Motorcycles, powered by gasoline engines and steered using handlebars to control the front wheel, are two or three-wheeled vehicles known for their agility, speed, and versatile use in patrolling, transporting goods and passengers, as well as serving as sports equipment.
Broadly, motorcycles fall into categories like street bikes, road racing motorcycles, off-road bikes, cruisers, and touring bikes.
When people refer to a motorcycle's engine, they're usually talking about a gasoline-powered one.
Since its invention by German inventor Gottlieb Daimler in 1885, motorcycles have a history of nearly 130 years, experiencing rapid development and boasting a wide variety of types.
In 1885, Daimler installed an engine onto a frame, birthing the world's first motorcycle. Motorcycle-related activities comprise competitive events categorized into two and three-wheeled vehicles, graded by the engine's cylinder capacity. Competitions range from off-road races, multi-day events, road races, and track events, to endurance tours, where rankings are determined by speed or driving skills.
In 1884, Edward Butler from the UK added a power mechanism to a bicycle, creating a three-wheeled vehicle powered by kerosene. In 1885, the "father of the automobile," Gottlieb Daimler, produced a three-wheeled motorcycle powered by a single-cylinder, air-cooled gasoline engine. He obtained a patent for this invention on August 29 of the same year, establishing himself as the inventor of the motorcycle.
Daimler's first motorcycle utilized a four-stroke internal combustion engine with a cylinder capacity of 264 cubic centimeters, generating 0.5 horsepower at 700 revolutions per minute, reaching speeds of 12 kilometers per hour. The vehicle had a wooden structure, belt-driven rear wheel, and auxiliary support wheels on each side.
The original motorcycle, preserved in the Munich Museum of Science and Technology, was patented by Daimler on August 29, 1885. Due to the technological limitations of over a century ago, the primitive motorcycle significantly differs from modern ones in appearance, structure, and performance.
The wooden frame, wooden wheels with an iron outer layer, and a lack of suspension made it uncomfortable to ride, earning it the moniker "bone-shaker" due to its harsh ride on 19th-century cobblestone streets.
Despite its rudimentary nature, this marked the beginning of continual evolution and improvement in motorcycles over the past 100-plus years, resulting in the billions of modern motorcycles we have today.
Motorcycle development has endured a century of changes and is progressing towards innovation, increased speed, and enhanced safety. The modern motorcycle industry has integrated numerous advanced technologies.
For instance, Harley-Davidson's FLHRC-1 model introduced in 1998 employed cutting-edge automotive engine technology—fuel injection systems—not only boosting performance but also aligning with contemporary environmental demands, setting the pace for 21st-century motorcycles.
Concepts like optical communication electronic control systems, radar-based automatic control systems, electronic map guidance systems, and acoustic electronic noise reduction systems contribute to perfecting and astonishing the modern motorcycle.
