Back to the beginning! . The first motorcycle (that we know of) was built in 1869 by Sylvester H Roper, who attached a small steam engine to a ‘boneshaker’ pedal cycle. It had solid rubber tires and a steel frame, and can be seen in the Smithsonian institution. Roper’s ‘steam velocipede’ had a range of 8 miles, just the distance from his home in Roxbury MA to the Boston Yacht Club, where he would refill with coal and water for the trip home. He was known to enjoy that trip regularly, and was thu