Timeline Of Motorized Bicycle History
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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 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-powered propu ...
s and
tricycle A tricycle, sometimes abbreviated to trike, is a Human-powered transport, human-powered (or gasoline or electric motor powered or assisted, or gravity powered) Three-wheeler, three-wheeled vehicle. Some tricycles, such as cycle rickshaws (for pa ...
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 some time 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 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. He was a pioneer of internal-combustion engines and automobile development. He invented the high-speed liquid petroleum-fue ...
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 comb ...
motorcycle.Deutsches Zweirad Museum- Neckarsulm
First Motorcycle.
Celebrates 125 Years of the Automobile
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
Roy C. Marks Motorcycle.
* 1897 – Most likely the first
electric bicycle An electric bicycle, e-bike, electrically assisted pedal cycle, or electrically power assisted cycle is a bicycle with an integrated electric motor used to assist propulsion. Many kinds of e-bikes are available worldwide, but they generally fa ...
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
, 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 that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...
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 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 small 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 faciliti ...
.

*1918 – Evans Power Cycle *1919 –
Johnson Motor Wheel Johnson Motor Wheel was a kit to convert a bicycle into a motorized bicycle. It was manufactured by an American firm, Johnson Brothers Motor Company in Terre Haute, Indiana. History The Johnson Motor Wheel was designed in 1914 by Louis Johnson. It ...
*1938 – Fichtel & Sachs-Werke Germany introduced the (Brennabor) Saxonette, a hub-driven bicycle. 60 ccm, 1.2 HP, max. speed 30 km/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, carburet ...
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 (''Dampfkraftwagen'', – the same initials later also used for ''Des Knaben Wunsch'', ; ''Das Kleine Wunder'', and ''Deutsche Kinderwagen'', ) was a German car- and motorcycle-marque. DKW was one of the four companies that formed Auto U ...
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 and online retailer founded in 1892 by Richard Warren Sears and Alvah Curtis Roebuck and reincorporated in 1906 by Richard Sears and Julius Rosen ...
begins selling the Tanaka 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 Ge ...
leads to the development of modern electric bicycles in Switzerland. *1986 – A group of Swiss students develops the
Twike Twike, based in Rosenthal, is a German manufacturer of light electric vehicles in the European Union vehicle class L5e (US motorcycle). The main product, the Twike (a portmanteau of the words ''twin'' and ''bike''), is a human-electric hybrid ...
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 makes its public debut at the Great Dorset Steam Fair. *2003 – Rif Addams(Sean Patrick Brown b. 1969) 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 – Dugo ...
*
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) * Curt ...
*
Motorcycle land speed record The motorcycle land-speed record is the fastest speed achieved by a motorcycle on land. It is standardized as the speed over a course of fixed length, averaged over two runs in opposite directions. AMA National Land Speed Records requires two pas ...


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 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-powered propu ...