A motorcycle is a single-track motor vehicle with two wheels, an internal combustion engine, and at least one cylinder. There are bikes to fit many lifestyles, including touring bikes for long road trips, "crotch rockets" for speed, and bikes for city traffic, cruising, etc. Motorbikes are inexpensive and readily available in many countries, making them a popular form of transportation.
Two German inventors, namely Wilhelm MayBach and Gottlieb Daimler were the first to design and build a motorbike in the year 1885 in Bad Cannstatt. However, if we consider a steam operated, two wheel motorbike, then the first such motorbike could be an American one that was built by Roxbury, Massachusetts-based Sylvester Howard Roper in 1867.
Hillenbrand & Wolf Muller became the first motorcycle available for purchase, in 1894. Then as the engines became more powerful and the designs outgrew the bicycle origins, the number of motorbike producers increased. Till the First World War, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian. By 1920, this honor went to Harley-Davidson and in 1928 DKW took over. After the Second World War, BSA Group became the largest producer. And from 1955 until the 1970s the German company NSU Motorenwerke AG held the position .Today, the Japanese manufacturers, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha dominate.
To get a motorbike construction as desired by the designer, the engineering, manufacturing, and assembly of components and systems must be taken into account. The construction of contemporary mass-produced motorcycles uses a mostly standardized steel or aluminum frame, disc brakes, and telescopic forks to hold the front wheel. They usually have a one- to six-cylinder gasoline-powered engine.
Those motorbikes that have a short wheelbase, such as sport bikes, have the ability to generate enough torque at the drive wheel, and with enough stopping power at the front wheel will be able to lift the other wheel off the ground. This is commonly known as doing a wheelie and a stoppie respectively. If the driver gets too carried away to past the point of no return, it will cause an upset which is known as "looping" the vehicle.
We must also be aware that the motorbike fuel economy benefits from a relatively small mass of the vehicle, compared to the passengers and to the other motor vehicles, and the subsequent small engine displacement. Riding style has a large effect on fuel economy: some riders report being able to double fuel economy by using low accelerations and lower speeds than usual, although this is the extreme case.
About the Author
As an avid motorcyclist for over 35 years riding all different types of motorcycles, dirt bikes, sport bikes, cruisers and touring bikes. My many miles of riding in all kinds of weather and conditions gives me extensive expertise in the field of motorcycles , motorcycle motorcycle clothing and accessories.
taken from : http://www.goarticles.com/cgi-bin/showa.cgi?C=738906
