bike - Types of motorcycles
Photograph by joiseyshowaaon Flickr.
These motorcycles are somewhat experimental and hard to find. Motorscooters are similar to motorcycles and are also designed bike Bicycle boulevard for being ridden on the road. Suspension systems are advanced in terms of adjustments and materials for increased stability and durability.
They are built for comfortable long-distance travel while maintaining a forward-leaning riding position, good handling, and high performance. Also known as a standard or street bike (see below), this is the basic form of the motorcycle stripped down to its fundamental parts. They are highly unsuitable for long distance road travel.
their engines travel up and down with the suspension. Fitted with road tires and rims, their other features remain very similar to off road machines.
Cruisers are sometimes called custom even in the absence of aftermarket modifications (see Custom (motorcycle)). Sport bikes, sometimes called performance bikes or crotch rockets, emphasize speed, acceleration, deceleration, and maneuverability. This category can include bikes varying from the lightweight Suzuki DR-Z400S (136 kg (300 lb)) to the heavy BMW R1200GS Adventure (256 kg (560 lb)). Enduro motorcycles are road-legal versions of a motocross machine, featuring high ground clearance and copious suspension with minimal person comforts.
Recently, much larger supermoto machines have become available, such as the Ducati Hypermotard and KTM 990SM. Supermoto competitions are usually held over a course that mixes tarmac (road racing) and off road (motocross) sections. Specialty motorcycles are designed for a specific purpose and are unlikely to be encountered by the typical consumer. These adaptations of trail bikes were first used by dairy farmers in New Zealand from the early 1960s. They can also operate safely on steep terrain where ATV s have a risk of rollover.
The combination of these help maintain structural integrity and chassis rigidity. Large profile low-pressure tyres with knobbly tread were found best for grass, mud and rocky tracks.
The riding position always places the feet forward. These motorcycles can be further subdivided into multiple sub-categories, which are commonly used terms within the motorcycle industry. Sport-tourers combine attributes of a sport bike and a touring motorcycle.
Small-capacity sport bikes typically have engine sizes ranging from 125 cc (7.6 cu in) to 400 cc (24 cu in), but are also produced with engines as small as 50 cc (3.1 cu in). Touring motorcycles commonly have large displacement fairings and screens that offer a relatively high degree of weather and wind protection, large capacity fuel tanks for long ranges between fill-ups, and a more relaxed, more upright seating position than sport-bikes.
Each configuration offers either specialized advantage or broad capability, and each design creates a different riding posture. Road motorcycles are motorcycles designed for being ridden on paved roads. For off road use they typically, when compared to road going motorcycles, have: Off road motorcycles are often specialized for a variety of off road motorcycle sports, notably; Dual-sport is a broad term for street legal machines that are also designed to enter off-road situations.
Chopper-style motorcycles would be categorized as a type of cruiser. Some cruisers may have limited performance and turning ability because of a low-slung design. With the use of a high torque engine, low centre of gravity design, and retractable trailer, towing motorcycles can reduce response time for retrieving cars and light trucks on congested roads. The same limitations of solo motorcycles do not apply to outfits or sidecar equipped motorcycles.
Current naked bikes are usually given a modern, more-or-less sporting suspension, unless they are intended to have retro styling. Some entry-level bikes are actually full-featured super-bikes with some sort of performance-limiting mechanism.
Fairings may or may not be found on a sport bike. Australia introduced the Honda Silver Wing 650 cc in late November 2006.
By comparison, there are very few bikes with sport-oriented ergonomics but no fairings, the Suzuki SV650S being a rare exception. Cruisers are often custom projects that result in a bike modified to suit the owner s ideals, and as such are a source of pride and accomplishment.
The Ducati Monster, Triumph Speed Four, and Suzuki SV650 are popular examples of naked motorcycles. Rider position and ergonomics are compromised in favor of weight distribution and aerodynamics.
Most concept bikes never see the light of day as full mass-production vehicles; those that do rarely match the original concept perfectly, instead representing a combination of some of the concepts presented in the proto-type combined with marketing realities and tooling capabilities of the manufacturer. Examples of recent concept bikes can be see in the press release for any of the major global motorcycle exhibitions, including the Tokyo Motorcycle Show, and the primary European motorcycle shows: Intermot in Cologne, Paris Motorcycle Exhibit, and Milan Motorcycle Show (EICMA). . Called the Servi-Car, it was a conceptual copy of the Indian Dispatch-Tow.
Motorcycles have been produced in myriad configurations for innumerable purposes. A few specialty machines do not fall into one of these categories.
Most are capable of speeds up to 100 mph (160 km/h), and many of speeds in excess of 125 mph (200 km/h). In India and Pakistan, motorcycles are more popular than cars as means of transport due to low operating and ownership cost. Hyper sport bikes emphasize top speed and acceleration and are typically powered by large motors displacing from 1,100 cc (67 cu in) to 1,400 cc (85 cu in).
They wanted a light, simple machine that could be started easily and that would negotiate particularly muddy paddocks and steep hillsides in all weathers. The Italian-made, three-wheeled Piaggio MP3 also falls into the maxi-scooter category. The moped used to be a hybrid of the bicycle and the motorcycle, equipped with a small engine (usually a small two-stroke engine up to 50 cc, but occasionally an electric motor) and a bicycle drivetrain, and motive power can be supplied by the engine, the rider, or both. In many localities, mopeds are subject to less stringent licensing than bikes with larger engines and are popular as very cheap motorbikes, with the pedals seeing next to no use.
Usually these are designed with a low-slung faired body, with the rider in a reclining position. Because of this, there are certain design elements that most motorcycles of this type will share.
This position allows greater long-distance comfort, with some compromise of control. When used, the fairings are shaped to reduce aerodynamic drag as much as possible, and generally offer less wind protection for the rider.
Their weight and other features precludes them from tackling the extremes of off-road riding, which is the where off-road machines are found. There is a noteworthy difference between the two, however, as standard denotes a type of upright riding position, and naked denotes the lack of fairing.
However, because of the added risk involved, no manufacturer of single-track motorcycles recommends that they be used to tow trailers. Although there are aftermarket trailers that allow motorcycles to tow, factory-made motorcycles specialized for towing are rare. Scooters usually have the engine as part of the swingarm, i.e.
Riders who enjoy cornering at higher speeds may need to customize to enhance lean angle, or start with a performance or sport cruiser. Braking systems combine higher performance brake pads and multi-piston calipers that clamp onto oversized vented rotors.
These motorcycles are quickly gaining popularity as street bikes, based on their on-road grip and light weight. Dual-sport motorcycles are often a compromise between off-road and on-road capability, maintaining their off-road roots while adding equipment to become street legal. Adventure-touring machines are large capacity road machines intended for touring like road tourers but with gravel tracks in mind.
They offer several features that differentiate them from their motocross versions such as silencers, flywheel weights, and the presence of features necessary for highway use such as turn signals, mirrors, and headlights. Supermoto motorcycles evolved from motocross and enduro machines (typically 450 cc to 610 cc and more). They often have smaller wheels (generally less than 14 inch (357 mm) diameter), automatic transmissions, small (generally less than 125 cc) engines, and a step-through configuration allowing the rider to ride with both feet on a running-board and knees together.
It could also push the vehicle from behind while someone steered. This generally means higher foot pegs, which position the legs closer to the body, and a longer reach to the hand controls, which positions the body and center of gravity forward, above the fuel tank. The sport bike type can be broken down further into different classes: Entry-level sport bikes are motorcycles that are meant to introduce motorcyclists to the sport bike design.
The Honda Silver Wing, Honda Reflex, Yamaha Majesty, and Suzuki Burgman are the most popular maxi-scooter models available in the United States. They offer few of the extra features and creature comforts common on touring motorcycles, such as center stands, provisions for saddle bags, large windshields, or fairings that provide protection from rain.
Most examples however are custom streetfighter conversions of faired sportbikes. With a feet-forwards motorcycle, the rider s feet are positioned ahead (like a car), rather than below and astride, as with conventional bikes. The only known vehicle for towing is Retriever by a Swedish company named Coming Through, which is a modified version of Honda GL1800 Gold Wing.
The performance of some stock sport bikes is so high that they can be used on a race track right off the showroom floor. These overall design traits mean sport bikes are generally less practical for street use when compared to most other types of motorcycles. Typical displacements are small (50–450 cc), and as a result these motorcycles give better fuel efficiency — reportedly 1.25–2.5 litres/100 km (94–188 mpg) being common. Road motorcycles are themselves broken down into several sub-categories. These motorcycles mimic the style of American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, such as those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior-Henderson, even though they have benefited from advances in metallurgy and design.
A range of bikes were tried by a number of farmers and they came to use a mild-off-road machine that could carry a good load (mainly a tray for their dogs, instead of a rear seat) that was easy to mount, start and ride with heavy rainwear. There are a number of standards that are fully-faired, including the Kawasaki EX500, and Suzuki Katana.
Mopeds were very popular in the United States during the late 1970s and early 1980s, but their popularity has fallen off sharply since the mid 1980s. In Asia, mopeds are also called underbone motorcycles. There are several different types of off-road motorcycles, also known as dirt bikes, designed and specialised for specific functions. In the United States, scooters have long been a fixture on college campuses and strapped to the back of Recreational Vehicles due to their portability and exceptional fuel economy.
The naked saw a resurgence at the end of the 1990s, driven in large part by the European market, with many manufacturers releasing new models with minimal or no fairings. It had nearly the same 750 cc engine through all the years it was made.
Ultimately Japanese manufacturers developed a range of specialised bikes—about the time that the farmers came to use ATVs instead. Despite the development of the ATV, farm bikes retain certain advantages for some tasks. In Mediterranean Europe, particularly Italy, scooters are very popular.
Sport touring bikes are sport bikes designed with greater emphasis on long-distance riding. Although any motorcycle can be equipped and used for touring, manufacturers have brought to market specific models designed to address the particular needs of long-distance touring and heavy commuting riders. Usually the hands are up and the spine erect or leaning back slightly, which some riders find to be more comfortable for long-distance riding.
Front and rear tires are larger and wider than tires found on other types of motorcycles to accommodate higher cornering speeds and greater lean angles. However much larger scooters with engine displacements greater than 250 cc are becoming more popular.
Super-sport bikes (also known as middleweight sport bikes) are sharply focused for optimal performance on a race track and are built around a high revving, small displacement powerplant that is usually sized from around 600 cc (37 cu in) to 800 cc (49 cu in). They are faster on uneven ground, which can be useful in rounding up livestock, and most are quicker in an on-road setting (and can be registered for on-road travel).
For these reasons, farm bikes are still reasonably common in some places. A derny is a specialized type of motorcycle that is designed and built for use in track cycling events where a derny driver blocks the air resistance for a racing bicycle riding close behind the derny and also lean to make the bike turn faster around the corner Aftermarket trailers designed to be towed by motorcycles are available. Most motorcycles fall into one of three main categories — street, off-road, and dual-purpose — depending on the surface they are intended to be used on.
They can also be dual-sport machines equipped with larger fuel tanks and or saddlebags. They feature smooth tires with a light tread pattern and engines generally in the 125 cc and over range.
Super bikes have characteristics similar to the smaller super sport bikes, but are powered by larger engines that are usually sized around 800 cc (49 cu in) to 1,100 cc (67 cu in). The emphasis is on functionality, performance, and ergonomics rather than aerodynamic body panels and exaggerated riding positions that are most common on sport bikes. This style of motorcycle became the norm in the 1970s and early 1980s (with the advent of the Universal Japanese motorycle), but fell out of favor as motorcycles evolved and niches developed for sport, touring, and cruising.
Large engine displacement versions of naked motorcycles, especially those built in Japan, are often referred to as muscle bikes, for example: Honda CB 1300 Super Four, Suzuki Bandit 1250. The terms standard and naked are often used interchangeably and often for good reason, because the terms often overlap. The greatest change was a redesign of the oil system in 1936 to recirculate the oil instead of dumping it on the ground as was customary on motorcycles at that time. Concept bikes are one-off motorcycles built as prototypes to test or showcase the desirability of a design, the integration of new technologies, cost effectiveness, or general design studies.
