The first motorcycle , 1885

In 1885, seeking an expedient way to test their new internal-combustion automobile engine, Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach placed it on a bicycle-inspired frame instead of on a larger carriage. Despite its faulty design (during the first test run, the leather seat caught fire from the heated engine below it), Gottlieb and Wilheim realized it had potential to be a new product in its own right – they patented their "Riding Car," the world's first motorcycle, that same year.

Exhibited by:

BCG Henderson Institute

More from BCG Henderson Institute

Electric Motor , 1821
BCG Henderson Institute
Fuel Cell , 1842
BCG Henderson Institute
Battery-Powered Bicycle , 1895
BCG Henderson Institute
NEXT
BCG Henderson Institute
CO2 as Greenhouse Gas , 1856
BCG Henderson Institute