Hildebrand & Wolfmüller
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| Manufacturer | Hildebrand & Wolfmüller |
|---|---|
| Production | 1894–1897[1] |
| Engine | 1,489 cc (90.9 cu in) two-cylinder water cooled four-stroke, surface carburetor |
| Bore / Stroke | 90 mm × 117 mm (3.5 in × 4.6 in) |
| Top speed | 28 mph (45 km/h)[1] |
| Power | 2.5 bhp (1.9 kW) @ 240 rpm[1] |
| Ignition type | Hot tube |
| Transmission | Direct drive via connecting rods |
| Frame type | Steel tubular |
| Brakes | spoon brake, friction against front tire |
| Tires | pneumatic, front 26 in (66 cm), rear 22 in (56 cm)[2] |
| Weight | 110 lb (50 kg)[2] |
In 1894, the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was the first series production motorcycle.[1] This is in contrast to Gottlieb Daimler’s Reitwagen of 1885, which served as an experimental application for the engine and was not manufactured in a series, nor developed further. Heinrich and Wilhelm Hidebrand had previously experimented with steam power, before joining with Alois Wolfmüller to produce their internal combustion Motorrad in Munich.[3]
Patent of 20 January 1894, No. 78553: two-cylinder four-stroke engine, 1,489 cc (90.9 cu in), Bore and stroke: 90 mm × 117 mm (3.5 in × 4.6 in), 2.5 bhp (1.9 kW) @ 240 rpm[1], a weight of 110 lb (50 kg)[2] and a maximum speed of 28 mph (45 km/h)[1]. The Motorbike featured a water-cooled engine and a hollow tube frame. The rear wheel was driven by connecting rods 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, rather than using 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 motorbike from becoming a commercial success. The venture ended as a financial failure for both the Wolfmüllers and Hildebrand, their financial backer. Their factory closed in 1919.[4] Examples exist today in the Deutsches Zweirad- und NSU-Museum in Neckarsulm, Germany the Science Museum (London), the Henry Ford Museum in Detroit, Michigan, the Wells Auto Museum in Wells, Maine[5] and the Museum Lalu Lintas Surabaya, Indonesia.
[edit] References
- ^ a b c d e f Walker, Mick; Guggenheim Museum Staff (1998), Krens, Thomas; Drutt, Matthew, eds., The Art of the Motorcycle, Harry N. Abrams, p. 103, ISBN 0810969122, 9780810969124, http://books.google.com/books?id=J8pIJQAACAAJ
- ^ a b c Pagé, Victor Wilfred (1924, 2004 reprint), Early Motorcycles: Construction, Operation and Repair, Dover Publications, pp. 23-25, ISBN 0486436713
- ^ http://www.khulsey.com/motorcycles/vintage_motorcycle_hildebrand_wolfmueller.html
- ^ http://www.khulsey.com/motorcycles/vintage_motorcycle_hildebrand_wolfmueller.html
- ^ [1]
[edit] External links
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