Motorcycle Order from East Java Shocks European Factory

An order for a motorcycle from East Java once shocked a factory in Europe. This was because the order came from a factory worker in Probolinggo, East Java, who became the first motorcycle owner in Indonesia. The factory worker was named John Charles Matthew Potter. Potter was a British citizen who sought his fortune in Indonesia by working as a factory worker in Probolinggo. In Indonesia, he initially worked as a machinist for a sugar factory for many years. However, he gradually transitioned to becoming a technician who repaired sugar factory machinery. The newspaper de Indische Courant (4 August 1938) reported that Potter was known as a diligent and skilled figure because he managed to modernise many sugar factories. From this work, he earned a considerable amount of money. Potter then used the money to bring a motorcycle from Germany to Indonesia. Potter bought the motorcycle directly from the factory, Hildebrand und Wolfmüller, for 1,000 gulden or the equivalent of US$500, in 1893. The motorcycle’s specifications included a 1,500 cc capacity and the ability to reach speeds of up to 45 km/h. Abdul Hakim in Jakarta Tempo Doeloe (2001) stated that Potter’s motorcycle order surprised the Hildebrand und Wolfmüller factory because it was the first time they had received an order from outside Europe. Moreover, the delivery location in East Java was completely unknown to the factory. Even so, the factory still sent the motorcycle to Potter. When it arrived in Indonesia, the motorcycle made history as the first motorised vehicle in the country besides trains. ‘Mr Potter, technical advisor to the Noll firm, was the first person to introduce motorcycle and car technology,’ wrote De Locomotief (12 July 1901). The existence of Potter’s motorcycle became a major attraction for people who, for hundreds of years, had only seen horse-drawn carriages and trains. Especially after obtaining permission from the government, Potter frequently rode his two-wheeled vehicle on public roads. The presence of the first motorcycle attracted the interest of the richest person in Java, Pakubuwana X, to own a similar item. However, history records that the Javanese king did not buy a motorcycle, but rather a car, which became the first four-wheeled vehicle in Indonesia. The arrival of the first car in 1894 occurred thanks to Potter’s efforts as an intermediary. He is recorded as having helped bring cars and motorcycles from Europe to Indonesia that were purchased by many wealthy individuals. Thanks to Potter’s efforts, cars and motorcycles gradually replaced animal-powered transportation in Indonesia. The symbol of wealth also shifted from horse-drawn carriage ownership to motorcycles or cars. It did not take long for the popularity of motorcycles and cars to soar. Both proved to be very important modes of transport because they could reach areas not served by railway lines. J. Stroomberg in Hindia Belanda 1930 (2017) recorded that by 1928 there were already 40,154 cars and 10,505 motorcycles throughout the archipelago.