Try And Match All These Superbikes To The Company That Made Them!

Motorcycles have their own fan club. Many automotive fans prefer the safety and security that a covered four-wheeler gives; for many, it’s all about the thrill of two wheels. The wind in the hair, the open road, and the rider on his mean machine – things can’t get any better than this for the ultimate gearhead. Much of this thrill we seem to get from a motorcycle or superbike also stems from the fact that movies and TV have always glorified these widow makers. Think the Terminator riding in on the silver HD "Fat Boy" or the TV series Street Hawk that showed a vigilante fighting crime, riding through the streets on his 1983 Honda XL500. Even Batman fell under the allure of a Harley Davidson, riding the Batpod in The Dark Knight. Clearly, even superheroes and robots from the future are not immune to the allure that motorcycles offer. Another example would be Nicolas Cage as and in the Ghost Rider, on that beautiful, beautiful Custom HD Panhead Chopper.

Yes, motorcycles have a charm, but one has to really like motorcycles to be able to successfully recognize them. Which brand makes which motorcycles, and which were the most popular motorcycles from then to now? There have been many companies from many countries vying for the top bike spot, creating some fantastic masterpieces along the way. Try cracking this motorhead-oriented quiz, to test the biking quotient only a true motorcycle fan would have…

Question 1

Who was the custom motorcycle builder who made the CR500 Super Single?

The person who made this bike, the CR500, not only runs his own very coveted and high respected custom shop, he was literally born to be on a bike. He’s been riding dirtbikes since he was five, at an age most kids haven’t even mastered a simple bicycle. So yes, motorcycles are his passion considering he started to work at a motorcycle fabrication shop as a teen, and then went on to become a professional road racer. His bikes can be considered works of art that run really, really fast!

Question 2

Name the company that makes the superbike F4.

Let’s make this one easy. This bike has a 1-liter engine and is classified as a superbike considering it cranks out 175 horsepower and 85 ft-lb torque. Riding this bike means you can literally fly on the road, but still stay on the road as it boasts an 8-level traction control. These tires can really grip… With a light crankshaft and curb weight, it can hit 0-60 in an insane 2.7 seconds. Its named the F4, probably after the hurricane-wind intensity it can reach!

Question 3

Which motorcycle giant once owned Buell Motorcycles?

Once upon a time, a bike motorcycle company first bought some 49% of stake in and by 2003 wholly owned Buell Motorcycles. Finally, in 2009, they stopped all production of Buell bikes. So the designer and the owner of Buell, Eric Buell formed his own racing company. He then brought out the XB12R and put in an inside-out front brake in it. The exhaust was installed in the center instead of the back to make it different. Finally, the speed was never that of a Ninja, but then again, speed was never its end goal.

Question 4

What is the Ducati Panigale named after?

The Panigale is an amazing bike and perhaps the world’s most powerful twin-cylinder motorcycle to date. Not a surprise since it has been made by Ducati, synonymous with fast superbikes. The engine is 1199cc that cranks out 205 horsepower and 100 ft-lb torque, mated to a 6-speed slipper-clutch transmission. It can hit 0-60 in 2.8 seconds and reach bone-cracking speeds of 202mph! Since its one “bonito” bike, it is quite pricey – to its fans, it well worth the amount spent.

Question 5

Which company made LS-218, the world's fastest electric bike?

The LS-218 is one very fast motorcycle considering it reaches a top speed of 218mph – we are assuming that is why it was named so… The greatest thing about this motorcycle is not its top speed, though it’s one very interesting aspect of the bike. What’s even more enthralling is that this bike churns out this speed, 200 horsepower, and 168 ft-lb torque – all on a 150kW electric motor. So this is not just a superbike, it’s an electric superbike that can do 0-60 in 2 seconds flat!

Question 6

Name the fastest bike in the world, offered from the Suzuki stable.

This is the fastest bike in the world if you ignore the Dodge Tomahawk considering it has 4 wheels. Its name means falcon, and it is from the Japanese stable of motorcycles. It can go a mind-numbing 248mph, which is fast enough to make even the most helmeted of heads spin. A DOHC 16-valve 1.3-liter engine powers this motorcycle and it can go 0-60 in just 2.6 seconds. Other than the speed, it’s known for its reliability as well as impressive fuel economy.

Question 7

Name the company and the motorcycle shown in the picture.

The bike was a 2005 offering from one superbike manufacturer that has been making motorcycles going scarily fast since the start. The speed trend was started by BMW, considering strident norms kept motorcycles well below 200mph for long. Anyhow, this was the last of the “widow makers” so to speak, because not only was it lighter than its successor, it was also infinitely more powerful. It was both a lightweight and high-powered so it flew on the roads and on race tracks.

Question 8

Name this very famous Triumph motorcycle.

The name of this bike, if translated from the French word it is, means good city. Made by Triumph, it was designer and motorcycle nut Edward Turner’s last offering and it remained in production for 13 years. Classified as a sports bike, it had a very successful run in the domestic markets until high-performance Japanese cruisers edged it out. So then Triumph too upped its game and came out bigger, and better. It may not have been the speediest thing around, but it was very stylish and quite reliable.

Question 9

Name this Italian production motorcycle that broke the 140 mph barrier.

So this was the first production motorcycle to crack the 140mph two-wheeler barrier that existed, and what’s even more impressive that it managed to do so way back in 1979. It also won plenty races in the UK and what was really cool about it were the three Dell’Orto carburetors that fed its three cylinders. Which is why it was one speedy, mean machine. It may be an old model but there are plenty of parts still available, which make it a coveted classic motorcycle among collectors.

Question 10

Which bike took the name of its maker and went on to win many races in New Zealand?

Want a hint? This is Guy Martin’s dream bike – however, only ten of these were ever made so he too is having some trouble getting his hands on the same. It was built by a New Zealander with a real zeal for motorcycles in his garage. In fact, he even built the engine. Not only was the motorcycle a realization of his dream, it went on to win the New Zealand Grand Prix title as well as the Battle of Twins in Daytona. A genius motorcycle, made by a genius designer.

Question 11

Which bike did Honda bring out as competition to the bigger ones in the domestic market?

Let’s just say, this is the first motorcycle from a Japanese stable to look as big, as mean and as powerful as the machines are in the domestic market. It was the first inline-four sports bike and was so successful that some 400,000 were sold just between 1969 and 1978. Big numbers for motorcycle sales! It looked good and like most Japanese brands, was reliable – however, what really set it apart was the flashing turn lights as well as the kill switch. Back then, it was quite the attraction.

Question 12

What does the MTT in MTT Y2K motorcycle stand for?

It’s a jet-powered madness and also the most powerful road-legal motorcycle in the world. But it’s not deconstructed madness. In fact, this company uses distinctive technology wherein old but made-new jet turbines are installed in the motorcycle to create some very powerful beasts. Also, these are not any run of the mill bikes – each superbike is handmade after the buyers have placed an order. Jay Leno was the first one to own it. The Y2K came with a Rolls-Royce 250 turbo-shaft engine mated with a 2-speed semi-automatic transmission.

Question 13

Name the this flagship model of an Italian motorcycle company named after a month.

This company started as a bicycle manufacturer but after WWII, it moved on to the production of scooters and finally to large superbikes. This superbike was launched in 2009 Superbike World Championship as a flagship model where it excelled. It has had a very successful racing history in most of the world championships as well. Powered by 1-liter, 65-degree, V4 engine which produces 200 horsepower and a torque of 85 ft-lb, this superbike can reach a top speed of 177 mph.

Question 14

Which Confederate bike is this one?

Designed by one of the most famous motorcycle designers of mid-twenties, this award-winning cruiser was every biker’s dream. The company moved its base to Alabama as the factory in New Orleans was severely impaired after Hurricane Katrina in 2005. These exotic street motorcycles were high-end products meant for motorcycle fans. The product’s crackerjack engineering and avant-garde design was the company’s forte which attracted these well-off buyers in the first place. This specific model is a ghostly fast when it comes to speed.

Question 15

Remember this 1991 Gilera Supermoto bike that didn't sell all that much?

Gilera was the first company which came out with factory-produced Supermoto in 1991. KTM and others followed suit. The 0.6-liter single-cylinder, 4-stroke, DOHC liquid-cooled engine was mated to a 5-speed manual transmission. The motorcycle produced 50 horsepower and a torque of 37 ft-lb and had a chain drive that somehow worked for it. It also had an upside-down telescopic fork as a front suspension and a mono-shock as a rear suspension – a rather unique combination that didn't find many takers.

Question 16

Which Italian company made the LeMans 850?

An instant hit in 1976, this Italian company’s motorcycle was named after the world's oldest form of endurance racing held in France every year, also known as "Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency". It was a café racer great for quick rides and short distances and meant more for speed and handling than comfort. The company is known for its inventions as well, like the first motorcycle wind tunnel they created in 1950 at their headquarters. Its purpose was to test prototypes in real-life riding conditions.

Question 17

Which company made the technically sound Tesi 3D motorcycle?

Founded in 1973 in Italy, this custom and production motorcycle company got its name from the first two letters of the surnames of their founders. It sourced 1.1-liter V-twin air-cooled engine from Ducati to power the bike. Though it had the best materials and parts like a carbon fiber body, it didn’t have the oomph factor so never got very popular. Even so, most reviewers called it the ultimate motorcycle because of its hub-center steering system and other technical details.

Question 18

Name this 1994 Italian Super Sport motorcycle.

This future-classic Italian SuperSport Bike runs on a 1-liter SOHC, desmodromic 2-valve, V-twin, air-cooled engine, which roars like a jet engine. This particular model had features like adjustable suspension and an aluminum swingarm. The company believed in investing on racing business and followed the “win on Sunday, sell on Monday” business model – and they haven’t had losses yet! In the year 1978, Michael Hailwood won gave the company its first ever world title during Isle of the Man TT. The company also sells high-end co-branded merchandise through their retail outlets worldwide.

Question 19

Which company is famous for its adventure bikes, like the 950 Adventure?

This Austrian Dual-Sport Motorcycle is powered by a liquid-cooled, four stroke, DOHC, 75 degrees V-twin 1-liter engine. It produces 102 horsepower and 72 ft-lb to reach massive speeds of 140 mph. The company is famous for its adventure lineup and also owns X-Bow, an ultra-light two-seater sports car for both road and race purposes that has plenty of fans. The largest motorcycle manufacturer in Europe, this brand is also one the largest off-road motorcycle manufacturer worldwide and known for its road-savvy endurance motorcycles.

Question 20

Name this Yamaha sports-and-touring motorcycle.

This motorcycle boasts of a performance of a sports bike and the comfort of a touring motorcycle, which puts it in a class of its own. It was an expensive Japanese motorcycle as it had advanced features like electronic fuel injection, catalytic converter, and ABS Brakes, which were not there on many motorcycles at that time. The Bike magazine declared it as the coolest of rare motorcycles in the year 2006. In spite of the advanced technologies and it didn’t do well commercially.

Question 21

Name the first motorcycle to have a twin engine, designed by Edward Turner.

This Sports Bike was designed by a famous British Motorcycle Designer, Edward Turner. He used a 0.5-liter, 4-stroke parallel twin engine, and a lightweight frame to create a highly successful motorcycle. This very twin-concept was followed by other companies post WWII. So it became a turning point for the motorcycle industry in Britain. The bike had metallic stripes which were painted by hand to bring out the chrome. It was launched in 1937 National Motorcycle Show by its ingenious designer.

Question 22

Which company made the S440 but later went bankrupt?

Too advanced for its time, the S440 Supermoto bike was launched in the late 90s by a well-known American bicycling company famous for its mountain bikes. This dirt bike had a four-stroke engine and premium components. Features like Ohlin’s shock absorbers, Magura controls, an upfront airbox, electric start, a backward cylinder and fuel injection made it popular. The bike was named Bike of the year for two years even before its official launch. Unfortunately, the company went bankrupt as they couldn’t resolve technical issues with the engine.

Question 23

Which Vincent all-black motorcycle is considered a rare classic today?

This was a classic British sportbike, renowned for its unique black bodywork, barrels and engine castings. The bike was officially launched in a Motorcycle Show in London in 1948, at a time when the market was ruled by British motorcycle companies. An air-cooled four-stroke 50 degree V-twin 1-liter engine powered the black beauty. Hunter S Thompson, journalist and author was a big fan and mentioned the bike in a lot of his articles. The company’s advertising tagline was "The world's fastest standard motorcycle: This is a FACT - NOT a Slogan”

Question 24

Name the 2010 BMW bike that aired in a BBC food-and-travel related TV Series.

This adventure bike was perfect for bike wanderers as it could take you anywhere, on any kind of terrain tirelessly and was a smooth ride too. It had a 1.2-liter engine that cranked 123 horsepower and a torque of 92 ft-lb on a six-speed shift-drive transmission. The bike also featured in a TV series on cookery and travel aired on BBC television, where two bikers travel around the world talking about their culture, history and some experiments on their local food. The series became so popular that they released a book on the same.

Question 25

Name the motorcycle that was introduced by Indian in 1922 and remained in production till 1953.

This is the only bike model from the company which was re-launched in the market post-WWII in 1947. It boasted of a smooth ride because of its rear suspension, unlike the Harleys. Packed with a four-stroke V-twin engine, it’s a legend in its own way. Hendee Manufacturing Company built it in the early twenties and some of its other models were used in an inter-war era by the police during that time. This cruiser could churn out 40 horsepower and run at a top speed of 100 mph on a 1.2-liter engine.

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