The interesting information about motorcycles, the facts you didn’t know

In the motorcycle world people are still arguing about when and whom the first motorcycle was built. Some people consider the SH Roper’s invention to be the first prototype of a modern two-wheel (or three-wheel) vehicle. Despite the fact, that it was a steam cycle and was powered by coal instead of fuel. The vehicle was invented in 1869. Others believe, that the date of birth of the first motorcycle is 1885, when Gottlieb Daimler invented the first fueled prototype on a wooden frame.

Looking for the truth information, they began to study this question. In order to answer the question “Who was the first?” a lot of books and Internet resources were looked through. But as the result, a great amount of new and unknown facts about motorcycles of nowadays and recent past were found.

The facts became some kind of revelation, and it has motivated us to share this information with the readers. The post was named as “23 unknown facts about motorcycles”. It included various notes about two-wheel vehicles and a lot of other exciting information, which can be useful and fun for everyone.

1. 'Hayabusa', the name, which is used by Suzuki, is Japanese for peregrine falcon. It means that Suzuki GSX 1300R Hayabusa is as fast as this rare bird. While preying on its victims, this predator can reach an unbelievable speed up to 290-325 km/h.

The name of a WW2 Kamikaze fighter plane was also Nakajima Ki-43 Hayabusa.

2. Do you know, that modern sports-bike tires don't contain any actual rubber at all? They are made entirely from synthetic rubber, which is beneficial due to a balance between durability and traction.

3. The longest distance riding a motorcycle in 24 hours is 3.249.91 km and was set by American L. Russell “Rusty” Vaughn at the Continental Tire Test Track, Uvalde, Texas, USA, on 10 August 2011.

For this record Vaughn rode his own motorcycle, a 2010 Harley-Davidson FLHTK Electra-Glide Limited. The race lasted 238 rounds. As the result – getting into Guinness World Records, what was the main goal.

4. The first company, which claimed, that their motorcycles can reach the speed up to 160 km/h, was Brough Superior with its SS100, built in 1924.

Even now this motorcycle can be estimated as innovative, without telling about its incredible beauty. SS100 had a flap footboard, double headlights, a muffler and a 1000 cc V-twin motor.

Each SS100 was being tested on public roads. It was made just to find out if the motorcycles could reach a 160 km/h speed. If not, the motorcycle was sent back for being modified.

A talented engineer and also the owner of the company, George Brough named his bikes as «atmosphere disturbers».

5. Some more significant stories, connected with Brough Superior SS100. One of them was happened on 13 May in 1935.

Not an unknown L.T. Col. Lawrence of Arabia had recently being retired. He was a keen rider and someday he was riding on a narrow road near his cottage. Suddenly two boys on bicycles had appeared on the road. Swerving to avoid them, Lawrence lost control and suffered serious head injuries after falling down.

He died after six days in hospital, despite all efforts of doctors to save his life.

6. The second story became directly the result of the accident. One of the doctors attending Lawrence, the neurosurgeon, Hugh Cairns was very shocked about what he saw. He consequently began a long study and analysed more than 2000 riders’ death.

His research was published in “British Medicine Magazine” and led to the creation of crash helmets.

The result of research of this young neurosurgeon and fatal circumstances is a modern protection tool, a helmet.

7. Some of modern motorcycle companies started with another kind of producing. For example, Ducati. In early beginning it was a family company, born in Bologna, Italy in 1926.

Ducati started out as a radio-component company. And only after World War 2, after drop in demand for radio components and its movement under the state umbrella they changed the production and started with budget vehicles. The first their vehicle was a motorized bicycle Ducati Cucciolo.

8. BMW was the first to use and patent telescopic forks, on the R12 in 1935. Ironically, BMW is the only current major manufacturer to reject the use of them on its big bikes.

9. The modern transmission system was invented by Harold Wills in 1927.

10. Before becoming famous for bike and racing helmets, ARAI made helmets for building sites. It was founded in 1926 and it’s still the private company, run by the third generation of ARAI family.

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