The
1894 Hildebrand & Wolfmuller motorcycle that recently sold at a Bonhams auction for $209,000 proves that old-school motorcyclists were built of something more than we are today.
In 1894 this motorcycle was direct drive. The connecting rods for the Hildebrand’s pistons were connected directly to the rear wheel, and it has no clutch. The faded white bands on the frame? Those are rubber bands that helped yank the pistons back on the return stroke.
