Types of Motorcycles
Back when motorcycles first started, they were designed to be
used on several different platforms. With little
adjustments to the suspension or engine you could turn
your regular street cruiser to an off-road bike. This
was back in the olden days. Nowadays they build bikes
for ever single purpose you may have. Here we will give
you a brief description of each of the different types
of motorcycles to give you a better understanding of
what bike is best for you.Cruisers
These bikes are more
commonly referred to as "American Bikes" due to the different style
these motorcycles have. Their style came from people getting bored by
the looks of their regular Harley's. They began creating choppers or
custom bikes. They would make these machines look the way they do by
taking out all the extra accessories that did not help the bike be
lighter or go faster. All you ended up with was two wheels, a seat,
frame, and a gas tank. These bikes began to symbolize the outlaw biker
phenomenon. But by taking all of the extra accessories, this made some
of the bikes very difficult or even impossible to maneuver.
These bikes continued
to be custom works of arts until the early 1970's when manufacturers
started producing factory choppers of their own. These bikes were not as
popular with the public as a custom chopper since anyone could just go
out and buy them. They rode allot better than homemade choppers but did
not look the same. Not until Willie G Davidson introduced the Low Rider
in 1977 did the public start to love factory produced choppers. This and
the Wide Glide of 1980 can still be found in parts on choppers and
cruisers of today.
Power Cruisers
While the public was
loving their cruisers and choppers, many felt that they were lacking
something. The public was also in love with the new sportbikes coming
out but they did not want to switch out their cruiser for a sportbike.
Manufacturers then came out with their Power Cruisers. They handles like
great cruisers should but had bigger engines in them. They gave cruiser
lovers the power they were looking for. Now several Japanese companies
make Power Cruisers. They are more popular than ever before.
Sport Bikes
If the laid back, easy
riding cruisers are not your style, then a super fast sport bike maybe
what your looking for. Sports bikes were designed for one thing, to go
fast! When sports bikes first started off, they were not able to beat a
fairly tuned Harley in a straight line but once the road got a little
windy, it was a different story. These bikes were able to be driven at
their limits day in and day out with no worry about breaking down. As
sport bikes progressed they became faster and more agile. Now they can
both out-run and out-maneuver any other type of bike on the road. They
are best suited for riders who like speed and are not afraid to push
their bikes to their limits.
Off-Road
Motorcycles
Off-Road bikes are in a league all their own. For one, most of them are
illegal to ride on public highways. In order to enjoy your off-road bike
you have to transport it via pick-up or trailer to your nearest off-road
location. Pure dirt bikes as they are sometimes referred to do not meet
the qualifications to make them street legal. They are really loud, do
not meet the emission standards, lack turn signals and horns as most
street bikes have. Most of them carry two-stroke engines which means you
have to pre-mix your gas with oil before going out to ride. Makes it
very inconvenient if you don't have a bucket to mix your fuel. These
machines also have very abrupt horsepower surges. These bikes are not
recommended for inexperienced riders due to how different they ride from
any other bike.
I hope that this brief description of each bike gave you a better
understanding of what each style of bike is all about. Now bikes are
really affordable so go out and find the bike that suits your lifestyle.
Ride Safe
-Team
Motorhelmets
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