Original photo by GianlucaFortunato/ iStock
More than just an automotive afterthought, motorcycles have a history and enthusiast culture as rich and diverse as that of their four-wheeled cousins. In the 150 or so years since they first hit the road, motorcycles have evolved into a fuel-efficient and convenient way to get from point A to point B for hundreds of millions of people. These eight facts explore the exciting, high-RPM world of the motorcycle, including its steam-powered past, its gas-guzzling present, and its electrified future.
The Very First Motorcycles Were Actually Steam-Powered
Although many credit German inventor Gottlieb Daimler as the mind behind the first motorcycle in 1885, his two-wheeled creation actually arrived more than 15 years after the oldest known motorcycle in the U.S. Built only four years after the Civil War ended, by Massachusetts machinist Sylvester Roper, this velocipede (as early bicycles were often called) had one distinct difference from its German descendant — it ran on steam. Under the seat of the Roper Steam Velocipede rested a small vertical boiler, which contained a water tank. This boiler supplied the power for two small pistons to turn a crank drive located on the rear wheel. Roper even installed a twisting handlebar to control the proto-bike’s throttle, something the Indian Motorcycle — the first American motorcycle company — included on their bikes 30 years later. Roper invented a number of similar steam-powered bikes throughout his life, but they never caught on.
The First Harley-Davidson’s Max Speed Was 25 MPH
The vehicular creations of William Harley and the Davidson brothers (there were three of them) still fill American roadways more than 120 years after the company’s founding, but their early motorbikes weren’t exactly the gas-chugging monsters you see on Sons of Anarchy. In fact, the first Harley-Davidson motorcycle was little more than a bicycle with a few piston-powered additions. As the chief engineer, Harley strapped on a single-cylinder motor on a reinforced bike frame, and according to one origin myth, even used a tomato can for a carburetor. Riders had to pedal the bike pretty fast to get the motor going, and even once it was finally putting out some power, it only reached a top speed of 25 mph. However, times have changed, and in 2023, Harley-Davidson’s most impressive v-twin engine, the Screamin’ Eagle 135ci Stage IV, can pump out an impressive 130 horsepower — way better than a tomato can.
T.E. Lawrence’s Death Improved Motorcycle Safety
On May 13, 1935, T.E. Lawrence, a former British army officer whose World War I exploits were eventually immortalized in the Academy Award-winning film Lawrence of Arabia, was riding his Brough Superior SS100 motorcycle when two boys riding bicycles appeared out of an obscured dip in the road. Swerving to avoid a collision, Lawrence was thrown from his bike and suffered severe head trauma, eventually dying from his wounds. Although a tragic loss, Lawrence’s death, as well as the work of neurosurgeon Hugh Cairns, who performed his autopsy, likely prevented thousands of deaths ever since. Riding motorcycles bareheaded was the norm in the 1930s, and Lawrence was no exception. Inspired by his medical findings from the crash, Cairns gathered more data before publishing the article “Head Injuries in Motor-cyclists – the importance of the crash helmet” in The British Medical Journal in 1941. It’d be a few more decades before the House of Commons finally made helmets mandatory, but it was all thanks to Cairns and the very last moments of T.E. Lawrence’s life.
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Honda Sells Nearly One-Third of All Motorcycles Worldwide
Although Harley-Davidson enjoys popularity in the U.S., when it comes to global motorcycle leaders, the top dog isn’t in dispute: Honda. Founded in 1948 in Hamamatsu, Japan, with only 34 employees, Honda originally began as a manufacturer of auxiliary engines for bicycles, but that humble beginning has grown into a massive corporation with factories around the world, including the U.S. According to 2022 motorcycle sales, Honda sells 30% of all motorcycles in the world, which is actually a decrease from previous years. Like the rest of the transportation market, Honda is also beginning a big transition: They announced in September 2023 that the company will introduce 10 new electric motorcycle models by 2025 with a plan to sell 3.5 million of them by 2030. In other words, the company’s dominance shows no signs of stopping.
The Longest Motorcycle Ride Ever Recorded Took Almost a Decade to Complete
In January 1985, Emilio Scotto began a journey unlike any other. With childhood dreams of traveling the world, Scotto climbed onto his Honda Gold Wing GL1100, nicknamed “Black Princess,” and began an adventure that lasted more than a decade. Driving nearly 457,000 miles, Scotto visited nearly every country as well as a variety of islands, colonies, and atolls — and he did it all on the back of the same motorcycle… sort of. By the time Scotto arrived in Japan, the Black Princess was in rough shape, so the Honda Racing Corporation gave the bike a new lease on life by refurbishing the cams, fork, brakes, and exhaust system, among other things. After 10 years, two months, and 19 days, Scotto arrived back in Argentina having completed the longest motorcycle journey ever recorded, and today the “Black Princess” resides in a car museum in Nevada.
The World’s Fastest Motorcycle Can (Theoretically) Travel 300 MPH
In 2003, at the North American International Auto Show, the American car manufacturer Dodge (which doesn’t actually make motorcycles) revealed the most souped-up bike in existence — the Tomahawk. Calling the Tomahawk a true “motorcycle” is stretching the definition a little bit. Although the vehicle’s frame overall resembles a motorcycle and you sit on it like a motorcycle, it also weighs 1,500 pounds and has four wheels (albeit close together). But the star of the show is the bike’s 8.3-liter v10 engine, capable of producing 500 horsepower. Its top speed was rated by Dodge at around 420 miles per hour, though that is only theoretical, as no one in their right mind would actually try to reach that speed. (Dodge later amended the top speed to 300 mph after questioning from some motorcycle experts.) Although the bike isn’t street legal, Dodge did sell a limited run of them as “rolling sculptures” through the Neiman Marcus catalog — you only had to fork over $550,000. They sold nine.
The Word “Hog” Comes From an Early 20th-Century Racing Team
The most popular nickname for a Harley-Davidson motorcycle is a “hog,” but that’s not because its creators had a particular soft spot for swine. The name originated in 1920 when, following World War I, motorcycle racing became a popular sport throughout the U.S. Having won a dirt track race the year previously, Harley-Davidson wanted to keep the winning streak going and formed a racing team called the “wrecking crew.” One of the members of that team, Ray Weishaar, decided to adopt a pig from a local farmer to serve as its mascot. When the “Wrecking Crew” won the race, Weishaar rode with the pig (nicknamed “Johnny”) for a victory lap, and soon the media referred to the team as the Harley Hogs. Decades later, Harley-Davidson cemented the name into its own identity and founded the Harley Owners Group (HOG), and today the company trades on the stock market with the ticker symbol “HOG.”
Thailand Has the Highest Motorbike Ownership of Any Country in the World
Although there are certainly larger overall markets due to population size (e.g., India), Thailand has a higher percentage of motorbike ownership per capita than any other country. About 87% of households there own at least one — just edging out Vietnam with 86%. Motorbikes are particularly popular in Southeast Asian countries, as they’re fuel-efficient and can easily maneuver through increasingly crowded urban streets. The most popular motorbike in the country is the Honda Wave, likely for its small size, affordability, and durability, and the demand for electric bikes is expected to climb in the coming years.
Darren Orf lives in Portland, has a cat, and writes about all things science and climate. You can find his previous work at Popular Mechanics, Inverse, Gizmodo, and Paste, among others.
