World Motorcycle Day lands on the third Monday each June, but there are other motorcycle celebrations too. Today, August 29, marks a birthday in the world of two wheels. What happened on this date?
Exactly 137 years ago, on August 29, 1885, the German inventor Gottlieb Daimler received a patent for what is considered the world’s first motorcycle. By then he had an engine that ran on internal combustion, something he’d been refining since around 1872, and it needed an electrical connection to operate in the early experiments.
The goal wasn’t to build a car overnight. It was practical to attach a motor to a bicycle quickly and with minimal cost. That was the idea Daimler pursued when he patented a device called the Daimler Petroleum Reitwagen, also known as the Kerosene Riding Cart.
The frame of the earliest motorcycle was wood, and the drive relied on a belt rather than a chain or modern gears. The machine weighed about 50 kilograms and used a single cylinder engine with a displacement of 264 cubic centimeters. Its power was modest, around 0.5 horsepower. In today’s terms, engines of similar size often deliver ~20 horsepower, showing how far the technology has come.
The vehicle had no shock absorbers, a true hardtail ride, and the wheels wore iron rims with wooden spokes rather than tires. Yet the crucial point stands: it moved under its own power.
Gottlieb Daimler’s son, Paul Daimler, tested the device by riding away on a bicycle at a speed of roughly 12 kilometers per hour. He did not return promptly and reportedly groused that this ride would be the last time he sat on such a “bone breaker.” The remark was probably more humor than truth, yet it captures the rough and ready spirit of invention in those days.
Maxim “Senator” Karfidov, a long-time motorcycle club leader in Lyubertsy and instructor with the Druzhina organization, reflects on the historic moment: the creator and tester could not have envisioned what the machine would become a century later. In those early days, the aim was simply to test the new combustion engine and make the device as basic as possible.
Still, a thread connects those pioneers to today’s riders: a drive to explore one’s own path, a willingness to accept risk, and a hunger to push boundaries. These traits mirrored the mindset of modern motorcyclists, who seek freedom, travel, and personal responsibility on every ride.
Today, the world would be hard-pressed to imagine life without motorcycles. They stand as symbols of personal liberty for many riders around the globe. In places like Russia and beyond, motorcycles still symbolize freedom from borders and the courage to choose one’s own course, embracing the risks and responsibilities that come with the ride.
The very first ride on the earliest motorcycle ended with a mishap when Daimler Jr. found the saddle too close to the hot exhaust, which briefly burned the skin. The moment did not dampen the broader desire for freedom; it reflected the era’s eagerness to move beyond traditional horse-drawn transport and into powered travel.
That same spirit persists today. The risk of accidents does not stop hundreds of thousands of motorcyclists who prize freedom from the confinement of closed metal boxes and traffic jams. The sense of physical liberty often translates into a deeper inner freedom that many riders cherish on every journey.
To honor the birthday of this invention, rides and gatherings are planned by motorcycle clubs and independent riders. For example, a Moscow group along the M4 highway has organized a meet-up for riders who want to cruise together and chat. Today’s drivers are reminded to stay alert and frequently check their rearview mirrors as they ride through busy traffic in the summer season.