Originally aired during the week of October 10, 2001
On June 7, 1901, a photograph of the first American motorcycle appeared in the pages of a Springfield, Massachusetts newspaper. Created by a bike mechanic named Oscar Hedstrom, it resembled a bicycle with a four-stroke engine and a small fuel tank. The introduction of the "Indian" brand motorcycle launched an American love affair with these machines. On the weekend of October 13-14, 2001, Montshire will host a special exhibit in celebration of one hundred years of motorcycling in the United States. A Century of Motorcycles will feature a diverse collection of machines including a very rare 1902 Keating, a 1931 New York City fire department motorcycle, and Harley Davidson road bikes from the '30s to the '60s. Stay with us this week as we hit the open road, exploring the history of motorcycling in America. And don't forget to wear your helmet!
About the time that the internal combustion engine was developed, it occurred to inventors that grafting a motor onto a bicycle would result in (you guessed it) - a motor-cycle. And that's what motorcycles started out as - motorized bikes. A French cycle maker tried attaching a small steam engine to the frame of a bone-shaker bicycle. The bone-shaker had an oversized front wheel, with a frame made of wood and wheel rims of iron. Given the rough cobblestone streets of the period, it's easy to understand how the bone-cruncher got its name. Anyway, Michauex's machine actually survived a ten mile trial run. This machine took a more humane approach than the "cynosphere," a tricycle that ran on dog power. The cage-like rear wheels contained small dogs, which powered the cycle.
The steam engine works by converting steam pressure into a circular motion through the use of a cylinder, piston, connecting rod, and a crankshaft. Steam engines worked well for ships and trains where a steady supply of fuel - coal or wood - could be fed into big boilers, which generated the steam. A German by the name of Nicholaus Otto developed the first practical internal combustion engine using gas as a fuel. The engine burns a mixture of air and gas in a cylinder that houses the piston. Motorcycle engines, and most cars, still use a four-stroke engine. That means the engine repeats a cycle of action in which each piston moves up or down four times. This engine was certainly a more compact solution than steam power and made possible the creation of motorized travel by car - or by motorcycle.
The rover safety bicycle built in 1885 used a chain drive connected to the rear wheel. This meant that the two wheels could be of similar sizes with the rider seated between. This bit of tinkering also made the motorcycle possible. The German engineer Gottlieb Daimler built his own four-stroke engine and mounted it on a wooden, bike-like frame. The engine was attached vertically in the center of the contraption. There was a twist grip to operate the brake, and two small stabilizing wheels to keep the whole thing upright. It was sturdy enough to be driven 12 miles on its maiden ride, with Daimler's son at the controls. The elder Diamler moved on to bigger things, developing a line of automobiles. But he is also credited with creating the first true motorcycle.
Let the good times roll! That was the famous slogan used by the Kawasaki company. But riding motorcycles in the early 1900s was no picnic. The brakes weren't very good. The bikes were underpowered and couldn't climb more than a slight incline without the rider providing extra pedal power. The roads were bad and gas stations few and far between. Still, motorcycle manufacturers made big strides over the years. You can see the evolution of these machines at A Century of Motorcycles, an exhibit at Montshire October 13-14 from 10 am to 5 pm. This motorcycle "sampler" includes 16 classic bikes, from a very rare 1902 Keating to a 2000 Harley-Davidson Screamin' Eagle. Motorcycle memorabilia and collectibles, pennants, trophies, and advertising signs will add to the fun.
