Motorcycle Definition and 163 Threads

A motorcycle, often called a motorbike, bike, or cycle, is a two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle. Motorcycle design varies greatly to suit a range of different purposes: long-distance travel, commuting, cruising, sport, including racing, and off-road riding. Motorcycling is riding a motorcycle and being involved in other related social activity 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 & Wolfmüller became the first series production motorcycle.In 2014, the three top motorcycle producers globally by volume were Honda (28%), Yamaha (17%) (both from Japan), and Hero MotoCorp (India). 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.
According to the US Department of Transportation, the number of fatalities per vehicle mile traveled was 37 times higher for motorcycles than for cars.

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  1. A

    Straight engine vs flat engine on a 1 cyl. motorcycle

    Hello everybody I just got an old underbone bike, which I'm planning to build and finish before the end of this year. I found the engine to be quite pathetic (a 4 stroke, carburetted, 100 cc flat engine) so I'm going to do an engine swap with a more powerful but similar engine configuration...
  2. M

    Exploring the Potential of Gyroscopes for Motorcycle Balance

    Hi, I saw a video online of a self balancing 2 wheeled car. Basically a motorcycle with a body though has a steering wheel rather than handle bars. It uses two gyroscopes spinning in opposite directions to keep it's balance and was wondering if a similar thing could be adapted for regular...
  3. J

    Help with removing a light bulb from motorcycle circuit?

    Hello there. I was looking for a place on the web where someone with an electrical understanding might be able to help me. I have a gas powered scooter which I wanted to make a change to the lighting circuit. My question is regarding the resistor in the circuit. With this circuit, while the...
  4. RaulTheUCSCSlug

    Benefits of Carburetor over Fuel Injection?

    What are the benefits of carburetors over fuel injection methods in engines? I have started working on motorcycles and have noticed that even modern motorcycles are carb'ed rather than fuel inject. Is it because of the cost of adding a computer? Or is there something else to it? I know that...
  5. RaulTheUCSCSlug

    How many of you ride Motorcycles/Scooters?

    Hey, I've been lurking in the forums for a while and would still consider myself pretty new to the forums. I just want to know how many of you guys ride a motorcycle? What is your favorite style? How many of you know too much kinematics in order to ride a motorcycle safely? :DD Also how many...
  6. N

    Having 12V (cig. lighter) power supply on Suzuki GN125H

    Hello Guys My baby is a Suzuki GN125H (Bought in year 2013). I have been pondering for a while to have some kind of dash cam installed on her. Thus I thought to have a power supply installed so as to get power for the dash cam (only to be used when the motorcycle is ON and running). My...
  7. V

    Want learning Material for motorcycle manufacturing

    I am undergoing internship in an motorcycle company (OEM) and would like to know if there are any ebooks about motorcycle parts, manufacturing processes, general manufacturing practices, Engine, vehicle assembly operations and stuff like these?
  8. K

    Inclined throw - motorcycle jumps from the ramp

    Inclined throw -- motorcycle jumps from the ramp Homework Statement The motorcycle jumps from the ramp. what is the minimum speed at the edge in order to reach the other side. Homework Equations Constant acceleration: V=-gt The Attempt at a Solution The time to reach height of 1.5 meters...
  9. T

    Calculating the Speed Needed for a Successful Motorcycle Jump Across a River

    Problem: A motorcyclist is about to jump across a river. The takeoff ramp is inclined at 53 degrees above the horizontal, the river is 40.0m wide, and the far bank is 15.0m lower than the top of the ramp. Ignore air resistance. What must the motorcyclist's speed be at the top of the ramp in...
  10. jegues

    Electric Motorcycle Drive & Hall Effect Sensor Ringing

    Evening gents, We've built the following circuit in the lab for our DC-DC converter for an electric motorcycle. The blocks from left to right are, High speed optoisolator IR2110 Gate driver IC MOSFET Power buffer circuit MOSFET Power Module PMDC Motor ~48V...
  11. B

    Speedway Motorcycle Racing Physics

    At least in the US, it's rare to find anyone that is familiar with speedway racing, so here is a very basic description of the sport: Four riders race around a dirt oval track on single-speed motorcycles with no brakes. They slide sideways around the corners. Here is a sample video: I...
  12. jegues

    DC-DC Converter for Gate Driver Circuitry (Electric Motorcycle)

    Evening all, I'm trying to pick out a suitable DC-DC Converter for our low power gate driver circuitry and I'm unsure about a number of different things. First some background on the circuitry and what the DC-DC Converter is needed for. To date, we've designed, built and tested a low...
  13. C

    Help Solving Motorcycle Braking Problem | Reaction Time, Acceleration, Distance

    A motorcyclist sees an obstacle and comes to a complete stop. Given are reaction time (0.8seconds), acceleration once started braking (-6.5meters/seconds^2), and total distance traveled (35meters) from initial sighting to complete stop. Solve to find initial velocity and time from when he...
  14. J

    An outsider begging for assistance - motorcycle acceleration

    An outsider begging for assistance -- motorcycle acceleration I have a math problem that, I believe if completed successfully, will save my life. B_____________________________________________________________________A The distance from Point A to Point B is 640ft. Starting...
  15. U

    Question about motorcycle emergency braking

    Hello, I don't know if this is the right place to ask this, but here it is: Does the brake pad/rotor temp effect the stopping distance at an emergency brake scenario on a motorcycle ? Assumptions; 1) there is enough of traction between the tire and the asphalt 2) a performance...
  16. S

    Motorcycle cornering force on each tire?

    Thanks to anyone who cares to read or respond. I've never taken a physics class so really all I have is "it seems to me". But I would like what seems to me to make sense. Scenario. I have a motorcycle, in a steady-state corner(a circle), say 40 feet in diameter. And motorcycle is traversing...
  17. P

    Why does the Motorcycle does A Wheelie when you Clutch-Wheelie

    I personally don't ride a motorcycle, but I want to know if that relates to Physics. When someone holds the Clutch and leave it fast or Clutch the motorcycle to make a Wheelie, What is that thing in the Clutch which makes the Motorcycle pop up? I think I even saw cars do wheelies in videos, so...
  18. P

    Motorcycle Accident - Coefficient of Friction issues

    Hi Everyone, I'm trying to find the initial speed of a motorcycle that was involved in an accident. The driver lost control and the bike dragged along the asphalt for some distance. I know several variables but my physics is not a strong suit to say the least. Any help would be much...
  19. M

    Automotive Metal Composition of Motorcycle Chassis

    Hello guys, I wonder and would like to know what kind of metal to made a motorcycle chassis such as Yamaha YZF-R1 and Yamaha Raptor 700R? Is it solid or hollow? Is it cast or extrude? Thank you MyMachine
  20. P

    Motorcycle horizontal acceleration-front wheel rise

    Motorcycle horizontal acceleration--front wheel rise The distance between the centers of the wheels of a motorcycle is 171 cm. The center of mass of the motorcycle, including the rider, is 95.0 cm above the ground and halfway between the wheels. Assume the mass of each wheel is small compared...
  21. D

    Motorcycle trooper overtaking a car.

    Homework Statement A car traveling at a constant speed of 51.5 m/s passes a trooper on a motorcycle hidden behind a billboard. One second after the speeding car passes the billboard, the trooper sets out from the billboard to catch the car, accelerating at a constant rate of 2.00 m/s2. How...
  22. T

    Factors affecting motorcycle grip when turning

    Hi everyone. I've been having this discussion with a pal regarding what affects the grip of a motorcycle's tires when turning and I was hoping someone in here could enlighten us :) So, we have a motorcycle that is making a turn at a constant speed and leaned in an angle. How do you...
  23. P

    A motorcycle catches a car after accelerating

    A motorcycle is following a car that is traveling at constant speed on a straight highway. Initially, the car and the motorcycle are both traveling at the same speed of 22.0 m/s , and the distance between them is 60.0 m . After t1= 5.00 s , the motorcycle starts to accelerate at a rate of 5.00...
  24. GreenAce92

    How does a unocycle / single wheel motorcycle work?

    I don't understand how one wheel could be ridden as a motorcycle, what would oppose the driving moment that rotates the tires? http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_LnXKlTB8gKw/SGrzC8_L1-I/AAAAAAAAB04/Shkqgbqadx4/s400/unocycle_main.jpg
  25. P

    Circular Motion Problem with a Motorcycle Driving in a Sphere

    I have tried this problem multiple times without success. Please provide a full solution. Thanks! A local circus act features a motorcycle rider inside a hollow sphere. He accelerates his bike to a maximum velocity in order to allow himself to be able to drive parallel to the ground inside...
  26. J

    Automotive Safety regulations for motorcycle frames

    Howdy folks Pardon any implicit or explicit stupidity in advance. I'm an EE major taking a class in Autodesk Inventor, and I'm probably going to do a motorcycle frame for a midterm project. While it will not be required, I'm curious to see if I can make something roadworthy. Does any...
  27. V

    Calculating Distance with Motorcycle Patrolman and Car

    Please help, A motorcycle patrolman starts from rest at A 5 seconds after a car, speeding at the constant rate of 124 km/h, passes point A. If the patrolman accelerates at the rate of 6.4 m/s2 until he reaches his maximum permissible speed of 147 km/h, which he maintains, calculate the...
  28. D

    Motorcycle tire circumference change with lean angle and acceleration

    Hello, First of all - I love this forum - so many interesting topics! My question is quite complicated - at least for me. My high level goal is to measure lean angle based on the difference of speeds between the front wheel of the bike vs the 'real speed' (let's just assume I have the...
  29. T

    PIC Microcontroller in a custom Harley motorcycle project.

    Hi guys... be kind as I am a software engineer by trade and this is my first little side-project in EE. So I'm building a custom motorcycle from the ground-up and it is nearly complete. I decided for the brake light and various indicator lights, that I would control them using a pic...
  30. F

    Motorcycle power system question

    Hello! I hail from the land of motorcycles, and I have a power generation issue regarding single-phase vs 3-phase system design. I'm well beyond my specific area of expertise, but need to choose a system wisely, as I travel on my bike off-road and well beyond civilization and prefer not to...
  31. L

    Automotive Senior Project Assistance: Motorcycle Control

    Hello All, A friend and I took on a senior project design that is certainly proving to be more difficult than anticipated. Here are the details: Design Challenge: Self Balancing Motorcycle Description: A picture of our prototype is attached. The motorcycle is remote controlled with...
  32. B

    Centripetal force motorcycle problem

    A motorcycle is traveling up one side of a hill and down the other side. The crest of the hill is a circular arc with a radius of 45.0 meters. Determine the maximum speed that the cycle can have while moving over the crest without losing contact with the road. Will somebody sound this...
  33. P

    Motorcycle Wheels: Calculating Horizontal Acceleration for Front Wheel Lift Off

    Homework Statement The distance between the centers of the wheels of a motorcycle is 155 cm. The center of mass of the motorcycle, including the rider is 88 cm above the ground and halfway between the wheels. Assume that the mass of the wheels is small compared to the body of the motorcycle...
  34. M

    Motorcycle and Cars: Wheelies, the physics behind them.

    Ok so I got in a HUGE argument with some people over on a car forum. They say that cars with longer wheelbases are harder to wheelie. I disagreed. I said it not only depends on the wheel base since that is an oversimplified way to look at it, it depends on where the center of gravity is in...
  35. S

    Which corners faster - car or motorcycle?

    I've been turning this over in my head for a week & the answer is way beyond me, maybe y'all can help. There's a painted line that arcs 90 degrees over say 200'. A car follows that line with it's outside tires. A moto does the same. Which vehicle can travel fastest before the tires lose...
  36. 7

    How Do Physics Equations Explain a Motorcycle Police Chase?

    A motorcycle officer hidden at an intersection observes a car driven by an oblivious driver who ignores a stop sign and continues through the intersection at constant speed. The police officer takes off in pursuit 1.95 s after the car has passed the stop sign. She accelerates at 4.2 m/s2 until...
  37. Loren Booda

    Are Most Motorcycle Fatalities Self-Inflicted or Caused by Other Drivers?

    How many motorcyclists kill themselves in traffic accidents, compared to those killed by other drivers?
  38. M

    Angular momentum; flying motorcycle

    Homework Statement The distance between the centers of the wheels of a motorcycle is 155 cm. The center of mass of the motorcycle, including the biker, is 88.0 cm above the ground and halfway between the wheels. Assume the mass of each wheel is small compared with the body of the motorcycle...
  39. B

    Engineering Motorcycle Helmet Drop Test Report

    I'm doing a report on the principles of physics involved in a motorcycle helmet drop test. After some research I decided to talk about an example from this one article. It talked about hot a helmet strapped onto a headform, dropped onto a steel anvil, in a controlled manner, from a certain...
  40. S

    Velocity and Acceleration of motorcycle

    Superguy has attached a nitro booster to his motorcycle to assist him in his quest to rid Science City of his archenemy, Mad Maxwell. The motorcycle doubles its acceleration when the nitro is activated. Superguy is idling by the side of the highway when Maxwell tears by. At this instant Superguy...
  41. Ƒ

    Constructing an Electric Motorcycle for Commuting & In-Town Driving

    I've been trying to think of a hobby and stumbled upon the idea of constructing a motorcycle. The catch here is that it would have to be electric--I hate having to use gas stations. I would only use it for commuting to school (a little over 2 miles each way) and in-town driving (who knows...
  42. S

    Convince my parents to let me get a motorcycle license

    Now that I've got my drivers license, I've been trying to convince my parents to let me get a motorcycle license. The only problem is they think they're too "Dangerous" for me to ride. Unfortunately it looks like I won't be able to go for my motorcycle license until I'm 18 :frown: I've...
  43. T

    Initial Acceleration of a motorcycle

    My senior design project is to build a hybrid motorcycle. Using a hydraulic engine we are converting the breaking power of the motorcycle into stored energy for use when the motorcycle accelerates from a stop. The question is how to find an appropriate initial acceleration. The acceleration...
  44. L

    Motorcycle stunt-rider mechanics problem

    Homework Statement A motorcycle stunt-rider moving horizontally takes off from a point 1.25 m above the ground, landing 10 m away as shown. Homework Equations The Attempt at a Solution using tan \alpha = \frac{Opp}{Adj} \alpha = 7.1 then using v2=u2+2as v2=0 let a = g = 10...
  45. N

    Calculating Power of Motorcycle on Sloped Road

    A motorcycle (mass of cycle plus rider = 2.5 102 kg) is traveling at a steady speed of 15 m/s. The force of air resistance acting on the cycle and rider is 1.5 102 N. Find the power necessary to sustain this speed under the following conditions. b) the road is sloped upward at 27° with...
  46. J

    How Long Does It Take to Accelerate a Motorcycle from 0 to 100 km/hr?

    Homework Statement You must find the time it takes to accelerate (at constant applied torque) a motorcycle from 0 to 100 km/hr, given: Rider mass: 75 kg Bike total mass: 190 kg Torque at crankshaft of motor: 105 Nm Front and rear wheel masses (10 kg and 17 kg respectively) Radius of...
  47. S

    What is the kinetic energy in joules of a 950-lb motorcycle moving

    1. Homework Statement 1. What is the kinetic energy in joules of a 950-lb motorcycle moving at 50 mph ? 2. If the speed of the motorcycle changes from 50 mph (with kintic energy K1) to 25 mph (with kinetic energy K2), what is the ratio of K1 to K2? 2. Homework Equations KE=1/2mv2...
  48. C

    12V 19Ah Motorcycle Battery to Supercapacitor

    The Lead Acid Battery in my H-D '09 FXDF is rated 12V at 19Ah. If I understand the math correctly, I would need a 12V capacitor rated to 5,700F. Is this accurate? 1 F = 1 As/V 1 Ah = 3600 As 19Ah x (3600As/1Ah) = 68,400As (68,400As/12V) x (1F/[1As/V]) = 5,700 F As I understand it...
  49. B

    Equations of Motion & Forces of a Motorcycle Suspension

    Spring Mass Damper Solution of a Motorcycle Suspension I am trying to create a model of a motorcycle suspension to figure how road bump forces get transferred to the bike. I have created a free body diagram of the system and also attached a pdf. If you need the original powerpoint in case...
  50. T

    Can Modified Cars Achieve 1.5G on the Skidpad?

    If we were to put two relatively small wheels on the side of a motorcycle would it decrease the performance of the motorcycle?
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