What Is the Oldest Motorcycle Brand?

Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, making bikes since 1901. Historically, the first series-production motorcycle brand was Germany’s Hildebrand & Wolfmüller (1894–1897, now defunct), while Peugeot Motocycles began building motorized two‑wheelers in 1898 and still exists—mostly producing scooters today. The answer depends on whether you mean “first ever,” “oldest surviving,” or “oldest in continuous production.”

How “Oldest” Is Defined in Motorcycling

Motorcycling history is full of early experiments, short-lived marques, and brands that went dormant for decades before being revived. That’s why “oldest motorcycle brand” can mean different things: the first brand to mass-produce motorcycles, the oldest brand still operating today, or the brand with the longest unbroken production run.

Royal Enfield: Oldest Brand in Continuous Production (1901–present)

Royal Enfield’s claim rests on uninterrupted manufacture of motorcycles since 1901, beginning in Redditch, England, and continuing today from India under Eicher Motors. The brand spans from early “motor-bicycles” to modern global sellers like the Bullet, Classic 350, and Himalayan.

Below is a concise timeline that highlights how Royal Enfield’s production continuity took shape.

• 1901: First Royal Enfield motorized bicycle appears in the UK.
• 1932: The Bullet name debuts; it evolves into one of the world’s longest-running motorcycle model lines.
• 1955: Enfield India (now Royal Enfield India) begins licensed production in Madras (Chennai).
• 1970: UK factory ceases; production continues in India without a break.
• 1994–present: Eicher Motors stewardship modernizes the brand; global expansion accelerates in the 2010s–2020s.

Taken together, these milestones explain why historians and the company describe Royal Enfield as the world’s oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, even though manufacturing shifted from Britain to India.

The First Production Motorcycle Brand: Hildebrand & Wolfmüller (1894–1897)

Well before most household names, Munich engineers Heinrich and Wilhelm Hildebrand and Alois Wolfmüller launched the first series-production, internal‑combustion motorcycle in 1894. Their “Motorrad” introduced the very term Germans still use for motorcycles. Production ended within a few years, after only hundreds of units, but the brand’s pioneering status is undisputed—even though it did not survive.

Other Early Pioneers Often Cited

Several venerable marques shaped the early landscape. Some are still active, some paused and later revived, and others disappeared entirely. Here are notable examples and why they matter in the “oldest” discussion.

• Peugeot Motocycles (1898–present): Among the oldest surviving two‑wheeler manufacturers; early motorcycles used De Dion-Bouton engines. Today the brand focuses largely on scooters, with continuity through changing ownership (most recently a majority stake sold to Mutares in 2023 under a licensing deal).
• Indian (1901; revived): Founded as Hendee Manufacturing in 1901, Indian became a U.S. giant but ceased production in 1953; after several revivals, Polaris relaunched the brand in the 2010s. Not continuous.
• Triumph (1902; modern company from 1983): Early British stalwart; original firm collapsed, and Triumph Motorcycles Ltd (Hinckley) re-established the brand. Not continuous from 1902.
• Harley‑Davidson (1903–present): Continuous production since 1903, making it one of the oldest continuously operating motorcycle manufacturers.
• Husqvarna (1903–present): Began in Sweden; the motorcycle brand persists today under Pierer Mobility (Austria), best known for off-road and street models.
• Excelsior, Matchless, AJS, BSA (late 1890s–early 1900s origins): Historically important British names; most ceased or were later revived as niche or licensing ventures, breaking continuity.

These examples show why different sources sometimes name different “oldest” brands: some prioritize founding date, others continuous motorcycle production, and others the brand’s uninterrupted corporate lineage.

Why the Confusion Persists

The motorcycle industry’s early years were fluid, with companies evolving from bicycle makers, sharing engines, and frequently merging, folding, or shifting countries. The term “motorcycle” itself also widened to include mopeds and scooters—raising questions about whether a brand focused today on scooters, like Peugeot, should be counted alongside big-bike manufacturers when declaring an “oldest motorcycle brand.”

Summary

Royal Enfield is the oldest motorcycle brand in continuous production, building bikes since 1901. The very first production motorcycle brand was Hildebrand & Wolfmüller (1894–1897), which did not survive. Peugeot Motocycles predates Royal Enfield in two‑wheeler manufacturing (1898) and continues today, largely in scooters. Which brand is “oldest” depends on whether you value first production, survival, or unbroken motorcycle manufacturing above all else.

Which motorcycle is older, Indian or Harley?

Hedstrom would soon build the prototype-no longer was Indian Motorcycle® a bicycle-the first Indian Motorcycle® was produced in 1901, at a time when William S. Harley-Davidson® was still working on his engine design and vision-which would not come to fruition and completion until 1903.

What is the oldest MC still active?

The oldest active motorcycle club is the Yonkers Motorcycle Club, founded in 1903 in New York, which was officially recognized as the world’s oldest by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office in 2019. The club was chartered by the AMA as its sixth member and continues to operate as a 501(c)(3) public charity, giving back to the Yonkers community.
 
Key Details: 

• Name: Yonkers Motorcycle Club (YMC)
• Founded: 1903
• Location: Yonkers, New York
• Status: Oldest active motorcycle club in the world
• Recognition: Officially recognized by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on June 11, 2019
• Activities: Operates as a 501(c)(3) public charity, contributing to the local community

Which company is older, Triumph or Royal Enfield?

The new company, initially Bonneville Coventry Ltd, ensured that Triumph has produced motorcycles since 1902, winning it the title of the world’s second longest continuous production motorcycle manufacturer, one year behind Royal Enfield.

What company made the first motorcycle?

Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach made the first gasoline-powered motorcycle, the “Reitwagen,” in 1885, though steam-powered prototypes existed before it. The Daimler Reitwagen was a wooden “bicycle” with an internal combustion engine and is considered the first successful gasoline motorcycle, laying the groundwork for the modern industry.
 
The Daimler Reitwagen

• Inventors: Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, with a design by Nicolaus Otto for the four-stroke engine. 
• Year: 1885. 
• Description: A wooden bicycle frame with a one-cylinder gasoline engine and a system of training wheels for stability. 
• Significance: While not a practical vehicle, its success in using a gasoline engine to power a two-wheeled vehicle was a groundbreaking step for personal motorized transport and the future of motorcycles. 

Precursors 

• Steam-powered vehicles: Before Daimler’s invention, there were steam-powered two-wheeled machines like the Michaux-Perreaux and Roper velocipedes developed in the late 1860s and 1884, but they did not feature internal combustion engines.

Evolution of Motorcycles 

• Hildebrand & Wolfmüller: Opens in new tabA few years after the Reitwagen, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller produced the first motorcycle in series production in 1894.
• DeDion-Buton: Opens in new tabIn 1895, the French firm DeDion-Buton built an engine that made mass production and wider use of motorcycles possible.