Motorcycle specifications Hildebrand & Wolfmuller1488 1894 She discovered the world...

ever since the invention of the wheel, mankind has been constantly seeking, inventing and perfecting new means of travel. In the second half of the 19th century, concepts were born everywhere to motorize the two-wheeler. Most of the time, and very often with surprising ingenuity, the creations were tricked-out bicycles with an engine built in as best they could. Production was limited to a few units, or one-offs. Things changed in 1894, with the beginnings of mass production.

The Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was born in Munich, just moments before the 20th century. This machine is considered the first mass-produced motorcycle in history - not to be confused with the very first motorcycle, the Perreaux steam-powered velocipede, built by hand.
The first sketches date back to 1891, when the Hildebrand brothers built a steam-powered version. This served as the development basis for the real motorcycle, built 3 years later. Development of the motorization was entrusted to Alois Wolfmüller and his mechanic Hans Geisenhof. Today, the figures may make you smile, but at the time they represented a spectacular performance. The engine was a parallel twin-cylinder mounted horizontally under the driver's feet. With a displacement of 1488 cm3 (almost equal to that of a 1996 Kawasaki VN 1500), it produced 2.5 hp at 240 rpm. Even back then, the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller's liquid-cooling system was already in place, with the rear mudguard acting as a water reservoir. In terms of transmission, however, the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was a far cry from today's mechanical design: no secondary transmission, chain or crankshaft. The very long connecting rods drove the rear wheel directly, in the manner of the external linkage on steam locomotives. Rubber bands helped the pistons to rise during compression.
Weighing in at no more than 60 kilos, the little nag could reach a top speed of 50 km/h - quite an achievement in the late 19th century.

The Hildebrand & Wolfmüller attracted a great deal of interest and sales, and several hundred examples were produced (between 800 and 2,000, depending on the source). Its French incarnation was known as the "Pétrolette", a name that has survived to the present day, when it is used lightly to refer to a small motorcycle that can be ridden here and there.
Nowadays, finding a Hildebrand & Wolfmüller is an extraordinary stroke of luck, often coupled with a well-stocked wallet. The estimated value is between $75,000 and $135,000.

M.B - Photos: yesterdays.nl