The history of motorcycle racing

Naturally, the history of motorcycle racing began with the invention of the most athletic vehicle—the motorcycle. It appeared in 1885, thanks to Daimler. This marvel of technology had a wooden frame and wheels.

Its single-cylinder 264 cc engine developed 0.5 horsepower. This strange bicycle weighed 50 kg and could reach speeds of 12 km/h. Its rather dangerous design did not inspire enthusiasm among potential consumers.

The first motorcycle in England was built by E. Butler in 1887, in France by F. Millet, and in Italy by E. Bernardi in 1893. However, the first motorcycles were met with great skepticism by the society of that time. Instead of support, the inventors faced all kinds of obstacles. Initially, permission was given to drive at a speed of 6 km/h, then 12 km/h.

As early as 1895, a law was in force in London, according to which mechanical vehicles were allowed to drive in the city only if a person walked in front of them — with a flag during the day and a lantern at night. Such restrictions slowed down, but could not prevent the further development of the motorcycle. Soon, motorcycles with various power sources appeared: steam, electric, gas, etc. However, these motorcycles did not gain widespread use.

Starting in 1887, the French company De Dion-Bouton developed a lightweight and fast (up to 50 km/h) tricycle and began mass production of motorcycles, which quickly gained popularity.

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It was an intermediate type between a car and a motorcycle. It should be noted that initially there was no clear distinction between a car and a motorcycle, so until the end of the 19th century, there were general competitions for “mechanical vehicles.”

So in 1894, nine years after the invention of the first motorcycle and car, the editor of Le Petit Journal magazine organized the first mechanical carriage competition in Paris, covering the 126 km route from Paris to Rouen. Cars of any type and design with mechanical wheel drive could participate in the competition. This was the beginning of modern motorsport.

The winners of this competition were mechanical carriages with an average speed of 20.5 km/h. No one had ever reached such speeds before. People began to talk and write about this new form of transport and sport in the press, and it gained recognition.

Motorcycle racing began to develop at the end of the last century after the first motorcycles appeared in the countries where they were manufactured. At the beginning of the 20th century, cars (two-track) and motorcycles (single-track, two-track for motorcycles with sidecars) were finally separated. At the end of the 19th century, France was the center of motor sports, so the most significant races started in Paris and finished in cities such as Marseille, Amsterdam, Berlin, Vienna, Madrid, and others. In 1895, motorcyclists took part in the world’s first “motor race” from Paris to Bordeaux and back to Paris. In 1895-1896, one race was held per year, and then their number began to grow rapidly. The De Dion-Bouton tricycles were particularly successful in these races. In 1899, the first official motorcycle races were held in Vienna.

In 1900, American newspaper publisher Bennett drew up the first technical rules for the races he financed. At that time, the weight of the machine was limited to between 400 and 1000 kg. Until 1904, there was no classification for motorcycles based on engine capacity; only the weight of the motorcycle was taken into account. In addition, a distinction was made between racing and touring motorcycles.

Five years later, on July 8, 1904, in the Czech town of Pakov, a group of motorsport enthusiasts from several countries founded the International Federation of Motorcycle Clubs (FICM), the predecessor of the current FIM.

Its creation was dictated by the fact that by that time the specificity of competitions had been determined and clear terminology had been established, distinguishing between motorcycles and cars. There was a need for a single international body. On the initiative of this organization, international competitions for endurance and stamina began to be held.