This timeline of motorized bicycle history is a summary of the major events in the development and use of
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 ...
s and
tricycle
A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) three-wheeled vehicle.
Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for passenger transport) and freight trikes, ...
s, which are defined as pedal cycles with motor assistance but which can be powered by pedals alone.
19th century
*1867-1869 – The first steam driven two wheeled vehicle is the
Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede
The Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede was a steam powered velocipede made in France sometime from 1867 to 1871, when a small Louis-Guillaume Perreaux commercial steam engine was attached to a Pierre Michaux manufactured iron framed pedal bicycle. ...
created in France.
*1869 –
Sylvester H. Roper
Sylvester Howard Roper (November 24, 1823 – June 1, 1896) was an American inventor and a pioneering builder of early automobiles and motorcycles from Boston, Massachusetts. In 1863 he built a steam carriage, one of the earliest automobiles. The ...
of Massachusetts, USA creates a
steam velocipede which he shows at fairs and circuses.
*1885 –
Gottlieb Daimler
Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler (; 17 March 1834 – 6 March 1900) was a German engineer, industrial designer and industrialist born in Schorndorf (Kingdom of Württemberg, a federal state of the German Confederation), in what is now Germany. He was a ...
and
Wilhelm Maybach
Wilhelm Maybach (; 9 February 1846 – 29 December 1929) was an early German engine designer and industrialist. During the 1890s he was hailed in France, then the world centre for car production, as the "King of Designers".
From the late 19th ce ...
of Cannstatt, Germany put their newly developed "grandfather clock" engine in a two-wheeled frame to demonstrate their automobile engine. The
Daimler ''Reitwagen'' is the first
internal combustion
An internal combustion engine (ICE or IC engine) is a heat engine in which the combustion of a fuel occurs with an oxidizer (usually air) in a combustion chamber that is an integral part of the working fluid flow circuit. In an internal combus ...
motorcycle.
[Deutsches Zweirad Museum- Neckarsulm](_blank)
First Motorcycle.[Celebrates 125 Years of the Automobile](_blank)
By Pia Reutter.
*1896 – Roy C. Marks of San Francisco produces the first motorcycle made in the USA. It becomes the
California Motorcycle.
[California and Yale History](_blank)
Roy C. Marks Motorcycle.
* 1897 – Most likely the first
electric bicycle
An electric bicycle (e-bike, eBike, etc.) is a motorized bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fall into two broad categories: bikes that assis ...
was built in 1897 by Hosea W. Libbey.
*1897 – The
Werner Brothers of France developed a motorized bicycle with a De Dion-Bouton engine mounted above the front wheel.
*1898 – Laurin and Klement produce the Slavia model A moto cycle. It is a purpose built motorcycle.
[Laurin & Klement](_blank)
, Laurin and Klement the first Motorcycle layout.
*1900 – Due to poor handling Werner move the engine to the bottom of the frame and patent the design. The 1900 Werner is the first motorcycle layout.
*1900 – The Singer Motor Wheel was a wheel attached to a small internal combustion engine that would be substituted for the front wheel of a bicycle, motorizing it
20th century
*1903 – A
California
California is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States, located along the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. With nearly 39.2million residents across a total area of approximately , it is the List of states and territori ...
motorized bicycle ridden by George Wyman became the first motor vehicle to cross the North American continent.
*1903 – 1962 The "Shaw Manufacturing Co." () of
Galesburg, Kansas
Galesburg is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, United States. As of the 2020 census, the population of the city was 149.
History
Christopher and Elvina Boje gave land to build the town of Galesburg in 1871.
Their daughter, Etta met and married ...
advertises a 241cc chain-drive engine kit (1903 – 1915) for motorizing a bicycle in "Popular Mechanics" magazine for $90.
*1914 – The Smith Motor Wheel was introduced, similar in concept to the Singer, but was designed to be fixed to the rear of the bicycle, rather than to replace the front wheel. The design was later picked up by
Briggs & Stratton
Briggs & Stratton Corporation is an American manufacturer of gasoline engines with headquarters in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin.
Engine production averages 10 million units per year as of April 2015. The company reports that it has 13 large facilit ...
.
*1918 – Evans Power Cycle
*1919 –
Johnson Motor Wheel
*1938- Fichtel & Sachs-Werke Germany introduced the (Brennabor) Saxonette, a hub driven bycicle . 60 ccm, 1.2 HP max. speed 30km/h. The engine was licensed to: Anker, Bismarck, Elfa, Excelsior, Gold-Rad, Hecker, Meister, Panther, Presto, Urania, Victoria and Wanderer. The inventor was Mr. Goldeband who gave the patents to F & S.
*1939 – The bolt-on
Whizzer bike motor is introduced; production continues until 1962. In Australia, the ''
Autocycle Malvern Star'' was introduced, following the pattern of the British ''Autocycle''
*1946 – In Italy, Vincenti Piatti had designed a 50cc engine unit for driving portable lathes and also foresaw the possibilities of this engine power-assisting a bicycle – the ''Mini Motore''.
*1946 – The initial iteration of the
VéloSoleX
VéloSoleX is a moped, or motorised bicycle, usually just referred to as 'Solex', which was originally produced by the French manufacturer Solex, based in Courbevoie near Paris, France. The company manufactured centrifugal radiators, carbureto ...
motorized bicycle is introduced to the French Public.
*1948 – The Trojan Minimotor begins production in Britain and becomes immediately popular.
*1949 – The ''Mobylette'' is introduced in France. Its concept was ''"a bicycle with a nice permanent back wind"''. This pattern gave its name to the French slang term for moped. 30 million copies were produced until 2002, evolving much through different models during half a century.
*1950 – The British-made Cyclaid 31cc bolt on bicycle motor is introduced. This same year also sees the introduction of the popular Cyclemaster motor wheel, also made in Britain from a design by the German
DKW
DKW (''Dampf-Kraft-Wagen'', en, "steam-powered car", also ''Deutsche Kinder-Wagen'' en, "German children's car". ''Das-Kleine-Wunder'', en, "the little wonder" or ''Des-Knaben-Wunsch'', en, "the boy's wish"- from when the company built to ...
company.
*1952 – The 18cc German Lohmann is one of the few semi-diesel bike motors ever produced and is claimed to be the world's smallest bike moto
*1966 – The Vélosolex 3800 is introduced and becomes the most popular version of the Vélosolex motorized bicycle, production continues until 1988.
*1968 – The
Honda P50 the last vehicle to incorporate a motor wheel as a power unit is discontinued.
*1975 -
Sears
Sears, Roebuck and Co. ( ), commonly known as Sears, is an American chain of department stores founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosenwald, with what began a ...
begins selling the
Tanaka
is the fourth most common Japanese name, Japanese surname. It is typically written with the kanji for . Less common variants include , , , , and .
People with the surname
*, Japanese musician formerly known as Boku no Lyric no Bōyomi
*, Japane ...
Bike Bug motor under its own ''Free Spirit'' brand name; U.S. sales of the Bike Bug continue until 1985.
*1982 – The "Bumble Bike" friction drive (now Golden Eagle belt drive) is chosen as "Official Transportation" at the Knoxville Worlds Fair.
*1985 – The
Tour de Sol
The Tour de Sol in Switzerland was the first rally for solar powered vehicles. It was carried out annually from 1985 to 1993. The first event started on June 25 in Romanshorn on the Lake of Constance, and finished on June 30 in Geneva. 72 vehicl ...
leads to the development of modern electric bicycles in Switzerland.
*1986 – A group of Swiss students develops the
Twike
The Twike (a portmanteau of the words ''twin'' and ''bike'') is a human-electric hybrid vehicle (HEHV) designed to carry two passengers and cargo. Essentially a velomobile with an electrical hybrid engine, it can be driven in electric-only mode ...
sociable
The sociable or buddy bike or side by side bicycle is a bicycle that supports two riders who sit next to one another, in contrast to a tandem bicycle, where the riders sit fore and aft. The name "sociable" alludes to the relative ease with which ...
tricycle. The prototype was purely human-powered, but all 850 production vehicles were
human-electric hybrids.
*2000 - Honda Step Compo, first
folding electric bicycle.
21st century
*2001 - the
Hudspith Steam Bicycle The Hudspith Steam Bicycle is a fully functioning, steam-powered bicycle, designed and made by Geoff Hudspith.
It first ran in October 2000 and was first exhibited publicly at the 2001 Great Dorset Steam Fair. It has since been exhibited - and ridd ...
makes its public debut at the
Great Dorset Steam Fair
The Great Dorset Steam Fair (abbreviated GDSF, and since 2010 also known as The National Heritage Show) is an annual show featuring steam-powered vehicles and machinery. It now covers and runs for five days. This used to be from the Wednesday ...
.
*2003 – Rif Addams re-enacts George Wyman's 1903 San Francisco to New York run, on a custom-built Whizzer.
*2006 – Motorized bicycling enjoys a resurgence in popularity, both as hobby and serious alternative transportation.
*2006 – Motorized bicycle racing began in Tucson, Arizona with Death Race
*2008 – The first "National" rally in the US, specifically for Motor-Assisted-Bicycles, took place in Ocean Park WA. There were 29 bikes, of various styles, representing 4 states.
*2008 – A motorized bicycle ridden by Augie Deabler is accepted as an official entrant at the Bonneville Salt Flats "World of Speed '08." He used a Golden Eagle/Tanaka 32cc, and recorded a top speed in the standing mile of 32.4MPH.
*2011 – Motorized Bicycle racing began in Southern California at the Willow Springs International Motorsports Park Go Kart track in Rosamond, CA on June 18, 2011. SoCal Motor Bicycle Racing continues to hold races in Southern California at Grange Motor Circuit in Apple Valley, California after the first race on October 20, 2011 and at Willow Springs International Motorsports Park.
*2020 - Ufeel supercapacitor electric bicycle without battery introduced.
[https://newmobility.news/2019/08/21/french-start-up-bets-on-e-bike-without-battery/ ]
See also
*
Timeline of transportation technology
This is a timeline of transportation technology and technological developments in the culture of transportation.
Antiquity
*20th millennium BC – rafts used on rivers.
*7th millennium BC– Earliest known shoes.
*6th millennium BC– Dugout ...
*
List of motorcycles of 1900 to 1909
[
List of motorcycles of the 1900s to 1909 is a listing of motorcycles of this period, including those on sale, introduced, or otherwise relevant in this period
Motorcycle
*Achilles (1906-1912 motorcycle)
*Advance (Australian motorcycle)
*Curti ...
*Motorcycle land speed record
References
External links
National Autocycle & Cyclemotor Club from Britain
{{DEFAULTSORT:Timeline Of Motorized Bicycle History
*01
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 ...