steam steam steam powered built inventor boston massachusetts united_states machines called motorcycle steam dated historians disagree came came years later steam cycles known motorcycle doubt experts steam cycle meets definition motorcycle initial prototype late 1860s built new revised version based state art safety bicycle frame type died apparent heart attack riding machine machine private hands offered auction exhibited art motorcycle las_vegas venue shown collection vancouver motorcycle competing claims title motorcycle depending steam motorcycle internal engine counts true motorcycle uncertainty earliest steam built date earliest date claimed existence steam historians design columnist date later museum example year author steam accordance date machine dates declares tie year classic bike editor says existence patent gives better claim built time took number patents firearms industrial machinery obtain patents steam cycles cars true motorcycle definition motorcycle requires internal engine asserted oxford english dictionary steam cycles disqualified motorcycle patented defines motorcycle wheeled commonly wheeled motor vehicle usually propelled internal engine somewhat different argument acknowledges steam preceded technically candidates historical milestone motorcycle technology dead end instead recognition internal trail followed thousands successful subsequently built 20th century cycle world technical editor noted history follows things succeed things fail nonetheless favor cameron criterion reason fact pioneer successful motorcycle technologies including throttle control frame geometry engine placement motorcycle know today crude failing employ understood principles trail remain upright movements fork turn leaning trail created having steering axis angled varying degrees perfectly vertical having steering axis slightly offset creating trail subtle engineering makes possible rider turn bicycle motorcycle typically unconscious technique turned slightly left causing machine lean right turning vehicle right trail called fork offset element contributing stability bicycle motorcycle dynamics lack reason rely wheels falling remained vertical steered like called test bed crude makeshift saying bicycle years date version according purpose built frame adapting existing frame steam engine contemporary newspaper account assert frame author wood frame built demonstrated iron frame diameter wheels iron bands wooden wooden rigid forged iron fork solid wooden unlike modern grip sleeve open throttle entire bar rotated hands dual function turned forward throttle opened turned backwards applied brake wheel seat doubled water reservoir water tank described saddle shaped hand pump transferred water tank boiler boiler wheels nautical looking chimney boiler backwards rider lower half housing hung frame spring absorb shock stay rods attached housing frame water level left near water pump drain valve cylinders located frame upper boiler near chimney connecting rear wheel exhaust steam conveyed base chimney provided forced draft original version attributed austin massachusetts early newspaper accounts taken later histories author believes austin rider machine inventor austin mentioned owner older wheeled steam car says professor exhibited steamer unknown date leading erroneous attrition austin instead display new york auto madison square garden november austin described inventor like later given currently america exhibit washington oldest self propelled road vehicle second oldest america steamer version second steam cycle apparently constructed developed colonel owner safety bicycle commissioned build bicycle racing team bicycle recently emerged crude based gasoline engines unreliable disappointed racing fans pope supplied columbia frame added improved single cylinder coal fired steam engine center frame weight including coal water steam engine normally generated pounds steam pressure high pounds described equivalent known regularly ride machine called self propeller home boston harbor distance miles engine maximum range claimed machine climb hill horse magazine noted exhaust stack entirely invisible far steam concerned slight noise extent asked demonstrate self propeller banked concrete bicycle racing track paced racing raced professional rider easily timed laps mph mile track encouraged demonstration maximum speed timed mph sudden face machine stop falling cycle died track son charles natural causes age machine exhibit 1960s yesterday florida lent family collection expansion las art motorcycle exhibition expansion closed fourth venue motorcycle design opened new york machine viewers saw entering museum later view motorcycle exhibition vancouver offered auction january claimed high bid
Roper steam velocipede