Outline of motorcycles and motorcycling

Last updated
A 1954 Triumph T110 Triumph T 110 650 cc 1954.jpg
A 1954 Triumph T110
BMW's first motorcycle, the 1923-1925 R32 BMW R32 vl TCE.jpg
BMW's first motorcycle, the 1923-1925 R32

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

Contents

Motorcycle — two-wheeled, [1] single-track motor vehicle. [2] [3] Other names include: motorbike, bike, and cycle.

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

Motorcycles

Description

Types

Types of motorcycles The design of a motorcycle reflects the purpose for which it is to be used. The main types of motorcycle include:

A 1969 Harley-Davidson chopper, a replica of the 'Captain America' bike from Easy Rider 1969 Harley-Davidson Easy Rider chopper (1993 replica) (1) - The Art of the Motorcycle - Memphis.jpg
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', and the archetypal Universal Japanese Motorcycle Honda CB 750 K1.jpg
Honda CB750 inline four, the first to be called a 'superbike', and the archetypal Universal Japanese Motorcycle
2015 BMW R1200RT Sport Touring Motorcycle 2015 R1200RT right.jpg
2015 BMW R1200RT Sport Touring Motorcycle
Honda Super Cub, the archetypal underbone and the world's best-selling motor vehicle Greencub.jpg
Honda Super Cub, the archetypal underbone and the world's best-selling motor vehicle

Design

Motorcycle design

Major component parts

Motorcycle components

Models

Manufacturers

History

Brough Superior SS 100 1925 Brough Superior SS 1000 1925.jpg
Brough Superior SS 100 1925

Motorcycle history

Pioneers

Lucius Copeland 1894 Copeland stoomfiets 1894.jpg
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. [21] However, several pioneering engineers and inventors preceded Daimler, mostly with steam engines powering their cycles. These include:

Many pioneering engineers and inventors followed Daimler in using internal combustion engines . These include:

Innovators

  • Max Friz – German mechanical engineer and contributor of engine design that led to the founding of BMW in 1917
  • Harry Ricardo – pioneering motorcycle engine designer influential in the early years of the development of the internal combustion engine
  • Edward Turner – motorcycle designer and General Manager of Triumph where he led the development of many important technical ideas found on motorcycles today
  • John Britten – New Zealand mechanical engineer who designed a world-record-setting motorcycle with innovative features and materials
  • Mike Tomkinson - motorcycle engineer whose Bol d'Or endurance racers incorporated numerous innovative features.
  • David Garside - BSA engineer who developed the F&S Wankel into a powerful Norton motorcycle engine.

Industrialists

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. Some of those museums are listed below:

Motorcycling

Motorcycling

Safety

Equipment

Accidents

Types

Sport

FIM Motocross World Championship, taking place at Mallory Park, England Antonio Cairoli ITA FMI Yamaha FIM MX Mallory Park 2008 R6a.jpg
FIM Motocross World Championship, taking place at Mallory Park, England

Motorcycle sport – broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The various disciplines are not all races or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills. Riders have raced motorcycles for over a hundred years, with the first official competition recorded as the Paris–Rouen race 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. [21] Motorcycle sport now takes many different forms, including:

Racing

Motorcycle racing – motorcycle sport involving racing motorcycles, on or off a track.

Organisations and 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. [21] Examples include:

Organisations

Logo of the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF) British Motorcyclists Federation logo.png
Logo of the British Motorcyclists Federation (BMF)

Motorcycle clubs

Motorcycle club – group of individuals whose primary interest and activities involve motorcycles.

Notable motorcyclists

Ernesto 'Che' Guevara (left) holding the handlebars of his 500 cc single cylinder Norton motorcycle CheWithMotorcycle.jpg
Ernesto 'Che' Guevara (left) holding the handlebars of his 500 cc single cylinder Norton motorcycle

Notable motorcycle sportspersons

Joey Dunlop on his Honda RC30 ready for the Senior TT JoeyDunlopTT92.jpg
Joey Dunlop on his Honda RC30 ready for the Senior TT

Motocross riders

Motorcycling in the media

Film

Television programmes

Documentaries

Books

Exhibitions

Related Research Articles

Motorcycle sport is a broad field that encompasses all sporting aspects of motorcycling. The disciplines are not all races or timed-speed events, as several disciplines test a competitor's various riding skills.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motocross</span> Off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits

Motocross is a form of off-road motorcycle racing held on enclosed off-road circuits. The sport evolved from motorcycle trials competitions held in the United Kingdom.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Motorcyclist Association</span> Nonprofit organization

The American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) is an American nonprofit organization of more than 200,000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns for motorcyclists' legal rights. Its mission statement is "to promote the motorcycling lifestyle and protect the future of motorcycling." The organization was founded in 1924 and as of October 2016 had more than 1,100 chartered clubs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buell Motorcycle Company</span> American motorcycle manufacturer

Buell Motorcycles is an American motorcycle manufacturer based in Grand Rapids, Michigan, United States. It was founded in 1983 by ex-Harley-Davidson engineer Erik Buell. Harley-Davidson acquired 49 percent of Buell in 1993, and Buell became a wholly owned subsidiary of Harley-Davidson by 2003. On November 17, 2006, Buell announced that it had produced and shipped its 100,000th motorcycle.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kenny Roberts</span> American motorcycle racer

Kenneth Leroy Roberts is an American former professional motorcycle racer and racing team owner. In 1978, he became the first American to win a Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championship. He was also a two-time winner of the A.M.A. Grand National Championship. Roberts is one of only four riders in American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) racing history to win the AMA Grand Slam, representing Grand National wins at a mile, half-mile, short-track, TT Steeplechase and road race events.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Types of motorcycles</span>

In the market, there is a wide variety of types of motorcycles, each with unique characteristics and features. Models vary according to the specific needs of each user, such as standard, cruiser, touring, sports, off-road, dual-purpose, scooters, etc. Often, some types like sport touring are considered as an additional category or integrated with touring.

Mert Lawwill is an American professional motorcycle racer, race team owner and mountain bike designer. He competed in the AMA Grand National Championship from 1962 to 1977. Lawwill is notable for winning the 1969 AMA Grand National Championship as a member of the Harley-Davidson factory racing team. After his motorcycle racing career, Lawwill became one of the top motorcycle racing frame designers and builders. Lawwill then used his experience as a motorcycle frame builder to become an innovative mountain bike designer, developing one of the first bicycle suspensions. He also developed prosthetic limbs for amputees. Lawwill was inducted in the Mountain Bike Hall of Fame in 1997 and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ossa (motorcycle)</span> Spanish motorcycle manufacturer

Ossa was a Spanish motorcycle manufacturer which was active from 1924 to 1982 and from 2010 to 2015. Founded by Manuel Giró, an industrialist from Barcelona, Ossa was best known for lightweight, two-stroke-engined bikes used in observed trials, motocross and enduro. The company was known originally as Orpheo Sincronic Sociedad Anónima (O.S.S.A.) and was later renamed Maquinaria Cinematográfica, S.A..

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorcycle racing</span> Racing sport using motorcycles

The motorcycle sport of racing includes motorcycle road racing and off-road racing, both either on circuits or open courses, and track racing. Other categories include hill climbs, drag racing and land speed record trials.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kel Carruthers</span> Australian motorcycle racer (born 1938)

Kelvin Carruthers is an Australian former professional Motorcycle racer and racing team manager. He competed in the FIM Grand Prix motorcycle racing world championships from 1966 to 1970, and in AMA road racing competitions from 1971 to 1973. Carruthers is prominent for winning the 1969 250cc World Championship. After his motorcycle riding career, he became race team manager for world championship winning riders Kenny Roberts and Eddie Lawson.

Yvon Duhamel was a French Canadian professional motorcycle and snowmobile racer. A six-time winner of the White Trophy, the highest award in Canadian motorcycle racing, he was one of the most accomplished motorcycle racers in Canadian motorsports history. His motorcycle racing career spanned the transition from the 60 horsepower four-stroke motorcycles of the 1960s, to the 100 horsepower two-stroke motorcycles of the 1970s. Duhamel was a versatile rider competing in numerous motorcycle racing disciplines including; trials, motocross, ice racing, drag racing, flat track racing and most prominently in road racing as a member of the Kawasaki factory racing team.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Motorcycle frame</span> Frame of a motorcycle

A motorcycle frame is a motorcycle's core structure. It supports the engine, provides a location for the steering and rear suspension, and supports the rider and any passenger or luggage. Also attached to the frame are the fuel tank and battery. At the front of the frame is found the steering head tube that holds the pivoting front fork, while at the rear there is a pivot point for the swingarm suspension motion. Some motorcycles include the engine as a load-bearing stressed member; while some other bikes do not use a single frame, but instead have a front and a rear subframe attached to the engine.

Dick Mann was an American professional motorcycle racer. He was a two-time winner of the A.M.A. Grand National Championship. Mann was inducted in the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America in 1993, and the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 1998. He was one of the few riders to ride motocross and Observed Trials as well as dirt flat tracks, TT and road racing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Husqvarna Motorcycles</span> Swedish motorcycle manufacturer

Husqvarna Motorcycles GmbH is a Swedish company which designs, engineers, manufactures and distributes motocross, enduro, supermoto and street motorcycles.

Gary Jones is an American former professional motocross and desert racer. He competed in the AMA Motocross Championships from 1971 to 1976. Jones is notable for winning the inaugural AMA 250cc motocross national championship in 1972. Jones then successfully defended his national championship in 1973 and 1974, winning three consecutive 250cc motocross national championships while competing on three different brands of motorcycles, a feat which has never been repeated in AMA motocross history. He was inducted into the AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2000.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Peter Williams (motorcyclist)</span> British motorcycle racer (1939–2020)

Peter Williams was a British former professional motorcycle racer. He competed in Grand Prix motorcycle road racing from 1966 to 1973. He also competed at many levels on home short-circuit races. He raced many times on the Isle of Man TT course from 1966 to 1973. His father was Jack Williams who ran the Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) race department. Williams trained in mechanical engineering and introduced via racing alloy wheels, an innovation which is commonplace on today's road bikes, and was also an early pioneer of solo-motorcycle disc brakes.

Gavin Trippe was a motorcycle racing promoter, journalist, and publisher who was inducted to the Motorcycle Hall of Fame in 2005. He died following an automobile accident in California.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">American Flat Track</span> American motorcycle racing series

American Flat Track is an American motorcycle racing series. The racing series, founded and sanctioned by the American Motorcyclist Association (AMA) in 1954, originally encompassed five distinct forms of competitions including mile dirt track races, half-mile, short-track, TT steeplechase and road races. The championship was the premier motorcycle racing series in the United States from the 1950s up until the late 1970s.

The "Pure Enduro" series of off-road racing motorcycles ran from 1977 through to 1984 in engine displacements from 175cc through 400cc. All engines were case-reed valve, air-cooled, two-stroke and single-cylinder with plain steel bores. Lubrication was provided via 20:1 pre-mix. These were directly related to the Suzuki RM series range of motocross racers.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Harley-Davidson KR</span> Type of motorcycle

The Harley-Davidson KR or KR750 was a 45.125 cu in (739.47 cc) displacement V-twin engine racing motorcycle made by Harley-Davidson from 1953 through 1969 for flat track racing. It was also used in road racing in the KRTT faired version. When the KR was first introduced, it dominated motorcycle racing in the United States. In 1970 it was replaced by the long-lived and US race-winning Harley-Davidson XR-750.

References

  1. Cossalter, Vittore (2006). Motorcycle Dynamics. Lulu. ISBN   978-1-4303-0861-4.
  2. Foale, Tony (2006). Motorcycle Handling and Chassis Design. Tony Foale Designs. pp. 4–1. ISBN   978-84-933286-3-4.
  3. Note: Some definitions also include some forms of three-wheelers.
  4. "Daily Telegraph" report on new limits
  5. "The Dawn of the Superbike: Honda's Remarkable CB750". AMA Motorcycle Hall of Fame . American Motorcyclist Association. Archived from the original on 13 January 2010. Retrieved 20 February 2010.
  6. Art of the Bobber by Spencer Drate, Judith Salavetz, Alex Mardikian - 2006
  7. Hough, David L. (2003), More Proficient Motorcycling: The Ultimate Guide to Riding Well (2nd ed.), USA: BowTie Press, p. 253, ISBN   1-931993-03-3, sportbike: a motorcycle designed for aggressive performance, especially cornering
  8. "sport bike" . Oxford English Dictionary (Online ed.). Oxford University Press.(Subscription or participating institution membership required.) ("…a powerful, lightweight motorcycle, designed for optimal speed and handling" )
  9. McCraw, Jim (July 2005), "About That Bike…", Popular Mechanics , vol. 182, no. 7, Hearst Magazines, pp. 68–70, ISSN   0032-4558 , retrieved 4 June 2010
  10. 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   978-0-9821733-3-6
  11. 1 2 Maher, Kevin; Greisler, Ben (1998), Chilton's Motorcycle Handbook, Haynes North America, pp.  2-11–2-12, ISBN   0-8019-9099-8
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  13. Wallis, Michael; Clark, Marian (2004), Hogs on 66: Best Feed and Hangouts for Road Trips on Route 66, Council Oak Books, ISBN   9781571781406, Streetfighter -- Also known as a 'hooligan' cycle, this is a sports-bike stripped of all superfluous bodywork
  14. Doeden, Matt; Leonard, Joe (2007), Choppers, Lerner Publications, ISBN   9780822572886, streetfighter: a type of superbike customised for maximum speed and performance
  15. Domino, Kevin (2009), The Perfect Motorcycle: How to Choose, Find and Buy the Perfect New Or Used Bike, 671 Press, pp. 47–58, ISBN   978-0-9821733-3-6
  16. Cumulative Global Production of Cub Series Motorcycles Reaches 60 Million Units (press release), Honda, 21 May 2008, archived from the original on 3 March 2016, retrieved 31 October 2010
  17. Squatriglia, Chuck (23 May 2008), "Honda Sells Its 60 Millionth – Yes, Millionth – Super Cub", Wired , retrieved 31 October 2010
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  19. Edstrom, Christian (November 30, 2007). "To Save the Polar Bears, Ride a Cub". New York Times .
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  21. 1 2 3 Brown, Roland (2002). Classic Motorcycles. Joanna Lorenz. ISBN   1-84038-433-6.
  22. "The Wild One". Archived from the original on 26 December 2010. Retrieved 16 October 2010.
  23. Timothy Shary; Alexandra Seibel (2007). Youth culture in global cinema. University of Texas Press. p. 17.