Who created a worldwide craze for motorcycles? From which country it started?

The credit for creating a worldwide craze for motorcycle goes to Japan 鈥?especially to the Japanese engineer named Soichiro Honda (see photo). Just as scooter was innovated as an affordable vehicle for the common man in postwar Europe, Honda concentrated on the motorcycle. He inspired Kawasaki, Yamaha and Suzuki to follow him in this field.More chek here seekforfan.com|||Check your history|||So Honda started the biking industry after WWII...I think not. You fail to give any credit to Harley Davidson, Indian and Henderson in the USA, Norton, Triumph, BSA, Vincent, Excelsior and others in the UK, BMW and loads of other European companies that were building lots of bikes before WWII and even WWI. I could be wrong, but I think one of the first two wheeled vehicles that were designed with an engine as an integral component (as opposed to adding an engine to a bicycle) was a German bike in the late 1800's.|||Originally, America inspired motorcycling with a large number of manufacturers, not the least being Indian, Excelsior Henderson and Harley Davidson. in the 50's British brands started taking over, namely BSA, Triumph, etc. In the 60's Honda started taking over.





Now, things have evened out, but the European brands are starting to be the most innovative - BMW, Ducati, Triumph.|||Soundra, what have you been reading? Gas-powered lawnmowers at the turn of the 20th century? I don't think so.


Motorcycles saw huge developments between the two World Wars. They were a much cheaper alternative to the automobile, at a time when Soichiro was still just manufacturing piston rings.|||WRONG - the British were the first with mass produced motorcycles because of the prohibitive taxes on four wheeled vehicles. Before the Japanese came along the British sold more bikes in North America than all other makes combined.





Why are you answering your own question ?|||Diamler built the first "motor driven" cycle ... with training wheels, back in 1890's to test internal combustion engine designs ... sort of a rolling dynometer.





Budd|||"Honda put the world on wheels."


Hendersons, H-D, Indians and the rest of the quirky super-heavies were ridden by the fringe element.|||It is undecided who actually created the first motorcycle. Harley started by putting a lawnmower engine in the frame of a bicycle. But, he was not the first to do this. Other people at this time where doing the same thing. Most people where just looking for some way to make their bicycle comute easier. Harley when one step further by conecting two cylinders to one crankpin. Thus starting the life of the v-twin. Most harleys you buy today still have two pistons conected to one crankpin. This offset fireing is what causes that lopsided idle of Harleys. This is a poor design but harley owners refuse to let the company change to newer better designs. The latest attempt that harley has made to break free from poor design is the V-ROD where there are two crankpins. One for each cylinder.