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A Ural motorcycle with sidecar






19th century: the first motorcycles[edit]

Experimentation and invention[edit]

Replica of the Daimler-Maybach Petroleum Reitwagen.

The first internal combustion, petroleum fueled motorcycle was the Petroleum Reitwagen. It was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt, Germany in 1885.[11] This vehicle was unlike either the safety bicycles or the boneshaker bicycles of the era in that it had zero degrees of steering axis angle and no fork offset, and thus did not use the principles of bicycle and motorcycle dynamics developed nearly 70 years earlier. Instead, it relied on two outrigger wheels to remain upright while turning.[12] The inventors called their invention the Reitwagen ("riding car"). It was designed as an expedient testbed for their new engine, rather than a true prototype vehicle.[13][14] Many authorities who exclude steam powered, electric or diesel two-wheelers from the definition of a motorcycle, credit the Daimler Reitwagen as the world's first motorcycle.[15][16][17]

If a two-wheeled vehicle with steam propulsion is considered a motorcycle, then the first was the French Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede of 1868.[13][14] This was followed by the American Roper steam velocipede of 1869, built by Sylvester H. Roper Roxbury, Massachusetts.[13][14] Roper demonstrated his machine at fairs and circuses in the eastern U.S. in 1867,[11] and built a total of 10 examples.[17]

Beginnings of mass production[edit]

In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first series production motorcycle, and the first to be called a motorcycle (German: Motorrad).[13][14][17][18]


20th century[edit]

Until World War I, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian,[19][20] producing over 20,000 bikes per year.[21] By 1920, this honour went to Harley-Davidson,[citation needed] with their motorcycles being sold by dealers in 67 countries.[22][23] By the late 1920s or early 1930s, DKW took over as the largest manufacturer.[24][25][26]






21st century[edit]

In the 21st century, the motorcycle industry is mainly dominated by Japanese companies. In addition to the large capacity motorcycles, there is a large market in smaller capacity (less than 300 cc) motorcycles, mostly concentrated in Asian and African countries. An example is the 1958 Honda Super Cub, which went on to become the biggest selling vehicle of all time, with its 60 millionth unit produced in April 2008.[30] Today, this area is dominated by mostly Indian companies with Hero MotoCorp emerging as the world's largest manufacturer of two wheelers. Its Splendor model has sold more than 8.5 million to date.[31] Other major producers are Bajaj and TVS Motors.[32]


Number of motorcycles vs number of cars by country. Size of pie indicates population. 2002 estimates.[9][10]
Millions of cars (light blue) and motorcycles (dark blue) in the top 20 countries with the most motorcycles. Population in red. 2002 estimates.[9][10]
Motorbikes are the primary form of transportation in Vietnam.


The four largest motorcycle markets in the world are all in Asia: China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam.[3][34] The motorcycle is also popular in Brazil's frontier towns.[5] Amid the global economic downturn of 2008, the motorcycle market grew by 6.5%.[35]

Recent years have seen an increase in the popularity of motorcycles elsewhere. In the USA, registrations increased by 51% between 2000 and 2005.[36] This is mainly attributed to increasing fuel prices and urban congestion.[37] A Consumer Reports subscribers' survey of mainly United States motorcycle and scooter owners reported that they rode an average of only 1,000 miles (1,600 km) per year, 82% for recreation and 38% for commuting.[38] Americans put 10,000–12,000 miles (16,000–19,000 km) per year on their cars and light trucks.[39]

As motorcyclists age, there is a tendency for riders to choose touring bikes over sports bikes.[40]


Milk delivery in Karnal, India

While people choose to ride motorcycles for various reasons, those reasons are increasingly practical, with riders opting for a powered two-wheeler as a cost-efficient alternative to infrequent and expensive public transport systems, or as a means of avoiding or reducing the effects of urban congestion.[41] In places where it is permitted, lane splitting, also known as filtering, allows motorcycles to use the space between vehicles to move through stationary or slow traffic.[42]

In the UK, motorcycles are exempt from the £10 per day London congestion charge other vehicles must pay to enter the city during the day. Motorcycles are also exempt from toll charges at some river crossings, such as the Severn Bridge, Dartford Crossing, and Mersey Tunnels. Some cities, such as Bristol, allow motorcycles to use bus lanes and provide dedicated free parking. In the United States, those states that have high-occupancy vehicle lanes also allow for motorcycle travel in them in accordance with federal law,[43] in addition to a reduced fee on certain toll roads. Other countries have similar policies.

In New Zealand, motorcycle riders are not required to pay for parking that is controlled by a barrier arm;[44] the arm does not occupy the entire width of the lane, and the motorcyclist simply rides around it.[45] Many car parks controlled in this way supply special areas for motorcycles to park, so as not to unnecessarily consume spaces.


Technical aspects[edit]




Fuel economy[edit]

Motorcycle fuel economy varies greatly with engine displacement and riding style[46] ranging from a low of 29 mpg-US (8.1 L/100 km; 35 mpg-imp) reported by a Honda VTR1000F rider,[47] to 107 mpg-US (2.20 L/100 km; 129 mpg-imp) reported for the Verucci Nitro 50 cc scooter.[48] A specially designed Matzu Matsuzawa Honda XL125 achieved 470 mpg-US (0.50 L/100 km; 560 mpg-imp) "on real highways – in real conditions."[49] Due to low engine displacements (100 cc–200 cc), and high power-to-mass ratios, motorcycles offer good fuel economy. Under conditions of fuel scarcity like 1950s Britain and modern developing nations, motorcycles claim large shares of the vehicle market.

Electric motorcycles[edit]



A 2013 survey of 4,424 readers of the US Consumer Reports magazine collected reliability data on 4,680 motorcycles purchased new from 2009 to 2012.[50] The most common problem areas were accessories, brakes, electrical (including starters, charging, ignition), and fuel systems, and the types of motorcycles with the greatest problems were touring, off road/dual sport, sport-touring, and cruisers.[50] There were not enough sport bikes in the survey for a statistically significant conclusion, though the data hinted at reliability as good as cruisers.[50] These results may be partially explained by accessories including such equipment as fairings, luggage, and auxiliary lighting, which are frequently added to touring, adventure touring/dual sport and sport touring bikes.[51] Trouble with fuel systems is often the result of improper winter storage, and brake problems may also be due to poor maintenance.[50] Of the five brands with enough data to draw conclusions, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha were statistically tied, with 11 to 14% of those bikes in the survey experiencing major repairs.[50] Harley-Davidsons had a rate of 24%, while BMWs did worst, with 30% of those needing major repairs.[50] There were not enough Triumph and Suzuki motorcycles surveyed for a statistically sound conclusion, though it appeared Suzukis were as reliable as the other three Japanese brands while Triumphs were comparable to Harley-Davidson and BMW.[50] Three fourths of the repairs in the survey cost less than US$ 200 and two thirds of the motorcycles were repaired in less than two days.[50] In spite of their relatively worse reliability in this survey, Harley-Davidson and BMW owners showed the greatest owner satisfaction, and three fourths of them said they would buy the same bike again, followed by 72% of Honda owners and 60 to 63% of Kawasaki and Yamaha owners.[50]


Racing motorcycles leaning in a turn.

Different types of motorcycles have different dynamics and these play a role in how a motorcycle performs in given conditions. For example, one with a longer wheelbase provides the feeling of more stability by responding less to disturbances.[52] Motorcycle tyres have a large influence over handling.

Motorcycles must be leaned in order to make turns. This lean is induced by the method known as countersteering, in which the rider momentarily steers the handlebars in the direction opposite of the desired turn. Because it is counter-intuitive this practice is often very confusing to novices – and even to many experienced motorcyclists.[53]





Motorcycles have a higher rate of fatal accidents than automobiles or trucks and buses. United States Department of Transportation data for 2005 from the Fatality Analysis Reporting System show that for passenger cars, 18.62 fatal crashes occur per 100,000 registered vehicles. For motorcycles this figure is higher at 75.19 per 100,000 registered vehicles – four times higher than for cars.[54] The same data shows that 1.56 fatalities occur per 100 million vehicle miles travelled for passenger cars, whereas for motorcycles the figure is 43.47–28 times higher than for cars (37 times more deaths per mile travelled in 2007).[55] Furthermore for motorcycles the accident rates have increased significantly since the end of the 1990s, while the rates have dropped for passenger cars.

Wearing a motorcycle helmet reduces the risks of death or injury in a motorcycle crash

The two major causes of motorcycle accidents in the United States are: motorists pulling out or turning in front of motorcyclists and violating their rights-of-way, and motorcyclists running wide through turns. The former is sometimes called a SMIDSY, an acronym formed from the motorists' common response of "Sorry mate, I didn't see you".[56] The latter is more commonly caused by operating a motorcycle while intoxicated.[57] Motorcyclists can anticipate and avoid some of these crashes with proper training, increasing their conspicuousness to other traffic, and not consuming alcohol or drugs before riding.[58]



An MSF rider course for novices


In the UK and some Australian jurisdictions, such as Victoria, New South Wales,[60] the Australian Capital Territory,[61] Tasmania[62] and the Northern Territory,[63] it is compulsory to undertake a rider training course before being issued a Learners Licence.



A boulevard cruiser (front) and a sportbike (background)
French gendarme motorcyclist




Motorcycle rider postures[edit]


  • Standard – the rider sits upright or leans forward slightly. The feet are below the rider. These are motorcycles that are not specialised to one task, so they do not excel in any particular area.[66][67] The standard posture is used with touring and commuting as well as dirt and dual-sport bikes, and may offer advantages for beginners.[68]


Legal definitions and restrictions[edit]


Environmental impact[edit]

In 2007 and 2008, motorcycles and scooters, due to good fuel efficiency, attracted interest in the United States from environmentalists and those affected by increased fuel prices.[71][72] Piaggio Group Americas supported this interest with the launch of a "Vespanomics" website and platform, citing lower per-mile carbon emissions of 0.4 lb/mile (113 g/km) less than the average car, a 65% reduction, and better fuel economy.[73]

Other sources, however, claim that while motorcycles produce much less pollution in terms of greenhouse gases, a motorcycle can in some cases emit 10–20 times the quantity of nitrogen oxides (NOx) when compared to the NOx emissions of a car.[71][74] This is because many motorcycles lack a catalytic converter to reduce NOx emissions, and while catalytic converters have been used in cars long enough that they are now commonplace, they are a relatively new technology in motorcycles.[71] Many newer motorcycles (such as later models of the Yamaha R1 and Suzuki GSXR1000, as well as most BMWs which have included catalytic converters since the 1990s) now have factory fitted catalytic converters. Along with other technologies that have taken longer to appear in motorcycles (e.g. fuel injection, anti-lock brake systems),[citation needed] catalytic converters are becoming increasingly commonplace.

United States Environmental Protection Agency 2007 certification result reports for all vehicles versus on highway motorcycles (which also includes scooters),[75] the average certified emissions level for 12,327 vehicles tested was 0.734. The average "Nox+Co End-Of-Useful-Life-Emissions" for 3,863 motorcycles tested was 0.8531, for a difference of about 16%, not the claimed 10X factor. Likewise, if one looks at how many of the 2007 motorcycles tested were also catalytic equipped, 54% of them, 2,092, were equipped with a catalytic converter.

United States emissions limits[edit]

The following table shows maximum acceptable legal emissions of the combination of hydrocarbon and nitrous oxides, as well as carbon monoxide, for new Class III motorcycles (280 cc or larger displacement) sold in the United States.[76]

Tier 1 2006–2009 1.4 12.0
Tier 2 2010 and later 0.8 12.0


2006 and later 1.0 12.0


European emission standards for motorcycles are similar to those for cars. New motorcycles must meet Euro III standards,[77] while cars must meet Euro V standards. Therefore, the difference in total pollution between motorcycles and cars that pass European emission standards would be small, certainly much smaller than the 10X factor claimed by the referenced LA Times article. Motorcycle emissions controls are being updated and it has been proposed to update to Euro IV in 2012 and Euro V in 2015.[78]

See also[edit]


  7. ^ [1]
  8. ^ [2]
  9. ^ a b c "Passenger Cars; Map No. 31". Worldmapper: The world as you've never seen it before. 2002.  See Technical notes for this data
  10. ^ a b c "Mopeds And Motorcycles Map No. 32". Worldmapper: The world as you've never seen it before. 2002.  See data files for the statistics
  28. ^ "Rupert Hollaus". Motorsport Memorial. Retrieved 3 April 2008. 
  34. ^
  45. ^ "Motorcycle parking in Wellington CBD". Retrieved 28 January 2010. 
  48. ^ "Verucci Gas Scooters". Gekgo Worldwide, Retrieved 15 August 2006. 
  49. ^ "Doing More with Less Energy". The Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Contests – 1980 through 1985. Retrieved 15 August 2006. 
  52. ^ Gaetano, Cocco (2004). Motorcycle Design and Technology. Minneapolis: MotorBooks/MBI Publishing Company. pp. 34–35. ISBN 978-0-7603-1990-1. "So with the same disturbance, the rider with a longer wheelbase will feel less oscilating movement on the handlebars, and therefore, will have a perception of greater stability on the motorcycle." 
  70. ^ a b c Susan Carpenter (11 June 2008). "Motorcycles and emissions: The surprising facts". LA Times. Retrieved 8 August 2008. 
  75. ^ a b "EPA Emissions Regulations for 1978 and Later New Motorcycles, General Provisions". United States Environmental Protection Agency. Retrieved on 1 June 2009. 

External links[edit]