The inspiration for the earliest dirt bike, and arguably the first motorcycle, was designed and built by the German inventors Gottlieb Daimler and Wilhelm Maybach in Bad Cannstatt in 1885. 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 US in 1867, built by Sylvester Howard Roper of Roxbury, Massachusetts. In 1894, the Hildebrand & Wolfmüller became the first motorcycle available for purchase. In the early period of motorcycle history there were many manufacturers as producers of bicycles adapted their designs for the new internal combustion engine. 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 many other brands including BMW, Triumph and Ducati, and the emergence of Victory as a second successful mass-builder of big-twin American cruisers.

Moped: Small, light, inexpensive, efficient rides for getting around town. Usually started by pedaling (motorcycle + pedals = moped).

Dual-sport: A road-legal machine offering a compromise in highway and off-road performance, durability and comfort. Since the requirements are often conflicting, the manufacturer has to choose one or the other, resulting in a great variety of bikes in this category.

Enduro: A road-legal version of a motocross machine, ie featuring high ground clearness and copious suspension with minimal creature comforts. Highly unsuitable for long distance road travel. The few features that are different from the motocross versions are the silencers, the flywheel weights and the presence of features necessary for highway use.

Supermotard: Beginning in the mid-1990s, motocross machines fitted with street wheels and tires similar to those used on Sport bikes began to appear. These are known as "Supermotards", and riders of these machines compete in specially organized rallys and races.

Scooters: A motorbike 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 homologation or spirited road riding. They are distinguishable by their brightly colored plastic bodywork 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.

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 customized.

Choppers: Highly customized motorcycles based on a cruiser-style frame with long rake (longer front forks) and wild paint jobs. These are created more for show than dependability and ridability.

Street Custom: Highly customized motorcycles with wild paint jobs also built for show, but constructed from a sport bike bike frame instead of a cruiser-style frame.

Touring motorcycles: Tour 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.

Trials motorcycles: Made as light as possible, with no seat in order to provide maximum freedom of body positioning for use in observed trials competition; see Motorcycle Trials for more information about the sport.

Sport touring: Sport-tourers are factory-built hybrids of a sport bike and a touring motorcyle, for those who desire the qualities of both.

Standards: Standards have a riding position midway between the forward position of a sports bike and the reclined position of a cruiser. Unlike touring bikes, Standards often have little or no fairing. Luggage capabilities are often an optional extra. Standards 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).

Dirt bikes/motocross bikes/off-road bikes: designed for racing, recreation, or sometimes long-distance touring in gravel/mud/sand conditions.

Pocket bikes: Small imitations of sport bikes designed for recreation or racing by all age levels; see Pocketbike Racing.

Mini bikes: Very small bikes designed to be simple and fun for children. Generally they have no clutch or shifting to simplify operation. Also known as Mini Motos.