EPISODE · Jun 18, 2026 · 12 MIN
What was the first motorcycle?
from History for Kids / History's Not Boring: The Kids History Podcast · host SCL
Get ready to rev your engines and zoom into the wild history of motorcycles! Did you know the very first motorcycle was made entirely out of wood and went only 7.5 miles per hour? In 1885, a German engineer named Gottlieb Daimler bolted a tiny petrol engine onto a wooden bicycle to create the very first motorized bike. But there was a major catch—during its first road test by his teenage son Paul, the wooden seat literally caught on fire! Join Mira and Finn as they trace the incredible journey of two wheels and one engine. Discover how William Harley and Arthur Davidson started an American legend inside a tiny backyard shed, and learn about the brave motorcycle dispatch riders who dodged mud and craters on their "Trusty Triumphs" during World War I! Fast forward to today, where glowing, sci-fi Tron lightcycles inspire real-world concept bikes with floating hubless wheels, and the fastest electric motorcycles can blast past 200 miles per hour! Buckle your helmet and hit the road for an explosive, high-speed adventure!
What this episode covers
Get ready to rev your engines and zoom into the wild history of motorcycles! Did you know the very first motorcycle was made entirely out of wood and went only 7.5 miles per hour? In 1885, a German engineer named Gottlieb Daimler bolted a tiny petrol engine onto a wooden bicycle to create the very first motorized bike. But there was a major catch—during its first road test by his teenage son Paul, the wooden seat literally caught on fire! Join Mira and Finn as they trace the incredible journ...
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What was the first motorcycle?
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