Outline of motorcycles and motorcycling

Outline of motorcycles and motorcycling
Triumph T110 650cc 1954
BMW's first motorcycle, the 1923-1925 R32

The following outline is provided as an overview of motorcycles and motorcycling:

Motorcycle – single-track, engine-powered,[1] two-wheeled[2] motor vehicle. It is also called a motorbike, bike, or cycle.

Motorcycling – act of riding a motorcycle, around which a variety of subcultures and lifestyles have built up.

Contents

Motorcycles

Nature of motorcycles

  • Legal definition of motorcycle – a powered two-wheel motor vehicle. Most countries distinguish between mopeds up to 49 cc (scooters do not count as a separate category) and the more powerful, larger, vehicles known as motorcycles. Many jurisdictions include some forms of three-wheelers as motorcycles.
  • Motorcycles can be described as all of the following:

Types of motorcycles

A 1969 Harley-Davidson chopper, a replica of the "Captain America" bike from Easy Rider.
Honda CB750 inline four, the first to be called a 'superbike',[3] and the archetypal Universal Japanese Motorcycle.
Main article: Types of motorcycles

Motorcycle design depends on the purpose for which they are used. The main types of motorcycle include:

  • Street motorcycle – designed for being ridden on paved roads. Features smooth tires with a light tread pattern and an engine generally in the 125 cc (7.6 cu in) and over range.
    • Cruiser – mimic the style of American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, including those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, Excelsior and Henderson. Models evocative of the early cruisers make up 60% of the U.S. market.
      • Bobber – usually has had the front fender removed, the rear fender "bobbed" or made smaller and all superfluous items removed to make it lighter.[4]
      • Chopper – has a longer frame design accompanied by a stretched front end (or rake). To achieve a longer front end, while the frame is being designed, the fabricator tilts the neck of the frame at less of an incline and installs a longer fork.
    • Sport bike – optimised for speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on paved roads,[5][6][7][8] typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy in comparison to less specialised motorcycles.[9][10]
      • Café racer:
        1. a type of motorcycle that has been modified for speed and good handling rather than comfort. Cafe racers' bodywork and control layout typically mimick the style of Grand Prix roadracers of the 50's or 60's, featuring an elongated fuel tank and small, rearward mounted, humped seat.
        2. a type of motorcyclist for whom classic/vintage British, German, Italian, or Japanese motorbikes from the 50s-to late 1970s is his or her bike of choice. In the 50's and 60's the term referred to bike riders of the race track.
      • Streetfighter – a sport bike that is customised by removing the fairing, with other changes that result in an overall more aggressive look.[11][12]
    • Touring motorcycle – designed for long-distance touring and heavy commuting. Although any motorcycle can be ridden to tour or commute, manufacturers provide specific models designed to address these particular needs.
      • Sport touring motorcycle – blends performance with long-distance capabilities while providing comfort and relative safety to the rider, and tend to include accessories, such as a trunk or saddlebags for storage, to enhance the touring experience.
    • Standard motorcycle – versatile, general purpose street motorcycle,[9] with an upright riding position.[8]
      • Universal Japanese motorcycle – Japanese motorcycle with a transverse air-cooled four-cylinder engine in a conventional tube frame with a dual seat, mostly made in the 1970s and early 1980s.
  • Custom motorcycle – unique or individually produced in a very limited quantity, as opposed to stock bikes which are mass produced. Is usually highly stylised or has an unusual frame geometry or engine design. Many styles including café racer, streetfighter, and chopper began as customized motorcycles before manufacturers mass produced bikes styled after popular custom machines.
  • Dual-sport motorcycle – type of street-legal motorcycle designed for both on and off-road use.
    • Enduro motorcycle – motorcycle made specifically for the Enduro sport, with the long travel and medium-hard suspension of a motocross bike enhanced with motorcycle features such as a headlight and quiet muffler to make the bike street-legal for parts of the track.
    • Motocross motorcycle –
    • Supermoto motorcycle –
  • Off-road motorcycle –
    • Motocross motorcycle –
    • Track racing motorcycle – customised for track racing, with no brakes and fueled with methanol.
    • Trials motorcycle – an extremely lightweight design, that lacks seating (designed to be ridden standing up) and that has suspension travel that is short, relative to a motocross or enduro motorcycle.
Honda Super Cub, the archetypal underbone and the world's best-selling motor vehicle.[13][14][15][16]
  • Small class
    • Minibike – sometimes called a mini moto or pocketbike, it is a miniature motorcycle. Most traditional minibikes use a two stroke engine to turn the rear wheel via a chain.
    • Mini chopper – mini choppers are scaled-down versions of choppers and are generally constructed from 1" steel tubing or 3/4" steel black pipe. The tube or pipe is bent and then welded together to get the desired angles and shapes of the frame, which is usually custom made.
    • Moped – a type of low-powered motorcycle designed to provide economical and relatively safe transport with minimal licensing requirements.
    • Pit bike – a small off-road motorcycle originally used for riding around the pits or staging area of a motocross race. Since the early 2000s pit bike racing, a sport similar to motocross, has become popular in the United States, especially in Southern California.
    • Scooter – a step-through motorcycle with a seat, a floorboard, and small or low wheels. Most modern scooter designs have swingarm-mounted engines.
    • Underbone – a step-through motorcycle with a structural downtube and conventionally-sized wheels, but without a floorboard.
  • Electric motorcycle – has an electric motor powered by one or more batteries or fuel cells.
  • Utility motorcycle
  • Other designs and variations
    • Derny – motorised bicycle for motor-paced cycling events
    • Feet forwards motorcycle – motorcycle on which the rider reclines with his feet positioned ahead of his body
    • Cabin cycle – vehicle with a hull that wraps around the basic bicycle or motorcycle design
    • Rat bike – motorcycle maintained for at little or no cost by employing kludge fixes
    • Motorised tricycle – motorcycle or scooter with three wheels

Motorcycle design

Main article: Motorcycle design

Parts of a motorcycle

Main article: Motorcycle components

Motorcycle repair and maintenance

History of motorcycles

Brough Superior SS 100 1925
Main article: Motorcycle history

Motorcycle pioneers

Lucius Copeland 1894

First motorcycle ride – it is generally accepted that the first motorcycle ride was by Gottlieb Daimler's son Paul on a new machine called 'Einspur' (One track) near Stuttgart in Germany on 10 November 1885.[18] Daimler followed many pioneering engineers and inventors, and many more followed him, including:

Motorcycle museums and exhibitions

There are a number of museums which feature collections of motorcycles, either as part of a larger exhibition of vehicles, or dedicated entirely to motorcycles as in the list below:

Motorcycle lists

  • Category:Lists of motorcycles
  • Category:Motorcycle sport lists
  • List of motorcycle manufacturers
  • List of British motorcycles by marque
  • List of Grand Prix motorcycles
  • List of motorcycles in The Art of the Motorcycle exhibition
  • List of motorcycles in the National Motor Museum, Beaulieu
  • List of motorcycles in the Smithsonian Institution

Motorcycling

Main article: Motorcycling

Motorcycle safety

Motorcycle safety equipment

Motorcycle accidents

Types of motorcycling

Motorcycle sport

FIM Motocross World Championship
Main articles: Motorcycle sport and :Category:Motorcycle sport

Riders have raced motorcycles for over a hundred years, with the first official competition recorded as the race from Paris to Rouen in July 1894. This was quickly followed by races all over Europe and the US. In 1907 the Isle of Man TT races took over 66 kilometres (41 mi) of the island's roads and has continued since.[18] Motorcycle sport now takes many different forms, including:

  • Enduro –
  • Freestyle Motocross –
  • Land speed – a single rider accelerates over a 1 to 3-mile (4.8 km) long straight track (usually on dry lake beds) and is timed for top speed through a trap at the end of the run. The rider must exceed the previous top speed record for that class or type of bike for their name to be placed on the record books.
  • Motoball (Motorcycle Polo) – similar to football, but all players (except goalkeepers) ride motorcycles, and the ball is much bigger.
  • Motorcycle Trials –
  • Motorcycle stunt riding

Motorcycle racing

Main article: Motorcycle racing

Motorcycle racing is a motorcycle sport involving racing motorcycles. Types of motorcycle racing include:

Motorcycle clubs and organisations

Main articles: Motorcycle club and List of motorcycle clubs

Although motorcycling can be a solitary form of transport, there are clubs for almost every aspect, including charities, social clubs, criminal or outlaw clubs, lobby groups that guard against restrictive legislation, and specialist clubs for specific makes or types of motorcycle.[18] Examples include:

Motorcycling organisations

Logo of the British Motorcyclists Federation

Motorcycle clubs

Notable motorcyclists

Joey Dunlop on his Honda RC30 ready for the Senior TT

Motorcycling in the media

Motorcycle television programmes, both drama and documentary, include:

Notable books about motorcycling include:

Motorcycling lists

See also

References

  1. ^ Foale, Tony (2006). Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design. Tony Foale Designs. pp. 4–1. ISBN 978-84-933286-3-4. 
  2. ^ Cossalter, Vittore (2006). Motorcycle Dynamics. Lulu. ISBN 978-1-4303-0861-4. 
  3. ^ "The Dawn of the Superbike: Honda's Remarkable CB750", AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame (American Motorcyclist Association), http://www.motorcyclemuseum.org/exhibits/superbikes/CB750/CB750.asp, retrieved 2010-02-20 
  4. ^ Art of the Bobber by Spencer Drate, Judith Salavetz, Alex Mardikian - 2006
  5. ^ Hough, David L. (2003), More Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well (2nd ed.), USA: BowTie Press, p. 253, ISBN 1931993033, http://books.google.com/?id=Z51FAQAACAAJ, "sportbike: a motorcycle designed for aggressive performance, especially cornering" 
  6. ^ "sport bike n.", The Oxford English Dictionary OED Online (2nd ed.), Oxford University Press, 1989, http://dictionary.oed.com/cgi/entry/50234330, retrieved 2010-06-04, "…(b) a powerful, lightweight motorcycle, designed for optimal speed and handling" 
  7. ^ McCraw, Jim (July 2005), "About That Bike…", Popular Mechanics (Hearst Magazines) 182 (7): 68–70, ISSN 0032-4558, http://books.google.com/?id=ZNEDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA68, retrieved 2010-06-04 
  8. ^ a b Domino, Kevin (2009), The Perfect Motorcycle: How to Choose, Find and Buy the Perfect New Or Used Bike, 671 Press, pp. 50–51, 70, ISBN 0982173334 
  9. ^ a b Maher, Kevin; Greisler, Ben (1998), Chilton's Motorcycle Handbook, Haynes North America, p. 2-11–2-12, ISBN 0801990998 
  10. ^ Bennett, Jim (1995), The Complete Motorcycle Book: A Consumer's Guide, Facts on File, pp. 15–16, 19–25, ISBN 0816028990 
  11. ^ Wallis, Michael; Clark, Marian (2004), Hogs on 66: Best Feed and Hangouts for Road Trips on Route 66, Council Oak Books, ISBN 1571781404, 9781571781406, http://books.google.com/?id=4b_qJyw-ZX8C, "Streetfighter -- Also known as a 'hooligan' cycle, this is a sports-bike stripped of all superfluous bodywork." 
  12. ^ Doeden, Matt; Leonard, Joe (2007), Choppers, Lerner Publications, ISBN 0822572885, 9780822572886, http://books.google.com/?id=7wDcbl-UsmYC&pg=PA46, "streetfighter: a type of superbike customised for maximum speed and performance." 
  13. ^ Cumulative Global Production of Cub Series Motorcycles Reaches 60 Million Units (press release), Honda, 821 May 2008, http://world.honda.com/news/2008/c080521Cub-Series/, retrieved 2010-10-31 
  14. ^ "Honda Sells Its 60 Millionth – Yes, Millionth – Super Cub", Wired, 23 May 2008, http://blog.wired.com/cars/2008/05/honda-sells-its.html, retrieved 2010-10-31 
  15. ^ "That's 2.5 billion cc!", American Motorcyclist (Westerville, Ohio: American Motorcyclist Association): 24, May 2006, ISSN 0277-9358, http://books.google.com/books?id=qvUDAAAAMBAJ&pg=PA24, retrieved 2010-10-31 
  16. ^ Edstrom, Christian (November 30, 2007), "To Save the Polar Bears, Ride a Cub", New York Times 
  17. ^ "Chassis". motorcycle-glossary.com. http://motorcycle-glossary.com/chassis/36. Retrieved 2007-07-03. 
  18. ^ a b c Brown, Roland (2002). Classic Motorcycles. Joanna Lorenz. ISBN 1 84038 433 6. 
  19. ^ "The Wild One". http://www.falconmotorcycles.com/blog/falcon-blog/65-movie-review-mondays/177-40-of-the-best-motorcycle-movies-of-all-time-the-wild-one.html. Retrieved 16 October 2010. 
  20. ^ Timothy Shary; Alexandra Seibel (2007). Youth culture in global cinema. University of Texas Press. p. 17. 

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