Hildebrand & Wolfmüller

In 1894, the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was the first motorcycle that was available for purchase. This is in contrast to Gottlieb Daimler’s Reitwagen of 1885 which actually only served as an experimental application for the engine and was not manufactured in a series let alone developed further.

Technical Specifications of the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller of 1894:Patent of 20 January 1894, No. 78553: 2 Cylinder four-stroke engine, 1488cc, Bore and stoke: 90 x 117mm, Ax. 2.5HP at 240rpm. Weight ax. 60kg and a maximum speed of ax. 40km/h. The Motorbike featured a water-cooled engine and a hollow tube frame, both of which were well advanced for the time. The rear wheel was driven by pistons similar to those in a locomotive, and used heavy rubber bands (one visible in the photograph, horizontal and running low down towards the rear wheel) to provide a return impulse rather than rotational inertia (as of a flywheel).

Only a few hundred examples of this model were ever built. Apart from the high purchase price, technical problems such as the absence of a clutch prevented the bike from becoming a commercial success. The venture ended up as a financial failure for both Wolfmüller and his financial backer, Hildebrand.