Motorcycles
There is some debate on the first motorcycle built.
Some claim that Gottlieb Daimler and wilhelm Maybach in Germany produced a motorbike in 1885. However, if a two wheeled vehicle with steam propulsion is considered a motorcycle, then the first one may have been Amercian, as one such machine was built in 1867 by Sylvester Roper.
The first motorcycle available for purchase was in 1894, and was a Hildebrand & Wolf Muller. Until World War 1, the largest motorcycle manufacturer was Indian, but by 1920, this honour went to Harley Davidson. In 1927, DKW took over the title of largest manufacturer.
After World War 2, BSA became the largest producer, producing up to 75,000 bikes each year in the 1950s. NSU then held the title from 1955 until the 1970s.
In the 1950s, streamlining began to play an increasing part of the development of racing bikes, and the fairing held out the possibility of radical changes to bike design. NSU and Moto-Guzzi were in the vanguard of this development, both producing very radical designs, which were ahead of their time. NSU produced the most advanced design, but following the deaths of four of their riders in the 1954 to 1956 seasons, they abandoned further development and quit Grand Prix Racing.
Moto-Guzzi produced competitive race machines and by 1957, streamlined machines were winning nearly all of the Grand Prix races. In 1958, full enclosure fairings were banned from racing by the FIM in the light of safety concerns.
From the 1960s through to the 1990s, small two stroke motorbikes were popular worldwide, partly becuase of Walter Kaaden’s engine work in the 1950s.
Today, the Japanese mainly dominate the motorbike industry, although Harley Davidson and BMW continue to be popular and supply considerable markets. However, other manufacturers are starting to become popular.
