The history of the motorcycles begins in the second half of the 19th century. It's began when one American create a steam powered motor that would be small enough to fit onto his bicycle. It was Howard Roper from Massachusetts, he got tired of pedaling his bicycle over long distances.

He spent months on it to draw diagrams and thinking just how he could make a steam engine that would be small enough to relieve the pressure on the legs and feet as he traveled on dirt roads and paths.

In the end in 1867 Roper was powered by burning coal to create the steam. This motorcycle has been displayed in many fairs and circuses over the years. Then in 1885 Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach presented the first petroleum powered motor-bicycle. Nevertheless, until 1894 was not a motorized two wheeled vehicle made available for the transportation market.

When engines became too powerful for a bicycle, and the appearance changed very quickly, the leading manufacturer of motorcycles, in those days the Indian brand, had already create over 20,000 motorcycles the year before World War I.

Harley Davidson took this lead away from the indian company as the Harley Davidson Company had many dealers in 67 countries around the world. It was in the 1920s. In the end of World War II, the BSA bikes took the title away from Harley Davidson, and until 1950 was prepared 75,000 bikes at the year.

At the 1990-s, there had been extensive work done on two stroke bike engines due to Walter Kaaden's work in the 1950-s in Germany. Though Harley Davidson is still the leading motorcycle manufacturer for the market, Honda, Yamaha, Suzuki, Kawasaki are also doing very well with their creating of a durable and elegant street-bike.

Motorcycles have even gone into dirt bike track racing and cross-country racing. Several world records have been made on dirt bikes and some bike names have ended up in the Guinness Book of World Records. Motorcycles have a place in some of the Olympic Games as the advancements and the changes have been changed to the extent of taking parts off the original bike to make it lighter.

Motorcycles have jumped many cars, trucks, and even the Grand Canyon. Today riders are doing back flips, hand stands, and various other daredevil stunts.

There is no better feeling than to be riding down the road and being able to feel the wind in your face and the freedom you feel when you are riding a motorcycle. Motorcycles are today becoming more and more popular due to the fuel crises all around the world. With the smaller size engine and the less fuel consumption, motorcycles may be the next thing we see for commuters.