Copeland steam bicycle
Type of motorcycle / From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
The Copeland steam bicycle was a steam powered, two-wheeled motor vehicle made by Lucius Copeland in 1881 and is sometimes classed as an early motorcycle.
Manufacturer | Lucius Copeland |
---|---|
Production | 1884 |
Engine | Single steam cylinder |
Top speed | c. 15 mph (24 km/h) |
Power | 4 hp (3.0 kW) @ 2,600 RPM |
Transmission | Single speed, belt drive |
Frame type | American Star Bicycle steel frame |
In 1881 Copeland designed an efficient small steam boiler which could drive the large rear wheel of a Columbia penny-farthing to a speed of 12 miles per hour (19 km/h). Unlike typical penny-farthing bicycles, the Copeland had a small wheel at the front, which was turned by the handlebar for steering, and large wheel at the back.[1][2]
In 1884 Copeland used an American Star bicycle, smaller steering wheel in front, to construct a new demonstration vehicle for the Maricopa County Fair that year.[2] The "Star" was able to cover a mile in four minutes and to carry enough water to operate for an hour. Copeland set up the Northrop Manufacturing Co. in 1887 in Camden, New Jersey, to produce a three-wheeled version, the "Phaeton Moto-Cycle", which he demonstrated at the Smithsonian Institution in Washington D.C in 1888.[1]
The steam-powered engine produced 4 horsepower[3] at 2600 rpm with a 100-pound (45 kg) boiler around the steering column with the water heated by kerosene. A simple leather belt drove the large rear wheel, yielding a top speed of around 15 miles per hour (24 km/h).[4]