The Motorcycle Archives

List of Motorcycles: Humble origins to cutting-edge prototypes

Posted by QAGOMA ● 19 Apr 2021

We list the motorcycles displayed in ‘The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire’ — by year from 1871 until 2020 — these motorcycles were carefully selected for the technical achievements and aesthetic merits they represent. Showcasing 100 motorcycles, ‘The Motorcycle’ spans the history of this dynamic and versatile vehicle, from its humble origins as an engine bolted…

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5 future focused motorcycles

Posted by QAGOMA ● 15 Apr 2021

While the first patent for an ‘electrical motorcycle’ was filed in 1895, and an electric tandem bicycle was exhibited at the 1896 Stanley Cycle Show in London, it wasn’t until the 2000s that electric power became a viable alternative to the combustion engine. Like all emerging technologies, electric motorcycles are not currently able to keep…

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5 innovative motorcycles that changed the way we ride

Posted by QAGOMA ● 10 Apr 2021

Motorcycling’s celebrated history of technical and design advancement had modest beginnings in the Age of Steam. In 1868, Parisian inventor and engineer Louis-Guillaume Perreaux (1816–89) patented a steam engine small enough to be used in a motorcycle, and within a few years had fixed it to a frame modelled on the pedal-powered bicycle. Perreaux’s experiments,…

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Teens Motorcycle Helmet Design Competition

Posted by QAGOMA ● 9 Apr 2021

Throughout January, QAGOMA invited emerging artists aged between 13 and 18 years to submit a design for a motorcycle helmet as part of a national design competition. Teens were encouraged to take inspiration from ‘The Motorcycle: Design, Art, Desire’ at the Gallery of Modern Art (GOMA) and were challenged to create an original design in…

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The Australian sport: 5 speedway racers

Posted by QAGOMA ● 3 Apr 2021

When the first motorcycles appeared on roads at the end of the nineteenth century, it was inevitable riders would want to know whose bike went fastest, and who was the better, quicker rider. Thus, motorcycle sport was born and various forms of competition quickly developed — including road racing, cross-country, track racing and hill climbing…

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Two’s company: 5 Motorcycles for carrying a passenger

Posted by QAGOMA ● 28 Mar 2021

In the early 1900s, motorcycle manufacturers were still experimenting with the best position for a passenger. At the time, designers were largely focused on placing the passenger behind the rider, using a trailer; or in front of the rider, using a forecar. While in a forecar, the passenger was not subjected to exhaust fumes or…

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