Who Invented Motorcycles?

A deep dive into the early days of motorcycling and how we ended up where we are

Motorcycles have come a long way from their inception. What started out as basically a bicycle with an engine has now turned into full-blown motorcycles with electronic wizardry, cameras, and even radars.

But how did it all actually start and, more importantly, who made the first motorcycle? Well, that’s exactly what we’re discussing here as we try to dive into the depths of the history of motorcycles.

Who Made The First Motorcycle?

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According to many people and trusted sources, the first petrol-powered motorcycle was built by two folks, Daimler and Maybach in 1885

If you Google “who made the first motorcycle?”, there’s a 95 percent chance you’ll see the names Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, who created the Reitwagen, the first-ever petrol-powered motorcycle, in 1885. The caveat here, though, is “petrol-powered”.

But not many know that the first motorcycle was actually invented by a guy named Roper, who plonked a steam engine on a bicycle, thus creating a “motor”cycle

Why do you ask? Well, let us tell you that the first motorcycle (which means a motorized cycle) was actually invented way earlier in 1869 by a bloke called Sylvester Howard Roper who had the idea of plonking a steam-powered engine into a cycle chassis, thus creating the first ‘motor’cycle.

This is where things become even more interesting. You see, the motorcycle made by Roper was basically a cycle with a steam engine so it had only two wheels and could lean to the sides to an extent, which is a key trait of all motorcycles as we know it.

Wondering who made the first-ever motorcycle? Allow us to help!

However, the motorcycle presented by Daimler and Maybach had flour wheels, two big ones and two supporting wheels on the side which restricted its lean angle, essentially making it sort of a four-wheeler.

Plus, Roper filed no patents for his design and didn’t really beat the drum about it, which basically means the news never broke and there were no official records.

Meanwhile, Daimler and Maybach immediately used their design to create cars, trucks, and even boats. Yes, even though Daimler and Maybach created the world’s first petrol motorcycle, they didn’t actually commercialize it and only used the bike as a base for their other petrol-powered projects.

Why Was The First Motorcycle Created?

In doing so, the Germans beat many big names like Royal Enfield and Indian Motorcycles

The answer here is simple: evolution. Roper probably created the motorcycle to make riding easier and effortless for himself, so he got the idea of plonking an engine on a bicycle.

However, Daimler and Maybach’s intent was a bit different as these two weren’t actually planning on building motorcycles. Instead, they wanted to test their first ICE engine and wanted to know whether ICE engines were a suitable option to be used in vehicles. That’s why Daimler and Maybach, instead of building bikes, used the engine to create motorized cars and boats.

So it wouldn’t be too wrong to say that cars actually came to life, thanks to motorcycles.

The Progression Of Motorcycles

Even after Daimler’s creation, the first commercially marketed motorcycle only came 10 years later in 1895

Even though the plan of the first petrol motorcycle was birthed in 1885, it took several years for it to be marketed and commercialized successfully.

To be exact, the first commercialized motorcycle was created in 1894 by two Germans, Hildebrand and Wolfmuller, who beat some big names like Royal Enfield and Indian Motorcycles in doing so.

Once commercialized, there was no stopping the industry and constant evolution kept the ball rolling. Various kinds of engines were made, fairings were added, different types of materials were used, and the list keeps on going, ultimately bringing us to today when motorcycles are entering an all-new era of electrification.