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The 1894 Roper Steam Motorcycle - one of the world's oldest bikes - is expected to establish a new world record for a motorcycle sold at auction next January in Las Vegas.

The machine - a curious hybrid between a boiler and a bicycle - may deceive us with its clumsy appearance but it had a top speed of 40mph.

Roper's visionary design features a compact rectangular boiler with a water tank directly located over it, burner and grate, and a small steam engine on the right side of the frame of a Columbia bicycle without pedals. The piston rods are connected to cranks on the rear wheel axle.

Roper's controls are located on the handlebars,like in modern motorbikes. The rider can accelerate by turning the grip on the handles that act as the throttle.

Besides the 1894 Roper Steam Motorcycle - which is expected to break the £300,000 world record for a motorbike sold at auction held by a 1915 Cyclone Board Track Racer - the multi-day auction will feature over 400 collector motorcycles.

"We're delighted to have been selected to present this historic and pioneering motorcycle at our inaugural Las Vegas sale in January. A significant piece of Americana, it is arguably one of the world's most important motorcycles," said Glenn Bator, Head of Auctions America by RM's Vintage Motorcycle Division.

"Not only was it one of the very first motorcycles, but it was involved in the first ever motorcycle accident," he added.

In fact, inventor Sylvester H. Roper from Massachusetts died while riding his own creation in a bicycle track on 1 June 1896. He made several laps overtaking even professional cyclists who could not keep up with the steam powered machine when he wobbled and then fall on the track, suffering a head wound.

The cause of death was found to be heart failure, although it is unknown if the crash was the cause of the stress on his heart, or if it was all the way round.

Following Roper's death the bike went through a number of owners who displayed it to the public in several American museums until it was bought by its current owner in 1996.

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