Editing Motorcycle (section)

{{Short description|Two- or three-wheeled motor vehicle}}
{{hatnote group|
{{Other uses}}
{{Distinguish|Motocycle|Motorized bicycle}}
{{For|the song by Poppy|Zig (album)}}
}}
{{Use British English|date=January 2020}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2020}}
[[File:Norton Motorcycle.jpg|thumb|upright=1.35|A classic [[Norton Motorcycle Company|Norton]] motorcycle|alt=]]
[[File:NSU Lambretta, 150 cm³, 6 PS, Bj. 1955 (2018-06-03 Sp sw qu).JPG|thumb|upright=1.35|1955 NSU [[Lambretta]] 150 [[Scooter (motorcycle)|scooter]]]]

A '''motorcycle''' ('''motorbike''', '''bike'''; '''uni''' (if one-wheeled); '''trike''' (if three-wheeled); '''quad''' (if four-wheeled)) is a lightweight private 1-to-2 passenger personal [[motor vehicle]] [[Steering|steered]] by a [[Motorcycle handlebar|handlebar]] from a saddle-style seat.<ref name=definitions/><ref>{{Cite web|title=Motorcycle|url=https://www.britannica.com/technology/motorcycle|access-date=29 August 2020|website=Encyclopedia Britannica|archive-date=20 January 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220120220629/https://www.britannica.com/technology/motorcycle|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|date=1 October 2010|title=Code of Federal Regulations, 49 CFR 571.3 — Definitions|url=https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2010-title49-vol6/CFR-2010-title49-vol6-sec571-3/summary|access-date=29 August 2020|website=govinfo|page=239|quote=Motorcycle means a motor vehicle with motive power having a seat or saddle for the use of the rider and designed to travel on not more than three wheels in contact with the ground.|archive-date=27 November 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20201127062722/https://www.govinfo.gov/app/details/CFR-2010-title49-vol6/CFR-2010-title49-vol6-sec571-3/summary|url-status=live}}</ref>

Motorcycle designs vary greatly to suit a range of different purposes: [[Long-distance motorcycle riding|long-distance]] travel, [[Motorcycle commuting|commuting]], [[cruising (driving)|cruising]], [[Motorcycle sport|sport]] (including [[Motorcycle racing|racing]]), and [[Off-roading|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 rally|motorcycle rallies]].

The 1885 [[Daimler Reitwagen]] made by [[Gottlieb Daimler]] and [[Wilhelm Maybach]] in Germany was the first internal combustion, [[petroleum]]-fueled motorcycle. In 1894, [[Hildebrand & Wolfmüller]] became the first series production motorcycle.<ref>{{Cite web|url=http://www.bicyclehistory.net/motorcycle-history/motorocycle-timeline/|title=Motorcycle Timeline – Evolution of Motorcycles|website=bicyclehistory.net|access-date=25 February 2020|archive-date=25 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225232913/http://www.bicyclehistory.net/motorcycle-history/motorocycle-timeline/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/23190/|title=Hildebrand & Wolfmuller Motorcycle, circa 1894 – The Henry Ford|website=thehenryford.org|access-date=25 February 2020|archive-date=25 February 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200225232913/https://www.thehenryford.org/collections-and-research/digital-collections/artifact/23190/|url-status=live}}</ref>

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,<ref name="McD_global_sales">{{Cite web |date=2022-03-10 |title=Global Motorcycles Market – Data & Fact 2022 |url=https://www.motorcyclesdata.com/2022/03/10/world-motorcycles-market/ |access-date=2022-05-04 |website=Motorcycles Data |language=en-US |archive-date=29 May 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220529013216/https://www.motorcyclesdata.com/2022/03/10/world-motorcycles-market/ |url-status=live }}</ref> while 66.7 million cars were sold over the same period.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Global car sales 2010–2021 |url=https://www.statista.com/statistics/200002/international-car-sales-since-1990/ |access-date=2022-05-04 |website=Statista |language=en |archive-date=29 April 2022 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220429162924/https://www.statista.com/statistics/200002/international-car-sales-since-1990/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

In 2022, the top four motorcycle producers by volume and type were [[Honda]], [[Yamaha Motor Company|Yamaha]], [[Kawasaki motorcycles|Kawasaki]], and [[Suzuki]].<ref>{{cite web |date=January 2023 |title=List of Motorcycle specifications database in the world |url=https://www.motorcyclespecs.us/ |access-date=2023-01-17 |publisher=motorcyclespecs.us |archive-date=18 January 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230118033738/https://www.motorcyclespecs.us/ |url-status=live }}</ref>

According to the [[United States Department of Transportation|US Department of Transportation]], the number of fatalities per [[vehicle]] mile traveled was 37 times higher for motorcycles than for cars.<ref name="www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov">{{cite web |title=Traffic safety facts, 2008. Report no. DOT HS-811-159 |publisher=NHTSA's National Center for Statistics and Analysis |year=2008 |url=http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/pubs/811159.pdf |access-date=15 September 2010 |archive-date=4 July 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100704221255/http://www-nrd.nhtsa.dot.gov/Pubs/811159.pdf |url-status=live }}</ref>