The first motorcycle “marched” today

On this day, November 10, 1885, German engineer Gottlieb Daimler presents the first motorcycle of the world, which he calls Reitwagen.

Daimler was one of the most important figures in the birth of the modern automobile industry.

Having studied engineering at the Stuttgart Polytechnic Institute, he worked for various German companies, where he gained experience in machines.

On this day the first motorcycle “marched” – Who…patented it

In 1872 he became technical director in the company of Nikolaus Otto, the man who invented the four-stroke internal combustion engine.

In 1882, Daimler and his colleague Wilhelm Maybach left Otto’s company to set up their own workshop and experiment with engines.

In 1885 they patent their own engine and try to show that it can move a vehicle. Although their original goal was not to build a motorcycle, they nevertheless turned to a two-wheeler, because their prototype machine was not strong enough to move an entire carriage.

The result was the Reitwagen, essentially the wooden frame of a bicycle (without the pedals), to which they mounted their engine. With 0.5 horses, the Reitwagen reached a maximum speed of 11 kilometers per hour.

Their design was patented in August 1885 and on November 10 of the same year, the Reitwagen made its first official journey. Daimler’s son Paul drove it covering a 5km route in Stuttgart.

This test showed that their engine could propel such a vehicle, but also that the driver could control it.

Daimler and Maybach were essentially interested in engines that could power any vehicle. The next year, they put their engine in a carriage and a boat.

The efforts of the two men resulted, in 1889, in a four-wheeled vehicle designed from the ground up as a car.

In 1890 Daimler-Motoren-Gesellschaft was founded and in 1899 the company produced the first Mercedes car.

The man himself who is considered one of the creators of the world automobile industry, however, is said to have disliked driving.