The Daimler Reitwagen, The First Gas Powered Motorcycle

  


The Daimler Reitwagen, also known as the Einspur, was a motor vehicle created by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in 1885. It is widely acknowledged as the first motorcycle, and Daimler is often referred to as "the father of the motorcycle" due to this invention. Although there were earlier steam-powered two-wheelers like the Michaux-Perreaux, Roper, and Copeland, the Reitwagen is recognized as the inaugural gasoline-powered internal combustion motorcycle. It paved the way for all vehicles that utilize the same engine type, including land, sea, and air.

 The debate about the Reitwagen's status as the first motorcycle centers on whether the definition of a motorcycle necessitates an internal combustion engine. The Oxford English Dictionary uses this criterion, but some doubt arises because the Reitwagen had four wheels instead of the typical two. Using outriggers for stability also raises questions about its adherence to established bicycle and motorcycle dynamics principles.

 Enrico Bernardi's 1882 one-cylinder gasoline-engined tricycle, the Motrice Pia, is considered by some sources as the true first gasoline internal combustion motorcycle and even the first internal combustion vehicle. Bernardi mounted his engine onto his son's bicycle, while Daimler designed and built the Reitwagen chassis specifically for his machine. Despite this, the Motrice Pia is only sometimes recognized in mainstream sources, unlike the discussions around other early contenders like the Michaux-Perreaux and Roper steam velocipedes compared to the Reitwagen.

 In conclusion, the Daimler Reitwagen is generally accepted as the first gasoline internal combustion motorcycle, marking a significant milestone in the history of motor vehicles, even though there are debates and alternate contenders for this title.

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