A Wild Ride: Harley Davidson

For millions of people worldwide, nothing beats the feeling of the wind in their as they hit the open road on a motorcycle. Whether it's the rumble of a Harley or the speed of a Ninja, motorcycles are everywhere.

The history of the motorcycle is similar to that of the automobile, in the sense that no one person is responsible for its invention. Sylvester Howard Roper invented early versions of both the car and motorcycle, however they were steam powered and aren't considered true representations of what we have today.

It was a pair of German inventors, Gottleib Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach, who first came up with the idea to attach a gas powered motor to a wooden bicycle in 1885. Daimler later teamed up with engineer Nicolaus Otto. Otto developed a four stroke internal combustion engine, which Daimler used to create a prototype of a current motorcycle. Daimler, who was more interested in the motor rather than the motorcycle, went on to work on automobiles.

The late 1880's till the early 1900's saw numerous inventors make modifications to the motorcycle. In 1895 the first motorcycle made its way to the United States. It topped out at 40 miles per hour and weighed nearly two hundred pounds. 1895 was a watershed year, as American E.J. Pennington unveiled a cycle of his own, which he claimed could reach speeds of almost sixty miles an hour. He is also credited with coining the term "motorcycle".

The turn of the century saw the formation of some of the biggest motorcycle producing companies, including Triumph, Indian, and Harley Davidson. By 1911 the police were using motorcycles for patrols. The twenties and thirties saw no less than eighty companies producing motorcycles.

World War Two led to extensive use of the motorcycle by all the countries involved. This led to many returning veterans wanting motorcycles when they returned. A rash of motorcycle movies also helped to fuel interest in cycles.

The sixties and seventies saw the rise and then domination of Japanese manufacturers, like Honda and Suzuki. Harley Davidson, among others, suffered steep declines in sales. However, Harley sales rebounded in the eighties, and brisk sales continue today.

Once thought of as typically male, motorcycles have become increasingly popular among women. Motorcycle gangs have turned into motorcycle clubs, including everything from Christian groups to groups raising money for charities. The future of cycling is a bright one.