As an essential component of modern transportation, the motorcycle's invention and development have long been a focus of research in motorcycle culture and industrial history.

Earliest Prototype of the Motorcycle

• 1860s: French engineers Pierre Michaux and Louis-Guillaume Perreaux built a two-wheeled vehicle equipped with a small steam engine in 1867, considered by many scholars to be the world's first prototype of a motorcycle.

• 1885: German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach built what is recognized as the world's first true motorcycle, named the "Reitwagen" (riding vehicle). This vehicle, powered by an internal combustion engine, marked the official birth of the motorcycle.

Beginning of Industrialization

1894: The German company Hildefbrand & Wolfmüller launched the first mass-produced motorcycle, truly bringing motorcycles to the mass market. This is also considered the beginning of the motorcycle as an industrial product.

Industry Impact

The invention of the motorcycle not only revolutionized personal transportation but also laid the foundation for the subsequent development of the automobile industry. Especially in the early 20th century, with the emergence of brands like Harley-Davidson, Indian, and BMW, motorcycles gradually entered the global market, forming a vast cultural and industrial chain that remains to this day.

Conclusion

• Prototype of motorcycle: 1867 (steam-powered).

• True motorcycle: Daimler & Maybach's "Reitwagen" in 1885.

• Mass-produced motorcycle: Hildefbrand & Wolfmüller in 1894.