Types of motorcycles

The Ducati Monster 696 naked bike

Standards, also called naked bikes or roadsters, are versatile, general-purpose street motorcycles.[1] They are recognized primarily by their upright riding position, partway between the reclining rider posture of the cruisers and the forward leaning sport bikes.[3] Footpegs are below the rider and handlebars are high enough to not force the rider to reach too far forward, placing the shoulders above the hips in a natural position.[2] Because of their flexibility, lower costs, and moderate engine output, standards are particularly suited to motorcycle beginners.[1]

Standards usually do not come with fairings or windscreens, or if they have them, they are relatively small.[1] Standard is often a synonym for naked, a term that was used in reference to 1950s road racing bikes.[9][10] The standard seemed to have disappeared, fueling nostalgia for the return of the Universal Japanese Motorcycle,[1] which were admired for their simplicity, quality, and versatility.[3][4][6]

Muscle bike is a nickname for a motorcycle type, derived from either a standard or sport bike design, that puts a disproportionately high priority on engine power.[1][11][12] Roadster is equivalent to standard or naked.[13]

Harley-Davidson cruisers and a touring bike (red)

Cruisers are styled after American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, such as those made by Harley-Davidson, Indian, and Excelsior-Henderson.[1] Harley-Davidsons largely define the cruiser category, and large-displacement V-twin engines are the norm, although other engine configurations and small to medium displacements also exist.[1] Their engines are tuned for low-end torque, making them less demanding to ride because it is not necessary to shift as frequently to accelerate or maintain control.[14]

The riding position places the feet forward and the hands are up relatively high, so that the spine is erect or leaning back slightly.[1][3] At low to moderate speeds, cruisers are more comfortable than other styles,[3][4] but riding for long periods at freeway speeds can lead to fatigue from pulling back on the handlebars to resist the force of the wind against the rider's chest.[15] Cruisers have limited cornering ability due to a lack of ground clearance.[3][14]

Peter Fonda rides a chopper used in Easy Rider.

Choppers are a type of cruiser, so called because they are a "chopped", or cut-down, version of a production cruiser. Choppers are usually custom projects that result in a bike modified to suit the owner's ideals, and, as such, are a source of pride and accomplishment. Stereotypically, a chopper may have raked-out forks, small fuel tanks and high handlebars. Choppers were popularised in the Peter Fonda film Easy Rider. Being designed primarily for visual effect, choppers will not usually be the most efficient riding machines.

Related to the chopper motorcycle is the bobber which is created by "bobbing" a factory bike by removing dead weight and bodywork from a motorcycle to reduce mass and increase performance. A common element of these motorcycles is a shortened rear fender that creates a "bobbed" look.

A Ducati Diavel power cruiser

Power cruiser is a name used to distinguish bikes in the cruiser class that have significantly higher levels of power. They often come with upgraded brakes and suspensions, better ground clearance, and premium surface finishes, as well as more exotic or non-traditional styling.[16][17][18][19][20][21][14]

A Suzuki GSX-R sport bike at Deals Gap

Sport bikes emphasize top speed, acceleration, braking, handling and grip on paved roads,[3][5][22][23] typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy in comparison to less specialized motorcycles.[1][6] Because of this, there are certain design elements that most motorcycles of this type will share. Sport bikes have comparatively high performance engines resting inside a lightweight frame. Inline-four engines dominate the sport bike category, with V-twins having a significant presence, and nearly every other engine configuration appearing in small numbers at one time or another.[1] The combination of these elements helps maintain structural integrity and chassis rigidity.[1] Braking systems combine higher performance brake pads and multi-piston calipers that clamp onto oversized vented rotors.[1] Suspension systems are advanced in terms of adjustments and materials for increased stability and durability.[1] Most sport bikes have fairings, often completely enclosing the engine, and windscreens that effectively deflect the air at very high speeds, or at least reduce overall drag.[1]

Sport bikes have high footpegs that position the legs closer to the body to improve ground clearance when cornering, and a long reach to the hand controls, which positions the body and center of gravity forward, above the fuel tank. The rider leans forward into the wind, the force of which can comfortably support the rider's weight at speeds near 100 mph (160 km/h), but at lower speeds leaves too much weight on the arms and wrists, causing fatigue.

Streetfighters are derived from sport bikes, originally being customized sport bikes with the fairings removed and higher handlebars replacing the low clip-on handlebars.[24][25] Since the 1990s, factory streetfighters have been produced.[26] As with naked bike and muscle bike (below), the name streetfighter is used to help clarify the middle ground occupied by designs that blend elements of both sport bikes and standards.[27]

Honda Gold Wing GL1800 touring motorcycle

Although any motorcycle can be equipped and used for touring, touring motorcycles are specifically designed to excel at covering long distances.[1] They have large-displacement engines, fairings and screens that offer good weather and wind protection, large-capacity fuel tanks for long ranges between fill-ups, and a relaxed, upright seating position.[1] Passenger accommodation is excellent and expansive luggage space is the norm for this class.[1] Such bikes can have wet weights of 850–900 lb (390–410 kg) and top 1,300–1,400 lb (590–640 kg) fully loaded with a rider, passenger and gear.[14]

Bagger, full dresser, full dress tourer, or dresser are various names for touring motorcycles, sometimes used disparagingly or jocularly, and originally referring to a Harley-Davidson or other cruisers with full sets of saddlebags. This can now refer to any touring motorcycle.[14][28][29][30]

A BMW R1100RS sport-touring motorcycle

Sport touring motorcycles combine attributes of sport bikes and touring motorcycles. The rider posture is less extreme than a sport bike, giving greater long-distance comfort.[1] Accommodation for a passenger is superior to a sport bike as well, along with increased luggage capacity.[1] Being lighter, at 550–720 lb (250–330 kg) wet,[14] than a pure touring bike and often having racier engines, suspensions, and brakes, sport tourers corner better and are more at home being aggressively ridden on curvy canyon roads.[1] The distinction between touring and sport touring is not always clear as some manufacturers will list the same bike in either category in different markets. The Honda ST1300 Pan-European, for example, was listed by Honda as a sport touring motorcycle in the United States and Australia, but as a touring motorcycle in Europe.

BMW R1200GS dual-sport motorcycle

Dual-sports, sometimes called dual-purpose or on/off-road motorcycles or adventure motorcycles, are street legal machines that are also designed to enter off-road situations.[1] Typically based on a dirt bike chassis, they have added lights, mirrors, signals, and instruments that allow them to be licensed for public roads.[3] They are higher than other street bikes, with a high center of gravity and tall seat height, allowing good suspension travel for rough ground.[1]

Adventure motorcycles are motorcycles with touring capability on paved and unpaved roads. As a dual-sport they have a significant on-pavement bias and perform well on pavement at higher speeds unlike most dual-sports.[3][31] Their size, weight and sometimes their tires, however, limits their off-road capability. Most adventure motorcycles function well on graded dirt and gravel roads but are less than ideal on more difficult off-pavement terrain.

Supermoto motorcycles were designed to compete on a single course that alternated between three genres of motorcycle racing: road racing, track racing, and motocross. This increasingly popular type of motorcycle is often a dual-sport that has been fitted by the manufacturer with smaller rims and road tires. Supermotos are quickly gaining popularity as street bikes due to their combination of light weight, durability, relatively low cost, and sporty handling.