OnAllCylinders has covered hundreds of shows, cruise-ins, and industry events in our 10+ year history. And while we’ve spent ample time gushing over hot rods, race cars, and off-roaders, we like focusing on the two-wheeled crowdtoo.
So since the patent for the Daimler Reitwagen (AKA the first true “motorcycle”) was granted way back on August 29, 1885, we figured today would be a good day to dig through our photo archives and pull out all the cool bikes, cruisers, and scoots we could find and put them all in a single spot.
Check out the photo gallery below, and if you’ve got a favorite ride in your garage, let us hear about it in the comments section at the bottom of this article.
BMWs of this era are easy to spot thanks to the opposed cylinder heads sticking out on either side of their “Boxer” engines. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Note this vintage Harley-Davidson is equipped with a hand shifter, with the clutch being controlled by your foot—the opposite of how modern motorcycles are shifted today. Harley and other motorcycle manufacturers used this hand shift/foot clutch setup until it faded out of popularity during the 1960s. (Image/OnAllCylinders)This 1929 Indian gives you a good look at its four cylinder engine, mounted inline with the bike frame. Before the Motus MST arrived in the 2010s, Indian was the last American motorcycle manufacturer to make a four-cylinder bike when its “Indian Four” ceased production in 1942. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Not gonna lie—we’re big fans of the Honda CB350 around here. (Image/OnAllCylinders)A cousin of the Honda CB is the CL family—same basic engine and frame architecture, only with a more off-road bias. Often simply called a “Scrambler” bike, these hybrid on-/off-roaders aren’t a full-on dirt bike, yet typically have trail-oriented features like flat handlebars, high-mount exhausts, and raised fenders. (Image/OnAllCylinders)In contrast to its CB and CL, Honda’s XL-series bikes were designed almost exclusively for trails, though they often carried the requisite lights and mirrors to remain street legal. Over the years, the CB, CL, and XL were offered with different engine displacements to suit a range of riders and environments. (Image/Dale Minnix)“Famous” James was one of the world’s oldest motorcycle manufacturers, with its roots stretching well back into the 19th century. After World War II, the company was sold to the fellow British motorcycle manufacturer Associated Motor Cycles before ultimately closing its doors in the 1960s. This particular bike is a 1945 civilian version of a 125cc model that evolved during the war. (Image/OnAllCylinders) We spotted this 1920 Douglas W-20 at a Concours event a while back. The owner was nice enough to light the acetylene headlight and taillight for us! (Image/OnAllCylinders)This is a 1950 125T made by the Puch company from Graz, Austria. After transitioning from traditional motorcycles to scooters and mopeds in its later postwar years, Puch was eventually bought by the Italian company Piaggio, the parent company of Vespa. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Speaking of the iconic scooter company, did you know that Vespa means “wasp” in Italian? The name was a clear nod to the signature buzz of the Vespa’s tiny two-stroke engine. (Image/OnAllCylinders)And a distinctive two-stroke exhaust note is also what earned this 1952 Harley-Davidson 125 the nickname “Hummer” as well. (Image/OnAllCylinders)This is a Cushman Model 53 that was designed for the U.S. Airborne during World War II—and yes, it could be dropped from an airplane. Also, check out the trailer, the M53 came with a hitch out back too! (Image/OnAllCylinders – Will Schertz)Want to learn more about this Lamborghini-powered cruiser? Of course you do—click here. (Image/OnAllCylinders – Sean Cutright)The Adam West-era Batman 1966 Bat-Cycle was based on a 250cc Yamaha Catalina. Fun Fact: The sidecar was self-powered and could be jettisoned and piloted by Robin separately. (Image/OnAllCylinders) The BatGirl Cycle that was ridden by actress Yvonne Craig during the original TV series was also derived from a Yamaha—a YDS-5E to be precise. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Hodaka was a joint American and Japanese company that exploded onto the scene in the 1960s. Thanks to models like its Super Rat, many enthusiasts credit Hodaka with dramatically increasing the popularity of dirt bikes and motocross. Sadly, the company closed its doors by the end of the 1970s. (Image/OnAllCylinders) We could easily fill this entire gallery with all the wild custom V-twin cruisers and baggers we’ve come across, but in the name of brevity, we’ll just show you this one. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Together with Honda, Kawasaki, and Yamaha, Suzuki was one of the major Japanese motorcycle manufacturers to enter the American market in the 1960s. This specific T125 Stinger is a 1970 model. (Image/OnAllCylinders)The Triumph brand has had many evolutions over its long and storied history. Nowadays, thanks to the popularity of its retro-inspired Bonneville, Rocket, and Thruxton models, the company is enjoying a renaissance. (Image/OnAllCylinders)This particular Honda has been modified for land speed racing, note the stretched swingarm and fairing. It owns quite a few speed records too. (Image/OnAllCylinders)This Kawasaki Ninja drag bike also benefits from a stretched swingarm and full fairing. The wheelie bars out back probably come in handy on this one. (Image/OnAllCylinders – Will Schertz)This particular era of BMW motorcycles earned the lovely “Toaster Tank” nickname—and it’s easy to see why. (Image/OnAllCylinders)You can get a good look at the famed “Shovelhead” engine in this vintage Harley-Davidson Electra Glide. (Image/OnAllCylinders)The pint-sized Honda CT-70 and MiniTrail bikes of the 1970s introduced an entire generation to two-wheeled bliss. (Image/OnAllCylinders)Suzuki had its own minibike lineup sold as the RV series here in the States, and called the “Van Van” elsewhere in the world—a name that literally translates to “Bang Bang” in Japanese. These bikes came with engines up to 125cc and were so popular that Suzuki brought back the nameplate decades later for another brief production run. (Image/OnAllCylinders)While many folks have fond memories of the famed Kawasaki KZ900, this 1975 900 Z1B is a noteworthy predecessor. (Image/OnAllCylinders)
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See any you like here? Tell us about your two- or three-wheeled toys in the comments section—we’d love to hear about them!
Paul is the editor of OnAllCylinders. When he's not writing, you'll probably find him fixing oil leaks in a Jeep CJ-5 or roof leaks in an old Corvette ragtop. Thanks to a penchant for vintage Honda motorcycles, he spends the rest of his time fiddling with carburetors and cleaning chain lube off his left pant leg.
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