History

A 1913 Fabrique National in-line four with shaft drive from Belgium

The first internal combustion, petroleum fuelled motorcycle was the Daimler Reitwagen. It was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt in 1885.^[9] This vehicle was unlike either the safety bicycles and boneshaker bicycles of the era in that it had zero degrees of steering axis angle and no fork offset, and thus not using the principles of bicycle and motorcycle dynamics developed 30 years earlier. Instead, it relied on two outrigger wheels to remain upright while turning.^[10] The inventors called their invention the Reitwagen ("riding car"). It was designed as an expedient testbed for their new engine, rather than a true prototype vehicle.^[11][12] Many authorities define motorcycle this way, excluding steam engined as well as electric and diesel two-wheelers, and thus give credit the Daimler Reitwagen as the world's first motorcycle.^[13][14]

If a two-wheeled vehicle with steam propulsion is considered a motorcycle, then the first was the French Michaux-Perreaux steam bicycle of 1868.^[11][12] This was followed by the American Roper steam velocipede of 1869.^[11][12] One such machine was demonstrated at fairs and circuses in the eastern U.S. in 1867, built by Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts.^[9]

A pre-war Polish Sokół 1000

In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first series production motorcycle, and the first to be called a motorcycle (German: motorrad).^[11][12][15] In the early period of motorcycle history, many producers of bicycles adapted their designs to accommodate the new internal combustion engine. As the engines became more powerful and designs outgrew the bicycle origins, the number of motorcycle producers increased.

Until World War I, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian,^[16][17] producing over 20,000 bikes per year.^[18] By 1920, this honour went to Harley-Davidson, with their motorcycles being sold by dealers in 67 countries.^[19][20] By the late 1920s or early 1930s, DKW took over as the largest manufacturer.^[21][22][23]

After World War II, the BSA Group became the largest producer of motorcycles in the world, producing up to 75,000 bikes per year in the 1950s.^{[citation needed]} The German company NSU held the position of largest manufacturer from 1955 until the 1970s.^{[citation needed]}

NSU Sportmax streamlined motorcycle, 250 cc class winner of the 1955 Grand Prix season

In the 1950s, streamlining began to play an increasing part in the development of racing motorcycles and the "dustbin fairing" held out the possibility of radical changes to motorcycle design. NSU and Moto-Guzzi were in the vanguard of this development both producing very radical designs well ahead of their time.^[24] NSU produced the most advanced design, but after the deaths of four NSU riders in the 1954–1956 seasons, they abandoned further development and quit Grand Prix motorcycle racing.^[25] Moto-Guzzi produced competitive race machines, and by 1957 nearly all the Grand Prix races were being won by streamlined machines.^{[citation needed]} The following year, 1958, full enclosure fairings were banned from racing by the FIM in the light of the safety concerns.

From the 1960s through the 1990s, small two-stroke motorcycles were popular worldwide, partly as a result of East German Walter Kaaden's engine work in the 1950s.^[26]

Today, the motorcycle industry is mainly dominated by Japanese companies such as Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha, although Harley-Davidson and BMW continue to be popular and supply considerable markets. Other major manufacturers include Piaggio group of Italy, KTM, Triumph and Ducati.

In addition to the large capacity motorcycles, there is a large market in smaller capacity (less than 300 cc) motorcycles, mostly concentrated in Asian and African countries. An example is the 1958 Honda Super Cub, which went on to become the biggest selling vehicle of all time, with its 60 millionth unit produced in April 2008.^[27] Today, this area is dominated by mostly Indian companies with Hero Honda emerging as the world's largest manufacturer of two wheelers.^[28] For example, its Splendor

model which has sold more than 8.5 million to date.^[29]