The Birth of the Motorcycle: The 1885 Daimler Reitwagen
The World’s First Motorcycle
On August 29, 1885, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach patented what is considered the world’s first true motorcycle: the Daimler Reitwagen (literally “riding wagon” in German).
Technical Specifications
| Feature | Specification |
|---|---|
| Engine | Single-cylinder 4-stroke |
| Displacement | 264cc |
| Power | 0.5 HP @ 600 RPM |
| Top Speed | 12 km/h (7.5 mph) |
| Fuel | Gasoline (ligroin) |
| Ignition | Hot tube |
| Weight | 90 kg |
The Revolutionary Design
The Reitwagen was built almost entirely of wood, with an oak frame and iron-wrapped wooden wheels. It had two small stabilizer wheels on the sides, similar to training wheels on a children’s bicycle.
Innovative Features:
- First high-speed gasoline engine in the world
- Evaporative carburetor system
- Belt transmission to the rear axle
- Padded leather saddle
Predecessors: Steam-Powered Machines
Before the Reitwagen, there were steam-powered “motorcycle” prototypes:
Sylvester Roper (1867-1869)
American inventor Sylvester Roper built a steam velocipede between 1867 and 1869. Although technically earlier, it didn’t use an internal combustion engine, so most historians don’t consider it a “true” motorcycle.
Michaux-Perreaux (1868)
Pierre Michaux and Louis-Guillaume Perreaux created another steam bicycle in France, competing with Roper for the title of the first motorized two-wheeler.
The Legacy
The Daimler Reitwagen was more of a technology demonstration than a practical vehicle. Daimler and Maybach were more interested in developing engines for automobiles, and the motorcycle was simply a test bed for their revolutionary compact engine.
The only original prototype was destroyed in a fire in 1903, but replicas exist in the Mercedes-Benz Museum in Stuttgart, Germany.
Hildebrand & Wolfmüller: The First Production Motorcycle (1894)
Nine years after the Reitwagen, Heinrich Hildebrand and Alois Wolfmüller created the world’s first mass-produced motorcycle. This German machine:
- Used a twin-cylinder 1,489cc engine
- Produced 2.5 HP
- Reached 45 km/h
- Approximately 800 units were manufactured between 1894-1897
This was also the first machine to be officially called “Motorrad” (motorcycle in German).
Did you know? The word “motorcycle” first appeared in 1894 when Hildebrand & Wolfmüller registered their patent in the United Kingdom.