The prototype of the motorcycle appeared in 1885 in Germany. The creator of the first machine that looked like a bicycle was the German inventor Gottlieb Daimler. It was with him that the history of the motorcycle began.
Mechanical carts
Daimler's motorcycle consisted of a frame made of wood, a single-cylinder gasoline engine, and a belt drive that transmitted torque from the motor to the rear wheel. A two-speed gearbox was also installed on the motorcycle.
With a mass of 50 kg and an engine capacity of 264 cm3, which developed a power of 0.5 hp, the motorcycle could pick up speed in first gear up to 6 km / h, and when shifting to second gear up to 12 km / h. This speed did not allow you to confidently maintain balance while driving, and therefore, one additional wheel was added to the two main wheels on both sides of the motorcycle.
Until the beginning of the twentieth century, both motorcycles and cars had a single name - mechanical carriages. In general, mechanical carriages became popular only after the race, the organizer of which was the editor of the Parisian magazine "Le Petit Journal" in 1894. The route passed along the Paris - Rouen highway, with a length of 126 km, mechanical units moved at an average speed of 20.5 km / h. In those days, it was a great speed, and before that it was unattainable.
By 1912, they tried to equip a front fork with a spring on a motorcycle, but limited themselves to adopting a gearbox identical to the automobile. Over the next years, only minor types of components and assemblies were improved on a motorcycle. A big obstacle for inventors was a law passed in London in 1895 prohibiting mechanical carriages from traveling at speeds exceeding 12 km / h. And he also ordered to drive around the city only with a person walking in front of the car, during the day with a raised flag, and at night with a lit lantern. Over time, there have been attempts to use steam, electric, and gas engines in motorcycles. But these machines were not used further.
Mechanical carriages in Russia
The first mechanical carriages appeared in Russia (Odessa) in 1891. Later in St. Petersburg there were already 15 "motors" at registration. All these cars were made abroad, because there was no own industry for the manufacture of sidecars yet. The first domestic motorcycles were produced in 1891 in Riga at a bicycle manufacturing plant. The motorcycle had a sonorous name - Russia. Weighing more than thirty kilograms, it could accelerate to 53 km / h.
At another plant, "Moto-Review" Dux in 1914, they were engaged in the production of two models of motorcycles at once. The first model was perfect for tourist trips, the second, with increased power with a sidecar. Both models were very progressive and the first who began to use them in their activities were Russian motorcycle racers and athletes. These motorcycles were willingly purchased by the Military Department of the Russian Empire.
