Product: Motorcycle

History of the motorcycle

We all love motorcycles and nowadays they are simply part of our everyday life. But
where did they come from and how have they developed over time? Surely they weren't
always the lean, mean machines that we ride today.

Motorcycles were actually descendants of the safety bike a bicycle with a pedal
crank mechanism that first appeared in the late 1800s. Although the invention of the
motorcycle is often credited to just one person, it would appear that there were actually
numerous inventors and engineers working on the idea at the same time.

1867(ish)
Sylvester Howard Roper unveils his Steam Velocipede, a 2-wheeled contraption
powered by a steam engine. Though groundbreaking, his design did not catch on.

1885
Gottlieb Daimler introduces the first true motorcycle. Consisting of a single-cylinder
internal combustion engine mounted on a wooden frame with iron-banded wooden
wheels, it was called the boneshaker for its jarring ride.

1889
John Boyd Dunlop smoothes the way for cars and motorcycles alike by inventing the first
air-inflated pneumatic tire.

1895
French automobile manufacturer DeDion-Buton introduces a lightweight, 4-stroke engine
that makes mass-production of the motorcycle possible.

1899
American entrepreneur and bicycle manufacturer Charles H. Metz creates Americas first
production motorcycle (hes also been credited with coining the term motorcycle).

1901
Indian Motorcycle Company begins production of their motorcycle, with a 1.75hp engine
based on the DeDion-Buton design. Indians were the worlds best-selling motorcycle up
until WWI.
1903
Iconic motorcycle brand Harley-Davidson is launched and starts producing bikes with
their signature V-Twin engine.

1914
World War I begins. American and European armies rely on motorbikes to gather
reconnaissance and deliver messages.

1920s-1930s
In the more motorized world following WWI, Americans and Europeans embrace the
motorcycle, creating a boom in the 1920s. Renowned companies like BMW and Moto
Guzzi enter the marketplace. However, the Great Depression forces many
manufacturers out of business.

Post-WWII
Motorcycles especially European models experience a post-war sales boom.
Japanese companies create their own successful domestic market.

1953
Classic biker film The Wild One, starring Marlon Brando as the leader of a motorcycle
gang, is released. The motorcycle becomes a symbol of rebellion.

1955
Rebel Without a Cause is released, with James Dean in the role of a troubled teenager.
Though James Dean did not ride motorcycles in any of his films, he is nonetheless
associated with them and is said to have owned several, including a 1947 Czech
Whizzer, an Indian Warrior TT, and a 1955 Triumph TR5 Trophy.

1958
Yamaha enters the American market.

1960s-70s
Baby boomers come of age and take up motorcycling, creating the biggest sales boom
in motorcycle history.

1962
Grey Advertising launches its iconic campaign, You Meet the Nicest People on a
Honda. The wildly successful campaign positions motorcycles as a casual, everyday
vehicle, rather than one associated with lawlessness and discontent. Motorcycle
registrations soar.

1963
The WWII movie The Great Escape is released and features Steve McQueens character
famously jumping a 60-foot fence on a motorbike.

1968
BELL Helmets introduces the first full-face motorcycle helmet, the Star.

1969
Honda unveils the CB750. With its revolutionary 4-cylinder, single overhead cam engine,
it is considered the first superbike.

Early 1908s
Kawasaki and Honda debut the first motorcycles with electronic fuel injection systems,
making fuel injection the norm.

1998
Californias EMB, Inc. introduces the worlds first commercially produced electric
motorbike, the Lectra.

2009
The worlds first production hybrid motorcycle, Eko Vehicles ET-120, goes on sale in
India.

Raw Materials
The primary raw materials used in the manufacture of the body of
motorcycle are metal, plastic and rubber. The motorcycle frame is composed
almost completely of metal, as are the wheels. The frame may be overlaid
with plastic. The tires are composed of rubber. The seat is made from a
synthetic substance, such as polyurethane. The power system consists of a
four-stroke engine, a carburetor to transform incoming fuel into vapor, a
choke to control the air-fuel ratio, transmission, and drum brakes. The
transmission system contains a clutch, consisting of steel ball flyweights and
metal plates, a crankshaft, gears, pulleys, rubber belts or metal chains, and a
sprocket. The
electrical system contains a
battery, ignition wires and
coils, diodes, spark plugs,
head-lamps and taillights,
turn signals and a horn.
A cylindrical piston, made
of aluminum alloy (preferred
because it is lightweight and
conducts heat well), is an
essential component of the
engine. It is fitted with piston
rings made of cast iron. The crankshaft and crankcase are made of
aluminum. The engine also contains a cylinder barrel, typically made of cast
iron or light alloy.

The Manufacturing
Process
1. Raw materials as well as parts and components arrive at the
manufacturing plant by truck or rail, typically on a daily basis. As part
of the just-in-time delivery system on which many plants are
scheduled, the materials and parts are delivered at the place where
they are used or installed.

2. Manufacturing begins in the weld department with computer-controlled

fabrication of the frame from high strength frame materials.
Components are formed out of tubular metal and/or hollow metal shells
fashioned from sheet metal. The various sections arewelded together.
This process involves manual, automatic, and robotic equipment.

3. In the plastics department, small plastic resin pellets are melted and
injected into molds under high pressure to form various plastic body
trim parts. This process is known as injection molding.

Figure 1A motorcycle engine.

 4. Plastic and metal parts and
components are painted in
booths in the paint department
using a process known as
powder-coating (this is the same
process by which automobiles
are painted). A powder-coating
apparatus works like a large
spray-painter, dispersing paint
through a pressurized system
evenly across the metal frame.

5. Painted parts are sent via

overhead conveyors or tow
motor (similar to a ski lift tow
rope) to the assembly department where they are installed on the
frame of the motorcycle.

6. The engine is mounted in the painted frame, and various other

components are fitted as the motorcycle is sent down the assembly
line.

7. Wheels, brakes, wiring cables, foot pegs, exhaust pipes, seats,

saddlebags, lights, radios, and hundreds of other parts are installed on
the motorcycle frame. A Honda Gold Wing motorcycle, for example,
needs almost as many parts to complete it as a Honda Civic
automobile.

Quality Control
At the end of the assembly line, quality control inspectors undertake a visual
inspection of the motorcycle's painted finish and fit of parts. The quality
control inspectors also feel the motorcycles with gloved hands to detect any
bumps or defects in the finish. Each motorcycle is tested on a dynamometer.
Inspectors accelerate the motorcycle from 0-60 mph. During the
acceleration, the "dyno" tests for acceleration and braking, shifting, wheel
alignment, headlight and taillight alignment and function, horn function, and
exhaust emissions. The finished product must meet international standards
for performance and safety. After the dyno test, a final inspection is made of
the completed motorcycle. The motorcycles are boxed in crates and shipped
to customers across North America and around the world.

The Future
Motorcycles remain popular and the collecting and riding of antique models
is just as popular as riding the new versions. While sleek, new versions will
continue to be produces,
it is anticipated that the value of older
models will continue to rise.

Motorcycle Benefits
Riding a motorcycle has many advantages
over a car, including:

Cheaper to run

Easier to repair

Easier to park
Figure 2 A motorcycle transmission and
Harder to tow disc brake system.

Can stop anywhere

More flexible in traffic

Less boring

Looks cool

Cheaper to run

Motorcycles use much less petrol than cars

Motorcycles usually use less half the petrol a car would. A motorcycle saves
money you would otherwise burn up in smoke. It also saves your country
money, as if a more people rode motorcycles, our dependence on foreign oil
would reduce. Motorcycle riders are leaders in conservation.

Easier to maintain

In many ways, a motorcycle is only half a car

Motorcycles are easier to repair. Firstly the engine is more accessible. You go
to the bike, pull off a side cover or seat, and there is the engine. Secondly,
there is less to maintain, e.g. two wheels not four. In many ways, a
motorcycle is only half a car. If your costs for routine maintenance are not
less than for a car, consider a new garage. Finally, many repairs you can do
yourself, like changing spark plugs or fitting a new battery.

Easier to park

People who take half an hour to get to work, may take as long to find a
park

Motorcycles are easier to park than cars. People who take half an hour to get
to work, may take just as long to find a park. What if you could ride right up
to your building, get off, and walk in? For most motorcycle riders this is the
case. A bike parks in a third of the space of a car, so you can angle park a
hundred bikes where only 30 cars will fit. Even in the busiest of places, there
is usually a spot to park a bike.

Harder to tow

Towing a bike can be a drag

Being towed is a reality of life (along with death and taxes). If you are the
wrong place at the wrong time you will be towed. For cars, they just lift the
front or back, and tow it off. Towing a big bike is little more difficult. They
can't just drag it away. It must be winched onto a trailer, and then carted off.
If you chain the bike to a fixture, like lamppost, it is even more difficult to
tow, as the chain must be cut. Towing a bike can be a drag. However it is not
impossible, so be careful.

Can stop anywhere

On a bike you can pull over anytime

The ability to pull over anytime is a real bonus. Imagine cruising a big city on
a bike, and you get lost. On a bike you can pull over anytime, look around,
read road signs and check map directions. In a car, stopping in a city will
usually block the traffic flow. When a bike pulls over, traffic flows around it,
but in a car, the traffic flow forces you on, even in directions you dont want
to go! Sometimes people end up miles from where they want to be, simply
because they could not stop and review their situation. Even on narrow city
streets, a motorcycle can pull onto the sidewalk, for a brief reconnaissance.
Riders can stop and look around, when a car must press on. This is great for
sightseeing and looking around new places.

Flexible in traffic

In jams, a motorcycle can usually wend its way forward

It is a terrible feeling of helplessness, being in a stationary line of cars with

some block up ahead. Maybe someone had a crash. In a car, you have to
wait, however long it takes. You dont even know how many miles the line
stretches ahead. However in jams, a motorcycle can usually wend its way
forward, which is why traffic police in many cities have returned to using
motorcycles, some after not using them for many years.

A motorcycle needs only half the space of a car to move

Traffic flexibility is why many cities are bringing back motorcycle police - they
can go where cars cant. A motorcycle needs only half the space of a car to
move. Another city situation is when drivers move into an intersection center
when they cant move out the other side. When the lights change, they just
sit there, blocking the other way drivers, who honk them. However a
motorcycle can move forward through the gaps (and also honk them). It is a
rare case where a motorcycle has no movement options at all - after all, you
can even get off the bike and walk it along!

Less boring

Motorcycles wake you up

The main cause of car accidents is inattention. Falling asleep at the wheel,
often momentarily, happens more often than most people think. A car is
comfortable, so if you are tired, your body tells you it is time to take a nap.
Unfortunately, even a brief mini-nap can put you into oncoming traffic. In
contrast, motorcycles wake you up, as on a bike you feel the wind, the wet,
and the cold! So you are less likely to nod off at the handlebars than at the
wheel. Riding can be unpleasant, but boring it is not, and this is an
advantage.

Looks cool

What girl wants to arrive looking like the thing from the swamp?

The bad-boy rider certainly has appeal, but riding to look cool, and attract
the opposite sex, is a poor reason to ride, as showing off makes you do
stupid things, that defy common sense, like "wheelies". You already have two
wheels instead of four, why cut it down to one?

If you want get girls, get a car. Girls are more comfortable in a car for a start. There
is not much conversation on a bike (some guys find that a plus). Putting on a helmet
messes up hair and make-up. Riding picks up road dirt. Those spare gloves can
smell If it rains, forget taking your girlfriend on a bike unless it is a test of love.
What girl wants to arrive at a party looking like the thing from the swamp?

Motorcycle Bad Effects

MEN who ride motorcycles are at risk of impotence and urinary problems because the
vibration of the engine damages nerves in their penises, a study has found.

A survey of more than 230 motorcyclists who rode their bikes for about three hours every
weekend found almost 70 per cent had problems gaining an erection or emptying their
bladders.

The news is alarming for Sydneysiders who have turned in droves to motorcycles and
scooters in the past few years to beat rising fuel prices and growing traffic congestion.
More than 2100 motorcycles and scooters were newly registered in Sydney last month
alone, pushing the total number to more than 66,000 in Sydney and 135,000 in NSW,
Roads and Traffic Authority figures show.

The increase has led to the City of Sydney council offering free parking, and other councils
developing more parking areas for motorbikes.

Doctors in Japan, who published two studies on the dangers in the International Journal Of
Impotence Research, said seats on most motorcycles put undue pressure on the perineum,
the area between the anus and the scrotum, and restricted blood flow to the penis.

Vibrations from the engine also caused a decrease in two growth hormones in the bladder
and prostate related to bladder relaxation.

Impotence affects most males during their lives and can be caused by emotional issues,
high cholesterol, heart disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, smoking or alcohol.

But all men should avoid sitting on hard bicycle or motorcycle seats, particularly seats with
thin, pointed ends, for long periods to prevent compression of pelvic floor muscles,
Impotence Australia chief executive officer Brett McCann said yesterday.

All men in the study had been sexually active in the past six months and none had any
illnesses.

About 76 per cent of riders aged 40 to 49, and 93 per cent of those aged 50 to 59,
reported severe erectile dysfunction, compared with 37 per cent and 42 per cent
respectively among those who did not ride motorcycles.