Briggs & Stratton Motorized Bicycle, 1920-1930

01

Artifact Overview

In the 1910s and 1920s cyclists could travel without pedaling. The Motor Wheel, a wheel fitted with a four-stroke, single-cylinder gasoline engine, could attach to a bicycle and propel it down the road. Briggs & Stratton Company of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, built this version. The company purchased the rights to produce the device in 1919 and continued production until 1924.

Artifact Details

Artifact

Motorbike

Date Made

1920-1930

Creator Notes

Motor wheel attachment made by Briggs & Stratton Corporation, Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Location

Not on exhibit to the public.

Object ID

00.204.29

Credit

From the Collections of The Henry Ford. Gift of Ray C. Dahlinger.

Material

Steel (Alloy)
Metal
Rubber (Material)
Leather

Color

Gray (Color)
Blue
Red

Dimensions

Height: 37 in
Width: 24 in
Length: 74.75 in
Wheelbase: 42 in

Inscriptions

Motor: MFG. BY BRIGGS & STRATTON CORP. / MILWAUKEE WIS. MADE IN U.S.A. / UNDER PATENTS / etc. NO. D11373 Gas tank: Tilltoson Mfg. Co. Toledo, OH
Briggs & Stratton Motorized Bicycle, 1920-1930