It's reputed that 'Hildebrand and Wolfmuller', consisting of Heinrich and Wilhelm Hildebrand, Alois Wofmuller and Hans Geisenhot, were the first company to build a series-production "motorrad" (German for motorcycle). With a large, two cylinder engine mounted beneath the rider, power was delivered to the rear wheel by connected rods that moved in a similar fashion to that on the old steam locomotives. The 1488 c.c. engine produced 2.5 h.p and could reach a top speed of 34 kmph. Also the predecessor of the OIF bikes of much later years, as this one stored the oil in the frame, as well as water in the rear fender.
Also a first was the use of pneumatic tires for motorcycles, a fact that inevitably came back to bite them in the pocketbook. The tires were very difficult to make and thereby expensive, adding to the cost of the motorcycle. After 3 years, the company realized they were selling the bikes for less than the cost of production and, ironically, they became the first motorcycle company to go bankrupt.
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| Not a bad looking rig |
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| Detail of the connecting rods on a replica |
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| The plans |
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| it's definitely rideable |
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| This was the air intake cover...love the beer in hand!! |
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| Immortalized in a stamp |
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