The motorcycle was invented at the start of the industrial age, and its evolution tracks the main currents of modernity to provide the perfect metaphor for the twentieth century. this comprehensive illustrated listing of the world's motorcycle companies and their bikes shows a range from the elegance of the great British classics through the exuberance of the renowned Italian machines to the ingenious products of the Japanese industry and the rational approach and craftsmanship of the german mechanics. A significant number of the world's most unusual and superb examples of engineering skill are included, together with a catalogue of today's most impressive and desirable two-wheelers, true cult objects that epitomise the heady combination of technological progress and cutting -edge design.