The History of Motorcycles - pt1
I often find myself asking the question “ what if …?” What if forks weren ’ t called forks ? What if no one had invented drinking straws ? Who sat down and actually decided that toilet paper was a necessity , not just a luxury ? And what did their friends and family think and say when these inventors announced their fabulous plans to change the world one convenience item at a time ? I ’ m sure that Martin Cooper ’ s wife probably thought to herself “ What in the hell is he thinking ??” when he shared his idea in 1973 to revolutionize the world with the modern day cell phone … but we all know how that turned out for him .
So this thought process has lead me to the following question … Who in the hell sat down and looked at their bicycle , and with what I assume was complete and utter disappointment in its slow moving , two wheeled existence and said … ” I can make that bitch fly !” Well that person just happened to be a Massachusetts born son of a carpenter , named Sylvester Howard Roper . Roper made his living as a machinist in Boston , but began inventing at an early age . By the age of twelve he had constructed a small stationary engine , and at only fourteen a locomotive engine . Roper continued to invent throughout his life , including guns , sewing machines , and finally steam powered carriages and bicycles .
By : Melanie Schwarte Re-Print by Request
The year is 1869 , and the world was about to change . History states that when Roper began riding his two wheeled contraption it was not well received . It apparently spooked horses , and was loud , as well as emitting a noxious odor when he rode through town . Rumor has it , he was actually arrested once for riding it , but had to be released when it was determined they could not find any laws he was actually breaking … and ; the modern day biker was born .
Interestingly , this first model anticipated many modern motorcycle features . Roper used one steam cylinder of 2 ¼ ” bore by 2 ½ ” stroke to either side of the frame behind the seat and connected piston rods to cranks on the rear wheel axle . A firebox and boiler were suspended on springs attached to the hickory wood frame between the wheels . Piston valves for the cylinders were operated by eccentrics adjacent to their cranks , and the water pump was operated by the left-cylinder crank . Exhaust steam was carried via tubing into a short chimney projecting up from behind the saddle . A coal fire heated the water stored in a reservoir that was constructed as a part of the seat and generated steam to run the engine .
1867 Roper Steam Velocipede
You may be saying to yourself , a steam powered bicycle is not a motorcycle , but I believe it is clearly a predecessor to our modern day two wheeled objects of affection . Riding on two wheels began with a primitive push bike on which the rider sat , but there were no pedals . The rider propelled himself forward by pushing his / her feet on the ground ( a Flintstone ’ s bike if you will ). Next came the high wheelers with a huge front wheel and a small rear wheel , and nearly impossible to ride . Finally came the “ safety bicycle ”. Quite the invention in and of itself considering it had wheels of equal size , as well as a set of pedals to drive the rear wheel through a chain linkage .
The evolution of two wheel travel continued and it became a common means of personal transportation . Later it would come to be seen as a “ racing ” vehicle , so of course it wouldn ’ t be long until someone looked at the bicycle and knew that it had a higher purpose . An evolutionary need to be better , and by better of course I mean faster .
I like to imagine that Roper arrived home after a long day to his little inventors shop out back , tired after a long day , and an even longer ride home on his bicycle . He sits down with a cold one and stares at his two wheeler …” stupid bike anyway . No worldly reason it should take me so long to get home each night . Keeps me from working on the things I love .” Then it hits him … the light bulb moment …” I ’ m gonna make this SOB fly !” Fast forward through hours and hours of painstaking disappointment and doubt to the design that actually works , and Ta-Daa ! The first motorcycle is born .
14 Thunder Roads Magazine Louisiana | September 2017 | www . thunderroadslouisiana . com
While this model utilized a twisting hand grip to serve as throttle control , and also had a cable that was attached to the handlebars to allow for breaking , it was still quite primitive in design . The operating temperature was nearly 300 degrees Fahrenheit between the rider ’ s legs , and the travel distance was extremely limited . A second model Roper designed later boasted a one gallon water reservoir and allowed for rides up to eight miles in length .
June 1st , 1896 Roper would showcase this model at the Charles River bicycle racetrack in Boston . The idea was to test the motorcycles viability as a pacemaking machine for bike races . Initially Roper covered a mile in 2 minutes and 12 seconds … that ’ s roughly 30 miles per hour . Elated by his results , 70 year old Roper apparently got that old feeling again , and decided he could definitely go faster . Flying around the 1 / 3 mile wooden track he lost control on the back stretch and was thrown from his bike into the surrounding sand . Sylvester Howard Roper was pronounced dead at the scene , but later it was determined it was not a result of the accident itself , but rather heart failure . I don ’ t know about you , but seems to me he must have died a happy man .
Both of Roper ’ s steam powered motorbikes were purchased by museums … the original steam powered bike still residing at the Smithsonian . While Roper ’ s motorcycles never found commercial success , they surely provided a source of inspiration and direction for inventors in the gas-powered motorbike era . Speaking of the gas-powered era … I wonder what possessed Daimler to put that first gas engine on his old wooden bike … Melanie Schwarte @ thunderroadsiowa . com Thunder Roads Magazine of Iowa