The Motorcycle - In The Beginning [Click an image for large view, all open in new window]

 

Maybach Reitwagen. Where was the motorcycle or motorbike born? A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. Styles of motorcycles vary depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions. Increasingly now with the price of fuel in many parts of the world, motorcycles are among the least expensive and most popular forms of motorized transport.

 

 

Opinions vary but, arguably, the first motorcycle was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt (since 1905 a city district of Stuttgart) in 1885. The first petroleum-powered vehicle, it was essentially a motorised bicycle, although the inventors called their invention the Reitwagen ("riding car"). However, if a two-wheeled vehicle with steam propulsion is considered a motorcycle, then the first one may have well been designed and built in America. One such machine was demonstrated at fairs and circuses in the eastern U.S. in 1867, built by Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts.

 

 

1913 Fabrique National in-line four

with shaft drive from Belgium. Motorcycles go commercial! In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first motorcycle available for purchase. In the early period of motorcycle history, many producers of bicycles adapted their designs to accommodate the new internal combustion engine. As the engines became more powerful, and designs outgrew the bicycle origins, the number of motorcycle producers increased.

 

 

Pre-war Polish

Sokół 1000. Until the First World War, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian, producing over 20,000 bikes per year. By 1920, this honor went to Harley-Davidson, with their motorcycles being sold by dealers in 67 countries. In 1928, DKW took over as the largest manufacturer.

 

 

After the Second World War, the BSA Group became the largest producer of motorcycles in the world, producing up to 75,000 bikes per year in the 1950s. The German company NSU Motorenwerke AG held the position of largest manufacturer from 1955 until the 1970s.

 

 

 

NSU and Moto-Guzzi were leaders in the of this development both producing very radical next generation designs well ahead of their time.NSU produced the most advanced design, but due to the deaths of four NSU riders in the 1954–1956 seasons, they abandoned any further development and quit Grand Prix racing. Moto-Guzzi produced competitive race machines, and by 1957 nearly all the GP races were being won by these new streamlined machines.

 

 

Historic 1941 Crocker. From the 1960s through the 1990s, small two-stroke motorcycles [partly as a result of East German Walter Kaaden's engine work in the 1950s] were introduced and marketed and quickly became popular worldwide.

 

 

Today, the Japanese manufacturers, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha dominate the motorcycle industry, although Harley-Davidson still maintains a high degree of popularity in the United States for serious riders who prefer a prestige motorcycle. Recent years have also seen a resurgence in the popularity of several other brands sold in the U.S. market, including BMW, KTM, Triumph, Aprilia, Moto-Guzzi, MV Agusta and Ducati. Outside of the USA, these brands have enjoyed continued and sustained success, although Triumph, for example, has been re-incarnated from its former self into a modern world-class manufacturer.

 

In overall numbers, however, the Chinese currently manufacture and sell more motorcycles than any other country and exports are rising. The quality of these machines is asserted by some to be somewhat lower than their Japanese, European and American counterparts, but for many others, price rules and the Chinese made bikes are priced extremely competitive.

 

Lets not forget the ever popular 'Motor scooter'. The small-capacity scooter is increasingly popular through most of the world, especially throughout Europe. The Piaggio group of Italy, for example, is one of the world's largest producers of two-wheeled vehicles. The scooter culture has, as yet, not been adopted widely in North America.

• Wikipedia.org
• Photos by Jeff Dean Wikipedia.org
• American Motorcyclist Association - the governing body for motorcycle sport in the U.S. The AMA lobbies for the rights of motorcyclists through the AMA-PAC.
• Fédération Internationale de Motocyclisme - the governing body for international motorcycle sport. The FIM also lobbies for the rights and interests of motorcyclists.
• Motorcycle Glossary - definitions of motorcycle terms
• Motorcycle Safety Foundation - an internationally recognised developer of comprehensive, research-based, motorcycle rider education and training.
• Motorcycles at the Open Directory Project