Motorcycles come in many different styles, each offering design and performance

characteristics to accommodate specific riding conditions. Let's take a look at the

common categories of motorcycles.

Street Bikes

Street motorcycles come with all of the necessary equipment to be street-ready.

They have lights, mirrors, a horn and a muffler. Their tires have a tread pattern
that provides good traction on both wet and dry roads. Street motorcycles
generally come in two forms -- touring motorcycles and cruisers. Touring
motorcycles are specially designed for long-distance travel. Their most distinctive
features are fairings, aerodynamic wind guards that wrap around the headlight
to enhance styling and reduce drag. Touring bikes also come with other long-
distance amenities, such as saddlebags and a comfortable passenger seat.
Cruisers, which typically have no fairings, offer a more laid-back look. They are
built with swept-back handlebars, low seats, and casual riding positions with
forward-set footpegs.

2005 Yamaha FZ6, a "naked bike"

PHOTO COURTESY DARRIN GATEWOOD

Sportbikes
Sportbikes are designed to handle well at high speeds and on winding roads.
They offer multi-cylinder engines to produce more power, aluminum alloy
frames, stiff suspensions to improve handling, high-grip tires and powerful
brakes. Instead of sitting up straight, sportbike riders lean forward over the gas
tank to reduce wind resistance.

"Naked Bikes"

Naked bikes offer the performance of sportbikes without the aesthetics. In most
cases, they are stripped of any unnecessary bodywork. Because they're often the
product of bike customizers who want a "road warrior" appearance, naked bikes
are also called streetfighters, especially in Europe.

1978 Suzuki GS550, a typical UJM

PHOTO COURTESY MIKE LE PARD, TOTAL MOTORCYCLE

Traditionals

Also known as standards, traditionals look and handle like an archetypical model
known as the Universal Japanese Motorcycle (UJM), built primarily in the 1970s.
The UJM was an all-purpose, do-everything bike, and today's standards offer the
same versatility and straightforward design.

Off-road Bikes
Off-road motorcycles include both motocross bikes and dirt bikes -- machines
designed to handle jumps, bumps and other obstacles found on closed racing
courses or woodland trails. Off-road motorcycles have narrower, lighter frames,
increased ground clearance and advanced suspension systems. They also have a
kick-starter to reduce weight and tires with a knobby tread pattern for increased
traction. Because off-road bikes usually don't come standard with lights, mirrors,
a horn or a muffler, they aren't street-legal.

Motocross bikes in action.

PHOTO COURTESY R. BEATY, MORGUEFILE

Dual-purpose

Dual-purpose bikes, also known as dual-sports, are street-legal motorcycles that

offer some off-road capabilities. Like dirt bikes, dual-purpose machines are
lightweight and durable. Like standards, they offer great versatility for newcomers
and long-time riders alike. The dual-purpose motorcycle falls somewhere in
between a dirt bike and a street motorcycle. For example, dual-purpose bikes
feature specialized tires that work on both dirt and pavement.
Next, we'll explore the history of motorcycles.

ROPER STEAM CYCLE

If a two-wheeled vehicle powered by steam propulsion is a true motorcycle, then
the invention must be traced back to an American inventor by the name of
Sylvester Howard Roper. Roper's steam-cycle hit the streets in 1869, well before
the invention of the safety bicycle. The machine was powered by a charcoal-fired
two-cylinder engine, with connecting rods attached to a crank on the rear wheel.
However, the Roper motorcycle still placed the rider over a large front wheel.