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    History of Dirt Bikes

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    The document provides a history of dirt bikes from their origins in the late 19th century to modern day. Early motorcycles were steam-powered but later transitioned to internal combustion engines. In the early 20th century, companies like Indian and Harley-Davidson began mass-producing motorcycles. After World War II, Japanese companies like Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha started producing true off-road dirt bikes. Over time, 4-stroke dirt bikes became more popular than 2-strokes due to improved reliability and power characteristics. Today, dirt bikes come in both 2-stroke and 4-stroke varieties across a wide range of engine sizes and are tailored for different types of off-

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    History of Dirt Bikes

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    api-527642325
    120 views3 pages
    The document provides a history of dirt bikes from their origins in the late 19th century to modern day. Early motorcycles were steam-powered but later transitioned to internal combustion engines. In the early 20th century, companies like Indian and Harley-Davidson began mass-producing motorcycles. After World War II, Japanese companies like Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha started producing true off-road dirt bikes. Over time, 4-stroke dirt bikes became more popular than 2-strokes due to improved reliability and power characteristics. Today, dirt bikes come in both 2-stroke and 4-stroke varieties across a wide range of engine sizes and are tailored for different types of off-

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    The document provides a history of dirt bikes from their origins in the late 19th century to modern day. Early motorcycles were steam-powered but later transitioned to internal combustion engines. In the early 20th century, companies like Indian and Harley-Davidson began mass-producing motorcycles. After World War II, Japanese companies like Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha started producing true off-road dirt bikes. Over time, 4-stroke dirt bikes became more popular than 2-strokes due to improved reliability and power characteristics. Today, dirt bikes come in both 2-stroke and 4-stroke varieties across a wide range of engine sizes and are tailored for different types of off-

    Copyright:

    © All Rights Reserved
    Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online from Scribd
    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    120 views3 pages

    History of Dirt Bikes

    Uploaded by

    api-527642325
    The document provides a history of dirt bikes from their origins in the late 19th century to modern day. Early motorcycles were steam-powered but later transitioned to internal combustion engines. In the early 20th century, companies like Indian and Harley-Davidson began mass-producing motorcycles. After World War II, Japanese companies like Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha started producing true off-road dirt bikes. Over time, 4-stroke dirt bikes became more popular than 2-strokes due to improved reliability and power characteristics. Today, dirt bikes come in both 2-stroke and 4-stroke varieties across a wide range of engine sizes and are tailored for different types of off-

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    © All Rights Reserved
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    Download as docx, pdf, or txt
    of 3

    History of Dirt Bikes

    Early days

    What is now a modern day billion dollar industry not always was. The first motorcycle was made

    in 1867 by an inventor named Sylvester Howard Roper. This bike was an external combustion

    steam powered engine. Over the years the steam engine had been proven to be too bulky and

    heavy. Lightweight gas powered internal combustion bikes came out later in 1885 invented by

    German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach. The bikes they made looked more

    like a moped than a motorcycle, but undoubtedly inspired parts of the modern day dirt bike. The

    bike was made out of wood with metal rimmed wheels and a rubber tire. In 1892 Felix Theodore

    Millet designed the first bike with a rotary engine. This bike had 5 cylinders and the crankshaft

    was directly connected to the hub of the rear wheel. In 1894 the first commercially successful

    bike came out made by Hide Brand and Wolfmuller of Germany. The first U.S made bike came

    out in 1896 by Roy C Marks, founder of the California Motor Company.

    Leading to the depression

    A man by the name of Oscar Hedstrom was producing quality motorcycles out of his home shop.

    He started to make his own gas powered engines and power tandem bikes. These bikes were

    used to pace bicycle races. George Hendee asked Headstrome to make a prototype motorized

    bicycle. Later they created the now famous Indian Motor Company in the year 1901. In 1903

    William S. Harvey and Arthur Davidson designed the first production Harley Davidson

    motorcycle. This motorcycle was a single cylinder 27cc race bike. Also in 1903 Aviator Glenn

    Curtis designed the first v twin bike and went on to build a 4400cc v8 cruiser in 1907. This bike
    broke world land speed records of over 126 mph. The Indian Motor Company later came out

    with their v twin in 1906 followed by Harley Davidson in 1909. Motorcycles started getting

    more popular over the years and the first race came out in 1902. Then in 1905 FIM created an

    international cup between 5 nations Austria, Britain, Denmark and France. In 1907 The Isle Of

    Man Tourist Trophy became the most famous event in all of Europe. In 1911 the Indian Factory

    team took home 1st, 2nd and 3rd place at the tourist trophy. Siegfried Bettman made the triumph

    cycle company. This company didn't actually end up making their own bikes until the turn of the

    century but modified other bikes from different manufacturers and called them their own. These

    bikes happened to resemble bikes that we have today. He also made some dirt bikes. These bikes

    were not really dirt bikes but were more like dirt motorcycles than anything else.

    After WWII

    Over the next decades early dirt bikes were just modified street bikes with offroad tires and

    different suspension to go off road. It wasn't until 1940-1950 that companies started making real

    off road dirt bikes. These were mostly Japanese companies such as Suzuki, Yamaha, Honda and

    Kawasaki. All of these companies started mass producing these off road bikes in 2 stroke

    models. In 1951 Austria engineer Hans Trunkenpolz designed a prototype bike called the R100.

    Their business name at the time was Kronreif and Trunkenpolz Mattighofen, more famously

    known today as KTM. KTM got its first racing title and appeared for their first race at the

    international 6 days trial. KTM got very popular in enduro motocross and trials along with the

    other Japanese companies. Many companies like Honda and Kawasaki were switching to making

    more 4 strokes than anything else. These 4 stroke bikes started taking over the sport of dirt

    biking because they were more reliable, less maintenance and great low end power where the 2
    strokes didn't have it. This power was great for short course track racing, but companies like

    KTM and Husqvarna are still making a great variety of both types of bikes.

    Modern day

    Today dirt bikes are both 2 stroke and 4 stroke. These bikes have a single cylinder combustion

    engines varying in displacement sizes from 50cc-500cc. These bikes come equipped with top of

    the line suspension and tires to handle anything that you throw at it. All new dirt bikes are chain

    driven bikes with anywhere from 3-6 gears. Nowadays there is a different dirt bike for every

    different type of riding. There's bikes for tight single track, bikes for jumping over obstacles,

    bikes for Enduro and even some that can go on the street. That is the history of dirt biking.

    By Zach Toews

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