The term moped originally referred to a type of small motorcycle with both a motorcycle engine and bicycle pedals, generally having a less stringent licensing requirement than full motorcycles or automobiles. The term is now often used to mean a similar vehicle except with no pedals. Mopeds typically travel only a bit faster than bicycles on public roads. Mopeds are distinguished from scooters in that the latter tend to be more powerful and subject to more regulation.
A chopper is a type of custom motorcycle which emerged in California in the late 1950s. The chopper is perhaps the most extreme of all custom styles, often using radically modified steering angles and lengthened forks for a stretched-out appearance. They can be built from an original motorcycle which is modified ("chopped") or built from scratch. Some of the characteristic features of choppers are long front ends with extended forks often coupled with an increased rake angle, hardtail frames, very tall "ape hanger" or very short "drag" handlebars, lengthened or stretched frames, and larger than stock front wheels. The "sissy bar", a set of tubes that connect the rear fender with the frame, and which are often extended several feet high, is a signature feature on many choppers.
The Honda Super Cub or Honda Cub is a Honda underbone motorcycle with a four-stroke single-cylinder engine ranging in displacement from 49 to 124 cc.
A minibike is a two wheeled, off-highway recreational vehicle popularized in the 1960s and 1970s, but available continuously from a wide variety of manufacturers since 1959. Traditionally, minibikes have a four-stroke, horizontal crankshaft engine, single- or two-speed centrifugal clutch transmissions with chain final-drive, 4" or 6" wheels and a low frame/seat height with elevated handlebars. Commercially available minibikes are usually equipped with engines commonly found elsewhere on utilitarian equipment.
The Honda Z series or Monkey Bike was a line of minibikes made by Honda. Though Honda's official model designations are typically Z50A, Z50J, Z50M, Z50R, and ZB50, they are commonly called the Monkey or Gorilla because of small frame's cramped riding posture, suggesting a simian crouch. Sales of the bike began in March 1964 with the Z50M model, and production ended in 2017.
There are many systems for classifying types of motorcycles, describing how the motorcycles are put to use, or the designer's intent, or some combination of the two. Six main categories are widely recognized: cruiser, sport, touring, standard, dual-purpose, and dirt bike. Sometimes sport touring motorcycles are recognized as a seventh category. Strong lines are sometimes drawn between motorcycles and their smaller cousins, mopeds, scooters, and underbones, but other classification schemes include these as types of motorcycles.
A motorized bicycle is a bicycle with an attached motor or engine and transmission used either to power the vehicle unassisted, or to assist with pedalling. Since it always retains both pedals and a discrete connected drive for rider-powered propulsion, the motorized bicycle is in technical terms a true bicycle, albeit a power-assisted one. However, for purposes of governmental licensing and registration requirements, the type may be legally defined as a motor vehicle, motorbike, moped, or a separate class of hybrid vehicle.
The Honda Gyro is a family of small, three-wheeled motorcycles sold primarily in Japan, and often used for delivery or express service.
The Honda Express or Honda NC50 is a scooter made by Honda between 1977 and 1983. Variants include the Express, Express II, Express SR and Urban Express. All versions of the Express line are powered by an air-cooled 49 cc (3.0 cu in) two-stroke engine.
An underbone is a type of motorcycle that uses structural tube framing with an overlay of plastic or non-structural body panels and contrasts with monocoque or unibody designs where pressed steel serves both as the vehicle's structure and bodywork. Outside Asia, the term underbone is commonly misunderstood to refer to any lightweight motorcycle that uses the construction type, known colloquially as step-throughs, mopeds or scooters.
Pocketbikes are small, two wheeled recreational vehicles approximately one-quarter the size of a regular motorcycles, and are powered by two-stroke internal combustion engines of between 40–50 cc. Pocketbikes maintain the look of full-sized sport bikes and are known outside of North America for racing on specialty tracks designed for small Power Sport machines. These specialized models, designed for competition, produce up to 17 hp, and have front and rear suspension akin to larger Sport Bikes. Most consumer models are far less powerful, usually below 3hp, and do not feature suspension, relying on the tires alone for shock-absorption. Weight for most machines are approximately 50 lb (23 kg). The usual height is less than 50 cm (20 in), and up to 1 m length.
Motorcycle components and systems for a motorcycle are engineered, manufactured, and assembled in order to produce motorcycle models with the desired performance, aesthetics, and cost. The key components of modern motorcycles are presented below.
The Honda Fury was the first production chopper from a major motorcycle manufacturer Honda. In a break with tradition, the Fury was the first chopper to have an anti-lock braking system The Fury's styling has been likened to custom-made choppers from Paul Teutul Sr. or Arlen Ness. The Fury has been sold not only in North America, but internationally as well, although in some markets Honda eschewed the Fury name and offered the bike simply by its model ID: VT1300CX.
A scooter or motor scooter has a step-through frame and a platform for the rider's feet. Elements of scooter design were present in some of the earliest motorcycles, and scooters have been made since at least 1914. Scooter development continued in Europe and the United States between the World Wars.
Di Blasi Industriale is an Italian manufacturer of folding bicycles, tricycles, mopeds and scooter based in Vizzini, Sicily. The company's products are suitable for being transported by car, boat, or airplane, and are designed and manufactured entirely in-house.
The following outline is provided as an overview of motorcycles and motorcycling:
A motorized tricycle, motor trike, or three-wheeled motorcycle is a three-wheeled vehicle based on the same technology as a bicycle or motorcycle, and powered by an electric motor, motorcycle, scooter or car engine.
A sport moped is a moped that resembles a sport bike and often performs better than standard mopeds. They were created to circumvent UK legislation, called the "Sixteeners Laws", aimed at taking young motorcycle riders off the road. The new laws, introduced in 1971 by Conservative Party Minister for Transport John Peyton, forbade 16-year-olds from riding motorcycles of 250 cc (15 cu in) capacity, thus limiting them to 50 cc machines until they turned 17.
Rupp Industries was a Mansfield, Ohio based manufacturer of go-karts, minibikes, snowmobiles and other off-road vehicles founded by Mickey Rupp in 1959. Rupp Industries operated from 1959 until bankruptcy in 1978. Rupp vehicles are known for their performance and bright red coloring, particularly the snowmobiles and off-road vehicles. They have since become extremely collectible.
A Base 50 engine is a generic term for engines that are reverse-engineered from the Honda 49 cc (3.0 cu in) air-cooled four-stroke single cylinder engine. Honda first offered these engines in 1958, on their Honda Super Cub 50. Honda has offered variations of this engine continuously, in sizes up to 124 cc (7.6 cu in), since its introduction. The Honda Super Cub has been produced in excess of 100,000,000 units, the most successful motorized vehicle in history. With multiple manufactures utilizing clones of the Honda 50 engine for current Mopeds, Scooters, small motorcycles and Power Sport machines, it is the most produced engine in history.
