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Fascination of motorcycles 2 (Click to select text)
Fascination of Motorcycles Imagine riding a hundred miles per hour. The wind in your hair, freedom of the open road stretching out in front of you, and a loud rumble below you. You quickly look down to check your actual speed, and when you reestablish a line of sight with the road a huge bug flies in your mouth. You quickly think about spitting it out but decide not to because it tastes so good. This is one small example of the extreme pleasures of riding on two wheels. There are many interesting and exciting aspects to motorcycles and the people who live, love, and swear by them. Many people look for different things, such as the types of motorcycles, styles, consumer activities, racing, and the psychological fulfillment. If we as a society could only focus on the positive aspects and not on the mostly over exaggerated dangers, then a true understanding might be achieved. From the very beginning, motorcycles have been used for many different purposes, and there for many differently designed bikes were needed. The motorcycle started out as a bicycle with a motor, but as technology evolved it soon became it's own entity. The designs were so useful that police agencies began using them to combat crimes. The U.S. military quickly realized the advantages of two wheels, and soon put them into service. Upon returning from war, U.S. service members soon began using their personal motorcycle as a tool for expressing themselves. This spread to many other countries and soon changes started coming about. The big brutish cycles of the fifties soon started to change to sensible machines built for commuting and reliability. Within only thirty years cycles completely changed. Names started popping up that are almost unmistakable titles of motorcycles and their purpose. Bullet bike- used to go fast and turn quickly, Harleys(cruisers)- used for cruising and riding long distances, Scooters(mopeds)- used for commuting, Dirt Bikes- used for recreating off road. With all the different cycle appearing on the market, clubs and other activities were bound to appear. The clubs and organizations are as diverse as the people and ideas that are involved. A large amount of Harley and cruiser riders participate in the Sturgis bike rally. Bringing any other type of cycle to this event would probably be dangerous to your health, which is how devoted some are to the breed of their motorcycle. Sport bike riders participate in rallies such as "bike week " in Daytona Beach. You would find a younger and more diverse crowd and larger range of machines. This crowd is usually more understanding, and better off economically. There is also a motor scooter crowd. Though not as big in the U.S., the group is still around. Racing is a large motivation of many manufacturers. Even the oldest motorcycle company in the U.S.(Harley-Davidson) is involved. Much of the machines sold to the public are based on the machines that are raced on the track. The track is a way a company can prove its product as well as showing their superiority or inferiority. The four major Japanese motorcycle companies (Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki), as well as the major European motorcycle companies (Ducati, Aprillia, Triumph, Bimota), and the only American motorcycle company (Harley-Davidson) all have a superbike teams, and are all very successful at home because of it. Harley-Davidson did not participate in road track racing for many years, and suffered in sales as well. When their team was established in 1994 their sales were less than 1 hundred thousand units per year. One year later, their sales were more than 1 hundred and five thousand units sold. By the end of 1998, Harley-Davidson sold more than 1hundred and fifty thousand units. Kawasaki won the AMA super bike title in '96 and '97 and soon their sales soared to over 750 billion sales to date. Now I admit, the figures are worldwide but they prove the need in the U.S. and the rest of the world for large public teams. Weather it's racing, rallying, or just out with friends and loved ones, there is a need that is fulfilled on these machines. The need could be attention, adrenaline, or just to get outdoors. Whatever the need is, it is relatively cheap to fill. If you compare the price tag on a four-wheeled vehicle to that of a motorcycle then you quickly see the difference. If speed is your desire, then compare a high performance car (say a Corvette) to a high performance motorcycle (say a YZF-R1). The Corvette does about 170mph for around $45,000. The YZF-R1 does about 180mph for around $10,500. The Corvette costs about $264.70/mph, the YZF-R1 costs about $58.33/mph. For that price difference you sure could fill a lot of need for only a little money. Since the creation of the motorcycle, it has been a very turbulent road through the times. With the negative views of motorcycles and the people who associate with them, it is hard for many people to get away from the stigma of rebellion and danger. With a little tolerance and a bit of courage many can soon realize their dreams are only a key away. With the advancement of credit and eager lenders, it has never been as easy get a motorcycle of your own, and fulfill a small missing part of your life. So maybe now it is time that you go down and buy a shiny new cycle fill a small piece of your life.
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