For other uses, see Motorcycle (disambiguation).Not to be confused with Motocycle.
A classic Norton motorcycle1952 Lambretta 125 D scooter
A motorcycle (motorbike, bike, or, if three-wheeled, a trike) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat.[1][2][3]
Motorcycle design varies 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 comparably popular to cars as a method of transport. In 2021, approximately 58.6 million new motorcycles were sold around the world,[6] fewer than the 66.7 million cars sold over the same period.[7]
In 2022, the top four motorcycle producers by volume and type were Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, and Suzuki.[8] In developing countries, motorcycles are considered utilitarian due to lower prices and greater fuel economy. Of all the motorcycles in the world, 58% are in the Asia-Pacific and Southern and Eastern Asia regions, excluding car-centric Japan.[citation needed]
According to the US Department of Transportation, the number of fatalities per vehicle mile traveled was 37 times higher for motorcycles than for cars.[9]
^Cite error: The named reference definitions was 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.
^Team, M. C. D. (10 March 2022). "Global Motorcycles Market – Data & Fact 2022 | MotorCyclesData". Motorcycles Data. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^"Global car sales 2010–2021". Statista. Archived from the original on 29 April 2022. Retrieved 4 May 2022.
^"List of Motorcycle specifications database in the world". motorcyclespecs.us. January 2023. Archived from the original on 18 January 2023. Retrieved 17 January 2023.
^"Traffic safety facts, 2008. Report no. DOT HS-811-159" (PDF). NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis. 2008. Archived (PDF) from the original on 4 July 2010. Retrieved 15 September 2010.
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