By the 80s dirt bikes had finally established themselves as a separate class of motorcycle, but other bikes were still all being lumped together. They were simply “motorcycles.”
This much was understandable upon reflection, looking at the design theme of the 70s and into the 80s everything looked pretty similar. The UJM (universal Japanese motorcycle) had taken over the industry and design had stagnated, but gradually designs evolved and by the late 80s significant advancements – most especially in performance – had been made. The sportbike class made its debut by the middle of the decade, fully faired 4 stroke machines all featuring the latest technology and best possible performance. BMW gave us a whole new class of motorcycle when they launched the very first GS, and while some brands clung to tradition for sales, most adapted.
Today, things have fragmented to such an extent that we even seem to have segments within segments. But, there are still a few clear divisions, even if some manufacturers would have you believe otherwise.
Scooters
If you think of a scooter, the silhouette of the now iconic Vespa will almost certainly be what you think of. Even with Piaggio modernising their lineup, they somehow managed to retain most of the bike's charm. Scooters also have several sub-categories, including large displacement maxi-scoots that will put some touring bikes to shame. We also get a host of different semi-automatic motorcycles that proliferate South-East Asia.
Dirt Bikes & Dual Sports
You can make a good argument for separating these two classes, but for the most part they fulfil the same purpose, which is to go out and have fun in the dirt. Motocross bikes are expensive precision instruments, while dual sports offer more all-round ability. Some favour dirt performance and others are slightly more road biassed.
Dual sport bikes are ideal for new riders, even if the seat height seems intimidating on paper their rear shocks compress more than street bikes and most riders will be able to get both feet to the ground without too much fuss. They are ideal in the sense that most new riders won’t know for sure what type of riding they really want to do, and they allow you to do a bit of everything. Also, when you do fall, dirt doesn’t hurt quite as much.
Naked Bikes
The standard motorcycle has evolved somewhat through the years, and now with the emergence of sport-nakeds and hyper-nakeds this class has gained several sub-segments.
When Ducati first put a sportbike engine in their Monster, all other major manufacturers followed and suddenly the “standard” motorcycle was no more. There still are standard motorcycles – like the MT-07 – but “naked sportbike” rolls off the tongue better.
Cruisers
Cruisers have largely retained their look and feel, but have benefited greatly from advancements in technology. With even the most basic cruiser you will still get ABS as standard equipment. Harley-Davidson, once fiercely traditional, have come to terms with an evolving industry and are now embracing technology like never before.
Retro Bikes
Most buyers don’t want to deal with high maintenance, heavy old bikes. This, coupled with the powerful marketing tool that is nostalgia, is what has given rise to the modern retro bike. There is a retro bike for every kind of rider too, from trail-ready scramblers to fully fledged retro sportbikes. You don’t need to be a hipster to like them anymore.
Sportbikes
Sportbikes rose to prominence in the mid 80s, these are motorcycles that are considered the pinnacle of performance. Comfort, practicality and reliability all take a back seat in favour of speed with ergos that put you in the “full attack” position even when you are on the way to the convenience store. Sportbikes have also evolved, with several displacement classes to choose from and some even offering marginally more comfortable riding positions.
Touring & Sport Touring Bikes
With a greater emphasis on comfort, touring bikes usually come equipped with larger displacement engines and several luxury features to help soak up the miles. Full dressers and baggers have spawned from this segment, but are still essentially touring bikes.
Sport touring bikes make use of a sportbike platform, but get significant upgrades in terms of comfort features. These bikes offer a blend of long distance comfort, sporty handling and spritely performance.
Adventure Bikes
The Adventure bike class is easily the fastest growing motorcycle segment and there are now several sub-segments within it that all appeal to different preferences. For the most part ADVs are designed for those looking for a dual sport that is still comfortable to ride over long distances.
Riders who spend most of their time on the road but want the option to go off it, will gravitate toward bigger, more comfortable bikes, while riders seeking adventure off-road will gravitate to the more off-road capable middleweight class.
Electric Motorcycles
Although there is an e-bike or electric motorcycle for every class, in essence they are not quite ready to take on their ICE counterparts, neither in terms of effective range or price. At present, the electric motorcycle that makes the most sense is a city commuter, a market currently dominated by non-descript Chinese manufacturers. Once battery swapping becomes more universal, this space could explode.
Three Wheelers
Yes, we are conveniently excluding ATVs and UTVs because by and large they are “four-wheelers” and even though they are leisure vehicles, they are closer to cars in most respects.
Three-wheelers blur the lines. As a rule, if it has a steering wheel, it wants to be a car. Others are there to preserve the feeling of riding a motorcycle without the need to balance the vehicle, be it age or disability. And yet others actually require you to balance the vehicle, but add a third wheel mostly for the sake of novelty!