The Steam Bicycle

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:1884_Copeland_Steam_Cycle_%28replica%29_The_Art_of_the_Motorcycle_-_Memphis.jpg
Image: Wikimedia Commons

Visitors to Arizona’s Maricopa County Fair saw a surprising demonstration in 1884 — local inventor Lucius Copeland had added a steam engine to a bicycle to create a new vehicle that could travel 15 miles in an hour.

He sought funding for his idea but couldn’t summon enough public interest. It’s now recognized as one of the first motorcycles.