ALT-2 The Evolution of the Motorcycle
For over a century, the motorcycle has been evolving and developing into the vehicle of both transportation and recreation that it is today. People all over the world own and operate motorcycles. In some regions, the motorcycle is the most common mode of transportation, while in others, motorcycle owners are less common, with their motorcycles indicating a level of status and/or identity. Today’s motorcycle is quite different than the original motorcycle, but with all of the advancements that have been made, a distinct likeness has remained.
The first motorcycle that was ever invented was actually a steam engine, rather than one that was powered by gasoline. This motorcycle was invented by Sylvester Howard Roper in 1867. The American inventor created a 2 cylinder motorbike which was fueled by coal. Because of the power source, there is some dispute among motorcycle historians as to whether this was actually the first motorcycle or whether it was simply a steam engine on 2 wheels.
Eighteen years after the coal powered motorcycle was invented, a German inventor by the name of Gottlieb Daimler and his partner Wilhelm Maybach brought the first gasoline driven motorcycle to the market. The frame of this vehicle was comprised of wood and had an engine attached. Mr. Daimler and Mr. Maybach combined these two parts, but were not the inventors of the engine that was used on the commercial market motorcycles. This original motorcycle was run on Mr. Daimler’s grandfather clock engine, for the simple reason of proving that the engine could indeed power the vehicle.
The first commercial motorcycle engine was invented by Nicolaus Otto, a man who had employed Mr. Daimler. The “Otto Cycle Engine”, as it was named, was a 4 stroke internal combustion engine. This was the engine that Gottlieb Daimler used to power his wooden bicycle production which was commercially introduced and which transformed that common mode of transportation into what we know today as the motorcycle. In 1894, the first motorcycles became available for public purchase. The original motorcycle available to buy on the public market was the Hildebrand and Wolfmuller, of which there were only a couple of hundred.
The European market for motorbikes had begun, but it took a couple of years before most Americans were introduced to the 2-wheeled vehicles. The motorcycle was brought to the United States by a circus performer from France and began the evolution of popularity that the motorbike has been on ever since. This motorcycle was able to go about 40 miles per hour and weighed around 200 pounds. From there, an American inventor, E.J. Pennington designed a faster motorcycle. This bike could go up to 58 miles per hour. It is Mr. Pennington who actually came up with the term “motorcycle” as the description for his vehicle and the name has stuck throughout time.
In 1901, Royal Enfield brought its motorcycle to the market. This motorcycle had a front-mounted 239 cc engine and a belt-driven rear wheel. The following year, Triumph (an English bicycle company) entered into the motorcycle field and sold over 500 of their first motorcycles. In 1903, just one year later, the American icon Harley-Davidson began production of their motorcycles.
For the first several decades of motorcycle production in America, only 2 companies were building and selling commercial motorcycles. These companies were Indian and Harley-Davidson. Their rivalry went on for 2 decades, until the Indian motorcycle company closed and was taken over by Royal Ensfield.
The true popularity of the motorcycle as an adventurous lifestyle began after the Second World War, when returning American soldiers began to purchase and use the motorcycles for the sense of excitement and camaraderie that they were lacking when they got back home from the war. Biker clubs had their beginnings and members of the organized clubs began to develop the reputation for being risky, law-defying, and hardcore. The 1950s brought motorcycle owners, clubs, and companies into their own and even Hollywood jumped onto the bandwagon with the original biker movie, “The Wild One” in 1954.
Today, there are many companies who manufacture motorcycles and the industry is primarily dominated by Japanese companies. Honda, Suzuki, Yamaha, and Kawasaki have seen great profits from their motorcycles. However, the Harley-Davidson is the “cream of the American crop”, so to speak, holding a stigmatic sense of heritage that sets its owners apart from the crowd. While the motorcycle is a form of transportation today, it is also a vehicle that is seen as a form of entertainment, a choice of lifestyle, and a quest for freedom.
