagen actually built to do?
It was an expedient testbed for Daimler and Maybach's new engine rather than a true prototype vehicle.
The Reitwagen, German for riding car, was built in 1885 by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach as a testbed for their new engine, not as a true prototype of a vehicle meant for production. It is still credited as the first internal combustion, petroleum-fueled motorcycle. The first motorcycle made in series, and the first to be called a motorcycle (Motorrad in German), was the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller of 1894.
Connections
Sources
1. Wikipedia: Motorcycle
WikipediaWikipedia Motorcycle article, lead section, second paragraph, opening sentence on the Daimler Reitwagen
The 1885 Daimler Reitwagen made by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Germany was the first internal combustion petroleum-fueled motorcycle.
Wikipedia Motorcycle article, lead section, second paragraph, opening sentence naming the builders
The 1885 Daimler Reitwagen made by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Germany was the first internal combustion petroleum-fueled motorcycle.
Wikipedia Motorcycle article, lead section, second paragraph, sentence on Hildebrand and Wolfmuller
In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first series production motorcycle.
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