A HUGE manpower crunch in the retail, banking, IT and insurance sectors has made homes an emerging campus for recruitment.
Waking up to untapped potential of housewives with past work experience, companies are now hiring married women who have had career breaks because “they are less likely to hop jobs and can work part-time”.
“Women are perfect for the retail industry because they understand customer needs,” said Kripesh Hariharan of People Enterprise, which handles HR for Pantaloon Retail. Pantaloon kicked off a “women only” recruitment drive in Kolkata this week for over 2,000 “flexi-career” positions targeted at housewives wanting to strike a work-home balance.
The Chennai-based Interim Women Manager’s Interface Network (I-WIN), an initiative by HR firm Avtar, has become a big hit. “We have placed over 450 women in organisations such as Standard Chartered, Unilever, Merrill Lynch and Cognizant,” said Avtar CEO Saundarya Rajesh. About 73 per cent of the 4,000 registered with I-WIN are married and include CAs, MBAs, engineers, bankers and programmers.
“I was apprehensive about taking up a full-time job because I have a daughter. Here I work 20 hours a week,” said Kalai Selvi, a senior programmer with IT firm Blue Shift
Friday, October 26, 2007
Breaking the popular trend and returning to Nepal-Sulav Bhatta
Ever since I came back from the US eight months ago, the most common question I have faced is regarding my "naive" decision to return. In my opinion, this is a wrong question to be asked. They should be asking why people do not return after completing their studies. To satisfy people's curiosity I tell them that this is my country and I have come back because I feel that I can do something here with my engineering degree. But people seem less convinced with my answer. They give me a strange, funny look.
The US, undoubtedly, is one of the most developed countries in the world. It is full of opportunities and it treats hardworking people very well. However, it is not Nepal, the country of our birth, where we enjoy an intricate feeling of belongingness. I have no hard feelings against the US; it treated me very well during my six years there. I think all Nepalese should go to the US at least once in life to learn about freedom, hard work, fairness, positive attitude, accountability, sense of responsibility etc. After experiencing US life, I wanted to come to Nepal and give it a shot. I adjusted my expectation level accordingly because it would be ridiculous to expect things here to be the way they are in the west.
However, after spending about eight months is Nepal, I have some idea about why I was “mocked”. Currently I am doing my MBA as well. When I went to join the MBA programme, the college was locked due to some problem at Pokhara University. Our student coordinator who took my interview asked me why I came back. This was a strange question because she herself studied in the US and then returned to Nepal. I could not help but think that people are very frustrated with the current situation here. Regular class interruption due to Nepal bandh etc. is a part of life and something I am used to by now. Some of my MBA colleagues are in the process of applying for the US. If they get the visa, they would have no qualms about leaving the MBA program here.
What has really motivated me to write this article is the recent turn of events. There was vacancy for engineers at Nepal Telecom, and naturally I thought of applying. Since I have a certificate from the US, I was asked to present a TU equivalent for my US degree. I went to TU and filled up the necessary paperwork. Then they asked me to take my documents to Pulchowk Engineering College (PEC). They needed recommendations from PEC before they can form a committee and decide. Fair enough. Now, I go to Pulchowk only to discover that the Dean's Office has been locked down since the past two months due to the strike of the students. I asked the guy there if there was anything at all that could be done so that my credentials could be evaluated. He told me there was little, if any, chance for that. Then he asked me where I did my engineering. I told him and his eyes lightened up. Then he asked me the same question that I was already expecting--- why did I return?!
I came back home tired and frustrated. My parents were eagerly waiting to know if my problem got solved. I told them what happened and what the guy had said. I tried not to show my frustration. My parents, who were once overjoyed when I came back from the US, are having second thoughts now. They are wondering whether they should have ordered their only son to come back. This is a very ironic situation. However, I still stand by my decision to come back. I just hope that somehow I never have to regret my decision.
My problem is just a tip of the iceberg that the people here are facing. I find that our system is so broken up that it needs immediate and thorough change. If something is not done soon enough, we might alienate our young and productive generation so much that the only people remaining in Nepal would be the retired and old people. If we take the case of India, a lot of young people are returning from the US because they can now get same opportunity in India itself. This is helping India a lot. We all know how India has developed over the past few years. We should also try to attract our young, talented people back to Nepal. And I know that there are a lot of people out there who would love to come back if there is stability and opportunity here. I would like to request everyone to do whatever they can in their capacity so that people do not have to run away from Nepal.
The US, undoubtedly, is one of the most developed countries in the world. It is full of opportunities and it treats hardworking people very well. However, it is not Nepal, the country of our birth, where we enjoy an intricate feeling of belongingness. I have no hard feelings against the US; it treated me very well during my six years there. I think all Nepalese should go to the US at least once in life to learn about freedom, hard work, fairness, positive attitude, accountability, sense of responsibility etc. After experiencing US life, I wanted to come to Nepal and give it a shot. I adjusted my expectation level accordingly because it would be ridiculous to expect things here to be the way they are in the west.
However, after spending about eight months is Nepal, I have some idea about why I was “mocked”. Currently I am doing my MBA as well. When I went to join the MBA programme, the college was locked due to some problem at Pokhara University. Our student coordinator who took my interview asked me why I came back. This was a strange question because she herself studied in the US and then returned to Nepal. I could not help but think that people are very frustrated with the current situation here. Regular class interruption due to Nepal bandh etc. is a part of life and something I am used to by now. Some of my MBA colleagues are in the process of applying for the US. If they get the visa, they would have no qualms about leaving the MBA program here.
What has really motivated me to write this article is the recent turn of events. There was vacancy for engineers at Nepal Telecom, and naturally I thought of applying. Since I have a certificate from the US, I was asked to present a TU equivalent for my US degree. I went to TU and filled up the necessary paperwork. Then they asked me to take my documents to Pulchowk Engineering College (PEC). They needed recommendations from PEC before they can form a committee and decide. Fair enough. Now, I go to Pulchowk only to discover that the Dean's Office has been locked down since the past two months due to the strike of the students. I asked the guy there if there was anything at all that could be done so that my credentials could be evaluated. He told me there was little, if any, chance for that. Then he asked me where I did my engineering. I told him and his eyes lightened up. Then he asked me the same question that I was already expecting--- why did I return?!
I came back home tired and frustrated. My parents were eagerly waiting to know if my problem got solved. I told them what happened and what the guy had said. I tried not to show my frustration. My parents, who were once overjoyed when I came back from the US, are having second thoughts now. They are wondering whether they should have ordered their only son to come back. This is a very ironic situation. However, I still stand by my decision to come back. I just hope that somehow I never have to regret my decision.
My problem is just a tip of the iceberg that the people here are facing. I find that our system is so broken up that it needs immediate and thorough change. If something is not done soon enough, we might alienate our young and productive generation so much that the only people remaining in Nepal would be the retired and old people. If we take the case of India, a lot of young people are returning from the US because they can now get same opportunity in India itself. This is helping India a lot. We all know how India has developed over the past few years. We should also try to attract our young, talented people back to Nepal. And I know that there are a lot of people out there who would love to come back if there is stability and opportunity here. I would like to request everyone to do whatever they can in their capacity so that people do not have to run away from Nepal.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Special House session
The seven-party alliance has decided to prorogue the special session of the interim parliament after hectic parleys over the week could not resolve the political deadlock over key issues including the declaration of a republic and the voting system for the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections.
Speaker Subhas Chandra Nemwang Tuesday afternoon adjourned the special House session till October 29 acting on request of the parties.
The session was delayed for two days and was expected to resume at 11:00 am today.
After postponing the special House session, the top leaders of the seven parties held a short informal meeting at Baluwatar.
“We took two decisions today,” said Nepali Congress (NC) leader Bimalendra Nidhi. “Firstly, we have decided to urge the Speaker to prorogue the House session till October 29. We also agreed to fix a (new) date for the Constituent Assembly elections at the earliest on the basis of a consensus.”
The latest decision allows the parties to buy more time to resolve the impasse caused by the proposals tabled at the interim parliament by the Maoists.
This session was expected to end rapidly as Dashain, the great Nepali festival, has already started.
This morning, the top leaders of the four major parties had met at Baluwatar to continue their effort to break the stalemate.
After no headway, the top leaders of the NC, CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist and the People’s Front Nepal agreed to postpone the special House session and the leaders of the other parties were invited to formalize the decision.
The meeting had resumed this morning after Monday’s meeting ended inconclusively.
The UML is trying to persuade other parties to forge an agreement on the amendment proposal that it registered at parliament yesterday, sources said.
The leaders have not been able to find a way out of the political impasse, though they agreed to end the deadlock reaching a consensus before voting on the Maoist motions at the special House session, sources added.
If the motions—an immediate declaration of a republic through parliament and proportional representation system for the CA elections- were to be decided through votes, the seven-party alliance could break and the entire peace process could be in jeopardy.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala-led NC has outright rejected both the Maoist motions. The motions cannot succeed without NC’s party’s support.
Yesterday, the UML had registered an amendment proposal at the parliament secretariat in a bid to find a middle ground to break the deadlock.
The UML proposal states that the government should first identify the reason why the country failed to conduct the polls on time and announce a new poll date.
It has also urged the government to take immediate and concrete steps to announce a new date, hold the election and proclaim a federal democratic republic, fulfilling all the necessary procedures.
UML registered the amendment proposal at 4:58pm, two minutes before the deadline to lodge an amendment motion ended, after the seven-party meeting failed to reach a conclusion.
Speaker Subhas Chandra Nemwang Tuesday afternoon adjourned the special House session till October 29 acting on request of the parties.
The session was delayed for two days and was expected to resume at 11:00 am today.
After postponing the special House session, the top leaders of the seven parties held a short informal meeting at Baluwatar.
“We took two decisions today,” said Nepali Congress (NC) leader Bimalendra Nidhi. “Firstly, we have decided to urge the Speaker to prorogue the House session till October 29. We also agreed to fix a (new) date for the Constituent Assembly elections at the earliest on the basis of a consensus.”
The latest decision allows the parties to buy more time to resolve the impasse caused by the proposals tabled at the interim parliament by the Maoists.
This session was expected to end rapidly as Dashain, the great Nepali festival, has already started.
This morning, the top leaders of the four major parties had met at Baluwatar to continue their effort to break the stalemate.
After no headway, the top leaders of the NC, CPN-UML, CPN-Maoist and the People’s Front Nepal agreed to postpone the special House session and the leaders of the other parties were invited to formalize the decision.
The meeting had resumed this morning after Monday’s meeting ended inconclusively.
The UML is trying to persuade other parties to forge an agreement on the amendment proposal that it registered at parliament yesterday, sources said.
The leaders have not been able to find a way out of the political impasse, though they agreed to end the deadlock reaching a consensus before voting on the Maoist motions at the special House session, sources added.
If the motions—an immediate declaration of a republic through parliament and proportional representation system for the CA elections- were to be decided through votes, the seven-party alliance could break and the entire peace process could be in jeopardy.
Prime Minister Girija Prasad Koirala-led NC has outright rejected both the Maoist motions. The motions cannot succeed without NC’s party’s support.
Yesterday, the UML had registered an amendment proposal at the parliament secretariat in a bid to find a middle ground to break the deadlock.
The UML proposal states that the government should first identify the reason why the country failed to conduct the polls on time and announce a new poll date.
It has also urged the government to take immediate and concrete steps to announce a new date, hold the election and proclaim a federal democratic republic, fulfilling all the necessary procedures.
UML registered the amendment proposal at 4:58pm, two minutes before the deadline to lodge an amendment motion ended, after the seven-party meeting failed to reach a conclusion.
Wednesday, October 10, 2007
Postponed Polls, Postponed Future
As the joke goes, when God was about to set up the world, he called his Prophet and said, “Let’s give Nepal the highest mountains.” After the Prophet nodded in agreement, God said, “Let’s also give this country a massive network of rivers with immense power potential.” God then said, “Let’s also give this small nation enough of plain fertile land, thick dense forests with the rare woody trees, a great deal of bio-diversity and massive deposits of ores and minerals.”
The Prophet, surprised by God’s generosity for Nepal, remarked, “God! You have put every good thing in Nepal. This will perhaps be the most beautiful and prosperous country in the world.”
God then smiled and replied, “Wait, you are going to see the people I put here who will be responsible to manage and rule this country!”
Sadly, what was perhaps meant to be a shot of harmless fun from the Almighty has turned out to be a tragic reality. And this has been all too true throughout our history. Throughout our history, our decision-makers have failed to deliver when it mattered. Denying the country, denying its people.
The latest denial has come in the form of the postponement of the November 22 Constituent Assembly elections. With less than 50 days to go, the crucial election which had already been deferred twice was put off for the third time when the Election Commission had carried out all necessary preparations and the people were eagerly waiting for the fateful day to draft their own constitution and seal, secure their fate and future. But with the polls postponed yet again, there is clearly too much at stake now.
Frequent strikes, bandas and protests continue to cripple life across the country, especially in the southern Terai region. The law and order situation is at its worst. Communal harmony is being tested to the threshold. We have seen that in Nepalgunj, Gaur, and recently, in Kapilvastu. But the question is who is supposed to improve the security situation and maintain law and order? Who will instill a feeling of security in the people’s mind? How many times will the self-proclaimed intellectuals shamelessly defend the polls postponement decision saying “there was no other option”? How many times will the country and its people be denied under different pretexts?
Whatever any of us may personally feel about the seven-party leaders and their national and international advisors, we should now be able to clearly admit that by postponing the polls again they have proved that they are simply incapable of comprehending and dealing with the immense complexities of the real Nepali situation.
Why the polls have been postponed this time around is no secret to anybody. It’s because of the Maoists. Even a child can see that. The Maoists, who have been advocating a Constituent Assembly from Day One of their “People’s War”, which claimed over 14,000 lives, put forth two impossible-to-meet preconditions out of the blue — proclamation of a republic by the interim parliament and a fully proportional representation (PR) based electoral system for the CA polls— which literally jeopardized the possibility of holding the polls on November 22.
The Maoists have been mechanically parroting the republic slogan, painting the Kathmandu walls red, but have betrayed the cause when it mattered the most.
The Maoist dream of the interim parliament declaring a republic is not workable at all. Morality and political honesty both enjoin us to reject this idea of a republic ahead of the polls as fundamentally, philosophically, logically, legally and constitutionally wrong. This parliament, whose nearly one-third members are not only unelected but also never faced elections, while the rest were elected over eight years ago, has no right to take such a decision. We hope our honourable interim legislators who will be busy with the special session of the House in the next few days in a bid to seek a way-out of the current deadlock will not forget this limitation of theirs.
Without entering into a debate on the merits and demerits of a fully PR-based electoral system, it is enough to note that the Maoists used this, too, just to thwart the elections which they have successfully done. Otherwise, there was no need at all to beat over an issue which they had already agreed upon months back—a mixed electoral system—and which has been also clearly mentioned in the Interim Constitution which in turn was amended twice without the republic or the PR issue being raised by the Maoists at all.
In the peace process so far, they seem to have offered an inch and taken a mile. And lately, they resorted to sheer blackmailing—“Postpone the polls, or else…”-- putting a price on things. This time around, proclamation of a republic prior to the polls is the ransom. Who knows if it won’t be a communist republic next time around?
This game of blackmailing has to end
The Prophet, surprised by God’s generosity for Nepal, remarked, “God! You have put every good thing in Nepal. This will perhaps be the most beautiful and prosperous country in the world.”
God then smiled and replied, “Wait, you are going to see the people I put here who will be responsible to manage and rule this country!”
Sadly, what was perhaps meant to be a shot of harmless fun from the Almighty has turned out to be a tragic reality. And this has been all too true throughout our history. Throughout our history, our decision-makers have failed to deliver when it mattered. Denying the country, denying its people.
The latest denial has come in the form of the postponement of the November 22 Constituent Assembly elections. With less than 50 days to go, the crucial election which had already been deferred twice was put off for the third time when the Election Commission had carried out all necessary preparations and the people were eagerly waiting for the fateful day to draft their own constitution and seal, secure their fate and future. But with the polls postponed yet again, there is clearly too much at stake now.
Frequent strikes, bandas and protests continue to cripple life across the country, especially in the southern Terai region. The law and order situation is at its worst. Communal harmony is being tested to the threshold. We have seen that in Nepalgunj, Gaur, and recently, in Kapilvastu. But the question is who is supposed to improve the security situation and maintain law and order? Who will instill a feeling of security in the people’s mind? How many times will the self-proclaimed intellectuals shamelessly defend the polls postponement decision saying “there was no other option”? How many times will the country and its people be denied under different pretexts?
Whatever any of us may personally feel about the seven-party leaders and their national and international advisors, we should now be able to clearly admit that by postponing the polls again they have proved that they are simply incapable of comprehending and dealing with the immense complexities of the real Nepali situation.
Why the polls have been postponed this time around is no secret to anybody. It’s because of the Maoists. Even a child can see that. The Maoists, who have been advocating a Constituent Assembly from Day One of their “People’s War”, which claimed over 14,000 lives, put forth two impossible-to-meet preconditions out of the blue — proclamation of a republic by the interim parliament and a fully proportional representation (PR) based electoral system for the CA polls— which literally jeopardized the possibility of holding the polls on November 22.
The Maoists have been mechanically parroting the republic slogan, painting the Kathmandu walls red, but have betrayed the cause when it mattered the most.
The Maoist dream of the interim parliament declaring a republic is not workable at all. Morality and political honesty both enjoin us to reject this idea of a republic ahead of the polls as fundamentally, philosophically, logically, legally and constitutionally wrong. This parliament, whose nearly one-third members are not only unelected but also never faced elections, while the rest were elected over eight years ago, has no right to take such a decision. We hope our honourable interim legislators who will be busy with the special session of the House in the next few days in a bid to seek a way-out of the current deadlock will not forget this limitation of theirs.
Without entering into a debate on the merits and demerits of a fully PR-based electoral system, it is enough to note that the Maoists used this, too, just to thwart the elections which they have successfully done. Otherwise, there was no need at all to beat over an issue which they had already agreed upon months back—a mixed electoral system—and which has been also clearly mentioned in the Interim Constitution which in turn was amended twice without the republic or the PR issue being raised by the Maoists at all.
In the peace process so far, they seem to have offered an inch and taken a mile. And lately, they resorted to sheer blackmailing—“Postpone the polls, or else…”-- putting a price on things. This time around, proclamation of a republic prior to the polls is the ransom. Who knows if it won’t be a communist republic next time around?
This game of blackmailing has to end
Special session of parliament today
KATHMANDU, Oct 11 - On the eve of the Special Session of the Interim Parliament, the CPN-Maoist on Wednesday registered at the parliament secretariat their two demands under special political proposals of public importance.
In the proposals, registered by Maoist Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara and seconded by Pari Thapa of CPN-United and Ganesh Sah of United Left Front, the Maoists have demanded that the special parliament session adopt a fully proportional electoral system and proclaim a republic.
As the Maoist's demand for proclaiming a republic through the special session of the parliament contravenes Article 159 (3) (a) of the Interim Constitution, the Maoist has also registered a separate proposal to amend the interim constitution.
Article 159 (3) (a) of the Interim Constitution states that the cabinet would submit proposal in the House on declaring Nepal a republican state if the king is found to be disrupting the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections.
The Maoist proposal has also demanded an amendment to the Article 63 (3) of the Interim Constitution which has provisioned a mixed electoral system for the CA poll.
Maoist Spokesperson Mahara said, "We are hopeful that all political parties will support our proposals and the political uncertainty will be settled."
He also said political uncertainty may continue if there is no consensus in the special session of the parliament.
UML Central leader Mahendra Panday said his party is ready to settle all the political issues through consensus.
The Special Session of the Interim Parliament on Thursday will discuss the Maoists' proposals, which were the major reasons for the deferral of the CA poll.
In the proposals, registered by Maoist Spokesperson Krishna Bahadur Mahara and seconded by Pari Thapa of CPN-United and Ganesh Sah of United Left Front, the Maoists have demanded that the special parliament session adopt a fully proportional electoral system and proclaim a republic.
As the Maoist's demand for proclaiming a republic through the special session of the parliament contravenes Article 159 (3) (a) of the Interim Constitution, the Maoist has also registered a separate proposal to amend the interim constitution.
Article 159 (3) (a) of the Interim Constitution states that the cabinet would submit proposal in the House on declaring Nepal a republican state if the king is found to be disrupting the Constituent Assembly (CA) elections.
The Maoist proposal has also demanded an amendment to the Article 63 (3) of the Interim Constitution which has provisioned a mixed electoral system for the CA poll.
Maoist Spokesperson Mahara said, "We are hopeful that all political parties will support our proposals and the political uncertainty will be settled."
He also said political uncertainty may continue if there is no consensus in the special session of the parliament.
UML Central leader Mahendra Panday said his party is ready to settle all the political issues through consensus.
The Special Session of the Interim Parliament on Thursday will discuss the Maoists' proposals, which were the major reasons for the deferral of the CA poll.
Tuesday, October 2, 2007
Motorcycle
A motorcycle or motorbike is a single-track, two-wheeled motor vehicle powered by an engine. Styles of motorcycles vary depending on the task for which they are designed, such as long distance travel, navigating congested urban traffic, cruising, sport and racing, or off-road conditions. In many parts of the world, motorcycles are among the least expensive and most widespread forms of motorised transport.
The inspiration for arguably the first motorcycle was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt (since 1905 a city district of Stuttgart) in 1885.[1] The first petroleum-powered vehicle, it was essentially a motorised bicycle, although the inventors called their invention the Reitwagen ("riding car").
However, if one counts two wheels with steam propulsion as being a motorcycle, then the first one may have been American. One such machine was demonstrated at fairs and circuses in the eastern U.S. in 1867, built by Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts.[1]
In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first motorcycle available for purchase.[2] In the early period of motorcycle history, many producers of bicycles adapted their designs to accommodate the new internal combustion engine. As the engines became more powerful, and designs outgrew the bicycle origins, the number of motorcycle producers increased.
Until the First World War, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian, producing over 20,000 bikes per year. By 1920, this honour went to Harley-Davidson, with their motorcycles being sold by dealers in 67 countries, until 1928 when DKW took over as the largest manufacturer.
After the Second World War, the BSA Group became the largest producer of motorcycles in the world, producing up to 75,000 bikes a year in the 1950s. The German company NSU Motorenwerke AG held the position of largest manufacturer from 1955 until the 1970s.
From the 1960s through the 1990s, small two-stroke motorcycles were popular worldwide, partly as a result of East German Walter Kaaden's engine work in the 1950s.[3]
Today, the Japanese manufacturers, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha dominate the motorcycle industry, although Harley-Davidson still maintains a high degree of popularity in the United States. Recent years have also seen a resurgence in the popularity of several other brands sold in the U.S. market, including BMW, Triumph, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Ducati.
Outside of the USA, these brands have enjoyed continued and sustained success, although Triumph, for example, has been re-incarnated from its former self into a modern world-class manufacturer. In overall numbers, however, the Chinese currently manufacture and sell more motorcycles than any other country and exports are rising. The quality of these machines is asserted to be somewhat lower than their Japanese, European and American counterparts [citation needed].
Additionally, the small-capacity scooter is very popular through most of the world. The Piaggio group of Italy, for example, is one of the world's largest producers of two-wheeled vehicles. The scooter culture has, as yet, not been adopted widely in North America.
Motorcycle construction is the engineering, manufacturing, and assembly of components and systems for a motorcycle which results in performance, cost and aesthetics desired by the designer. With some exceptions, construction of modern mass-produced motorcycles has standardised on a steel or aluminum frame, telescopic forks holding the front wheel, and disc brakes. A one- to six-cylinder gasoline powered engine coupled to a manual, five- or six-speed sequential transmission drives the swingarm-mounted rear wheel by a chain, driveshaft or belt.
Types of motorcycles
There are three major types of motorcycle, street, off-road, and dual purpose. Within these types, there are many different sub-types of motorcycles for many different purposes.
Choppers: Highly customised motorcycles based on a cruiser-style frame with long rake (longer front forks) and wild paint jobs. These are created more for show than ridability.
Cruisers: A range of small to large motorcycles designed for comfort and looks with a relaxed upright seating position. They are notable for their heavy use of chrome and are often highly customised.
Electric motorcycles: Nearly silent, zero-emission electric motor-driven vehicles. Operating range and top speed suffer because of limitations of battery technology. Fuel cells and petroleum-electric hybrids are also under development to extend the range and improve performance of the electric motors.
Mini bikes: Very small bikes designed to be simple runaround fun for both children and adults. Generally they have no hand-operated clutch or gearbox to simplify operation. Also known as Mini Motos. Not street-legal in most countries and jurisdictions. May be used for racing by all age levels.
Mopeds: Small, light, inexpensive, efficient rides for getting around town. Usually started by pedaling (motorcycle + pedals = moped).
Underbones: Small motorcycle which is a crossover between a scooter and a true motorcycle with step-through frame, popular in Southeast Asia. While the fuel tank for most motorcycles are tear-shaped and located at the top and just behind the instrument panel, the fuel tank for an underbone motorcycle is located under the seat.
Naked bikes/Standard/Street bikes: Naked bikes have a riding position midway between the forward position of a sports bike and the reclined position of a cruiser. Unlike touring bikes, naked bikes often have little or no fairing (hence the title). Luggage capabilities are often an optional extra. Naked bikes are popular for commuting and other city riding as the upright riding position gives greater visibility in heavy traffic (both for the rider and to other road users) and are more comfortable than the hunched over sport bikes. Note that naked bike and standard are not fully interchangeable terms. Naked refers to the lack of bodywork and standard refers to the upright riding position.
Scooters: Motorbikes with a step-through frame and generally smaller wheels than those of a traditional motorcycle. Can be ridden without straddling any part of the bike. Available in sport, commuter, and touring models.
Sport bikes: Fast, light, sleek motorcycles designed for maximum performance, for racing or spirited road riding. They are distinguishable by their full fairings and the rider's tipped-forward seating position. They are also called "race replicas" because of their connection to the racing category for production motorcycles known as Superbike racing. The power to weight ratio of the 900 cc+ models typically matches or exceeds one bhp of power for every one kg of mass. (Slang terms for sport bikes include "suicycles" and "crotch rockets".)
Racing bikes: Motorcycles designed for circuit or road racing, including mass-production motorcycles modified for motorcycle racing or sport riding.
Street customs: Highly customised motorcycles with wild paint jobs also built for show, but constructed from a sport bike frame instead of a cruiser-style frame.
Touring motorcycles: Touring bikes are designed for rider and passenger comfort, luggage carrying capacity, and reliability. Cruisers, sport bikes and some dual-sports can also be used as touring bikes with the addition of aftermarket luggage and seats. Common throughout the touring market are usually large-displacement fairings and windshields (for weather and wind protection), large-capacity fuel tanks (for long-range travel), engines offering lots of torque instead of horsepower, and a more relaxed, basically upright seating position.
Sport touring motorcycles: Sport-tourers are factory-built hybrids of a sport bike and a touring motorcycle. They are built for comfort, while maintaining a forward-leaning riding position.
The inspiration for arguably the first motorcycle was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt (since 1905 a city district of Stuttgart) in 1885.[1] The first petroleum-powered vehicle, it was essentially a motorised bicycle, although the inventors called their invention the Reitwagen ("riding car").
However, if one counts two wheels with steam propulsion as being a motorcycle, then the first one may have been American. One such machine was demonstrated at fairs and circuses in the eastern U.S. in 1867, built by Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts.[1]
In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first motorcycle available for purchase.[2] In the early period of motorcycle history, many producers of bicycles adapted their designs to accommodate the new internal combustion engine. As the engines became more powerful, and designs outgrew the bicycle origins, the number of motorcycle producers increased.
Until the First World War, the largest motorcycle manufacturer in the world was Indian, producing over 20,000 bikes per year. By 1920, this honour went to Harley-Davidson, with their motorcycles being sold by dealers in 67 countries, until 1928 when DKW took over as the largest manufacturer.
After the Second World War, the BSA Group became the largest producer of motorcycles in the world, producing up to 75,000 bikes a year in the 1950s. The German company NSU Motorenwerke AG held the position of largest manufacturer from 1955 until the 1970s.
From the 1960s through the 1990s, small two-stroke motorcycles were popular worldwide, partly as a result of East German Walter Kaaden's engine work in the 1950s.[3]
Today, the Japanese manufacturers, Honda, Kawasaki, Suzuki, and Yamaha dominate the motorcycle industry, although Harley-Davidson still maintains a high degree of popularity in the United States. Recent years have also seen a resurgence in the popularity of several other brands sold in the U.S. market, including BMW, Triumph, Aprilia, Moto Guzzi and Ducati.
Outside of the USA, these brands have enjoyed continued and sustained success, although Triumph, for example, has been re-incarnated from its former self into a modern world-class manufacturer. In overall numbers, however, the Chinese currently manufacture and sell more motorcycles than any other country and exports are rising. The quality of these machines is asserted to be somewhat lower than their Japanese, European and American counterparts [citation needed].
Additionally, the small-capacity scooter is very popular through most of the world. The Piaggio group of Italy, for example, is one of the world's largest producers of two-wheeled vehicles. The scooter culture has, as yet, not been adopted widely in North America.
Motorcycle construction is the engineering, manufacturing, and assembly of components and systems for a motorcycle which results in performance, cost and aesthetics desired by the designer. With some exceptions, construction of modern mass-produced motorcycles has standardised on a steel or aluminum frame, telescopic forks holding the front wheel, and disc brakes. A one- to six-cylinder gasoline powered engine coupled to a manual, five- or six-speed sequential transmission drives the swingarm-mounted rear wheel by a chain, driveshaft or belt.
Types of motorcycles
There are three major types of motorcycle, street, off-road, and dual purpose. Within these types, there are many different sub-types of motorcycles for many different purposes.
Choppers: Highly customised motorcycles based on a cruiser-style frame with long rake (longer front forks) and wild paint jobs. These are created more for show than ridability.
Cruisers: A range of small to large motorcycles designed for comfort and looks with a relaxed upright seating position. They are notable for their heavy use of chrome and are often highly customised.
Electric motorcycles: Nearly silent, zero-emission electric motor-driven vehicles. Operating range and top speed suffer because of limitations of battery technology. Fuel cells and petroleum-electric hybrids are also under development to extend the range and improve performance of the electric motors.
Mini bikes: Very small bikes designed to be simple runaround fun for both children and adults. Generally they have no hand-operated clutch or gearbox to simplify operation. Also known as Mini Motos. Not street-legal in most countries and jurisdictions. May be used for racing by all age levels.
Mopeds: Small, light, inexpensive, efficient rides for getting around town. Usually started by pedaling (motorcycle + pedals = moped).
Underbones: Small motorcycle which is a crossover between a scooter and a true motorcycle with step-through frame, popular in Southeast Asia. While the fuel tank for most motorcycles are tear-shaped and located at the top and just behind the instrument panel, the fuel tank for an underbone motorcycle is located under the seat.
Naked bikes/Standard/Street bikes: Naked bikes have a riding position midway between the forward position of a sports bike and the reclined position of a cruiser. Unlike touring bikes, naked bikes often have little or no fairing (hence the title). Luggage capabilities are often an optional extra. Naked bikes are popular for commuting and other city riding as the upright riding position gives greater visibility in heavy traffic (both for the rider and to other road users) and are more comfortable than the hunched over sport bikes. Note that naked bike and standard are not fully interchangeable terms. Naked refers to the lack of bodywork and standard refers to the upright riding position.
Scooters: Motorbikes with a step-through frame and generally smaller wheels than those of a traditional motorcycle. Can be ridden without straddling any part of the bike. Available in sport, commuter, and touring models.
Sport bikes: Fast, light, sleek motorcycles designed for maximum performance, for racing or spirited road riding. They are distinguishable by their full fairings and the rider's tipped-forward seating position. They are also called "race replicas" because of their connection to the racing category for production motorcycles known as Superbike racing. The power to weight ratio of the 900 cc+ models typically matches or exceeds one bhp of power for every one kg of mass. (Slang terms for sport bikes include "suicycles" and "crotch rockets".)
Racing bikes: Motorcycles designed for circuit or road racing, including mass-production motorcycles modified for motorcycle racing or sport riding.
Street customs: Highly customised motorcycles with wild paint jobs also built for show, but constructed from a sport bike frame instead of a cruiser-style frame.
Touring motorcycles: Touring bikes are designed for rider and passenger comfort, luggage carrying capacity, and reliability. Cruisers, sport bikes and some dual-sports can also be used as touring bikes with the addition of aftermarket luggage and seats. Common throughout the touring market are usually large-displacement fairings and windshields (for weather and wind protection), large-capacity fuel tanks (for long-range travel), engines offering lots of torque instead of horsepower, and a more relaxed, basically upright seating position.
Sport touring motorcycles: Sport-tourers are factory-built hybrids of a sport bike and a touring motorcycle. They are built for comfort, while maintaining a forward-leaning riding position.
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