Riding in Style: The History of the Motorcycle
In 1867, Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts took the idea of a bicycle and added propulsion. This machine, demonstrated at fairs across the eastern United States, was soon copied by a pair of German inventors. Called the Reitwagen, Daimler and Maybach’s motorized bicycle was powered by petroleum?while not truly a motorcycle, their invention served as its first inspiration and design.
From Peddles to Propulsion
Hildebrand and Wolfmuller offered the first motorcycle for purchase in 1894, a design that accommodated the new internal combustion engine. Through World War I, the largest manufacturers were located in India, producing well over 20,000 bikes per year. However, in 1920, Harley-Davidson, a down-home American company, stole the title'their cycles were sold by dealers in 67 countries. Over the years, however, many other companies, and many other countries, joined the ranks of motorcycle production, including Germany, England and, most recently, Japan.
For the most part, a motorcycle can fall into one of two categories'street and off-road (although there are some dual-purpose bikes offered that can perform off-road while still remaining street legal). Different manufacturers excel at different styles of bikes?while Harley-Davidson popularized the chopper and cruiser, Kawasaki and other Japanese companies are unsurpassed in racing performance.
Choppers are some of the most popular street bikes. Many are crafted more for show than for riding'the paint jobs are wild, and the frames are often so highly-customized that they are unsafe. Cruisers are designed for comfort and relaxation, with reclined seats and substantial chrome finishes, and many can even be used for touring. Scooters, mini-bikes and mopeds are motorcycle hybrids that are ineffective, but offer at least minimal motorized transportation.
Aside from choppers and the other large bikes, sport bikes are another large group of popular cycles. Designed for maximum performance, a sport motorcycle is designed for speed. While racing bikes are built for circuit or road racing, street customs are built for show. While constructed from sport bike frames instead of cruiser frames, street customs are often just as impractical?wild paint jobs and bizarre configurations outnumber any safety factors or useful adaptations.
An off-road motorcycle is often referred to as a dirt bike. Not street legal, these bikes are designed for racing on courses with jumps over varied terrain, usually a combination of gravel, mud and sand. Motorcross bikes, supermotos and trials cycles all fit into this category. A trials motorcycle usually has no seat, as they are designed purely for stunt capability and offer the rider increased freedom for body positioning and tricks.
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