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Roper Steam Velocipede, about 1869

Object Details

Description
Sylvester Roper, a machinist and inventor in Massachusetts, built this steam velocipede and demonstrated it at fairs and circuses. It is believed to be the oldest existing American motorcycle. With its forged iron frame and wooden wheels, it resembles a velocipede, a popular bicycle of the late 1860s. The saddle served as a water tank for the boiler, which was heated by a firebox that burned charcoal. Twisting the handlebar controlled the throttle and brakes. Roper built several other steam vehicles, including another motorcycle in 1895, but he died just before the motor vehicle manufacturing industry got underway.
Location
Currently not on view
Data Source
National Museum of American History
maker
Roper, Sylvester H.
date made
ca 1869
Credit Line
Gift of John H. Bacon
Measurements
overall: 3 15/16 ft x 2 1/8 ft x 6 9/16 ft; 1.1936 m x .64008 m x 2.0065 m
Object Name
bicycle
Velocipede
Other Terms
Velocipede; Road; Steam

Featured In

  • Smithsonian Bicycle Collection:The Development of the Velocipede

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