The American Motorcycle

Riding a motorcycle on the open straight highway is a gratifying experience for any rider, feeling the touch of the cool wind run through your hair with the warm sunshine smiling down on you. Just give any eager rider a helmet, a tank full of gas and a good weather conditions and off he’ll go.

Motorcycles are one of the least expensive forms of transportation. In many parts of the world, especially the developing countries, the motorcycle is a major type of motorized transportation. They are generally favored over cars because they are more economical in terms of overall cost, maintenance and gas.

An estimated number of 200 million of these motorized vehicles are in use today world wide. About 58% of this is found in countries from Asia, with India having the largest number having an estimated 37 million. China, with a far greater population, came second with 34 million of these vehicles.

In the US, most of the motorcycles produced are a lot more stylish than the ones found in the developing countries. Having better taste and healthier pockets, Americans tend to choose more on style and performance rather than for the pure economy of the vehicle.

Amongst Americans one of the big name in the industry is the all-time favorite Harley-Davidson. The company was founded in Milwaukee, Wisconsin during the early years of the 20th century.

The company generally produces heavyweight bikes for the highways of America and around the world. They are commonly known as Harleys or "H-D: by the general public. Their distinctive heavy designs became their signature along with their exhaust note. The company attempted to establish itself in the light-weight motorcycle market but faced limited success and decided to abandon the concept in the late 70s.

Today, several models of Harleys are available in the market. Sportster, Dyna, Softail, Touring and VRSC are the names given to the family models of these bikes. Their names are based mainly on their engine, frame, suspension and other characteristics.

Sportsters first hit the market in 1957. It is, in fact, the longest running model family under the Harley-Davidson arsenal. They are generally viewed as racing motorcycles that were popular in dirt and flat-track during the 60s to the 70s. The later models of this family have been modified to become heavier and reduce the available lean angle to lessen the vibration transmitted to the frame and rider allowing longer trips.

The Dyna models are distinctive with their twin model engines and traditional styling. This has several line-ups, most of them introduced in 2006. These are: Street Bob, Fat Bob, Super Glide, Super Glide Custom, Wide Glide and Low Rider. They are different from Softails due to their coil-over suspension that connects the swingarm to the frame and the Sportsters with their larger engines.

Softails are similar with Dyna making use of big-twin engines and its strong grip on the traditional design. The rear wheel suspension is hidden under the transmission making them visually similar to the hardtail choppers.

The Touring models are also called "dressers". These models are furnished with large windshields that give them the retro cruiser characteristics under their visual. They are very distinctive with their large saddlebags and rear coil-over suspensions. They are also the only H-D models that are equipped with full fairings with Radios/CBs.

VRSC models are easily recognizable since they bear very little resemblance with the traditional models. They are made to compete with the changing market and expand into something more.