A Motorbike of Gottlieb Daimlea -the first of the world

In 1885, when German engineer and inventor Gottlieb Wilhelm Daimler together with his son Paul tested a motor-driven two-wheeler (with the output 0,37 kW), which he constructed. At that moment he didn’t certainly suspected, that he is starting a development of motorbike. However Daimler’s motorbike hadn’t been called motorbike yet. Daimler himself called his machine simply a bicycle and he didn’t intend to improve it further (his bicycle served him only as a test-machine for his petrol engine). The result of this test (Paul drove more than 9km) has shown, that the petrol engine is able to run vehicles. The fact, that Daimler after some testing paid attention to four-wheel vehicles doesn’t reduce his merit, that he was the first motorbike rider in the world.

"La Pétrolelle" from the year 1894

In 1893 Hildebrand and Wolfmüller from Munich made an applicable motor two-wheeler with a four-stroke petrol engine. They put the engine into a special frame as a whole. The back wheel was directly propelled with the piston-rods of the two-cylinder motor, which so with the engine formed one whole . Despite some disadvantages, that this unique construction had, this “motor bicycle” - “Motorrad” was very popular. It was even produced under a licence during a certain time in France, where it was named “ La Pétrolette”.

But the real success had first been achieved by a motorbike made by Werner brothers. They were Russians living in Paris. Primary they were journalists, later they earned their living by repairing and selling apparatuses as for instance cameras, binoculars, typewriters etc. In 1897 they got the idea of putting small internal combustion engine with a normal bicycle together. Thereby they constructed the first auxiliary engine in the world. Brothers Michal and Eugen Werner started to call this bicycle “la motocyclette”, which had become a generally used term since then. A motocyclet had a pour engine placed directly above the front wheel. The front wheel itself was then propelled with a belt. All parts of the engine, except the tank, were also placed above the front wheel, which utterly didn’t contribute to the stability of the vehicle. Despite these disadvantages the motocyclet gained great success and it had directly influenced the beginnings of the motorbike and also car industry in Czechia.

Werner Bothers´ Motocyclette and Slavia from Mlada Boleslav

In the same year, when the motocyclet was made, it was seen in Paris by Vaclav Kliment, who was a bicycle producer (“Slavia”) in Mladá Boleslav. This moment had decided about his further destiny. The bicycle producer became a motorbike constructor. He bought the motocyclet and soon learned its advantages and above all its faults. Kliment knew, that if he wants to construct a really dependable motorbike, he has to avoid these faults (high placed centre of gravity causing instability, clothes´ polluting with splashing oil etc). In 1898 he constructed together with Václav Laurin the first motor-driven two-wheeler in Austria-Hungary. The engine was placed down in the frame and it was started with electromagnet. Their motor-driven “Slavia” was the first machine of that kind in central Europe, which could be used in practice. “Slavia” soon became very popular and from the beginning it has shown its reliability and efficiently. The performance of the machine was so convincing, that the factory was glutted with commissions. In England “Slavia” was sold under the name “Hewetson”. The company “Laurin Klemenet” took part in all motorbike races in that time and until the year 1904 it won 115 prices altogether, and 56 from them were the first prizes! Motorbikes achieved an average speed of 80 km/hour in that time.

Vaclav Vondrich after he won the Coupe Internationale des motocyclettes
in Douran in 1905. (behind him in the middle there is Vaclav Klement).

At the end of the first decade of the 20^th century the motorbike became a generally accepted means of transport. So called lady’s motorbike “Douglas” from the year 1913 belongs without any doubts among the extremely well done constructions. Its construction was very smart for those times. It had a two cylinder flat-twin with silent run, good suspension and two speed gear box. This machine was intended for women, but they didn’t ride it, because in that time it was too daring for women to part with along skirt and a wide hat. Another smart and unique construction (especially concerning the frame) was the English “Scott”, which was even possible to ride in a skirt. This machine was almost unbeatable in the hills and only very few machines could cope with its speed.

Douglas from the year1913 and a model of Scott (with mechanical rifle)

The development of motorbikes in the USA was a little bit delayed compared to Europe, because since the beginning many people had preferred cars there. The development of the American motorbike is inseparably associated with the name “Indian”. George M. Handee founded this factory in 1901 in the state Massachusetts. But first the so called conduct tandems were produced here. “Indian” Motorbikes in normal design started to be produced later. Around 1913 they came to Europe in greater amount and after the World War I their number increased so much, that in the countryside the word “Indian” became a synonym for a motorbike.

Two-cylinder Indian from the year 1947

The development of “Harley-Davidson” company followed the development of “Indian”. Its founders were two ordinary workers, who worked their way with their own effort and became qualified constructors. The result of their talent and typical spirit of enterprise was a large factory. “ Harley-Davidson” soon became a myth, which it remains up to now, though riding this motorbike reminds many people of rather a cowboy on a horse than a rider on a motorbike

Wooden hut in which the first Harley-Davidson and military Harley-Davidson were done.
The other one was used during the world war two in the allied armies.

The Endeavour to construct a simple and safe motorbike fetched the constructors in the 20´s to the construction of a scooter. It was especially “Scootamota” in these years. And after the World War II legendary Italian “Lambretta became a synonym for scooter . Its construction was very original.

Scootomota from the year 1920 and Lambretta from the year 1950

During the inter-war period two motorbike factories gradually arose in the former Czechoslovakia. They had successfully struggled for their place under the Sun. First in 1925 a production of JAWA motorbikes was started in the Prague munition factory of Ing. Frantisek Janecek. And in 1932 the Czech munition factory in Strakonice starts a serial production of CZ motor-propelled bikes. These bikes then turned out to the successful Czech motor cycles. This success was so great, that after the WW2 the well known “Indian” factory starts mounting and selling this CZ motor cycle under a name “Indian CZ”. JAWA is exported do America and the whole world, too.

Czechoslovak motor cycle CZ 125, assembled and sold by the Indian factory in 1948.

The development of motorbikes is in fact finished. Motorbike became a very popular means of transport. A car couldn’t compete either with its price and readiness nor the with its motion in ground.

Still elegant JAWA-CZ 150 from the year 1954

During the next decades these advantages stop to be so expressive and a motorbike had gradually started to lose its “wheelhold”. So the existing and the new producers (mainly from the Asia region) started to test the ground of the motorbikes´ sport versions. These motorbikes are a small technical miracle, but if someone wants “only” a cheap and ready means of transport – e.g. for commuting to work, then he is in bad luck. He or she has to buy and mainly pay for a machine, though never taking advantage of all its qualities…