Motorcycle
| Motorcycle | |
|---|---|
A post-2022 model of the Kawasaki Ninja 400 | |
| Classification | Vehicle |
| Application | Transportation |
| Fuel source |
|
| Powered | Yes |
| Self-propelled | Yes |
| Wheels | 2 (rarely 3 or 4) |
| Inventor | Gottlieb Daimler |
| Invented | 1885 |
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike; uni (if one-wheeled); trike (if three-wheeled); quad (if four-wheeled)) is a motor vehicle steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat.[1][2][3]
Motorcycle designs vary greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising, sport (including racing), and off-road riding. Motorcycling is riding a motorcycle and being involved in other related social activities such as joining a motorcycle club and attending motorcycle rallies.
The 1885 Daimler Reitwagen made by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Germany was the first internal combustion petroleum-fueled motorcycle. In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first series production motorcycle.[4][5]
Globally, motorcycles are comparable numerically to cars as a method of transport: in 2021, approximately 58.6 million new motorcycles were sold around the world, while 66.7 million cars were sold over the same period.[6]
In 2022, the top four motorcycle producers by volume and type were Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki. According to the US Department of Transportation, the number of fatalities per vehicle mile traveled was 37 times higher for motorcycles than for cars.[7]
- ^ Cite error: The named reference
definitionswas invoked but never defined (see the help page). - ^ "Motorcycle". Encyclopedia Britannica. Archived from the original on 20 January 2022. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
- ^ "Code of Federal Regulations, 49 CFR 571.3 — Definitions". govinfo. 1 October 2010. p. 239. Archived from the original on 27 November 2020. Retrieved 29 August 2020.
Motorcycle means a motor vehicle with motive power having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground.
- ^ "Motorcycle Timeline – Evolution of Motorcycles". bicyclehistory.net. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ "Hildebrand & Wolfmuller Motorcycle, circa 1894 – The Henry Ford". thehenryford.org. Archived from the original on 25 February 2020. Retrieved 25 February 2020.
- ^ "Global car sales 2010–2021". Statista. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
- ^ "Traffic safety facts, 2008. Report no. DOT HS-811-159" (PDF). NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis. 2008. Archived from the original (PDF) on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010.