Motorcycles Used Values and New Prices

Motorcycles began as a form of improving the bicycle, an invention that dates back to 1869 when Excelsior Motor Company in Germany began producing them; Orient-Aster began producing them a year later in the U.S. The original design of motorcycles was not intended for sport, and was instead a utilitarian concept created to streamline personal transport.

Both World Wars saw the increased usage of motorcycles, which would ultimately lead to the creation of companies like Harley Davidson and DKW. The early 1930s saw fierce competition in the U.S., with rivals Indian and Harley Davidson squaring off and setting new sales records.By the mid - 1930s, more than 80 types of motorcycles would be available on the open market. 1937, perhaps, is the year that motorcycles truly became powersport vehicles, with professional rider Joe Petrali reaching 136 mph on a modified Harley Davidson, setting a new land- based speed record.

Following the conclusion of WWII, returning veterans formed bicycle clubs, or “biker clubs,” while others pursued racing modified motorcycles on terrains of all types.Japanese manufacturers such as Suzuki, Kawasaki and Yamaha would forever change the theme, beginning in the late 1960s, when they began releasing powersport designed motorcycles that featured more powerful four-stroke engines.

Today, these manufacturers continue to dominate the industry, offering a wide variety of motorcycles that have varying CC ratings and performance indexes, ranging from twin cruisers to off-road bikes and street racers.