There are several ways of classifying types of motorcycles, taking account of a motorcycle's appearance and style, its real or intended use, the manufacturer's designation, or any combination of these.
Six main categories are widely recognized: Standard, Cruiser, Sport, Touring, Dual-Purpose, and Dirt bike."Sport Tourer" is sometimes recognized as an intermediate seventh category.
Standard
Standards are versatile, general purpose street motorcycles. They are recognized primarily by their upright riding position, partway between the reclining posture of the cruisers and the forward leaning sport bikes.Foot pegs are below the rider and handlebars are high enough to not force the rider to reach far forward, placing the shoulders above the hips in a natural position.Standards are often recommended to beginning motorcyclists due to their flexibility, relatively low cost, and moderate engines.
Cruiser
Cruisers are styled after American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s, such as those made by Harley-Davidson,Indian, and Excelsior-Henderson.The riding position places the feet forward and the hands are up relatively high, so that the spine is erect or leaning back slightly. At low to moderate speeds, cruisers are more comfortable than other styles,but riding for long periods at freeway speeds can lead to fatigue from pulling back on the handlebars to resist the force of the wind against the rider's chest.Cruisers have limited cornering ability due to a lack of ground clearance.
Sport bike
Sport bikes emphasize speed, acceleration, braking, and cornering on paved roads,typically at the expense of comfort and fuel economy comparison to less specialized motorcycles.Because of this, there are certain design elements that most motorcycles of this type will share. Sport bikes have comparatively high performance engines resting inside a lightweight frame.
Touring
Although any motorcycle can be equipped and used for touring, touring motorcycles are specifically designed to excel at covering long distances.They have large-displacement engines, fairings and screens that offer good weather and wind protection, large-capacity fuel tanks for long ranges between fill-ups, and a relaxed, upright seating position.
Sport touring
Sports touring motorcycles combine attributes of sport bikes and touring motorcycles. The rider posture is less extreme than a sport bike, giving greater long-distance comfort.Accommodation for a passenger is superior to a sport bike as well, along with luggage capacity.
Dual-sport
Dual-sports, sometimes called dual-purpose or on/off-road motorcycles, are street legal machines that are also designed to enter off-road situations.Typically based on a dirt bike chassis, they have added lights, mirrors, signals, and instruments that allow them to be licensed for public roads. They are higher than other street bikes, with a high center of gravity and tall seat height, allowing good suspension travel for rough ground.
