A motorcycle has two wheels, an engine, steering and a place for the rider to sit. At its most basic, it’s motorised personal transport, using the technology finessed by the factories and engineers who had been making fighter planes not so long ago.
As well as being a very economical form of transportation, the motorbike also offers something more besides: excitement. It allows the rider to feel a much greater part of the machine, to be more nimble and responsive to changing conditions. The fact that it takes a fraction of the space of a car to park is another bonus.
The first motorbikes were powered by a variety of engines, from the steam boilers used to drive locomotives in the 1880s through to the air-cooled four-stroke engines that propelled the first Harley-Davidson models in 1904. Today’s engines are generally liquid cooled and use aluminium for the outer casing and crankcase, steel rods and con-rods, stainless steel valves and pistons.
Suspension is another common component, with hydraulic shock absorbers on the front wheel to cushion impact and allow it to steer, while a rear suspension connects the body to the wheel, also cushioning it.
The majority of multi-vehicle motorcycle crashes are caused when other drivers simply didn’t see the motorcyclist, so riders need to be aware of their presence on the road and follow all traffic laws. When starting to ride a new motorcycle, always make sure the horn is working and the brakes are in good condition before hitting the road, and be prepared to take extra time when accelerating or changing lanes.