![]() ![]() Of course, motorcycles at this very early stage of development were nothing more than internal combustion-powered bicycles, and there’s plenty of bicycles around-even to this very day-they get along perfectly well without the need for suspension. But it was indeed the 1908 Scott that is noted in the history books as the first commercially available motorcycle with front suspension. The first motorcycle fitted with some kind of dampening system to protect the rider and bike itself from feeling every little bump and hole in the road’s surface took more than two decades to surface, which is either a great testament to the power of pneumatic tyres or proof that most motorcyclists a just a little bit crazy upstairs. Image Via: Wikimedia Commons.Īs anyone who’s ever attempted to ride a skateboard on an imperfect surface will know, suspension is a freaking wonderful thing to have. #1: Suspension A 1908 Scott Patent Document. ![]() So here’s the top breakthroughs that transformed that arcane 1885 experiment into the modern motorbike we know, love, and ride today. The very fact that almost anyone with a modicum of riding experience can jump on 95% of the worlds motorcycles and use them in relative safety to get from point A to B should be a clear sign that the modern motorcycle is a humble technological marvel that takes some previously insurmountable engineering challenges and makes them look about as difficult as finding a Trump supporter at Sturgis. Next time you see some dinky little beginner’s bike, pit bike, pocket bike or el-cheapo Chinese knock-off that makes you chuckle thanks to it’s underwhelming features, poor build quality, or just plain lack of a single memorable trait to make it stand out from the crowd, take a moment to think about this: any and all modern bikes are amazing examples of technological development-no matter how cheap, throw-away or nasty they may appear to be, they stand proudly on the shoulders of almost 140 years of moto developments since the first bike was built in 1885. ![]()
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