]

''Motocycle'' was a word used in the United States in the later 19th century for a

horseless carriage Horseless carriage is an early name for the motor car or automobile. Prior to the invention of the motor car, carriages were usually pulled by animals, typically horses. The term can be compared to other transitional terms, such as wireless pho ...

, the type of vehicle now known as a car or automobile. The word caught on initially as it was short and easier to understand than other possibilities, such as "automobile carriage", "motor carriage", "motor vehicle", or "auto carriage". It is now archaic and rarely used. The term "motor vehicle" is currently used in legal,

transportation planning Transportation planning is the process of defining future policies, goals, investments, and spatial planning designs to prepare for future needs to move people and goods to destinations. As practiced today, it is a collaborative process that ...

and academic terminology.

First uses

One of the first publications of the word "motocycle" in the United States was when ''The Chicago Times-Herald'' reported on November 29, 1895, of America's first automobile race the day before It turns out that Herman H. Kohlsaat, owner of the ''Times-Herald'', and Frederick Upham Adams, a local writer with a mechanical engineering interest, ran a public contest for someone to come up with a unique name to replace "horseless carriage" that represented the new motorized transport. The $500 prize for the new name went to the general manager of the New York Telephone Company for the name "motocycle" in 1895. He suggested the name "motocycle" as being as close to a correct definition as sounding good to defining exactly what it was. He is credited as the first to coin this name that would replace "horseless carriage." It was used then for reports on ''The Times-Herald's'' first automobile race.King, p. 18 The name received little public enthusiasm and by the end of the nineteenth century went into discontinuance.

Later uses

Starting in the twentieth century the name "automobile" became popular instead of motocycle in the United States and in Great Britain the motocycle became "motorcar" or "autocar". Charles Brady King intended to enter a "horseless carriage" in the 1895 ''Times-Herald'' race, but wrote to Adams that although he intended to enter a motocycle with four wheels and a 4-horsepower 100-pound engine, it wasn't quite ready and he would have to withdraw.May, George S., ''Encyclopedia...,'' pp. 286-293 His motocycle could carry four persons, but for the race there would have been only two in the vehicle to reduce the weight and gain speed. His lightweight motocycle came in at 675 pounds, could seat four people plus cargo, and would probably sell for about $600 in a large quantity production. His motocycle dream, however, did not flourish and was realized by Ford and Olds instead. In 1898 "Modern machinery" magazine pointed out the merits of gasoline-, electric- and steam-propelled 4-wheeled motocycles (automobiles).

Legal

The term "motor vehicle" is defined in legal terms as most self-powered vehicles (i.e.

automobile A car or automobile is a motor vehicle with wheels. Most definitions of ''cars'' say that they run primarily on roads, seat one to eight people, have four wheels, and mainly transport people instead of goods. The year 1886 is regarde ...

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 ...

truck A truck or lorry is a motor vehicle designed to transport cargo, carry specialized payloads, or perform other utilitarian work. Trucks vary greatly in size, power, and configuration, but the vast majority feature body-on-frame constructi ...

s, recreational vehicles) on public

highway A highway is any public or private road or other public way on land. It is used for major roads, but also includes other public roads and public tracks. In some areas of the United States, it is used as an equivalent term to controlled-acces ...

s, no matter how many wheels it has or how many passengers it can carry or how much freight it can transport. In the United States these "motor vehicles" are registered with the local state Department of Motor Vehicles or Secretary of State.

References

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Primary sources

* King, Charles B., ''A Golden Anniversary 1895-1945 / Personal Side Lights of America's First Automobile Race'', Privately Printed by King 1945, Press Work by Super-Power Printing Company, New York City Archaic words and phrases

First uses

Later uses

Legal

See also

References

Primary sources