Where it begun ???
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. The first petroleum-powered vehicle was essentially a motorized bicycle, although the inventors called their invention the Reitwagen ("riding car"). It was designed as an expedient testbed for their new engine, rather than a true prototype vehicle.

However, if a two-wheeled vehicle with steam propulsion is considered 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.

In 1894, Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first motorcycle available for purchase. 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.

Did you that...
Motorcycle fuel economy varies greatly with engine displacement and riding style ranging from a low of 29 mpg_-US (8.1 L/100 km; 35 mpg_-imp) reported by a Honda VTR1000F rider, to 107 mpg_-US (2.20 L/100 km; 129 mpg_-imp) reported for the Verucci Nitro 50 cc Scooter. A specially designed Matzu Matsuzawa Honda XL125 achieved 470 mpg_-US (0.50 L/100 km; 560 mpg_-imp) "on real highways - in real conditions." Due to lower engine displacements (100 cc–200 cc), motorcycles in developing countries offer good fuel economy.

In the Indian market, the second most selling company, Bajaj, offers two models with superior fuel economy: XCD 125 and Platina. Both are 125 cc motorbikes with a company-claimed fuel economy of 256 mpg_-US (0.919 L/100 km; 307 mpg_-imp) and 261 mpg_-US (0.901 L/100 km; 313 mpg_-imp), respectively

In many cultures, motorcycles are the primary means of motorized transport. According to the Taiwanese government, for example, "the number of automobiles per ten thousand populations is around 2,500, and the number of motorcycles is about 5,000."

In places such as Vietnam, motorcycle use is extremely high due to a lack of public transport and low income levels that put automobiles out of reach for many. In Vietnam, motorized traffic consists of mostly motorbikes. The four largest motorcycle markets in the world are all in Asia: China, India, Indonesia, and Vietnam. The motorcycle is also popular in Brazil's frontier towns. Amid the global economic downturn of 2008, the motorcycle market grew by 6.5%.

Recent years have seen an increase in the popularity of motorcycles elsewhere. In the USA, registrations increased by 51% between 2000 and 2005. This is mainly attributed to increasing fuel prices and urban congestion, but is also partly due to television programmers such as reality show American Chopper, or adventure-travel shows such as Long Way Down