The Megola is a German motorbike that was manufactured between 1921 and 1925. It was available in two variations: touring and sporting. The Megola had two gasoline tanks, a fuel gauge, a tachometer, an ammeter and a hand-controlled butterfly valve for throttle control. This antique motorbike was remarkable in that it had a 640cc radial engine positioned within the front wheel structure. The engine had side-mounted valves and five cylinders that rotated at six times the wheel speed around the front axle. Despite its adaptability, this engine lacked both a transmission and a clutch. This Megola engine produced a meager 14bhp when supplied straight to the wheel. 1)
Georges Roy designed it from 1928 to 1934. The bike had a pressed-steel structure that was more like a car than other two-wheeled machines. The framework was excellent because it allowed multiple components to work together as a single entity. Roy's motorcycle design eliminated difficult welding processes by riveting steel panels together into a monocoque chassis that served as the bike's bodywork and frame. The steel panels created a semi-circular spar arrangement that connected the steering head to the bike's robust rear axle, enclosing the rear tire in a sleek steel fender. 2)
Carl Neracher invented the Ner-A-Car in 1918, which became legendary as the most successful hub-center steering motorcycle ever made. Carl created this motorbike with unique characteristics such as an all-encompassing bodywork, a low-slung perimeter frame chassis, a feet-forward riding position, hub-center steering and a friction-drive transmission powered by the engine's flywheel. 3)
Piaggio, an Italian manufacturer, first offered the MP3 as a tilting three-wheel scooter in 2016. Riders may stop and park the MP3 on a level, irregular, or side-sloping surface using the three-wheel arrangement rather than the standard center or kickstands. An alloy parallelogram connects the front suspension of the single-sided trailing arm to the central steering arm. 4)
The Imme had interchangeable wheels, long-travel suspension, friction dampers, a three-speed transmission, a tubular swingarm that doubled as an exhaust pipe and a crankshaft that was suspended on only one side. This motorbike was powered by a 99cc two-stroke single-cylinder piston-ported engine capable of producing 4.4bhp at 5800rpm. 5)
The Quasar is a semi-enclosed motorcycle that uses the same feet forward design as the previous Ner-A-Car. This motorcycle was groundbreaking in that it shifted the rider's position from on top and straddling to inside and sat down. The Quasar has a roofed interior, a laminated glass windscreen, car-style wipers and a heater. 6)
In 1958, Charlie Fehn designed the Nethercutt Trail-Breaker, a two-wheel-drive motorbike. Rokon Inc. purchased the production rights in 1964 and renamed it the Rokon Trail-Breaker. The motorbike is well-known for its use of a unique mixture of chain, belt, and shaft drives linked with gearboxes to power both the rear and front wheels. For long-distance rides, the motorcycle's hollow wheels can contain 2.5 gallons of water or gasoline. The earlier Trail-Breaker had a 134cc two-stroke engine, whereas the new ones featured either a 6bhp Honda or a 6bhp Kohler engine. 7)
Alfred Scott transformed the two-stroke engine from a low-performance utility to a high-performance engine that shaped the motorcycle industry. Scott's motorbikes had liquid cooling, parallel twin cylinders, a 180-degree crank, a three-port intake system and a large internal flywheel. Furthermore, the Scott motorbikes were among the first to use a kickstarter rather than pedals, as well as rotary disc intake valves. 8)
The 150 Tap was an anti-tank scooter designed exclusively for French paratroopers. The first model 150 TAP was introduced in 1956 by Ateliers de Construction de Motorcycles et Automobiles, but it was updated to add a strengthened frame and a three-inch M20 75mm recoilless rifle. The scooters were normally dropped in pairs by parachute, escorted by a two-person team. The cannon and a M1917 Browning machine gun tripod were carried on one scooter, while ammunition was loaded on the other. The 150 TAP was powered by a 150cc two-stroke engine that had a max speed of 37mph. Vespa produced only 600 units between 1956 and 1959, according to data. 9)
The bike is powered by 16 Kawasaki two-stroke three-cylinder KH250 engines, which are placed in six banks of eight. This engine, which has a gigantic capacity of 4200cc, uses a whole 125cc single-cylinder two-stroke donkey engine as a starter motor instead of a standard electronic beginning motor. A BMW K100 gearbox, a fuse box, six carburetors, an electronic fuel pump and three ignition units are included in the Tinker Toy. Surprisingly, this motorcycle is road legal and holds the Guinness World Record for the most cylinders in a vehicle engine. 10)
The Michaux-Perreaux steam velocipede was a steam-powered velocipede developed in France between 1867 and 1871, when a tiny Louis-Guillaume Perreaux commercial steam engine was coupled to a Pierre Michaux built iron-framed pedal bicycle. Along with the Roper steam velocipede of 1867 or 1868 and the internal combustion engine Daimler Reitwagen of 1885, it is one of three motorbikes claimed to be the first. 11)
In stark contrast to the airy Imme design, the Czech Bohmerland, which was built from 1925 to 1939, was designed for heavy-duty, rigorous use. The enormous steel double cradle structure housed a 598cc single-cylinder OHV Liebisch four stroke engine, and the top rails of the frame extended all the way back past the back wheel. To conserve weight on the very long wheelbase motorcycles, twin fuel tanks were positioned at the rear of the frame and aluminum disc wheels were employed. Some models were made to accommodate three people. 12)
Pressed steel monocoque and unit-body style methods became appealing alternatives to labor-intensive welded tube designs as manufacturers sought ways to streamline and economize on the manufacturing process. From 1928 to 1930, the English Ascot Pullen was made with a pressed steel chassis, front fork and guards. The engine on this bike was a 496cc four-stroke single-cylinder with dry-sump lubrication. 13)
The MAXAM 3000, which looks like something out of a sci-fi movie, is Yamaha's scooter concept, and it's massive. The 3000 is 3000mm long, which is 118 inches, or about 10 feet! That is one massive scooter, or as they call it a “weekend leisure cruiser.” There's a lot of storage and leather seats, and the overhangs in the front and rear give it a car-like crush zone. 14)
Do you recall the 1957 Chevrolet Bel Air? There was also a motorcycle variant. It was known as the Ness-Stalgic. Arlen Ness was in charge of the design, therefore it's a play on words. 15)