The motorcycle market is increasing rapidly day by day and it has grown to 62.6 million globally. Because of this much growth spike in the market, there have been launches of many different motorcycles. So, many people get confused with several terms and names of motorcycle types. In this post, I have provided a detailed overview of the “types of motorcycles” with infographics.
Here is the list of the Most popular types of motorcycles:-
- Standard/ Naked
- Sports Motorcycle
- Cruiser Motorcycle
- Power Cruiser
- Bobber Motorcycle
- Chopper Motorcycle
- Cafe Racer and Scrambler
- Dirt bikes
- Enduro/ Motocross
- Touring and Sports touring motorcycle
- Scooter
- Power Scooter
Standard / Naked motorcycle
Standard, naked, or Roadstar motorcycles are general-purpose and very popular street vehicles. These motorcycles generally consist of an upright and relaxed riding position. These are the most affordable and comfortable motorcycles that anyone can buy for daily commutes.
That’s why this category of motorcycles is more beginner-friendly and easy to ride.
Naked motorcycles are a perfect balance between styling and comfort which makes them the most popular motorcycles type in the two-wheeler market. That’s the reason standard motorcycle don’t come with a huge fairing which makes them distinctive from the sports.
Sports Motorcycle
Sports motorcycles are made for speed thus these are equipped with a high-revving engine. The riding position of sports motorcycles is a little aggressive and less comfortable than any other motorcycle. Sports bikes are stylish, light-weight, and powerful motorcycles making a perfect combination to ride and keep up with traffic without being worried.
The main aim of the sports motorcycle is speed and to cover the distance at the minimum possible time. That’s the reason sports motorcycles are used in racing.
Depending on the CC of the motorcycle one will need the experience to ride because sports motorcycles come in the range of 299cc to 1200cc. As the engine cc or displacement increases of the motorcycle, one should also understand that the power is also increasing which will require practice, and experience to have a controlled ride.
Sport motorcycles chassis are made with aluminum to retain light-weightiness and agility.
One can’t simply go ride a 1000cc sports motorcycle without having previous riding experience. If any beginner is thinking of riding a giant CC motorcycle then he or she may not know the risk of riding the powerhouse in the form of a sport motorcycle.
Although in the above videos there are some instances that are relatable and some are unrelatable to your situations but you get the point. You will require practice to learn to ride high-performance motorcycles otherwise you can also go and hit someone which is dangerous.
Here is an article that may help you learn to ride motorcycles if you are new and have never tried riding.
Cruiser Motorcycle
Cruisers are the most comfortable and easy to ride motorcycles. Its seat height is relatively lower than any other motorcycle type which makes it suitable for most riders of any height and weight. The riding position with the cruiser is very comfortable and relaxed because of the overall ergonomics like low seat height, upswept handlebars, forward-relaxed peg positioning.
Most of the cruiser motorcycle comes with a V-twin engine that provides low-end torque and offers a low riding position. V-twin engines used in cruiser motorcycles are well-balanced and maintain good air-cooling capabilities.
These features make a cruiser to be used for long-distance riding or cruising on the highway roads comfortably. Cruisers are generally heavier than most bikes which will make your ride smooth at high speed.
Power Cruiser Motorcycle
Cruisers that are packed with more power, greater performance, higher horsepower, are known as Power Cruisers. So, we can say it’s a cruiser motorcycle just packed with higher performance than normal. These cruisers come with higher CC engines, better suspension, improved braking, better ground clearance, etc.
Power cruiser motorcycles pack the same riding position and comfort as the normal cruiser. These cruises are packed with higher horsepower and torque like a sports motorcycle. But instead of putting that high-revving engine in a sports motorcycle, the engine is put into the frame like a cruiser bike.
Thus, the power cruiser was born which is a mix of cruiser chassis and body and engine of a sports motorcycle. Examples of power cruisers Yamaha V-Max, Kawasaki Vulcan 900.
Bobber Motorcycle
Bobber motorcycles are designed lightweight by removing the unnecessary parts out of them. The main aim in the design of the bobber was to keep the components minimalist while retaining the performance. Thus, Bobber motorcycles were born by stripping down most of the unnecessary components and leaving them with very basic components.
Basic components include – Just one Seat, Engine, Exhaust, brakes, clutch, and other necessary parts to run the motorcycle.
Chopper Motorcycle
The basic characteristic of the chopper motorcycle is its long front with extended forks for a stretched-out appearance. It is a custom-made motorcycle that emerged in California during the late 1950s. To make a chopper motorcycle you just need to start chopping down the mechanical part that is not needed.
You can make a chopper from an existing original motorcycle or built it from scratch. Although, chopper motorcycle is an outdated style and it’s the most extreme of all the modifications done on the motorcycle yet.
Cafe Racer and Scrambler
A cafe racer is designed minimal and light-weight to achieve acceleration faster. So, this is the custom motorcycle designed to race between popular cafes. The motorcycle got its name “Cafe racer” during the early 196os in London where young guys were used to racing between popular cafes.
Cafe racer and Scrambler both come into the category of “standard” type in the motorcycle category.
The thing that makes the cafe racer different from other motorcycles is its aggressive forward-leaning riding position, stripped-down body, and lower handlebar position.
Coming to the Bike situation, cafe racers were designed for speed and performance earlier. Thus, most of the unnecessary parts from the motorcycle have been stripped down to make it custom into a cafe racer.
The cafe racer event has become so popular that later many motorcycle manufacturers produced cafe racers for the market.
The handlebar in the cafe racer is usually placed a little lower to provide an aggressive riding position. That’s the reason cafe racers are not comfortable riding for long hours or for long distances. For more information on riding the cafe racer for long-distance check out this post.
Now talking about scrambler.
A scrambler is not much different than a cafe racer, it’s just that scrambler is a dual-purpose motorcycle whereas a cafe racer is only to be ridden on-road.
If we look at the history of scrambler origin, then this motorcycle was modified to be used on the off-roads. So, the scrambler was modified by those people who were looking to ride on both on-road and off-road.
But, now dirtbikes, Enduro, Motorcross, etc motorcycles are available which are specially made for off-roading. These motorcycles will outperform the scrambler for the capabilities of the off-road.
So, you can ride scrambler in both the paved or mud roads but you can’t ride the cafe racer in unpaved muddy trails (off-road). There is a reason for that because dirt bike exhaust is not placed higher like scrambler or dirt bikes. So, make sure to use cafe racer only on-road.
Dirt bikes
Dirt bikes are specially designed to be ridden off-road on rough surfaces, muds, unsurfaced roads, sands, etc. It can also be ridden during the rain on unpaved trails because of the traction it provides. The majority of dirt bike chassis is made with aluminum because it is lighter than steel and more durable.
Dirt bikes are best for those who are looking to explore the off-road or any other rough terrain including rocks. These are made of hard plastics for agility easy to controllable in every situation.
Dirt bikes are available in every size or height which means you can buy your kids a dirt bike also with which they can start exploring the terrain earlier.
Adults’ dirt bikes mostly come with a displacement ranging from 230cc to 450cc while the kid’s dirt bikes are usually equipped with engine displacement ranging from 50cc to 150cc.
Enduro Motorcycle
Enduro is designed lightweight and intended to be driven off-road just like dirt bikes. Although, these bikes serve a different purpose than the dirtbike because these bikes are used for off-road racing.
It is used in long-distance races mostly over rough terrain or any other off-roading space designed to test endurance.
Enduro bikes are more dirt-focused off-road vehicles designed for racing. that’s the reason enduro is made of high quality.
One of the most common distinctions that make Enduro different than the dirt bike is its light-weightiness and high-quality dirt performance. But, as these bikes provide high-performance so these bikes also require the highest maintenance.
An enduro motorcycle is more performance-oriented while maintaining the light-weightiness for the off-roading race also requires high maintenance. Apart from this one thing that is common on most enduro motorcycles is the single-cylinder engine
As I have mentioned already while comparing both the single-cylinder and multi-cylinder motorcycle engines that single-cylinder provides better speed in less time. That’s the reason enduro is equipped with single-cylinder engines to provide instant speed.
Also According to Wikipedia, “Some enduro bikes have street–legal features such as headlights and quiet mufflers to enable them to use public roadways”.
Touring motorcycle
Touring motorcycles are one of the largest, heaviest, and powerful vehicles designed for touring and to be ridden long distances. It is a usually big machine where you can easily carry the necessary elements for the tour. These motorcycles are very comfortable to be used for touring long distances. It also consists of satellite radio, GPS, speakers, cargo, etc.
The mix of sport style and touring capacities in a motorcycle makes up sports touring motorcycle which gives us the chassis, looks, and performance of sports motorcycles while qualities like the comfort of touring motorcycle.
These motorcycles are equipped with larger tanks so that they can cover larger miles of distance without thinking of refueling during intervals.
Scooter
Scooters are designed with a step-through chassis which makes them different from a motorcycle. It is lightweight and can store a significant amount of cargo under the seat. The scooter is usually equipped with a low-capacity engine ranging up from 150cc to 250cc. It is a choice for most students and girls for being lightweight and provides mileage.
Scooters are very comfortable and easy to ride because of the automatic transmission system. There is no mess of clutch or speed gear in scooters which makes it easy to ride or understand the functions even for beginners.
Riding a scooter is easy because of the automatic transmission “twist and go”. You just have to twist the throttle to increase the acceleration of the scooter. It’s just this normally scooters are equipped with low cc engines. So, if you want more power in the form of a scooter then you can go for “Power Scooters”. Read below for more information about the scooter.
Power Scooter
Power scooters are large scooters equipped with high displacement engines ranging from 250cc to 850cc. Put simple power or maxi-scooters are packed with more power and a larger wheelbase than normal scooters. Engine size is the only difference that makes the maxi or power scooter different from a normal scooter. It can be used for long-distance riding.
Power scooters are famous in European markets and it comes into the premium segment. These scooters can be used for long-distance riding because they are equipped with larger fuel tanks so that you will not have to worry about refueling again and again.
So, for any riders who are looking for an alternative to touring motorcycles then maxi-scooter is the name.
The scooters are easy to ride, like “twist and go” that’s all. That’s the benefits everyone gets by riding a power scooter over a motorcycle there is no mess of clutch, gear, etc. With any scooter, you just have to twist the throttle to keep moving the wheels.
Apart from this, the step-through chassis is liked by many people which is quite comfortable like sitting on a chair and riding.
Therefore, power scooters are the best option for those looking for higher power along with comfort in scooters.
Conclusion
We have far now discussed twelve types of motorcycles that are most popular among others. Although, I will update the article with more types if I found any types missing from the list. I hope this article has helped you to know about the motorcycle types and other important details regarding it.
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