Millet motorcycle
The Millet motorcycle, designed in 1892 by Félix Théodore Millet, may have been the first motorcycle (or motorized bicycle) to use pneumatic tires. It had an unusual radial-configuration rotary engine incorporated into the rear wheel, believed to be the first one ever used to power a person-carrying vehicle of any type.
Millet motorcycle
Gérard Delafond · CC BY-SA 3.0
- Name
- Millet motorized bicycle
- Founder
- Félix Millet
- Headquarters
- France
VALÉORINE Encyclopedia
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Documentary summary
The Millet motorcycle, designed in 1892 by Félix Théodore Millet, may have been the first motorcycle (or motorized bicycle) to use pneumatic tires. It had an unusual radial-configuration rotary engine incorporated into the rear wheel, believed to be the first one ever used to power a person-carrying vehicle of any type.
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wikidata · Q169387 · wikipedia · Millet motorcycle
In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Millet motorized bicycle • Manufacturer — Alexandre Darracq • Production — ca. 1894–1895 • Engine — 500 cc 5-cylinder air-cooled radial-configuration rotary engine • Top Speed — 35 km/h (hypothetical) • Power — 1.2 PS @ 180 rpm 1.75 N.m @ 180 rpm • Ignition — Bunsen cell/ignition coil hybrid • Transmission — single speed • Tires — Pneumatic • Dry Weight — 82 kg
Production history
Production history
A prototype with rear-wheel rotary engine ran in 1892. Production rights were acquired by Alexandre Darracq in 1894. Production halted following an unsuccessful entry in the Paris–Bordeaux–Paris race of 1895.
Technology
Technology
The five cylinders were mounted radially in the rear wheel, with the connecting rods directly attached to the fixed crank of the hollow-drilled rear axle. The rear fender served as a fuel tank; a surface carburetor and air filter were located between the wheels. Ignition was electric via combination Bunsen cell and induction coil. Millet used a rotating handlebar twistgrip for its operation. It was started with pedals so the motorcycle could be moved even after engine failure. Maximum power was rated at 1.2 PS, continuous power at 0.75 PS at 180 RPM. With the rated continuous power, the bike should have reached a speed of 35 km/h.
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- France
Notes from the source article
Cited by Wikipedia
Notes from the source article
These works are cited by the source article, in its own numbering. They are recorded as its citations, not as sources VALÉORINE has verified.
- 1.William Harris. Motorcycle History. How Stuff Works.
- 2.Cyril Posthumus. Motorräder gestern und heute. München Heyne. 11. 1978. 3-453-52080-7.
- 3.Dinglers Polytechnisches Journal. Bd. 299 (1896), p. 178, Reprint:
- 4.Juráj Porázik. Motorräder aus den Jahren 1885 bis 1940. Dausien Werner. 48. 1983. 978-3768402408.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 16 August 2026.
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