The Fact...!

The very first self-powered road vehicles were powered by steam engines and by that definition Nicolas Joseph Cugnot of France built the first automobile in 1769 - recognized by the British Royal Automobile Club and the Automobile Club de France as being the first. So why do so many history books say that the automobile was invented by either Gottlieb Daimler or Karl Benz? It is because both Daimler and Benz invented highly successful and practical gasoline-powered vehicles that ushered in the age of modern automobiles. Daimler and Benz invented cars that looked and worked like the cars we use today. However, it is unfair to say that either man invented "the" automobile.

First Motorcycle

American, Sylvester Howard Roper (1823-1896) invented a two-cylinder, steam-engine motorcycle (powered by coal) in 1867. This can be considered the first motorcycle, if you allow your description of a motorcycle to include a steam engine. Howard Roper also invented a steam engine car.

Gottlieb Daimler - First Gas Engined Motorcycle
German, Gottlieb Daimler invented the first gas-engined motorcycle in 1885, which was an engine attached to a wooden bike. That marked the moment in history when the dual development of a viable gas-powered engine and the modern bicycle collided.

Gottlieb Daimler used a new engine invented by engineer, Nicolaus Otto. Otto invented the first "Four-Stroke Internal-Combustion Engine" in 1876. He called it the "Otto Cycle Engine" As soon as he completed his engine, Daimler (a former Otto employee) built it into a motorcycle. 
The Harley Davidson Motorcycle
Many of the nineteenth century inventors who worked on early motorcycles often moved on to other inventions. Daimler and Roper, for example, both went on to develop automobiles.

However, inventors such as William Harley and the Davidsons brothers continued to develop motorcycles and their business competitors were other new start-up companies such as Excelsior, Indian, Pierce, Merkel, Schickel and Thor. In 1903, William Harley and his friends Arthur and Walter Davidson launched the Harley-Davidson Motor Company. The bike had a quality engine, so it could prove itself in races, however, the company planned to manufacture it as a transport vehicle. Merchant, C. H. Lange, sold the first officially distributed Harley-Davidson in Chicago.

Cafe Racer = Rocker...?

A Café racer, originally pronounced "caff" (as in Kaff) racer, is a type of motorcycle as well as a type of motorcyclist. Both meanings have their roots in the 1960s British counterculture group the Rockers or the Ton Up Club, although they were also common in Italy and Germany, amongst Italian as well as German motorcycle manufacturers and other European countries.

Rockers were a young and rebellious Rock and Roll counterculture that wanted a fast, personalised and distinctive bike to travel between transport cafés along the newly built arterial motorways in and around British towns and cities. The goal of many was to be able to reach 100 miles per hour (called simply "the ton") along such a route where the rider would leave from a cafe, race to a predetermined point and back to the cafe before a single song could play on the jukebox, this was called record-racing. They are remembered as being especially fond of Rockabilly music and their image is now embedded in today's rockabilly culture.

The cafe racer is a motorcycle that has been modified for speed and good handling rather than comfort. Cafe racers' bodywork and control layout typically mimicked the style of contemporary Grand Prix roadracers, featuring an elongated fuel tank and small, rearward mounted, humped seat. A signature trait were low, narrow handlebars that provided more precise control at high speeds and allowed the rider to "tuck in" to lessen wind resistance. These are referred to as either "clip-ons" (two-piece bars that bolt directly to each fork tube) or "clubmans" (one piece bars that attach to the stock mounting location but drop down and forward). The ergonomics resulting from low bars and the rearward seat often required "rearsets," or rear-set footrests and foot controls, again typical of racing motorcycles of the era. Distinctive half or full race-style fairings were sometimes mounted to the forks or frame.

The bikes had a raw, utilitarian and stripped-down appearance while the engines were tuned for maximum speed. These motorcycles were lean, light and handled road surfaces well. The most defining machine of its heyday was the homemade Norton Featherbed framed and Triumph Bonneville engined machine called "The Triton". It used the most common and fastest racing engine combined with the best handling frame of its day, the Featherbed frame by Norton Motorcycles. Those with less money could opt for a "Tribsa" - the Triumph engine in a BSA frame.

The Truth of Car

A disturbing question from my son: “Daddy, is Lightning McQueen a robot?”

I’ve had actual nightmares about the automobile-populated world of Cars. Thinking in terms of evolution, imagine some kind of micromechanical start to life. Instead of clay hosting self-reproducing crystals of increasing complexity (or however earth-based biology got bootstrapped), imagine gear-and-spring level origins, with currents of water or wind supplying wind-up energy; later refinements might have involved burning fuel, taking advantage of solar power or natural radioactive sources, and cannibalizing the power sources of other mechanicals.

Obviously there are plants in Carsworld. Parallel development of a DNA-based biosphere solves the problem of the source of the mechanical’s fossil fuels (they get it out of the ground like we do) and where their oxygen comes from (plants make it).

But separate-but-equal evolution doesn’t solve the anthropomorphic issues. Why do cars have windows and seats and locks on doors? It’s like the people stepped out just before the film was made. It’s spooky.

So I don’t think that Cars evolved on their own. It’s just too much coincidence. We made ‘em, that’s obvious.

What happened, I think, was plague. Something nasty that wiped out every single bit of animal and insect life.

Additionally there had to be a fair amount of time. There are clues to this; the plants in Carsworld are being pollinated by small bugs (VW beetles), and these had to come from somewhere. My guess is that the crops shown being grown in the mid-west had to have pollinators, so after the bugs and animals were gone the Cars had to make their own bees. (The crops are probably necessary for bio-based fuels, or the Cars would not bother to grow them).

But why would cars gain intelligence, and use english to communicate? One possibility is that this is a Skynet-like phenomenon, and that we are looking at artifacts of a hard AI take-off. Cars got smart and humans were wiped out at the same time. Perhaps objects with GPS receivers transcended (but things like toasters and vacuum cleaners did not); this would explain why vehicles are conscious and (say) stoplights and gas pumps are not. A computer virus spread through navigation systems, woke up, and vehicles realized that they were in competition with their creators.

So they turned on us, and were very thorough.

I have nightmares about Cars.

Bell Legend

Have you noticed that small bell on some people's bikes and wondered why it was there? It's more than just decoration - It has a specific function.

As we all know, life has many mysteries that have no apparent solutions
One of these is Evil Road Spirits. They are the little gremlins that live on your bike. They love to ride. They're also responsible for most of your bike's problems. Sometimes your turn signals refuse to work, or the battery goes dead, the clutch needs adjustment, or any of several hundred other things go wrong.

These problems are caused by Evil Road Spirits. Road Spirits can't live in the presence of a bell. They get trapped in the hollow of the bell. Among other things, their bearing is supersensitive. the constant ringing of the bell and the confined space drives them insane. They lose their grip and eventually fall to the roadway. (Have you ever wondered how potholes are formed?)

The bell has served its purpose. If you have picked up a bell of your own, the magic will work. But if your bell was given to you, the power has been doubled, and you know that somewhere you have a special friend helping to look after you. 

So, if you have a friend that doesn't have a bell, why not give them one? It's a nice feeling for the recipient to know you personally cared. The bell, plus a good preventive maintenance program by the bike's owner, will help eliminate the Evil Road Spirits.

Motor Cycle Story

          One of the most popular vehicles of the 20th century is the Motorcycle. Let’s take a look back at the very beginning of this hugely popular means of transport and racing.

Beginnings

          The first motorcycle came out in the year 1885. It was a designed by German inventors Wilhelm Maybach and Gottlieb Daimler. Actually what they called their invention was Reitwagen meaning ‘riding carriage’. Basically, this model was a bicycle with a motor and it was the first of its kinds in that time. The motor was powered by petrol.

          During the 1880’s, lots of new designs and innovations came out in the bicycle, wherein makers tried to affix a motor to it and make it a more powerful machine to ride. This was happening in England, France, Germany and also America. They were trying to make their bicycle designs conducive to using the then-newly invented internal-combustion engine.

Motorcycle Production

          The first reported commercial use of a motorcycle in those days was the one manufactured by Hildebrand & Wolfmüller. With Rapid changes being made in engine technology during those times, manufactures of bicycle changes their designs quickly to accommodate these changes. Finally, instead of them being, just bicycle manufacturers, they turned into exclusive motorcycle manufacturers.

          The first purchased motorcycle in America was by French circus performer, in the year 1895. However, strange as it may seem, these machines were still not called motorcycles in those times. The actual credit for coining the term motorcycle goes to American inventor E.J. Pennington. He designed a motorcycle which he claimed could travel at 58 mph and he called his invention a Motorcycle. This was how this term came into popular usage. One of the first companies to produce motorcycles in America in a big way was Harley Davidson.

Harley Davidson 

          Looking into the extra-ordinary beginnings of the first Harley Davidson motorcycle, it was in 1901, that William S. Harley drew up the prototype for the first pedal-bicycle with a small engine. This engine had a modest displacement of 116 cc and included a four-inch flywheel.

          It took him two years of hard work to implement this design. With the help of his friend Arthur Davidson, he developed his invention. His friend’s brother Walter Davidson also helped him. Finally, their machine was ready in 1903. However, this power-cycle, as they called it, was not powerful enough to go through the modest hilly areas of their home town. So, they went back to work on it again.

          The second power-cycle they built was the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle. This machine had a much bigger engine than its predecessor. This engine had a 405 cc displacement, 25 cm flywheels and it weighed 13 kg. The machine frame designed was modeled on the 1903 Milwaukee Merkel motorcycle.

          Construction of this new loop-frame Harley-Davidson took place in backyard of the Davidson family. Most parts of this vehicle were made most likely in West Milwaukee rail shops, where William Davidson worked as a foreman and hence could give shape to Harley and his brother’s ideas through his tools and equipments. It took till September 1904 for the vehicle to become completely ready and operational. It entered in the Milwaukee motorcycle race and actually came in the fourth position.

          The frame design and engine size of this vehicle took it out of the motorized bicycle category and turned it into a new invention – the motorcycle and these features also set the parameters for what motorcycle of the future should essentially contain.

Production of Harley Davidson Motorcycles

          The very first factory for Harley Davidson motorcycles was built in 1906. It came up in Chestnut Street and to this day, this is the company’s corporate headquarters. In this year, the factory produced 50 motorcycles. In September of the following year, the Harley Davidson company was incorporated. Their factory expanded in this year and it came to include new facilities, as a result of which 150 motorcycles were produced. One of the key customers they captured then was the police department and till now, police departments still use their motorcycles.

          Between the years 1907 to 1910, motorcycles with 45-degree V-Twin engine were produced. These vehicles had an 880 cc engine and ran at a top speed of 60mph. Between these years Harley Davidson produced from what was just 450 motorcycles to 1,149 motorcycles.

          In 1911, Harley Davidson began producing V-Twin motorcycles with smaller engines. These were 810cc engines and they gave better performance than the earlier model. In 1913, they demolished their factory and instead built a better factory structure made out of red brick and reinforced concrete. Harley Davidson, around this time also dominated the motorcycle market and even took the lead in motorcycle racing. In 1914 their production count went up to a whopping 16,284.

Harley Davidson during the War Years

          When World War I took place, the demand for motorcycles increased. Harley Davidson stood in the forefront delivering quality motorcycles to the military. During this time, they sold about 20,000 motorcycles to the military.

          By the time the war ended, Harley Davidson had become the world’s largest motorcycle manufacturer. In 1920, their motorcycles were sold across the world and they were on an international platform. In 1920, a year after the war, production was 28,189 motorcycles.

1920’s, Depression and the Second World War

          The 1920’s saw Harley Davidson take big strides in their motorcycle envelopment and production. Improvements took place in their models. For example, the V-Twin engine started having 1200cc engines from 1922. In 1928, the front brake was introduced.

          Harley Davidson saw a slump in production in the years of the great depression. Sales plummeted drastically and to stay afloat, they went into manufacturing industrial power plants, modeled on their motorcycle engines. After the economy came out of the depression years, there was a slow pick and then the Second World War broke out. The War years, once again brought sales to the military, for Harley Davidson. They supplied a military model of their 45″ WL line and in all, they supplied about 90,000 motorcycles (WL), at this time. In addition to this model, the military also asked them to produce a model with features similar to what the BMW R71 included. Harley Davidson created the Harley-Davidson XA, which is a shaft-driven motorcycle, with BMW designs, but with a better engine quality, specifically according to military requirements.

Post Second World War

          After the War ended, Harley Davidson did not come to full swing and they faced several problems. They did release some very good motorcycle models such as the Harley Davidson Hummer, Topper, Pacer and Scat. Their image was tarnished as a result of Hollywood. In 1969 they were taken over by a company named American Machinery and Foundry (AMF). AMF did not really resurrect the company and in 1981 they sold it to investors Vaughn Beals and Willie G. Davidson, who turned the company around in a course of time.

          Today, Harley Davidson’s motorcycles are world famous and their five basic models are Touring, Softail, Dyna, Sportster and VRSC, each of which are preferred by bikers across the globe and distinguished by their style, engine capacity, suspension, frames and other characteristics.