Motorcycle Timeline

• Nicolas-Joseph Cugnot builds the steam-powered "fardier à vapeur" which is the first self-propelled vehicle.

• Henry Maudslay invents the first industrially practical screw-cutting metal lathe.

• The Isaac de Rivaz engine uses an electric spark to ignite hydrogen to drive a piston, which is the first internal combustion engine. The French Academy of Sciences argued that the internal combustion engine would never rival the performance of the steam engine.

• Henry Maudslay invents the bench micrometer accurate to 0.0001" (one ten-thousandth of an inch)

• The Samuel Morey heated surface carburetor uses a wire mesh to prevent the combustion from reaching the carburetor. He patents it in 1826. This is the first recorded carburetor design.
• French physicist Sadi Carnot established the thermodynamic theory of idealized heat engines.

• The Lemuel Wright engine is the first with a water cooling jacket.

• Sir Joseph Whitworth (who worked for Henry Maudslay) devises a method of producing surface plates using engineer's blue and scraping techniques on three trial surfaces. This is essential for machining perfectly flat surfaces and producing accurate measuring devices, which then help you create precision machinery such as engines.

• Sir Joseph Whitworth devises the British Standard Whitworth screw thread system, the world's first national screw thread standard. This made interchangeable threaded fasteners (nuts & bolts) possible.

• Robert William Thompson patents the pneumatic tire. [1]

• Jean Laurent Palmer patents the caliper-style hand micrometer.

• Sir Joseph Whitworth demonstrates a bench micrometer that can measure 0.000001" (one millionth of an inch)

• Locomotive superintendent John Ramsbottom invents the metal split piston ring. [1]

• French physicist Gaston Planté invents the lead-acid battery, which is the first rechargeable battery. [1]

• Étienne Lenoir used an electric spark plug in his two-stroke coal gas engine.

• Birmingham Small Arms Company (BSA) founded.

• Albert Berruyer designes the first "kickstand" that flips down from the handlebars.

• Laverda founded in Breganze.

• James Starley patents the tangentially spoked wire wheel. [1]

• Nicolaus Otto builds the first working four-stroke-cycle compressed-charge engine. [1]

• Hans Renold invents the bushed roller chain. [1]

• Friedrich Fischer devises a grinding machine for ball bearings. His company, Fischers Aktien-Gesellschaft (FAG), still produces high-precision ball bearings. [1]
• De Dion-Bouton is founded.

• Rinaldo Piaggio starts a company to supply interiors and furniture to the local shipyards. [1]
• S. Bettmann & Co. Import Export Agency is founded.

• First motorcycle - the Petroleum Reitwagen - built by Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach.
• Max and Reinhard Mannesmann invent a process to produce seamless tube from solid bar. This is used in bicycle frames. [1]

• S. Bettmann & Co. Import Export Agency becomes Triumph Cycle Company.

• John Dunlop puts a practical pneumatic tire on a bicycle.
• Triumph Cycle Company becomes New Triumph Co. Ltd with funding from the Dunlop Pneumatic Tyre Company.

• Edward Butler's 3-wheeled Petro-Cycle features the first float-fed carburetor with a needle valve and a spray bar. [1]

• Wilhelm Maybach patents the spray carburetor.

• The Hildebrand & Wolfmüller is the first production motorcycle. Over 1,000 units are made in 2 years. [1]
• The 1894 Diesel prototype engine used overhead poppet valves driven by a camshaft, pushrods, and rocker arms, becoming the first OHV engine.

• De Dion-Bouton licenses its small single cylinder for small cars, tricycles, and "motor bicycles". It produces some 50,000 engines between 1895 and 1902.

• Ernest Monnington Bowden patents the cable-in-tube mechanism, which is first used for bicycle brakes, and becomes the standard for motorcycle clutch and brake controls.
• Excelsior Motor Company produces its first motorcycle in Coventry, becoming Britain's first motorcycle manufacturer.

• Yamaha founded to produce musical instruments, and the logo is a trio of interlocking tuning forks. [1]

• Norton founded. [1]
• Peugeot presents a scooter the at the Paris Motorshow. It does not go into production. They did produce a tricycle.

• Camille Jenatzy is the first person to exceed 100 km per hour. [1]

• Edward Butler's carburetor now features a venturi. [1]

• The Peugeot Motobicyclette uses a Swiss made Zürcher and Lüthi (ZL) engine. They're tied with Royal Enfield as the the oldest manufacturer in the world in continuous motorcycle production.
• Royal Enfield produces its first motorcycle. They're tied with Peugeot as the the oldest manufacturer in the world in continuous motorcycle production. [1]
• Indian produces its first motorcycle. [1]
• Connecticut institutes the first speed limits: 12mph in town, 15mph on rural roads.

• Robert Bosch & Gottlob Honold make the first commercially viable high-voltage spark plug as part of a magneto-based ignition system.
• Ariel produces its first motorcycle.
• Triumph produces its first motorcycle. [1]
• Norton produces its first motorcycle. [1]
• The 1.7L single-cylinder engine in the Marr Auto-Car is the first with an overhead cam.

• George A. Wyman crosses the US on a California Motor Company "motor-bicycle" in 50 days.
• Husqvarna produces its first motorcycle. [1]
• Harley-Davidson Motor Company produces its first motorcycle. The engines are versions of the French De Dion-Bouton engine. [1]
• The Federation of American Motorcyclists (FAM) is formed by the New York Motorcycle Club, with membership dues of $2/year. [1]

• The J. A. Prestwich and Co. Ltd. JAP engine is the first overhead valve motorcycle engine.

• Fabrique Nationale de Herstal FN Four features the first shaft drive on the first production inline-four. [1]

• Soichiro Honda is born on November 17. [1]

• Fabrique Nationale de Herstal FN 244cc single-cylinder features the first continuously variable transmission, using a belt and a patented variable-size engine pulley.
• Excelsior Motor Manufacturing founded in Chicago.
• First Isle of Man TT (Tourist Trophy) race - held on the 15.85-mile St John's Short Course. The winner of the single-cylinder race goes an average speed of 38.21mph. [1]

• Husqvarna sells 14 motorcycles. [1]
• The Motorcycle Manufacturers Association is formed. [1]
• Cadillac wins the Royal Automobile Club's prestigious Dewar Trophy for having completely interchangeable parts. [1]

• Gilera produces its first motorcycle.
• Husqvarna sells 23 motorcycles. [1]
• Suzuki Loom Works is founded. [1]
• First Isle of Man TT race lap at over 50mph. [1]

• Birmingham Small Arms Company Limited (BSA) produces its first motor bicycle.
• Gustav Otto founds Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik.

• Sears and Roebuck Co starts selling the Auto-Cycle. [1]
• Royal Enfield Model 160 features a two-speed countershaft gearbox and all-chain drive. [1]
• Isle of Man TT race moves to the 37.75-mile Snaefell Mountain Course. [1]
• Isle of Man TT bans pedaling gear. [1]
• Edward N. Hines paints the first lane centerline in the Detroit area in 1911 on a city street, but it doesn't become a standard.

• Royal Enfield Model 180 features the first modern vanes-and-rubber-blocks cush drive. [1]
• Henderson produces its first motorcycle - they were the largest and fastest motorcycles of their time.
• Schwinn purchases Excelsior.
• An American Excelsior is first motorcycle to be officially timed at a speed of 100 mph.
• First white lines on roads.
• "Pacific Motocycling" magazine is founded, which eventually becomes "Motorcyclist". [1]
• Cadillac wins the RAC Dewar Trophy for having an electric starter and lights. [1]

• Karl Rapp and Julius Auspitzer found Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH. The company produces a 100hp four-cylinder engine that Rapp had designed at Flugwerk Deutschland GmbH before it went bankrupt.
• The "Good Fellowship Tour" held in Milwaukee is extremely popular, and inspires the FAM to develop the "Gypsy Tour". [1]
• The Peugeot 500 M is the first motorcycle with an overhead cam engine.

• 152,945 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• British physician Dr. Eric Gardner commissions the construction of the first helmet for Brooklands racers.
• Dr, Gardner's helmets made compulsory for the Isle of Man TT races. [1]
• First traffic signal installed in Cleveland, Ohio.
• First automatic brake lights.
• Harley-Davidson introduces the F-head Big Twin engine. [1]

• 199,329 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• The FAM grows to 8,247 members. [1]

• Sears stops selling motorcycles. [1]
• Harry Ricardo begins to study engine knocking in aircraft engines, and develops a fuel rating system.
• The Motorcycle and Allied Trades Association (M&ATA) is formed. [1]
• Otto Flugmaschinenfabrik becomes Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG.

• Schwinn purchases Henderson, and the bikes are now branded Excelsior-Hendersons.
• Zünderund Apparatebau GmbH (Zündapp) is founded in Nurmberg by Fritz Neumeyer, Friedrich Krupp AG, and Theil.
• Max Fritz starts designing engines for Rapp Motorenwerke GmbH. They fire Karl Rapp and change the name to Bayerische Motoren Werke GmbH (BMW).
• Kenneth I. Sawyer of the Marquette County Road Commission in Michigan paints the first highway lane centerline on what was then M-15 (part of the modern County Road 492)
• After a near-collision with a large truck, Dr. June McCarroll paints the first lane centerline stripe in California on Indio Boulevard, then part of U.S. Route 99. She launches a vigorous statewide letter writing campaign, and it's adopted by the California Highway Commission in 1924.

• DKW (Dampf-Kraft-Wagen - German for "steam-driven car") starts producing engines.
• BSA produces its first motorcycle.
• Future president Lt. Col. Dwight Eisenhower is part of a US Army Motor Transport Corps convoy that takes 62 days to cross the country on the Lincoln Highway, at an average speed of 6mph, losing 9 vehicles and 21 men to 230 incidents.
• The FAM is dissolved due to WWI. The M&ATA creates the Educational Committee which starts registering riders and clubs and supporting motorcycle activities, including the annual Gypsy Tours. The Competition Committee manages the former FAM racing responsibilities, and recognizes 11 national championships. [1]

• 236,924 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Harley-Davidson becomes the largest manufacturer with 28,189 motorcycles sold by dealers in 67 countries.

• The "gerotor" oil pump is invented by Myron F. Hill.
• Giorgio Parodi founds Moto Guzzi, and produces the "Eagle" motorcycle. It is the oldest European manufacturer in continuous motorcycle production. [1]
• Thomas Midgley Jr. at General Motors Dayton research laboratory discovers the antiknock effectiveness of tetraethyl lead.
• Zündapp produces its first motorcycle, the Z22.

• Isle of Man Snaefell Mountain Course now 37.73 miles.
• DKW produces its first motorcycle.
• Bayerische Flugzeugwerke AG buys the BMW name and engine-making assets (but not their facilities) becoming Bayerische Motoren Werke AG. The original BMW becomes Süddeutsche Bremsen AG.

• BMW produces its first motorcycle - the R32, with an engine designed by aircraft engine designer Max Fritz. [1]
• First Isle of Man TT 60mph race lap. [1]
• Carlo Giannini and Piero Remor design the Rondine, which is the first transverse 4-cylinder engine, and the world's most powerful engine with 60hp. It has vertically stacked transmission shafts. [1]
• Mikuni is founded.
• Garrett Morgan invents the 3-position traffic signal, patent 1,475,084.

• The M&ATA's Educational & Competition Committees become the American Motorcycle Association (AMA), with dues of $1/year, and about 10,000 members. The M&ATA unites with scooter trade representatives to become the MS&ATA. [1]
• After a statewide letter writing campaign by Dr. June McCarroll, the California Highway Commission paints 3,500 miles of lane centerlines at a cost of $163,000 (equivalent to $2.06 million in 2021)

• 145,691 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• 212 individual Gypsy Tours were held on June 20 and 21. [1]
• The AMA's first full competition year holds 56 races, and 14 national championships were awarded. [1]

• Società Scientifica Radio Brevetti Ducati founded.
• Graham Edgar develops the octane number rating system expressed as the ratio of n-heptane and iso-octane. [1]
• Eldon Henderson patents (#1,584,096) a modern spring-loaded kickstand that retracts backwards alongside the frame. [1]

• Velocette's race engineer Harold Willis develops the ratchet-driven sequential shifter. [1]

• Excelsior in third place in the US motorcycle market behind Indian and Harley-Davidson.
• Phillip Vincent buys HRD Motors to found Vincent Motorcycles.
• First front-wheel brakes on Harley-Davidson motorcycles met with skepticism.
• The Moto Guzzi 497cc Gran Turismo has the first modern swingarm rear suspension. [1]
• The SAE develops the variable-compression CFR test engine to determine fuel octane number. [1]

• DKW produces 60,000 motorcycles to become the largest manufacturer in the world.
• Bessie Stringfield, a 5'2" black woman, starts touring the country on her Harley-Davidson. She owned 27 Harleys in her lifetime. She became the first black woman to ride a motorcycle in every one of the lower 48 states, and made motorcycle trips to Brazil, Haiti and parts of Europe. She also races, but she was often denied the prize money. [1]

• 110,757 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Harley-Davidson introduces the Flathead Big Twin engine. [1]

• Schwinn shutters Excelsior & Henderson - "Gentlemen, today we stop".
• Ariel produces the Square Four, designed by Edward Turner.

• Mikuni acquires manufacturing license from Amal of UK for carburetors. [1]

• Cecil Barrow's Royal Enfield TT racer features plain big-end bearings. [1]
• Chrysler develops "superfinishing" which increases part life, decreases wear, allows closer tolerances, higher load bearing surfaces, better sealing capabilities, and elimination of a break-in period. Superfinished gear teeth last 4x as long.
• The Nimbus Type C has telescopic forks, but they're not hydraulically damped.

• Royal Enfield's Model LO features fully enclosed overhead valve gear. [1]
• 99,135 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Gilera acquires the Rondine four-cylinder engine.
• BMW R12 & R17 are the first bikes with hydraulically damped telescopic forks.
• T. E. Lawrence ("Lawrence of Arabia") dies from head injuries after crashing his Brough Superior SS100.
• Stanley Woods wins the Senior TT on a Moto Guzzi 500 with swingarm rear suspension, which is the beginning of the end for rigid rear ends.
• Harley-Davidson introduces the Knucklehead Big Twin engine. [1]

• Velocette GP bikes have modern swingarm rear suspension with sprung oleo-pneumatic shocks, inspired by aircraft landing gear. [1]
• First sealed-beam headlights.
• jack Sangster buys Triumph's motorcycle division and forms Triumph Engineering Co. Ltd.

• First Daytona 200.
• Velocette KTT roadracer has an aluminum Y-alloy cylinder head. [1]
• Soichiro Honda founds Tõkai Seiki to produce piston rings, and eventually becomes the sole supplier for Toyota.

• Royal Enfield 350cc Bullet is the first production bike with an aluminum Y-alloy cylinder head. [1]

• Buick introduces the first factory-installed flashing turn signals for cars. [1]

• Two 7" round sealed-beam headlights become mandatory in US for cars.
• 136,402 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Dot Robinson wins the Jack Pine National Endurance Championship to become the first woman to win an AMA national competition. She also founds the Motor Maids, the first all-female motorcycle club.
• The Pennsylvania Turnpike opens. It is the first long distance controlled access highway in the country.

• Australian neurosurgeon Dr. Hugh William Bell Cairns, who attended T.E. Lawrence, publishes "Head Injuries in Motor-cyclists - the importance of the crash helmet" in the British Medical Journal, which is the first study of the subject. He devises a helmet with a smooth outer shell supported by a lining consisting of a number of webbing slings attached to the base, and introduces it in the armed forces. [1] [2]

• The AMA begins publishing the quarterly newsletter "AMA News". [1]

• Domenico Agusta designs the MV98 two-stroke engine for MV Agusta. [1]

• 197,920 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Aprilia founded.
• MV Agusta produces its first motorcycle, the Vespa 98, which is quickly renamed after its MV98 engine since "Vespa" had already been registered in 1934. [1]

• Piaggio introduces the Vespa.

• Franco Bertoni wins MV Agusta's first motorcycle race on an MV 98 Sport. [1]
• The AMA starts the "American Motorcycling" monthly magazine, which requires a subscription fee in addition to membership dues. [1]

• Royal Enfield's 500cc parallel twin has a nodular iron hollow crankshaft. [1]
• Sears sells Cushman scooters as Allstates.
• The Hell's Angels are founded.
• Soichiro Honda founds the company that bears his name. [1]
• Vincent Black Lightning is the world's fastest production motorcycle with Rollie Free doing 150.313mph at the Bonneville Salt Flats.
• Geoff Duke starts racing, and invents the leather racing suit ("racing leathers").
• Last Indian win of the Daytona 200.
• Harley-Davidson introduces the Panhead Big Twin engine. [1]

• Moto Laverda is formed, and produces the Laverda 75.
• Rex McCandless designs the Norton "featherbed" double-loop frame.
• First FIM Grand Prix championship race held at Isle of Man.
• Honda produces its first motorcycle, the Dream D-Type. [1]

• "Cycle" magazine founded.
• Giovanni Castiglioni founds Cagiva. The company is named after its owner and where it was located, CAstiglioniGIovanniVArese. [1]
• 453,874 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Ducati produces its first motorcycle.
• Ducati under government Istituto per la Ricostruzione Industriale (IRI) management.

• Joe Berliner is the eastern US Zündapp distributor.
• Walter Kaaden starts working on two-stroke expansion chambers and rotary valve induction for DKW.
• Sears sells Vespa scooters as Allstates.
• BSA Group buys Ariel and Triumph, becomes the largest manufacturer.
• Honda produces its first four-stroke motorcycle, the 146cc Dream E. [1]

• Suzuki produces its first motorcycle, the "Power Free".
• Laverda enlarges from 75cc to 98cc.

• Patent issued for protective helmets to University of Southern California Professor C. F. "Red" Lombard for energy-absorbing liner separate from the comfort padding.
• "The Wild One" released, with Marlon Brando riding a Triumph.
• "Roman Holiday" features Gregory Peck and Audrey Hepburn flashing through the streets of Rome on their Vespa.
• Kawasaki Machine Works produces motorcycle engines, starting with the KE-1. [1]
• De Dion-Bouton goes out of business.

• Sears sells Puch motorcycles as Allstates.
• Bell produces the "500TX" open-face helmet using the Lombard patent.
• The US adopts the "vehicle identification number" (VIN) for registering vehicles, replacing the engine number. The format is not standardized, however.
• The first Grand National racing series races. [1]

• Vincent produces its last motorcycle.
• Yamaha founds motorcycle division and produces the YA-1 "Red Dragonfly", which won the first two races it entered that year.
• NSU becomes the largest manufacturer.
• 412,347 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]

• Keihin Seiki Manufacturing founded in Kawasaki City. [1]
• DKW becomes Motorenwerke Zschopau (MZ).
• John Surtees wins MV Agusta's first World Championship in the 500cc class. [1]
• The Federal Aid Highway Act of 1956 funds the "Dwight D. Eisenhower National System of Interstate and Defense Highways" AKA the Interstate Highway System. The standardized network of controlled-access highways revolutionizes American travel and was inspired by Eisenhower's experience in the 1919 Motor Transport Corps convoy.

• Joe Berliner takes over International Motorcycle Company.
• Mike Hailwood starts racing.
• Construction begins on the Daytona International Speedway.
• Snell Memorial Foundation established to create helmet performance standards, and to remember William "Pete" Snell, a popular sports car racer who died in 1956 of head injuries. [1]
• The Honda "Dream" has Keihin carburetors. [1]
• Bendix produces the Electrojector, which is the first electronic fuel injection system. It is very unreliable, as the newly invented transistors did not survive engine conditions.

• Joe Berliner becomes US distributor for Ducati.
• Walter Kaaden incorporates a boost port into the MZ 125 two-stroke engine, and it produces 22hp and runs cooler.
• Bultaco founded.
• California Highway Patrol motorcycle officers begin using helmets.
• Harley-Davidson introduces rear suspension.
• Honda introduces the four-stroke 50cc Super Cub C100. [1]
• Cosworth is founded by Mike Costin and Keith Duckworth.
• Cooper Motors imports the first Yamahas into the USA, which were the YD1 (250cc two-stroke twin) and MF-1 (step-through 50cc two-stroke single, step-through). Yamaha is 6th at the Catalina Grand Prix, which is the first time a Japanese motorcycle raced in the US.

• Honda enters the Isle of Man TT for the first time.
• Vincent goes bankrupt.
• Triumph introduces the Bonneville.
• Honda becomes the largest manufacturer. They establish American Honda Motor Co., Inc.
• Yamaha is the first Japanese motorcycle manufacturer to enter the US market.
• First Isle of Man TT race lap at over 100mph. [1]

• 574,032 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Dino Signori founds SIDI in a barn and starts making hiking boots and sports shoes. [1]
• Honda R&D Co., Ltd. is established as an entity independent from Honda. [1]

• Joe Berliner becomes US distributor for Norton.
• Walter Kaaden's MZ 125 with expansion chambers, a disc valve, and boost ports, is the first naturally-aspirated engine to make 200hp/liter.
• First Daytona 200 on pavement at the Daytona International Speedway.
• MZ rider/engineer Ernst Degner defects from East Germany, taking Walter Kaaden's two-stroke engine-tuning secrets to Suzuki.
• Brembo is founded. [1]
• The new Laverda 200cc parallel twin is marketed in the US.
• Honda celebrate their first Isle of Man TT race victory. They dominate the top 5 spots in the 125cc and 250cc classes. [1]

• Ernst Degner wins the first world championship for a two-stroke on a 50cc Suzuki.
• Lambretta introduces the TV175 Series 3 scooter with the first front disc brake.
• "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" ad campaign launched for the Super Cub.
• "Cycle World" magazine is founded. [1]

• Joe Berliner becomes US distributor for Matchless.
• Giacomo Agostini has the first of 122 Grand Prix wins.
• Kawasaki and Meguro merge to form Kawasaki Motorcycle Co.
• Bell Helmets introduces the "Star" which is the first full-face helmet. It meets Snell criteria and retails for $59.50. It does not have a flip-up visor, as the visor has to be popped out of the rubber surround. The viewport is very small and restrictive. [1]
• Honda begins motorcycle production in Belgium - its first motorcycle factory outside of Japan. [1]

• The British Excelsior Motor Company produces its last motorcycle.
• Helmets required to have DOT approval.
• Kevin Cameron starts racing/tuning.

• 1,381,956 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• The jewel-like Honda 250cc RC166 Grand Prix racer had 6 thimble-sized 41cc cylinders, an 18-piece crank, and developed 62hp at 18,000rpm, which is 248hp/liter. The 22mm carburetors had 5 jets. The DOHC engine was no wider than a 4 cylinder at 14" wide and drove a 7-speed transmission. Mike Hailwood won all 10 races on it in 1966, and repeated the championship in 1967. This is the engine responsible for the "4 cylinders, 6 speeds" rule.

• Kawasaki enters the US market as American Kawasaki Motors, with 10 employees. [1]
• Craig Vetter founds Vetter Fairing Co, making the famous Windjammer fairing that influenced the Honda Gold Wing.
• Sears sells Gileras as Sears Motorcycles.
• First ANSI Z90.1 performance standard for motorcycle helmets.
• Highway Safety Act required all the states to have mandatory helmet laws.
• Law directing the issuance of Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standards (FMVSS) enacted.
• Burt Munro makes his under-1000cc world record run of his 1920 Scout Streamliner.
• The Honda 50cc twin which won the GP constructors crown, had a bore and stroke of 35.5 by 25.14mm, revved to 22,500rpm and produced 14 horsepower, for a specific power output of 280hp/liter. [1]
• Moto Guzzi produces the V7 700 with 703.3cc and 40hp, weighing 230kg. It uses an enlarged engine designed by Giulio Cesare Carcano for a sport version of the Fiat 500. [1]
• Thomas Ball at Chrysler invents the wax cartridge fast-idle system. [1]
• Harley-Davidson introduces the Shovelhead Big Twin engine. [1]

• Ducati under government Ente Finanziamento Industria Manifatturiera (EFIM) management.
• Leo Lake, National Service Manager at Yamaha International Corp. creates the Yamalube brand.

• Berliner Motor refuses an entire shipment of over 3,000 Ducati motorcycles they had ordered, as the stocks they had on hand were not selling quickly. To get themselves off the hook from Ducati, they turned to Associated Motor Cycles (AMC) in the UK, and used the leverage of the vast USA market they controlled, informing AMC that they would be needing no more of the struggling factory's Matchless motorcycles unless AMC found someone to purchase the unwanted Ducati shipment. The effect of Berliner's actions rippled through the UK motorcycle world, as this was a sizable flood of stock to enter the smaller, and already soft, UK market. The existing, formerly exclusive, Ducati distributor refused to sell parts to anyone whose bike had been purchased from what they saw as an illegitimate player in the field.
• Honda, Suzuki, and Yamaha withdraw from FIM Grand Prix in protest of the "4 cylinders, 6 speeds" rules.
• Jarno Saarinen starts racing with the "knee down" style.
• Giacomo Agostini wins both the 350cc and 500cc titles for MV Agusta.
• Aprilia produces its first motorcycle.
• Kenny Roberts starts racing.
• Yamaha introduces the DT-1 Enduro, which is the world's first dual-purpose motorcycle. [1]
• Honda introduces the "Monkey" Z50A Mini Trail 50, which is produced for 50 years until 2017.
• Honda reaches 10-million-unit global production milestone. [1]

• SIDI creates the "Grand Prix" motocross boot with a six-lever closure system. [1]
• Piaggio buys Gilera.
• AMF buys Harley-Davidson.
• Kawasaki introduces the H1 Mach-III 60hp 500cc two-stroke triple - the completely inadequate suspension and frame is terrifying. It's the first multi-cylinder street motorcycle to use transistorized capacitor discharge ignition (CDI) instead of breaker/points ignition.
• Sears stops selling motorcycles again.
• BSA introduces the Rocket III.
• 660,000 motorcycles sold in the US. [1]
• Stock motorcycles run quarter-mile in less than 13 seconds.
• Honda introduces the CB750 Four - first motorcycle with hydraulic disc brakes front and rear - the first superbike. The inline-four air-cooled plain-bearing single-overhead-cam electric-start bike with steel tubular cradle frame, twin-shock rear suspension, upright bars, and long flat seat defines the Universal Japanese Motorcycle that becomes the dominant style for decades. It marks the beginning of the end for the British motorcycle industry. 40 years later, Motorcyclist magazine names it the Bike of the Century.
• Last Harley-Davidson win of the Daytona 200.
• Femsa creates the first transistorized capacitor discharge ignition system for motorcycles. [1] [2]
• "Road Rider" magazine founded. [1]
• Lino Tonto designs the Moto Guzzi V7 Ambassador, the California, the V7 Special with 45hp and 757cc, and the 200kg V7 Sport with 5 speed transmission, 52hp and 748cc. [1]
• The MS&ATA merges with the West Coast Motorcycle Safety Council to form the Motorcycle Industry Council (MIC). [1]

• "Easy Rider" released, starring Peter Fonda, Dennis Hopper, and Jack Nicholson.
• MZ produces its one millionth motorcycle.
• 1.1 million motorcycles sold in the US. [1]
• 2,824,098 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Dick Mann scores Honda's first AMA National Championship race win at the Daytona 200 aboard a CR750, which is a racing version of the new CB750. [1]
• Sachs shows the Hercules W-2000 at the German IFMA trade show, which is the first bike with a Wankel rotary engine. [1]
• The AMA's "American Motorcycling" magazine is renamed to "AMA News". [1]
• the AMA is accepted as the sole US representative to the FIM. [1]
• The XS-1 650cc vertical twin is Yamaha's first four-stroke motorcycle, and is produced until 1983.

• Count Domenico Agusta (of MV Agusta) dies. [1]
• The Suzuki GT750 Le Mans 70hp 750cc liquid-cooled two-stroke triple is the first Japanese production bike with a liquid-cooled engine. It looks strange with no cooling fins and is nicknamed the "water buffalo".
• "On Any Sunday" released, starring Steve McQueen, Mert Lawwill, and Malcolm Smith.

• The Benelli 750 Sei is the first production six cylinder motorcycle.
• Yamaha DT-250 is the first production bike with reed valve induction.
• Giacomo Agostini wins his seventh consecutive 500cc championship, all with MV Agusta.
• The British Government form Norton Villiers Triumph, also including the remnants of BSA.
• Craig Vetter redesigns the Triumph Rocket III to become the X-75 Hurricane.
• Yamaha Motocross World Championship bikes have the first Mono-Shock rear suspension.
• FMVSS 123 standardizes motorcycle control positions.
• The United Nations publishes ECE regulation 22.05 containing "uniform provisions concerning the approval of protective helmets and their visors for drivers and passengers of motor cycles and mopeds"
• Lino Dainese founds his company making protective motorcycle apparel.
• Brembo produces its first original equipment caliper for street bikes. [1]
• Yamaha wins its first Daytona 200.

• Yamaha returns to FIM Grand Prix.
• Jarno Saarinen and Renzo Pasolini are killed at the Monza Grand Prix race.
• Honda introduces the Elsinore 250 dirtbike.
• Kevin Cameron starts writing for "Cycle" magazine.
• Motorcycle Safety Foundation (MSF) created.
• Agusta family sells 51% of MV Agusta to EFIM, a public financing group. [1]
• Honda creates RSC (Racing Service Center) to support European endurance racing efforts. [1]
• Moto Guzzi introduces the V850 GT and retires the V7 Special. [1]
• Bimota founded in Rimini, Italy by Valerio Bianchi, Giuseppe Morri, and Massimo Tamburini.

• Suzuki returns to FIM Grand Prix.
• Honda introduces the GL1000 flat-four Gold Wing - intended to have Vetter Windjammer fairings sold as optional Hondaline accessories, but the molds are accidentally destroyed.
• Suzuki produces the Wankel rotary engined RE-5.
• FMVSS 218 "Motorcycle Helmets" promulgated. This is the "DOT" helmet standard.
• 55-mph speed limit established nationwide.
• The Moto Guzzi V7 Sport becomes the 750S. [1]
• Kawasaki invests $20 million to build a manufacturing plant in Lincoln, Nebraska. It's the first plant built by any Japanese auto or motorcycle manufacturer in the U.S. [1]

• The Yamaha YZ-250 with Mono-Shock features the first production single-shock rear suspension.
• Giacomo Agostini on a Yamaha is the first two-stroke to win the 500cc Grand Prix. It's his 15th world championship title.
• US nationwide mandatory helmet law repealed.
• 4,964,070 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• US traffic fatalities: motorcycle-3,106; passenger car-30,601. [1]
• US mandates catalytic converters in cars, starting a phaseout of tetraethyl lead.

• Giacomo Agostini wins MV Agusta's last World Championship. [1]
• Suzuki introduces the GS750 and GS400, first of the GS series.
• Honda introduces the two-gear clutchless CB750A Hondamatic.
• Dr. Harry Hurt begins study of motorcycle crashes (the "Hurt Report") at USC with NHTSA funding.
• The Moto Guzzi V7 850 California becomes the 850T California. [1]
• Honda introduces the composite Comstar wheel on the RCB-941 production endurance race bikes.
• The "AMA News" magazine becomes a standard membership benefit, dropping the subscription fee. The AMA is renamed to American Motorcyclist Association. [1]
• Öhlins Racing is founded in Upplands Väsby (Stockholm), Sweden.

• Isle of Man TT is dropped from the World Grand Prix championship. [1]
• Yamaha OW35K features the first power valve controlling the two-stroke exhaust timing.
• NHTSA funds rear-wheel-steering motorcycle project.
• "AMA News" becomes "American Motorcycling" again. [1]
• Yamaha Motor Corporation, USA is founded.

• Claudio Castiglioni takes Cagiva into the motorcycle business and purchases an old Aermacci/AMF/Harley-Davidson factory in Schirana, near Varese, Italy. [1]
• Honda introduces the inline-6 CBX-1000.
• Kenny Roberts is the first American world Grand Prix champion.
• Norton Villiers Triumph is liquidated.
• Stock motorcycles run quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds.
• VM Group buys Ducati.
• Giuseppe Visenzi founds Givi, which becomes a major motorcycle luggage company. [1]

• Suzuki introduces the Katana designed by Hans Muth.
• Honda returns to FIM Grand Prix and introduces the 32-valve oval-piston V-4 NR500 to try to compete with the two-strokes. Soichiro Honda hates two-strokes. The "back-torque limiter" to deal with the excessive engine braking is the first slipper clutch, and the bike has a 28,000rpm redline. [1] [2]
• The still naked Gold Wing is bumped to 1100cc.
• Honda begins motorcycle production in North America at the Marysville, Ohio plant. [1]
• US starts using methyl tertiary-butyl ether (MTBE) as a substitute for tetraethyl lead.

• MV Agusta produces its last motorcycle. [1]
• 5,693,940 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Honda GL1100I Gold Wing Interstate with full Vetter Windjammer style fairing, saddlebags and trunk is the first Japanese "full-dress" touring bike.
• Kawasaki Z1000 Classic equipped with the first electronic fuel-injection system.
• US traffic fatalities peak: motorcycle-4,955; passenger car-34,996. [1]
• BMW R80G/S equipped with the first single-sided swingarm.
• First International Motorcycle Safety Conference sponsored by MSF.

• 13 investors buy Harley-Davidson from AMF.
• Mike Hailwood and his daughter Michelle are killed by a truck making an illegal turn. The truck driver was fined £100.
• Yamaha introduces the XS Eleven Venturer full touring bike.
• "Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures" (the "Hurt Report") released.
• NHTSA standardizes the 17-character VIN format.
• Honda moves Gold Wing production to America. [1]

• Honda introduces the GL1100A Gold Wing Aspencade, which is even more luxurious than the standard model.
• Brad Lackey wins 500cc Motocross Grand Prix World Championship with Steve Simons' UDX-60 inverted forks.
• Yamaha YZR500 OW61 equipped with the first aluminum beam perimeter frame, developed by Spanish engineer Antonio Cobas.
• Honda forms HRC (Honda Racing Corporation) - their racing development division combining the old RSC, NR Block, No. 2 Research Section, and R&D. It is a completely separate company, isolated from the Honda corporate board. [1]
• Mike Baldwin wins the AMA Formula One championship aboard a Honda FWS-1000. He did not crash the whole season. [1]
• Brembo designs radial brake calipers, but they're rejected by Honda. [1]

• MZ produces its two millionth motorcycle.
• Andy Goldfine founds Aerostich to produce the Roadcrafter one-piece armored textile riding suits, inspired by James Bond peeling off his wetsuit on the beach and walking away in a tuxedo in "Dr. No".
• Freddie Spencer and Kenny Roberts win all 500cc races for the season between them.
• Kawasaki introduces the GPZ-750 Turbo and Suzuki introduces the XN85, both of which are fuel-injected and turbocharged.
• Yamaha introduces the RZ-350.
• Erik Buell builds his first bike, the RW-750.
• 45% import tariff imposed on bikes greater than 700cc.
• The Gold Wing is bumped to 1200cc.
• Honda introduces the VF750F Interceptor, the first street bike with a slipper clutch.
• Soichiro Honda retires.
• Vetter Fairing goes bankrupt.
• Triumph Engineering goes bankrupt and is bought by John Bloor. It's renamed Triumph Motorcycles.
• Stock motorcycles run quarter-mile in less than 11 seconds.
• Honda reaches 50-million-unit global production milestone. [1]
• Givi invents their Monokey luggage quick-attachment system. [1]
• Kenny Roberts retires from racing, with 2 Grand National Championships and 3 500cc GP Championships. He was a three-time winner of both the Daytona 200 and the Imola 200, and was a six-time winner of the Laguna Seca 200.

• Berliner Motor Corporation goes out of business.
• Sealed beam headlights are no longer required. Composite headlamp assemblies with separate replaceable bulbs are now legal.
• Honda experiences endemic camshaft wear issues in all their V-4 engines, eventually determined to be caused by too much bearing clearance.
• Harley-Davidson introduces the FXST Softail equipped with hidden rear suspension, and the Evolution Big Twin engine.
• Kawasaki introduces the GPz-900 Ninja, the first fully-faired sportbike.
• Yamaha introduces the FJ1100, and the FZ750 features the first production 5-valve per cylinder engine.
• Michelin introduces radial tires in Grand Prix.
• Zündapp goes bankrupt. The factory, tooling, and remaining stock is purchased by Xunda Motor and shipped to China.

• 5,444,404 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• Freddie Spencer is the only person to win both the 250cc and 500cc Grand Prix World Championships in the same year. He also wins the Daytona 200, Formula 1, and 250cc classes, becoming the only rider to win all three divisions in a single year.
• Yamaha introduces the V-Max muscle bike, which is produced essentially unchanged until 2008.
• Honda introduces the gold-painted GL1200L Gold Wing Limited Edition with cruise control and PGM-FI fuel injection.
• Suzuki introduces their full dress tourer, the GV1400 Cavalcade.
• Suzuki introduces the air/oil-cooled GSXR-750.
• US traffic fatalities: motorcycle-4,415; passenger car-29,848. [1]
• 700,000 motorcycles sold in the US. [1]
• Cagiva buys Ducati for $5 million and Moto Morini. [1]
• Givi invents their Monolock luggage quick-attachment system for scooter top-cases. [1]
• Laverda dissolves.
• Brembo registers the first patent for the radial master cylinder. It's used on Eddie Lawson's 1986 Yamaha YZR500 OW81 which wins the 500cc GP championship. [1]

• Cagiva buys Husqvarna's motorcycle division. [1]
• Final US model year of the RZ-350, which is the last street-legal two-stroke.
• Yamaha upgrades the FJ1100 to become the FJ1200.
• Suzuki GSX-R750R Limited Edition features a dry clutch.
• Honda CR250 & VFR-750F equipped with the first cartridge forks.
• Lamborghini produces six "Design 90" motorcycles with 1000cc Kawasaki engines.
• Superbike ban proposed and defeated.

• Honda introduces the RC-30 homologation special with titanium rods and single-sided swingarm. It costs $15,000.
• Honda introduces the GL1500 flat-six fully-faired Gold Wing with a "reverse gear" powered by the starter motor.
• Michelin introduces the first commercial motorcycle radial tires, the A59X and M59X.
• The Yamaha Banshee ATV is introduced, featuring the two-stroke engine originally from the RZ350 street bike. [1]

• Wayne Rainey wins the first 500cc race using carbon brakes at the British Grand Prix.
• The BMW K100LT is equipped with the first anti-lock brakes. It has enormous hydraulic regulators on the swingarm weighing almost 30lbs. BMW also introduces the K1 "high-speed sports-tourer" with a very radical look. The R80GS and R100GS have Telever rear suspension, which is a 4-bar linkage that reduces the "shaft drive effect".
• "Cycle" magazine folds.

• Honda introduces the PC800 Pacific Coast with extensive bodywork and integral trunk that can carry "two full-face helmets and two medium-sized gym bags, or four plastic bags full of groceries along with a small bag of dog food". [1]

• 4,259,462 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• 303,000 motorcycles sold in the US. [1]
• Kawasaki introduces the Ninja ZX-11 which is equipped with the first ram air induction system, and it becomes the fastest production motorcycle for six years.
• Suzuki GSX-R400 & GSXR-1000 equipped with the first production inverted forks.
• US traffic fatalities: motorcycle-3,128; passenger car-32,711. [1]
• During practice for the Grand Prix at Laguna Seca, Eddie Lawson had no brakes going into turn 2 at 160mph. He ends up with just a broken heel. They found the brake pads laying on the track, and the clip that should have held the retaining pin on the mechanic's work table.

• John Britten and a group of friends in Christchurch, New Zealand, build the first V1000 by hand.
• Soichiro Honda dies of liver failure at 84.
• Kevin Cameron becomes editor of "Cycle World" magazine.
• Cagiva buys the MV Agusta brand. [1]
• "Road Rider" magazine becomes "Motorcycle Consumer News". [1]

• Honda introduces the NSR500 with a "big bang" engine.
• Honda introduces the super light weight CBR900RR, weighing only 185kg. The Yamaha FZR1000 weighs 219kg and the CBR600F2 is 183kg.
• The Honda NR750 has 4 oval pistons, 32 valves, 8 titanium connecting rods, upside-down forks, carbon fiber bodywork, side mounted radiators, under-seat pipes in a four-stroke, slipper clutch, single-sided swingarm, and fuel injection managed by a 16-bit ECU. It also has a $50,000 price.
• The Suzuki GSXR finally becomes water-cooled.
• Eddie Lawson retires from racing, with 31 GP wins.
• The last section of the Interstate Highway System is complete. A coast-to-coast trip now takes only an average of 42 hours, as opposed to the 62 days it took Eisenhower in 1919.

• Shinichi Itoh exceeds 200mph on the NSR500 at the Hockenheim Grand Prix.
• Harley-Davidson buys 49% of Buell.
• Ducati introduces The Monster.
• Three-time 500cc champion Wayne Rainey is paralyzed at Misano.
• The BMW R100RS has Telelever front suspension, which separates steering (handled by the forks) and suspension (handled by an A-arm and a conventional shock)
• The Yamaha GTS1000 has a RADD Inc. forkless single-sided front swingarm suspension designed by James Parker. It also features the "Omega chassis concept" and costs $13,000. It sells for only two years in the US.
• Valentino Rossi starts racing on a 125cc Cagiva Mito.
• AMA membership exceeds 200,000. [1]

• The chain-driven F650 is the first BMW without shaft drive.
• Polaris forms the Victory Motorcycles brand.
• Ducati produces the stylish 916, designed by Massimo Tamburini.
• Honda holds the first Honda Hoot in Asheville, NC.
• The JSB1000 All Japan Road Race Championship is established.

• 3,767,029 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• 309,000 motorcycles sold in the US. [1]
• John Britten dies at 45 of inoperable skin cancer.
• Kawasaki introduces the ZX-7RR homologation special.
• US traffic fatalities: motorcycle-2,138; passenger car-31,914. [1]
• Kevin Schwantz retires from racing, with 25 GP wins.

• Honda introduces the CBR1100XX Super Blackbird to take the fastest production motorcycle crown from the ZX-11.
• Valentino Rossi starts Grand Prix racing on a 125cc Aprilia.
• Suzuki GSXR-750 features the SRAD ram-air snorkels.
• Texas-Pacific Group buys Ducati and Moto Morini from Cagiva for $325 million. Cagiva restructures under the name MV Agusta. [1]

• KTM Jackpiner 200 LE is the first production dirtbike with a hydraulic clutch. [1]
• Honda introduces the F6C Valkyrie, which is a GL1500 Gold Wing with a higher performance engine in a fairing-less cruiser-style frame.
• USC Head Protection Research Laboratory conducts feasibility study of updating FMVSS 218.
• Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development/Road Safety Committee 9 (OECD/RS 9) Technical Experts Group formed to develop common international methodology for in-depth motorcycle crash investigation.
• MSF and NHTSA sponsor development of the National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety.
• Honda reaches 100-million-unit global production milestone. [1]
• The AMA creates the AMADirectlink.com website. [1]

• Harley-Davidson buys 98% of Buell.
• Yamaha introduces the YZF-R1 and the YZ400F, which was the first production four-stroke motocrosser.
• Schuberth produces the "System 1" helmet for BMW, which is the first "modular" or flip-up helmet.
• Stock motorcycles run quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds.
• OECD common methodology first used in Bangkok, Thailand.
• Honda holds the 5th Honda Hoot in Asheville, NC. (I attended on my RZ-350)
• Aprilia uses Brembo radial calipers on their 250cc GP bike. [1]

• MV Agusta is resurrected and produces the F4-750 Serie Oro. [1]
• Suzuki introduces the GSX1300R Hayabusa to take the fastest production motorcycle crown from the Blackbird.
• Japanese and European manufacturers agree to limit top speeds to 300km/h.
• Suzuki introduces the SV-650 light sport V-twin.
• Harley-Davidson introduces the Twin Cam Big Twin engine. [1]

• US traffic fatalities: motorcycle-4,699; passenger car-30,628. [1]
• 4,346,068 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• 490,000 motorcycles sold in the US. [1]
• Aprilia buys Moto Guzzi.
• Kenny Roberts Jr. wins the 500cc World Championship, making them the only father and son duo to have won the title.
• Honda introduces the RC51 V-twin sportbike.

• Valentino Rossi wins the 500cc World Championship on a Honda NSR500, which is the final two-stroke win.
• The Suzuki GSXR-1100 is downsized to the GSXR-1000.
• The Gold Wing is bumped to 1800cc.
• Fabio Taglioni, chief designer of most Ducati motorcycles in the 1950s-1970s, dies at 81.
• Honda holds the 8th Honda Hoot in Knoxville, TN instead of Asheville, NC. [1]
• Harley-Davidson introduces the V-Rod. The Revolution engine is co-developed with Porsche, and is the first mass-produced overhead-cam and liquid-cooled engine from Harley-Davidson.

• MV Agusta goes into receivership (government control). [1]
• Brammo Motorsports founded.
• FIM 500 Grand Prix is rebranded as "MotoGP" and restricted to 500cc two-strokes or 990cc four-strokes.
• The Aprilia RSV 1000 is the first production bike with a radial master cylinder. [1]

• Ducati makes its Grand Prix debut.
• Suzuki introduces the Gen-II SV-650 with fuel injection and pressure-cast frame.
• Harley-Davidson buys 100% of Buell.
• Yamaha introduces the FJR-1300.
• Daijiro Kato killed in MotoGP race at Suzuka.
• The Aprilia RSV Mille R is the first production bike with Brembo radial calipers. [1]

• Malaysian auto manufacturer Proton buys majority share of MV Agusta for €70 million ($83 million), allowing MV Agusta to exit receivership. [1]
• Piaggio buys Aprilia.
• Honda introduces the Valkyrie Rune with a springer front suspension.
• Honda reaches 10-million-unit annual production milestone. [1]

• Maria Costello wins Isle of Man TT and becomes the first woman ever to claim an Isle of Man podium in a TT or Manx GP.
• Yamaha captures MotoGP triple crown by winning the rider, team and manufacturer titles. [1]
• 6,227,146 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• 831,000 motorcycles sold in the US. [1]
• Proton sells its share in MV Agusta to GEVI S.p.A., an investment firm, for €1 with GEVI assuming $126 million of MV Agusta's debt. GEVI then allows MV Agusta to refinance its debt. [1]
• Investindustrial Holdings S.p.A. buys Ducati.
• The US Energy Policy Act of 2005 mandates fuel must be adulterated with ethanol.

• Yamaha celebrates its 50th anniversary with a limited edition R1-LE/SP in Kenny Roberts "bumblebee" racing colors. The custom Öhlins suspension is developed by the YZR-M1 MotoGP team. It has a slipper clutch and custom forged aluminum Marchesini wheels shaving nearly a pound off the unsprung weight. Only 500 were made for the US and 500 more for Europe.
• Honda GL1800 Gold Wing equipped with the first airbag.
• Yamaha introduces the Gen-II FJR-1300, and the AE model is equipped with a computer-controlled semi-automatic transmission.
• Electricross founded and produces the "Drift" electric dirt bike. They become Zero Motorcycles in 2007.
• CRP Racing established as the racing department of CRP Technology. [1]

• MV Agusta sells Husqvarna to BMW for €93 million ($127 million). [1]
• Aprilia introduces the Mana 850 with a continuously variable transmission.
• Three-time 500cc Grand Prix winner Norifumi Abe is killed on his scooter by a truck making an illegal U-turn in Japan.
• MotoGP is restricted to 800cc four-strokes.
• Honda holds the 14th Honda Hoot in Knoxville, TN. (I attended on my V-Strom 650, which I traded for a FJR-1300)
• Michael Ranseder is protected by the first deployment of an electronically-controlled airbag in the 125cc Valencia MotoGP.
• Dainese acquires AGV Helmets.
• The Ducati 1098 is the first production bike with Brembo monobloc radial calipers. [1]

• The MZ factory in Zschopau closes.
• Yamaha wins the MotoGP triple crown again by winning the rider, team and manufacturer titles. [1]
• Harley-Davidson buys MV Agusta Motor for $109 million, including $69 million in assumed debt, which includes Cagiva. [1]
• Brammo Motorsports becomes Brammo, Inc and focuses on electric motorcycles.
• Performance Motorcycles S.p.A. buys Ducati.
• Honda celebrates producing 60 million Super Cubs.
• Honda reaches 200-million-unit global production milestone. [1]
• Honda holds the 15th and last Honda Hoot in Knoxville, TN. (I attended on my SV-650) [1]

• The MotoCzysz E1pc competes in (but does not finish) the new TTXGP electric race, which is one lap of the Isle of Man Snaefell course.
• Brammo introduces the Enertia electric motorcycle.
• Harley-Davidson shutters Buell.
• The R1 features a cross-plane crankshaft and big-bang firing order.
• Yamaha redesigns the V-Max and renames it VMAX.
• Honda introduces the VFR-1200A featurning an automatic dual-clutch 6-speed 3-mode transmission.
• CRP Racing starts the eCRP project to develop a fully electric racing motorcycle. [1]
• MotoGP starts allocating a limited number of sealed engines at the beginning of the season.
• Yamaha wins the MotoGP rider/team/manufacturer triple crown for the third time. [1]

• Harley-Davidson sells MV Agusta to Claudio Castiglioni for €1 with $20 million cash in MV Agusta's accounts, effectively paying Castiglioni $20 million to take MV Agusta back. [1]
• US traffic fatalities: motorcycle-4,324; passenger car-22,351. [1]
• 8,058,332 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• 439,680 motorcycles sold in the US. [1]
• The TTXGP becomes the Zero TT series.
• Valentino Rossi breaks his leg during practice for the Italian GP and misses the first race in his Grand Prix career.
• Shoya Tomizawa killed in Moto2 race at San Marino.
• CRP Group establishes the Energica Motor Company in Modena, Italy to build high-performance electric streetbikes. [1]
• BRD Motorcycles is founded. They become Alta Motors in 2013.
• Yamaha wins the MotoGP triple crown for the third time in a row. [1]

• Marco Simoncelli killed in the MotoGP race at Sepang.
• Claudio Castiglioni dies at the age of 64, and Giovanni Castiglioni becomes President and CEO of MV Agusta. [1]
• Brembo introduces hydraulic quick-disconnects in the Ducati Desmosedici GP11 MotoGP bike brake system. Mechanics no longer have to bleed the brakes after changing calipers. [1]

• MotoGP raises size restriction to 1,000cc.
• Cagiva shutters all brands except MV Agusta.
• Ducati introduces the 1199 Panigale with the first electronically adjustable suspension.
• Brammo delivers first Empulse.
• Zero S is the first production electric motorcycle to exceed an EPA-estimated 100 miles on a single charge.
• Automobili Lamborghini S.p.A. (a subsidiary of Audi AG) buys Ducati.

• Yamaha introduces the Gen-III FJR-1300 with LED head/tail lights.
• "Electric Terry" Hershner becomes the first person to ride cross country on an electric motorcycle, going from San Diego, California, to Jacksonville, Florida, in five days, with no support and using existing charging infrastructure. The bike has an aerodynamic fairing designed by Craig Vetter. [1]
• Zero introduces its 102-volt "cellbox" battery architecture and proprietary air-cooled "Z-Force" motor.

• Mercedes-AMG acquires a 25% share of MV Agusta for an undisclosed sum. [1]
• Giovanni Castiglioni tells journalists at the launch of the Stradale 800 that MV Agusta does not plan to ever produce small-displacement motorcycles and will instead continue to focus on producing high-end motorcycles. [1]
• John McGuinness on the Mugen Shinden San breaks the MotoCzysz E1pc's TT Zero winning streak.
• Honda celebrates producing 87 million Super Cubs.
• Honda reaches 300-million-unit global production milestone. [1]
• "Electric Terry" Hershner becomes the first electric rider to earn an Iron Butt Award (Saddlesore 1000) from the Iron Butt Association. He rode over 1,047 miles from Northern California to the Mexico border and back, in 22 hours and 57 minutes using only ChargePoint charging stations. [1]

• MV Agusta announces it is filing for bankruptcy protection from its creditors. [1]
• US traffic fatalities: motorcycle-4,736; passenger car-22,741. [1]
• 8,310,958 motorcycles registered in the US. [1]
• 500,700 motorcycles sold in the US. [1]
• Victory introduces the "uniquely styled" Vision tourer.
• Polaris buys Brammo's motorcycle business.
• The FJR-1300 features a 6-speed transmission.
• "Electric Terry" Hershner becomes the first electric motorcyclist to ride 300 miles on a single charge. He carried 27 kWh of battery on board, more than a Nissan LEAF electric car. [1]
• Honda celebrates their 700th World Grand Prix win. [1]

• Honda introduces the $184,000 RC213V-S street-legal MotoGP replica.
• At the 75th Daytona 200, Mike Barnes becomes the oldest winner at 47 years old.
• Black Ocean Group (founded by Oliver Ripley and Timur Sardarov) and MV Agusta Holding (owned by the Castiglioni family) inject capital into MV Agusta. [1]
• MotoGP selects Michelin as their sole tire supplier.
• Honda celebrates their 800th Road Racing World Championship win. [1]

• Italian courts approve MV Agusta's restructuring plan. [1]
• MV Agusta Holding, now owned by Giovanni Castiglioni and Timur Sardarov, repurchases shares owned by Mercedes-AMG and claims 100% ownership of MV Agusta. [1]
• Zero introduces an internal permanent magnet motor which solves overheating issues. Bike firmware can now be updated via smartphone.
• Polaris shutters Victory.
• Nicky Hayden is killed by a car while on his bicycle in Rimini, Italy.
• Kenny Roberts sells his Hickman, California ranch & training track, marking the end of the "Hickman haul-ass club" where many champions such as Wayne Rainey, Eddie Lawson, Rich Oliver, Kenny Roberts Junior, and Jorge Lorenzo, had trained on Honda XR100s since the '70s.
• Honda celebrates producing 100 million Super Cubs.
• Cummins buys Brammo's electric powertrain business.
• Harley-Davidson introduces the Milwaukee Eight Big Twin engine. [1]

• Timur Sardarov becomes CEO of MV Agusta, and Castiglioni assumes the role of President of MV Agusta. [1]
• Honda GL1800 Gold Wing features a robotically-welded frame and a double wishbone front suspension.
• Honda reaches 20-million-unit annual production milestone. [1]
• Energica is chosen by Dorna as the single manufacturer for the FIM Enel MotoE World Cup. [1]
• Airbag systems are mandatory in MotoGP.
• Alta Motors announces a partnership with Harley-Davidson for the development of future models of electric motorbikes. However, HD walks out of the deal six months later and Alta goes bankrupt. Ty Tremaine's third-place finish in Round 3 of the AMA EnduroCross Championship is the first podium by an all-electric bike in an AMA-sanctioned professional series. [1]

• Sardarov family buys out the Castiglioni family and acquires 100% of MV Agusta, with Timur Sardarov becoming Chairman of the Board of Directors as well as the CEO. Giovanni Castiglioni transitions into an advisory role with the company. [1]
• Honda reaches 400-million-unit global production milestone. [1]

• MV Agusta celebrates 75th anniversary. [1]
• "Motorcycle Consumer News" magazine folds. [1]
• "Motorcyclist", the longest continually-published US motorcycle magazine, folds. [1]
• "Cycle World" magazine folds. [1]
• Helmets in FIM Endurance World Championship and Endurance World Cup races must meet the the tough new FIM Racing Homologation Programme (FRHP) safety standards. [1]

• Moto Guzzi celebrates 100th anniversary with "special centennial celebratory livery" and a gala in Genoa, Italy. [1] [2]
• Vespa celebrates 75th anniversary, after having produced 19 million units. [1]
• Valentino Rossi announces his retirement from racing, and that this is his last season, after 26 years, 115 wins, 235 podiums, and 9 world titles. [1] [2]
• Ducati replaces Energica as official MotoE motorcycle manufacturer. [1] [2]
• Steven Day crosses the US from Jacksonville Beach to San Francisco in 93 hours on his 2021 Energica Ribelle becoming the first person to finish a cross-country electric motorcycle run in under 100 hours.
• Brembo buys SBS Friction of Denmark and J. Juan of Spain, owning all the major motorcycle braking system manufacturers.

• Suzuki withdraws from MotoGP and the World Endurance Championship.
• Andrea Dovizioso retires from MotoGP.

• Don Sakakura retires as President of Yoshimura Racing, ending a 43 year career. [1]
• MV Agusta celebrates 80th anniversary. [1]
• Kawasaki celebrates 70th anniversary. A special exhibition was held at Kawasaki USA Heritage Hall in Foothill Ranch, California and Kawasaki Good Times World in Kobe, Japan in September. [1]
• For the first time, an electric bike races directly against ICE machines in a full racing series. Stefano Mesa of Tytlers Cycle Racing gets 5th at Daytona, 3rd at COTA, and 4th in the Super Hooligan series on his Energica.

• MV Agusta acquired by Pierer Mobility (KTM). Timur Sardarov moves from CEO to vice-chairman and will maintain joint control and a 49.9 percent stake in the company. [1]
• Ryo Mizuno on the Ducati Team Kagayama Panigale V4 R wins the All-Japan Superbike Road Race Championship. It's the first time that a non-Japanese brand has taken a race win.
• Lin Jarvis steps down after 26 years in the role of Yamaha Motor Racing Managing Director to become a Senior Advisor. He was responsible for leading Yamaha to 8 Rider, 6 Constructor & 7 Team MotoGP World Championship titles. [1]
• Repsol ends their Honda title sponsorship after 30 years, which saw 15 premier class world championships, 10 premier class team championships, 183 premier class wins and 455 premier class podiums.
• Brembo buys Öhlins Racing. It is the largest acquisition in Brembo's history at $405 million.
• Yamaha announces the 2025 FJR-1300ES & Super Tenere will not be offered in the US. [1]

Copyright © 2017-2024 Charles E. Cash. All rights reserved. Last update: 09-SEP-2024