The Millet motorcycle, designed in 1892 by Félix Théodore Millet, may have been the first

motorcycle A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or trike (if three-wheeled)) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising ...

(or

motorized bicycle A motorized bicycle is a bicycle with an attached motor or engine and transmission used either to power the vehicle unassisted, or to assist with pedalling. Since it sometimes retains both pedals and a discrete connected drive for rider-power ...

) to use

pneumatic tires A tire (American English) or tyre (British English) is a ring-shaped component that surrounds a wheel's rim to transfer a vehicle's load from the axle through the wheel to the ground and to provide traction on the surface over which t ...

. It had an unusual radial-configuration rotary engine incorporated into the rear wheel, believed to be the first one ever used to power a person-carrying vehicle of any type.

Production history

A prototype with rear-wheel rotary engine ran in 1892. Production rights were acquired by

Alexandre Darracq Alexandre Darracq (10 November 1855 – 1931) was a French investor, engineer, cycle manufacturer and automobile manufacturer. By 1904, Darracq was producing more than ten percent of all automobiles in France and he sold a substantial part of h ...

in 1894. Production halted following an unsuccessful entry in the Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race of 1895.

Technology

The five cylinders were mounted radially in the rear wheel, with the connecting rods directly attached to the fixed crank of the hollow-drilled rear axle. The rear fender served as a fuel tank; a surface carburetor and air filter were located between the wheels. Dinglers Polytechnisches Journal. Bd. 299 (1896), p. 178, Reprint: Ignition was electric via combination Bunsen cell and

induction coil An induction coil or "spark coil" (archaically known as an inductorium or Ruhmkorff coil after Heinrich Rühmkorff) is a type of electrical transformer used to produce high-voltage pulses from a low-voltage direct current (DC) supply. p.98 To ...

. Millet used a rotating handlebar

twistgrip A twistgrip is a handle that can be twisted to operate a control. It is commonly found as a motorcycle's right handlebar grip to control the throttle, but is sometimes found elsewhere, such as on a bicycle as a gearshift, and in helicopters. His ...

for its operation. It was started with pedals so the motorcycle could be moved even after engine failure. Maximum power was rated at , continuous power at at 180 RPM. With the rated continuous power, the bike should have reached a speed of 35 km/h.

References

{{motorcycle-stub Vehicles introduced in 1892 Motorcycles introduced in the 1890s Motorized bicycles Motorcycles powered by rotary engines Motorcycles of France

Production history

Technology

See also

References