Fall Asleep While Learning About Motorcylces

In this episode of the I Can't Sleep Podcast, drift off while learning about motorcycles. I often take for granted the advanced motorcycles we have today. The earliest versions of these vehicles didn't even have brakes to slow you down—another reason to be grateful for the times we live in. Happy sleeping!

Transcript

Welcome back,

Or welcome to the I Can't Sleep podcast,

Where I read random articles from across the web to bore you to sleep with my soothing voice.

I'm your host,

Benjamin Boster.

Today's episode is from a Wikipedia article titled,

Motorcycle.

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.

Motorcycle designs vary greatly to suit a range of different purposes,

Long-distance travel,

Commuting,

Cruising,

Sport,

Including racing,

And off-road riding.

Racing 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 and Wolf-Müller became the first series-production motorcycle.

Globally,

Motorcycles are comparable numerically to cars as a method of transport.

In 2021,

Approximately 58.

6 million new motorcycles were sold around the world,

While 66.

7 million cars were sold over the same period.

In 2022,

The top four motorcycle producers by volume and type were Honda,

Yamaha,

Kawasaki,

And Suzuki.

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.

The term motorcycle has different legal definitions depending on jurisdiction.

There are three major types of motorcycle—street,

Off-road,

And dual-purpose.

Within these types,

There are many subtypes of motorcycles for different purposes.

There is often a racing counterpart to each type,

Such as road racing and street bikes,

Or motocross,

Including dirt bikes.

Street bikes include cruisers,

Sport bikes,

Scooters,

And mopeds,

And many other types.

Off-road motorcycles include many types designed for dirt-oriented racing classes such as motocross and are not street-legal in most areas.

Dual-purpose machines,

Like the dual-sport style,

Are made to go off-road but include features to make them legal and comfortable on the street as well.

Each configuration offers either specialized advantage or broad capability,

And each design creates a different riding posture.

In some countries,

The use of pillions—rear-seats—is restricted.

The first international combustion,

Petroleum-fueled motorcycle was the Daimler Reitwagen.

It was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Konstadt,

Germany,

In 1885.

This vehicle was unlike either the safety bicycles or the bone-shaker bicycles of the era in that it had zero degrees of steering axis angle and no fork offset,

And thus did not use the principles of bicycle and motorcycle dynamics developed nearly 70 years earlier.

Instead,

It relied on two outrigger wheels to remain upright while turning.

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.

The first commercial design for a self-propelled cycle was a three-wheel design called the Butler Petrol Cycle,

Conceived of Edward Butler in England in 1884.

He exhibited his plans for the vehicle at the Stanley Cycle Show in London in 1884.

The vehicle was built by the Meriwether Fire Engine Company in Greenwich in 1888.

The Butler Petrol Cycle was a three-wheeled vehicle,

With the rear wheel directly driven by a 5.

8 horsepower,

40 cc displacement,

2.

25 inch by 5 inch,

Four-time stroke,

Flat twin four-stroke engine with magneto-ignition replaced by coil and battery,

Equipped with rotary valves and a float-fed carburetor,

Five years before Maybach,

And Ackerman steering,

All of which were state-of-the-art at the time.

Starting was by compressed air.

The engine was liquid-cooled,

With a radiator over the rear driving wheel.

Speed was controlled by means of a throttle valve lever.

No braking system was fitted.

The vehicle was stopped by raising and lowering the rear driving wheel using a foot-operated lever.

The weight of the machine was then borne by two small caster wheels.

The driver was seated between the front wheels.

It was not,

However,

A success,

As Butler failed to find sufficient financial backing.

Many authorities have excluded steam-powered electric motorcycles or diesel-powered two-wheelers from the definition of a motorcycle,

And credit the Daimler Reidwagen as the world's first motorcycle.

Given the rapid rise in use of electric motorcycles worldwide,

Defining only internal combustion-powered two-wheelers as motorcycles is increasingly problematic.

The first petroleum-fueled internal combustion motorcycles,

Like the German Reidwagen,

Were however also the first practical motorcycles.

If a two-wheeled vehicle with steam propulsion is considered a motorcycle,

Then the first motorcycle built seemed to be the French Michel Perrault steam Vélocipède,

Which patent application was filed in December 1868,

Constructed around the same time as the American Roper steam Vélocipède,

Built by Sylvester H.

Roper of Roxbury,

Massachusetts,

Who had been demonstrating his machine at fairs and cruises in the eastern U.

S.

Since 1867.

Roper built about ten steam cars and cycles from the 1860s until his death in 1896.

In 1894,

Hildebrand and Wolf-Müller became the first series production motorcycle,

And the first to be called a motorcycle.

Excelsior Motor Company,

Originally a bicycle manufacturing company based in Coventry,

England,

Began production of their first motorcycle model in 1896.

The first production motorcycle in the U.

S.

Was the Orient Aster,

Built by Charles Metz in 1898 at his factory in Waltham,

Massachusetts.

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.

Many of the 19th century inventors who worked on early motorcycles often moved on to other inventions.

Daimler and Roper,

For example,

Both went on to develop automobiles.

At the end of the 19th century,

The first major mass production firms were set up.

In 1898,

Triumph Motorcycles in England began producing motorbikes,

And by 1903 it was producing over 500 bikes.

Other British firms were Royal Einfield,

Norton,

Douglas Motorcycles,

And Birmingham Small Arms Company,

Who began motorbike production in 1899,

1902,

1907,

And 1910,

Respectively.

Indian began production in 1901,

And Harley-Davidson was established two years later.

By the outbreak of World War I,

The largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian,

Producing over 20,

000 bikes per year.

During the First World War,

Motorbike production was greatly ramped up for the war effort to supply effective communications with frontline troops.

Messengers on horses were replaced with dispatch riders on motorcycles,

Carrying messages,

Performing reconnaissance,

And acting as a military police.

American company Harley-Davidson was devoting over 50% of its factory output toward military contract by the end of the war.

The British company Triumph Motorcycles sold more than 30,

000 of its Triumph Type H model to Allied forces during the war.

With the rear wheel driven by a belt,

The Model H was fitted with a 499cc air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder engine.

It was also the first Triumph without pedals.

The Model H in particular is regarded by many as having been the first modern motorcycle.

Introduced in 1915,

It had a 550cc side-valve four-stroke engine with a three-speed gearbox and belt transmission.

It was so popular with its users that it was nicknamed the trusty Triumph.

In 1920,

Harley-Davidson was the largest manufacturer,

With their motorcycles being sold by dealers in 67 countries.

Amongst many British motorcycle manufacturers,

Chatterley with its twin-cylinder models followed by its large singles in the 1920s stood out.

Initially,

Using converted a Woodman-designed OHV black-burn engine,

It became the first 350cc to exceed 100 mph,

Recording 100.

81 mph over the flying kilometer during April 1924.

Later Chatterley set a world record for the flying kilometer for 350cc and 500cc motorcycles at 102.

9 mph for the firm.

Chatterley produced variants of these world-beating sports models and became popular among racers at the Isle of Man TT.

Today the firm is probably best remembered for its long-term contract to manufacture and supply AA patrol motorcycles and sidecars.

By the late 1920s or early 1930s,

DKW in Germany took over as the largest manufacturer.

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.

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.

Moto Guzzi produced competitive race machines,

And until the end of 1957 had a succession of victories.

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 MZ's Walter Caden's engine work in the 1950s.

In the 21st century,

The motorcycle industry is mainly dominated by Indian and Japanese motorcycle companies.

In addition to the large-capacity motorcycles,

There is a large market in smaller capacity,

Less than 300cc motorcycles,

Mostly concentrated in Asian and African countries and produced in China and India.

A Japanese 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.

Today this area is dominated by mostly Indian companies,

With Hero Motor Corp emerging as the world's largest manufacturer of two-wheelers.

Its Splendor model has sold more than 8.

5 million to date.

Other major producers are Bajaj and TVS Motors.

Typical construction is the engineering,

Manufacturing,

And assembly of components and systems for a motorcycle,

Which results in the performance,

Cost,

And aesthetics desired by the designer.

With some exceptions,

Construction of modern mass-produced motorcycles has standardized on a steel or aluminum frame,

Telescopic forks holding the front wheel,

And disc brakes.

Some other body parts,

Designed for either aesthetic or performance reasons,

May be added.

A petrol-powered engine,

Typically consisting of between 1 and 4 cylinders,

And less commonly up to 8 cylinders,

Coupled to a manual 5- or 6-speed sequential transmission drives the swingarm-mounted rear wheel by a chain,

Driveshaft,

Or belt.

The repair can be done using a motorcycle lift.

Motorcycle fuel economy varies greatly with engine displacement and riding style.

The streamlined,

Fully-faired Matsu Matsuzawa Honda XL125 achieved 470 miles per gallon in the Craig Vedder Fuel Economy Challenge on real highways in real conditions.

Due to low engine displacements and high power-to-mass ratios,

Motorcycles offer good fuel economy.

Under conditions of fuel scarcity like 1950s Britain and modern developing nations,

Motorcycles claim large shares of the vehicle market.

In the United States,

The average motorcycle fuel economy is 44 miles per U.

S.

Gallon.

Very high fuel economy equivalents are often derived by electric motorcycles.

Electric motorcycles are nearly silent,

Zero-emission,

Electric motor-driven vehicles.

Operating range and top speed are limited by battery technology.

Fuel cells and petroleum-electric hybrids are also under development to extend the range and improve performance of the electric drive system.

A 2013 survey of 4,

424 readers of the U.

S.

Consumer Reports magazine collected reliability data on 4,

680 motorcycles purchased new from 2009 to 2012.

The most common problem areas were accessories,

Brakes,

Electrical and fuel systems,

And the types of motorcycles with the greatest problem were touring,

Off-road dual sport,

Sport touring,

And cruisers.

There were not enough sport bikes in the survey for a statistically significant conclusion,

Though the data hinted at reliability as good as cruisers.

These results may be partially explained by accessories,

Including such equipment as fairings,

Luggage,

And auxiliary lighting,

Which are frequently added to touring,

Adventure,

Touring,

Dual sport,

And sport touring bikes.

Trouble with fuel systems is often the result of improper winter storage,

And brake problems may also be due to poor maintenance.

Of the five brands with enough data to draw conclusions,

Honda,

Kawasaki,

And Yamaha were statistically tied,

With 11-14% of those bikes in the survey experiencing major repairs.

Harley-Davidson had a rate of 24%,

While BMWs did worse,

With 30% of those needing major repairs.

There were not enough Triumph and Suzuki motorcycles surveyed for a statistically sound conclusion,

Though it appeared Suzuki's were as reliable as the other three Japanese brands,

While Triumph's were comparable to Harley-Davidson and BMW.

Three-fourths of the repairs in the survey cost less than $200,

And two-thirds of the motorcycles were repaired in less than two days.

In spite of their relatively worse reliability in the survey,

Harley-Davidson and BMW owners showed the greatest owner satisfaction,

And three-fourths of them said they would buy the same bike again,

Followed by 72% of Honda owners and 60-63% of Kawasaki and Yamaha owners.

Two-wheeled motorcycles stay upright while rolling due to a physical property known as conservation of angular momentum in the wheels.

Angular momentum points along the axle,

And it wants to stay pointing in that direction.

Different types of motorcycles have different dynamics,

And these play a role in how a motorcycle performs in given conditions.

For example,

One with a longer wheelbase provides the feeling of more stability by responding less to disturbances.

Motorcycle tires have a large influence over handling.

Motorcycles must be leaned in order to make turns.

This lean is induced by the method known as countersteering,

In which the rider momentarily steals the handlebars in the direction opposite of the desired turn.

This practice is counterintuitive,

And therefore often confusing to novices,

And even many experienced motorcyclists.

With such a short wheelbase,

Motorcycles can generate enough torque at the rear wheel and enough stomping force at the front wheel to lift the opposite wheel off the road.

These actions,

If performed on purpose,

Are known as wheelies and stoppies,

Or endos,

Respectively.

Various features and accessories may be attached to a motorcycle,

Either as OEM,

Factory fitted,

Or aftermarket.

Such accessories are selected by the owner to enhance the motorcycle's appearance,

Safety,

Performance,

Or comfort,

And many include anything from mobile electronics to sidecars and trailers.

The world record for the longest motorcycle jump was set in 2008 by Robbie Madison,

With 107 meters,

Or 351 feet.

Since late 2010,

The AckAttack team has held the motorcycle land speed record at 376.

36 mph.

The motorcyclist's riding position depends on rider body geometry,

Anthropometry,

Combined with the geometry of the motorcycle itself.

These factors create a set of three basic postures.

Sport.

The rider leans forward into the wind,

And the weight of the upper torso is supported by the rider's core at low speed and air pressure at high speed.

The foot pegs are below the rider or to the rear.

The reduced frontal area cuts wind resistance and allows higher speeds.

At low speed in this position,

The rider's arms may bear some of the weight of the rider's torso,

Which can be problematic.

Standard.

The rider sits upright or leans forward slightly.

The feet are below the rider.

These are motorcycles that are not specialized to one task,

So they do not excel in any particular area.

The standard posture is used with touring and commuting,

As well as dirt and dual sport bikes,

And many offer advantages for beginners.

Cruiser.

The rider sits at a low seat height,

With the upper torso upright or leaning slightly rearward.

Legs are extended forwards,

Sometimes out of reach of the regular controls on cruiser pegs.

The low seat height can be a consideration for new or short riders.

Handlebars tend to be high and wide.

The emphasis is on comfort,

While comprising cornering ability because of low ground clearance and the greater likelihood of scraping foot pegs,

Floorboards,

Or other parts if turns are taken at the speeds other motorcycles can more readily accomplish.

Factors of a motorcycle's ergonomic geometry that determine the seating posture include the height,

Angle,

And location of foot pegs,

Seat,

And handlebars.

Factors in a rider's physical geometry that contribute to seating posture include torso,

Arm,

Thigh,

And leg length,

And overall rider height.

A motorcycle is broadly defined by law in most countries for the purposes of registration,

Taxation,

And rider licensing as a powered two-wheel motor vehicle.

Most countries distinguish between mopeds of 49cc and the more powerful larger vehicles,

Including scooter-type motorcycles.

Many jurisdictions include some forms of three-wheeled cars as motorcycles.

In Nigeria,

Motorcycles,

Popularly referred to as Okada,

Have been subject of many controversies with regards to safety and security,

Followed by restriction of movement in many states.

In 2020,

It was banned in Lagos,

Nigeria's most populous city.