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The inspiration for the earliest motorcycles, and arguably the first motorcycle, was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Cannstatt (since 1905 a city district of Stuttgart) in 1885. It was the first petroleum-powered vehicle ever, but for the provision of a pair of stabilizing wheels, a motorized bicycle, although they called their invention the Reitwagen ("riding car"). They had not set out to create a vehicle form but to build a simple carriage for the engine which was the focus of their endeavours. However,if one counts two wheels with steam propulsion as being a motorcycle, then the first one may have been American. One such machine was demonstrated at fairs and circuses in the eastern US in 1867, built by Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts. There is an existing example of a Roper machine, dated 1869. It's powered by a charcoal-fired two-cylinder engine, whose connecting rods directly drive a crank on the rear wheel. This machine predates the invention of the safety bicycle by many years, so its chassis is also based on the "bone-crusher" bike.

In 1894, the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller was the first motorcycle that was available for purchase.

In the early period of motorcycle history there were many manufacturers as producers of bicycles adapted their designs for the new internal combustion engine. As the engines became more powerful and designs outgrew the bicycle origins, the number of motorcycle producers reduced.

Up until the First World War, the largest motorcycle manufacturer was Indian. After that, this honour went to Harley Davidson, until 1928 when DKW took over as the largest manufacturer. After the Second World War, in 1951, the BSA Group became the largest producer of motorcycles in the world. The German NSU was the largest manufacturer from 1955 until the 1970s when Honda became the most prominent manufacturer, a title it retains to this day. British manufacturers (Triumph, BSA, Norton) held a dominant position in some markets until the rise of the Japanese manufacturers (led by Honda) in the late 1960s and early 1970s who were able to produce designs faster, cheaper and of better quality. Today, the Japanese manufacturers Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki and Yamaha dominate the motorcycle industry, although Harley-Davidson still maintains a high degree of popularity in America.

Recent years have also seen a resurgence in the popularity of many other brands, including BMW, Triumph and Ducati.

There are many different types of motorcycles depending on the use they are designed for. Scooters and mopeds are designed to fit the maximum requirements allowed for mopeds. Small motorcycles are designed to be cheap to buy and for fuel efficiency. Sport bikes are designed for the maximum performance for racing. Cruisers and Touring Motorcycles are designed for comfort, luggage carrying and reliability. Dirt bikes or otherwise known as Motocross Bikes of Off Road Bikes are designed for racing, recreation, or sometimes long distance touring in gravel/mud/sand conditions. Smaller Pocket bikes are used in Pocket Bike Racing

Chassis

The chassis (or frame) of a motorcycle is typically made from welded aluminium or steel (or an alloy) struts, with the rear suspension being an integral component in the design. Carbon-fibre is used in a few very expensive custom frames.

Some motorcycles include the engine as a load-bearing (or stressed) member; this has been used all through bike history but is now becoming more common.