71-567: The Triumph Ricardo was a British single-cylinder motorcycle manufactured by the Triumph Engineering Co Ltd between 1921 and 1928. Named after engine designer Sir Harry Ricardo it featured an innovative four valve head design and was capable of over 70 mph, set three world speed records and won a gold medal in the 1923 International Six Day Trial . Developed around a 499cc single-cylinder OHV four valve, four-stroke, commissioned by Triumph from engine expert Ricardo,
142-418: A manual five- or six-speed sequential transmission drives the swingarm -mounted rear wheel by a chain , driveshaft , or belt . The repair can be done using a Motorcycle lift . Motorcycle fuel economy varies greatly with engine displacement and riding style. A streamlined, fully faired Matzu Matsuzawa Honda XL125 achieved 470 mpg ‑US (0.50 L/100 km; 560 mpg ‑imp ) in
213-593: A trike ) is a two or three-wheeled motor vehicle steered by a handlebar from a saddle-style seat. Motorcycle designs vary 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 activities such as joining a motorcycle club and attending motorcycle rallies . The 1885 Daimler Reitwagen made by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Germany
284-468: A cast iron for road ( and steel cylinder for racing) barrel and the cylinder head was made of cast iron. The rest of the cycle parts were based on Triumph's well proven Triumph Model H side-valve. This had a poor reputation for handling, however, and was not really built for the more powerful four valve engine. On later models the oil system (which had relied on a manual hand pump) was replaced with an external oil pump. The 'Riccy' continued in production as
355-479: A competitor's MotoGP activities, which forced Kawasaki to terminate the relationship immediately. Kawasaki formed Kawasaki Motors Racing , a European subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries responsible for managing the racing activities of the MotoGP team and any other motorcycle racing activities Kawasaki may enter in the future. For the first time since Kawasaki returned to the premier class of motorcycle racing,
426-811: A full motorcycle licence or endorsement for completing a Motorcycle Safety course varies by province. Without the Motorcycle Safety Course the chance of getting insurance for the motorcycle is very low. The Canada Safety Council , a non-profit safety organisation, offers the Gearing Up program across Canada and is endorsed by the Motorcycle and Moped Industry Council. Training course graduates may qualify for reduced insurance premiums. Motorcyclists and motor scooter riders are also exposed to an increased risk of suffering hearing damage such as hearing loss and tinnitus (ringing ears). The noise
497-465: A limited production of stand-up models as designed by the recognized inventor of jet skis, Clayton Jacobson II . In 1976, Kawasaki then began mass production of the JS400-A . JS400s came with 400 cc two-stroke engines and hulls based upon the previous limited release models. It became the harbinger of the success Jet-Skis would see in the market up through the 1990s. In 1986 Kawasaki broadened
568-673: A motorcycle ( German : Motorrad ). Excelsior Motor Company , originally a bicycle manufacturing company based in Coventry , England , began production of their first motorcycle model in 1896. The first production motorcycle in the US was the Orient-Aster, built by Charles Metz in 1898 at his factory in Waltham, Massachusetts . In the early period of motorcycle history, many producers of bicycles adapted their designs to accommodate
639-414: A motorcycle either as OEM (factory-fitted) or aftermarket . Such accessories are selected by the owner to enhance the motorcycle's appearance, safety, performance, or comfort, and may include anything from mobile electronics to sidecars and trailers . Motorcycles have a higher rate of fatal accidents than automobiles or trucks and buses. United States Department of Transportation data for 2005 from
710-402: A role in how a motorcycle performs in given conditions. For example, one with a longer wheelbase provides the feeling of more stability by responding less to disturbances. Motorcycle tyres have a large influence over handling. Motorcycles must be leaned in order to make turns. This lean is induced by the method known as countersteering , in which the rider momentarily steers the handlebars in
781-491: A sports model until 1928. As well as developing the four valve engine, Harry Ricardo was also very interested in formulating new racing fuels and the effects of fuel octane on engine performance. Triumph had a poor result when three Ricardo's competed in the 1921 Isle of Man TT , with only one completed the race but a 'Model R' Fast Roadster model was entered in the 1922 Senior TT , ridden by Ricardo's assistant and fellow engine designer Frank Halford , who came 13th. Halford on
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#1732800892811852-580: A tuned Triumph Ricardo fitted with a bronze alloy cylinder head of his own design also recorded a lap of the race track at Brooklands at 68 mph, broke the Brooklands hour record at 76.74 mph the flying mile at 87.8 mph. Much of the credit went to the new racing fuel which was eventually banned. In 1923 a 'Model R' Fast Roadster model won a gold medal in the ISDT . Motorcycle A motorcycle ( motorbike , bike , or, if three-wheeled,
923-495: Is 43.47 which is 28 times higher than for cars (37 times more deaths per mile travelled in 2007). Furthermore, for motorcycles the accident rates have increased significantly since the end of the 1990s, while the rates have dropped for passenger cars. The most common configuration of motorcycle accidents in the United States is when a motorist pulls out or turns in front of a motorcyclist, violating their right-of-way. This
994-436: Is a Japanese mobility manufacturer that produces motorcycles , all-terrain vehicles , utility vehicles , watercraft , outboard motors , and other electric products. It derives its origins from Kawasaki Aircraft Industries , a subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries , and is rooted in the motorcycle, boat, and engine businesses. In 1953, they began manufacturing engines for motorcycles and have since produced products such as
1065-439: Is caused by wind noise while riding, rolling noise from the tyres and the engine itself. The helmet only provides insufficient protection against high sound pressure levels. Medicine (as of 2024) is not able to cure hearing damage. Wearing hearing protection, such as special earplugs for motorcyclists, can help prevent hearing damage. The motorcyclist's riding position depends on rider body-geometry ( anthropometry ) combined with
1136-616: Is increasingly problematic. The first (petroleum fueled) internal-combustion motorcycles, like the German Reitwagen , were, however, also the first practical motorcycles. If a two-wheeled vehicle with steam propulsion is considered a motorcycle, then the first motorcycles built seem to be the French Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede which patent application was filed in December 1868, constructed around
1207-634: Is necessary to pass the basic motorcycle licence test. These include the Institute of Advanced Motorists (IAM) and the Royal Society for the Prevention of Accidents (RoSPA). Along with increased personal safety, riders with these advanced qualifications may benefit from reduced insurance costs In South Africa, the Think Bike campaign is dedicated to increasing both motorcycle safety and
1278-493: Is often a racing counterpart to each type, such as road racing and street bikes, or motocross including dirt bikes. Street bikes include cruisers , sportbikes , scooters and mopeds , and many other types. Off-road motorcycles include many types designed for dirt-oriented racing classes such as motocross and are not street legal in most areas. Dual purpose machines like the dual-sport style are made to go off-road but include features to make them legal and comfortable on
1349-477: Is sometimes called a SMIDSY , an acronym formed from the motorists' common response of "Sorry mate, I didn't see you". Motorcyclists can anticipate and avoid some of these crashes with proper training, increasing their visibility to other traffic, keeping to the speed limits, and not consuming alcohol or other drugs before riding. The United Kingdom has several organisations dedicated to improving motorcycle safety by providing advanced rider training beyond what
1420-487: Is the 1958 Honda Super Cub , which went on to become the biggest selling vehicle of all time, with its 60 millionth unit produced in April 2008. Today, this area is dominated by mostly Indian companies with Hero MotoCorp emerging as the world's largest manufacturer of two wheelers. Its Splendor model has sold more than 8.5 million to date. Other major producers are Bajaj and TVS Motors . Motorcycle construction
1491-585: Is the engineering, manufacturing, and assembly of components and systems for a motorcycle which results in the performance, cost, and aesthetics desired by the designer. With some exceptions, construction of modern mass-produced motorcycles has standardised on a steel or aluminium frame , telescopic forks holding the front wheel, and disc brakes . Some other body parts, designed for either aesthetic or performance reasons may be added. A petrol-powered engine typically consisting of between one and four cylinders (and less commonly, up to eight cylinders) coupled to
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#17328008928111562-668: The Australian Capital Territory , Tasmania and the Northern Territory , it is compulsory to complete a basic rider training course before being issued a Learners Licence, after which they can ride on public roads. In Canada, motorcycle rider training is compulsory in Quebec and Manitoba only, but all provinces and territories have graduated licence programs which place restrictions on new drivers until they have gained experience. Eligibility for
1633-496: The Craig Vetter Fuel Economy Challenge "on real highways – in real conditions". Due to low engine displacements (100–200 cc (6.1–12.2 cu in)), and high power-to-mass ratios, motorcycles offer good fuel economy. Under conditions of fuel scarcity like 1950s Britain and modern developing nations, motorcycles claim large shares of the vehicle market. In the United States,
1704-716: The FIM in the light of the safety concerns. From the 1960s through the 1990s, small two-stroke motorcycles were popular worldwide, partly as a result of East German MZs Walter Kaaden's engine work in the 1950s. In the 21st century, the motorcycle industry is mainly dominated by Indian and Japanese motorcycle companies. In addition to the large capacity motorcycles, there is a large market in smaller capacity (less than 300 cc) motorcycles, mostly concentrated in Asian and African countries and produced in China and India. A Japanese example
1775-492: The Fatality Analysis Reporting System show that for passenger cars, 18.62 fatal crashes occur per 100,000 registered vehicles. For motorcycles this figure is higher at 75.19 per 100,000 registered vehicles – four times higher than for cars. The same data shows that 1.56 fatalities occur per 100 million vehicle miles travelled for passenger cars, whereas for motorcycles the figure
1846-757: The Mach and Ninja series in motorcycles and the Jet Ski , which has become a generic term for personal watercraft . Until 2021, it was a division of Kawasaki Heavy Industries, known as the Kawasaki Aerospace Company ( 川策重工業汎用機カンパニー ) and later the Kawasaki Motorcycle & Engine Company ( 川崎重工業モーターサイクル&エンジンカンパニー ) . In 2021, it was separated as Kawasaki Motors, Ltd, a wholly owned subsidiary of Kawasaki Heavy Industries. Kawasaki Aircraft initially manufactured motorcycles under
1917-526: The Meguro name, having bought an ailing motorcycle manufacturer, Meguro Manufacturing with whom they had been in partnership. This eventually became Kawasaki Motor Sales. Some early motorcycles display an emblem with "Kawasaki Aircraft" on the fuel tank. During 1962, Kawasaki engineers were developing a four-stroke engine for small cars. Then some of the engineers transferred to the Meguro factory to work on
1988-507: The US Department of Transportation , the number of fatalities per vehicle mile traveled was 37 times higher for motorcycles than for cars. The term motorcycle has different legal definitions depending on jurisdiction (see § Legal definitions and restrictions ). There are three major types of motorcycle: street, off-road, and dual purpose. Within these types, there are many sub-types of motorcycles for different purposes. There
2059-851: The World Superbike Championship started in 1990 with the US-based Team Muzzy Kawasaki , which managed the superbike activities until 1996 . Between 1997 and 2002 , Kawasaki gave factory backing to the Harald Eckl 's team, based in Germany, while Muzzy focused on the AMA Superbike domestic series. From 2003 to 2008, only privateer teams like Bertocchi and PSG-1 entered the world championship, with small factory support. In 2009 , Kawasaki officially returned to SBK with Paul Bird Motorsport , but after three seasons, in 2012 , Kawasaki switched
2130-496: The 1920s stood out. Initially, using converted a Woodmann-designed OHV Blackburne engine it became the first 350 cc to exceed 100 mph (160 km/h), recording 100.81 mph (162.24 km/h) over the flying kilometre during April 1924.[7] Later, Chater-Lea set a world record for the flying kilometre for 350 cc and 500 cc motorcycles at 102.9 mph (165.6 km/h) for the firm. Chater-Lea produced variants of these world-beating sports models and became popular among racers at
2201-565: The 1990s, they also dominated the Endurance World Championship . Kawasaki machinery has been pivotal in the development of Supertwin racing. The racing machines are developed from the Kawasaki 650cc parallel twin commuter bike (ER6-n or ER6-f). The machines are then transformed through development into an 85 bhp race bike with top end speeds in excess of 150 mph. The KMR Kawasaki Racing Team are one of
Triumph Ricardo - Misplaced Pages Continue
2272-616: The American Kawasaki Motors Corporation (KMC), to complete Japan-produced components into finished motorcycles for the North American market. Kawasaki's engines division, housed in a single office complex in Grand Rapids, Michigan , consolidates research and development projects for engines. Kawasaki's Aircraft Company began the development of a motorcycle engine in 1949. The development
2343-473: The First World War, motorbike production was greatly ramped up for the war effort to supply effective communications with front line troops. Messengers on horses were replaced with despatch riders on motorcycles carrying messages, performing reconnaissance and acting as a military police. American company Harley-Davidson was devoting over 50% of its factory output toward military contract by the end of
2414-525: The Isle of Man TT. Today, the firm is probably best remembered for its long-term contract to manufacture and supply AA Patrol motorcycles and sidecars. By the late 1920s or early 1930s, DKW in Germany took over as the largest manufacturer. In the 1950s, streamlining began to play an increasing part in the development of racing motorcycles and the "dustbin fairing" held out the possibility of radical changes to motorcycle design. NSU and Moto Guzzi were in
2485-718: The Kawasaki Racing Team was formed after Kawasaki had developed their new 990cc ZX-RR bike throughout 2002 and raced it in the last three races of the 2002 MotoGP season . The racing activities were managed by Harald Eckl 's team based in Germany. It was not until 2004 that Kawasaki had two riders - Alex Hofmann and Shinya Nakano , who raced for the entire season. Nakano placed 3rd in Japan that year achieving Kawasaki's first podium finish in MotoGP. In 2007, Kawasaki split from Harald Eckl because of Eckl's involvement with
2556-496: The Kawasaki Ultra 300x. Jet Ski is the brand name of personal watercraft manufactured by Kawasaki. The name, however, has become a genericized trademark for any type of personal watercraft. Kawasaki's traditional racing colour is green. Many Kawasaki racing teams are called Team Green . The "Monster Energy Kawasaki Team Green" provides a support program developing amateur motocross racers. Kawasaki's first title
2627-663: The Meg ro K1 and the SG, a single cylinder 250 cc OHV . In 1963, Kawasaki and Meguro merged to form Kawasaki Motorcycle Co., Ltd. From 1962 through 1967, Kawasaki motorcycles used an emblem which can be described as a flag within a wing. Work continued on the Meguro K1, a copy of the BSA A7 500 cc vertical twin and on the W1 . The K2 was exported to the U.S . for a test in response to
2698-476: The SX-R, which has seen a revival of interest in stand-up jetskiing. The X-2 has also been updated, based on the SX-R platform and re-released in Japan . Kawasaki continues to produce three models of sit-downs, including many four-stroke models. The four stroke engines have come on since the late 1990s; with the help of superchargers and the like the engines can output up to 300 horsepower (220 kW) as seen in
2769-519: The Triumph Ricardo was a replacement for the aging Triumph side-valves. Ricardo produced a number of prototypes aimed at reducing thermal stress on the inadequate valve materials available, while improving airflow through increased valve area. Harry Ricardo's final design had the four valves operated by the existing tappet mechanism and set a new standard for the power output possible from a 500cc single-cylinder engine, achieving over 20 bhp –
2840-596: The United States by organisations ranging from state agencies to non-profit organisations to corporations. Most states use the courses designed by the Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF), while Oregon and Idaho developed their own. All of the training programs include a Basic Rider Course, an Intermediate Rider Course and an Advanced Rider Course. In Ireland , since 2010, in the UK and some Australian jurisdictions, such as Victoria , New South Wales ,
2911-417: The art at the time. Starting was by compressed air. The engine was liquid-cooled, with a radiator over the rear driving wheel. Speed was controlled by means of a throttle valve lever. No braking system was fitted; the vehicle was stopped by raising and lowering the rear driving wheel using a foot-operated lever; the weight of the machine was then borne by two small castor wheels. The driver was seated between
Triumph Ricardo - Misplaced Pages Continue
2982-403: The average motorcycle fuel economy is 44 miles per US gallon (19 km per liter). Very high fuel economy equivalents are often derived by electric motorcycles. Electric motorcycles are nearly silent, zero-emission electric motor-driven vehicles. Operating range and top speed are limited by battery technology. Fuel cells and petroleum-electric hybrids are also under development to extend
3053-577: The awareness of motorcycles on the country's roads. The campaign, while strongest in the Gauteng province, has representation in Western Cape, KwaZulu Natal and the Free State. It has dozens of trained marshals available for various events such as cycle races and is deeply involved in numerous other projects such as the annual Motorcycle Toy Run. Motorcycle safety education is offered throughout
3124-514: The direction opposite of the desired turn. This practice is counterintuitive and therefore often confusing to novices – and even many experienced motorcyclists. With such short wheelbase , motorcycles can generate enough torque at the rear wheel, and enough stopping force at the front wheel, to lift the opposite wheel off the road. These actions, if performed on purpose, are known as wheelies and stoppies (or endos) respectively. Various features and accessories may be attached to
3195-503: The expanding American market for four-stroke motorcycles. At first it was rejected for a lack of power. By the mid-1960s, Kawasaki was finally exporting a moderate number of motorcycles. The Kawasaki H1 Mach III in 1968, along with several enduro -styled motorcycles to compete with Yamaha , Suzuki and Honda , increased sales of Kawasaki units. 1974 saw the establishment of a Kawasaki assembly facility in Lincoln, Nebraska , US, named
3266-619: The factory support to the Spanish-based Provec Racing team. Kawasaki has won several superbike racing championships. They won the rider's Superbike World Championship in 1993 with Scott Russell , two decades later in 2013 with Tom Sykes , and six times consecutively in 2015 , 2016 , 2017 , 2018 , 2019 , and 2020 with Jonathan Rea . The manufacturer has also claimed nine AMA Superbike Championships with riders such as Reg Pridmore , Eddie Lawson , Wayne Rainey , Scott Russell , and Doug Chandler . During
3337-474: The first "modern motorcycle". Introduced in 1915 it had a 550 cc side-valve four-stroke engine with a three-speed gearbox and belt transmission. It was so popular with its users that it was nicknamed the "Trusty Triumph". By 1920, Harley-Davidson was the largest manufacturer, with their motorcycles being sold by dealers in 67 countries. Amongst many British motorcycle manufacturers, Chater-Lea with its twin-cylinder models followed by its large singles in
3408-429: The five brands with enough data to draw conclusions, Honda, Kawasaki and Yamaha were statistically tied, with 11 to 14% of those bikes in the survey experiencing major repairs. Harley-Davidsons had a rate of 24%, while BMWs did worse, with 30% of those needing major repairs. There were not enough Triumph and Suzuki motorcycles surveyed for a statistically sound conclusion, though it appeared Suzukis were as reliable as
3479-523: The front wheels. It was not, however, a success, as Butler failed to find sufficient financial backing. Many authorities have excluded steam powered , electric motorcycles or diesel-powered two-wheelers from the definition of a 'motorcycle', and credit the Daimler Reitwagen as the world's first motorcycle. Given the rapid rise in use of electric motorcycles worldwide, defining only internal-combustion powered two-wheelers as 'motorcycles'
3550-503: The geometry of the motorcycle itself. These factors create a set of three basic postures. Factors of a motorcycle's ergonomic geometry that determine the seating posture include the height, angle and location of footpegs, seat and handlebars. Factors in a rider's physical geometry that contribute to seating posture include torso, arm, thigh and leg length, and overall rider height. Kawasaki motorcycles Kawasaki Motors, Ltd. ( カワサキモータース株式会社 , Kawasaki Mōtāsu Kabushikigaisha )
3621-515: The leading race teams in the category, whose team members include Ryan Farquhar and Jeremy McWilliams . Kawasaki has enjoyed numerous successes at the Isle of Man TT Races . The marque has notched up a total of 34 victories which include 3 victories in the Sidecar TT . Notable achievements include Mick Grant's 1975 outright lap record of 109.82 mph (176.74 km/h), finally beating
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#17328008928113692-560: The new internal combustion engine. As the engines became more powerful and designs outgrew the bicycle origins, the number of motorcycle producers increased. Many of the nineteenth-century inventors who worked on early motorcycles often moved on to other inventions. Daimler and Roper, for example, both went on to develop automobiles. At the end of the 19th century the first major mass-production firms were set up. In 1898, Triumph Motorcycles in England began producing motorbikes, and by 1903 it
3763-408: The other three Japanese brands while Triumphs were comparable to Harley-Davidson and BMW. Three-fourths of the repairs in the survey cost less than US$ 200 and two-thirds of the motorcycles were repaired in less than two days. In spite of their relatively worse reliability in this survey, Harley-Davidson and BMW owners showed the greatest owner satisfaction, and three-fourths of them said they would buy
3834-588: The range and improve performance of the electric drive system. A 2013 survey of 4,424 readers of the US Consumer Reports magazine collected reliability data on 4,680 motorcycles purchased new from 2009 to 2012. The most common problem areas were accessories , brakes , electrical (including starters , charging , ignition ), and fuel systems , and the types of motorcycles with the greatest problems were touring, off-road/dual sport, sport-touring, and cruisers. There were not enough sport bikes in
3905-399: The same as a 1500cc car engine of the time. Capable of 70 mph, the four-valve head allowed more efficient gas flow and the spark plug could be positioned in the middle for optimum combustion. Each pair of valves was parallel, at 90 degrees to each other, with the valve stems and springs exposed, as were the long pushrods which ran on the outside of the engine. A light alloy piston ran in
3976-400: The same bike again, followed by 72% of Honda owners and 60 to 63% of Kawasaki and Yamaha owners. Two-wheeled motorcycles stay upright while rolling due to a physical property known as conservation of angular momentum in the wheels. Angular momentum points along the axle, and it "wants" to stay pointing in that direction. Different types of motorcycles have different dynamics and these play
4047-473: The same time as the American Roper steam velocipede , built by Sylvester H. Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts , who had been demonstrating his machine at fairs and circuses in the eastern U.S. since 1867. Roper built about 10 steam cars and cycles from the 1860s until his death in 1896. In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first series production motorcycle, and the first to be called
4118-640: The street as well. Each configuration offers either specialised advantage or broad capability, and each design creates a different riding posture. In some countries the use of pillions (rear seats) is restricted. The first internal combustion , petroleum fueled motorcycle was the Daimler Reitwagen . It was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt , Germany, in 1885. This vehicle
4189-471: The survey for a statistically significant conclusion, though the data hinted at reliability as good as cruisers. These results may be partially explained by accessories including such equipment as fairings, luggage, and auxiliary lighting, which are frequently added to touring, adventure touring/dual sport and sport touring bikes. Trouble with fuel systems is often the result of improper winter storage, and brake problems may also be due to poor maintenance. Of
4260-405: The team became a complete 'in house' factory team. On January 9, 2009, Kawasaki announced it had decided to "... suspend its MotoGP racing activities from 2009 season onward and reallocate management resources more efficiently". The company stated that it will continue racing activities using mass-produced motorcycles as well as supporting general race oriented consumers. Kawasaki's involvement in
4331-462: The vanguard of this development, both producing very radical designs well ahead of their time. NSU produced the most advanced design, but after the deaths of four NSU riders in the 1954–1956 seasons, they abandoned further development and quit Grand Prix motorcycle racing . Moto Guzzi produced competitive race machines, and until the end of 1957 had a succession of victories. The following year, 1958, full enclosure fairings were banned from racing by
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#17328008928114402-453: The war. The British company Triumph Motorcycles sold more than 30,000 of its Triumph Type H model to allied forces during the war. With the rear wheel driven by a belt, the Model H was fitted with a 499 cc (30.5 cu in) air-cooled four-stroke single-cylinder engine. It was also the first Triumph without pedals . The Model H in particular, is regarded by many as having been
4473-578: The world of Jet Skis by introducing a two-person model with lean-in "sport" style handling and a 650 cc engine, dubbed the Kawasaki X2 . Then in 1989, they introduced their first two-passenger "sit-down" model, the Tandem Sport (TS) with a step-through seating area. In 2003, Kawasaki celebrated the Jet Ski brand by releasing a special 30th anniversary edition of its current stand-up model,
4544-481: Was a three-wheeled vehicle, with the rear wheel directly driven by a 5 ⁄ 8 hp (0.47 kW), 40 cc (2.4 cu in) displacement, 2 + 1 ⁄ 4 in × 5 in (57 mm × 127 mm) bore × stroke, flat twin four-stroke engine (with magneto ignition replaced by coil and battery) equipped with rotary valves and a float-fed carburettor (five years before Maybach ) and Ackermann steering , all of which were state of
4615-504: Was completed in 1952 and mass production started in 1953. The engine was an air-cooled , 148 cc, OHV , four-stroke single cylinder with a maximum power of 4 PS (2.9 kW; 3.9 hp) at 4,000 rpm. In 1954, the first complete Kawasaki Motorcycle was produced under the name of Meihatsu, a subsidiary of Kawasaki Aircraft. In 1960, Kawasaki completed construction of a factory dedicated exclusively to motorcycle production and bought Meguro Motorcycles . Kawasaki's first ATV
4686-844: Was designed as an expedient testbed for their new engine, rather than a true prototype vehicle. The first commercial design for a self-propelled cycle was a three-wheel design called the Butler Petrol Cycle, conceived of Edward Butler in England in 1884. He exhibited his plans for the vehicle at the Stanley Cycle Show in London in 1884. The vehicle was built by the Merryweather Fire Engine company in Greenwich , in 1888. The Butler Petrol Cycle
4757-447: Was producing over 500 bikes. Other British firms were Royal Enfield , Norton , Douglas Motorcycles and Birmingham Small Arms Company who began motorbike production in 1899, 1902, 1907 and 1910, respectively. Indian began production in 1901 and Harley-Davidson was established two years later. By the outbreak of World War I, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian, producing over 20,000 bikes per year. During
4828-506: Was the first internal combustion, petroleum -fueled motorcycle. In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first series production motorcycle. Globally, motorcycles are comparable numerically to cars as a method of transport: in 2021, approximately 58.6 million new motorcycles were sold around the world, while 66.7 million cars were sold over the same period. In 2022, the top four motorcycle producers by volume and type were Honda , Yamaha , Kawasaki , and Suzuki . According to
4899-562: Was the three-wheeled KLT200, which debuted in 1981. Its first four-wheel ATV, the Bayou 185, was introduced in 1985 and in 1989, its first model with four-wheel-drive, the Bayou 300 4x4. Today, Kawasaki's ATV line-up includes a wide range of recreational and utility ATVs. Kawasaki's MULE (Multi-Use Light Equipment) utility vehicle combines an ATV with a pick-up truck. The first MULE was produced in 1988. Kawasaki now calls their utility vehicles "side-by-side" vehicles. In 1973, Kawasaki introduced
4970-469: Was unlike either the safety bicycles or the boneshaker bicycles of the era in that it had zero degrees of steering axis angle and no fork offset , and thus did not use the principles of bicycle and motorcycle dynamics developed nearly 70 years earlier. Instead, it relied on two outrigger wheels to remain upright while turning. The inventors called their invention the Reitwagen ("riding car"). It
5041-473: Was with Dave Simmonds in 1969 when they won the 125 cc World Championship. Kawasaki dominated the 250 cc and 350 cc grand prix classes from 1978 to 1982 winning four titles in each category. With the introduction of the four-stroke engines into MotoGP in 2002 , Kawasaki decided to take part in the new MotoGP World Championship. Kawasaki entered the championship in 2003 with 250 cc Grand Prix racer Harald Eckl 's Team Eckl . In 2003,
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