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History of the motorcycle

Ever wondered who invented the motorcycle? It seems the idea of the motorcycle did not come from just one inventive mind, but the minds of many. A culimation of many ideas brought to life to bring us the great machine we see today.

By most accounts, one of the first official motorcycles appeared in America in the late 1860. Built by Sylvester Howard Roper. Here is a photo of the "Roper". Like most forms of transportation of that era, it was steam engine powered by coal.


The first known gas powered engine entered the scene in Germany  around 1885 and  was made with a wooden frame. Built by GottleibDaimler. Gottleib used a gas powered engine that was invented by Nichols August Otto. He called it  "The Otto Cycle Engine". Although later both Roper and Gottlieb decided to put their efforts towards the automobile, years later there were two friends named William Harley and Walter Davidson that chose to pursue the two wheel wonder.



And so the best was yet to come. In 1903 William  Harley, along with his friend, Walter Davidson together lauched the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. With a quality built engine there was no stopping the success of this great machine. And so it began...




One motorcycle we dont want to forget and is worth mentioning is the Indian Motorcycle. This bike arrived on the scene in the early 1920's. WIth a style all its own, its unique and different.The Indian Motorcycle Manufacturing Company was the brain child of George M Hendee and Carl Oscar Hestrom. The Company was founded by the Hendee Manufacturing Company in Springfield, Massachusetts.