Motorcycle

A motorcycle or motorbike is any two-wheeled vehicle powered by an engine. Motorcycles are one of the cheapest and most widespread forms of motorized transport in many parts of the world. more...

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On a typical motorcycle, the operator sits astride the vehicle on a seat, with the hands on a set of handlebars and the feet supported by footpegs. When the bike is at rest, the rider puts one or both feet on the ground. Engine speed is controlled by twisting the throttle on the right handlebar grip with braking being controlled with a hand lever and foot pedal. Shifting of gear ratios is controlled by operating a foot lever with the clutch being operated by a hand lever. Steering is accomplished by moving the handlebars and leaning the bike.

History

The inspiration for the earliest dirt bike, and 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.

However, if one counts two wheels with steam propulsion as being a motorcycle, then the first one may have been American. One such machine was demonstrated at fairs and circuses in the eastern US in 1867, built by Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts.

In 1894, the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first motorcycle available for purchase. In the early period of motorcycle history there were many manufacturers as producers of bicycles adapted their designs for the new internal combustion engine. As the engines became more powerful and designs outgrew the bicycle origins, the number of motorcycle producers increased.

Until the First World War, the largest motorcycle manufacturer was Indian. After that, this honour went to Harley-Davidson, until 1928 when DKW took over as the largest manufacturer. BMW motorcycles came on the scene in 1923 with shaft drive and an opposed-twin or "boxer" engine enclosed with the transmission in a single aluminum housing.

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. Recent years have also seen a resurgence in the popularity of many other brands including BMW, Triumph and Ducati, and the emergence of Victory as a second successful mass-builder of big-twin American cruisers.

Technical Aspects

Construction

The construction of modern motorcycles has mostly standardized on the following key components.

Chassis

The chassis (or frame) of a motorcycle is typically made from welded aluminium or steel (or an alloy) struts, with the rear suspension being an integral component in the design. Carbon-fiber and titanium are used in a few very expensive custom frames.

Read more at Wikipedia.org