Not sure which kind of motorcycle to look at? Press the button for one, from a cruiser to an adventure bike, with a line on what that kind is built for.
Read the full guide
Start from where you would ride
After your first press, open the All motorcycle types list to narrow the draw: On the road, Long distance, Dirt and trails, Small and simple, or Custom styles. Press again for another kind from that group.
Kinds overlap
A sport touring bike mixes a sport bike and a tourer, an adventure bike tours on paved and unpaved roads, and a supermoto is often a dual-sport on road tires. Read a few lines, then ask a dealer or a riding school about the ones you keep.
Questions and answers
What is the difference between a cruiser and a standard motorcycle?
A standard has handlebars set neither high nor low and gives an upright posture. A cruiser is styled after American motorcycles of the 1930s to early 1960s, and its rider sits with feet forward and hands high.
What is the difference between a dual-sport and an adventure motorcycle?
Both go on and off pavement. A dual-sport is typically based on a dirt bike with lights and mirrors added. An adventure motorcycle is built for touring, does best on pavement, and copes with graded dirt and gravel.
What is a cafe racer?
A style that began among British motorcycle enthusiasts in London in the early 1960s: a standard production bike that its owner modified for speed and handling on quick, short rides.
Is this a quiz?
No. It is a shuffled list with a filter that gives you a kind of motorcycle to read about. It does not ask about you, so it cannot say which one fits you.
CruiserStyled after American motorcycles of the 1930s to early 1960s; the rider sits feet forward, hands high.
Electric motorcycleA plug-in motorcycle: a rechargeable battery drives one or more electric motors.
Sidecar outfitA motorcycle with a one-wheeled sidecar fixed to its side, which makes the whole a three-wheeled vehicle.
Sport bikeA road bike that puts speed, acceleration, braking and grip ahead of comfort; the rider leans forward.
StandardAlso called a naked bike: an exposed engine, mid-height handlebars and an upright seat, for paved roads.
SupermotoOften a dual-sport fitted with smaller rims and road tires: light, durable and sporty on the street.
Three-wheelerA motorized tricycle classed as a motorcycle; the tilting kind leans into a curve on all three wheels.
Long distance 4
AdventureTours on paved and unpaved roads; it does best on pavement and on graded dirt and gravel.
Maxi-scooterA scooter with a bigger engine and larger wheels, designed for covering long distances at high speeds.
Sport touringA sport bike crossed with a tourer: a less extreme posture, more comfort over distance, more luggage.
TouringBuilt to cover long distances: a big engine, weather protection, a large fuel tank and luggage room.
Show all 25 motorcycle types (14 more)
Dirt and trails 7
Dual-sportA multi-purpose bike for the road and for recreational off-road riding, with lights and mirrors added.
EnduroBetween a dual-sport and a motocross bike, for competing over a longer course that may include roads.
MotocrossRaced on short, closed off-road tracks with obstacles; long-travel suspension lets riders take jumps.
Rally raidA special enduro bike with a much larger fuel tank for very long distance racing, typically through deserts.
ScramblerA name for off-road motorcycles, also used for street-legal bikes that are designed to leave the pavement.
Snow bikeA dirt bike with its rear wheel swapped for a single tread and its front wheel for a large ski.
TrialsFor contests of balance and precision, not speed: very light, with hardly any seat, as the rider stands.
Small and simple 3
MopedA small, inexpensive motorcycle; the word first meant one with bicycle pedals.
ScooterAn open frame, a seat and a flat platform for the feet; the rider sits upright, not astride the engine.
UnderboneA small-displacement step-through with larger wheels than a scooter and footpegs in place of a floorboard.
Custom styles 4
BobberA custom style: the front fender comes off, the rear one is cut short and spare bodywork is stripped.
Cafe racerBegan in early 1960s London: a standard bike that its owner modified for speed and handling.
ChopperA custom bike with lengthened forks and a stretched-out look, modified from a stock bike or built new.
StreetfighterBegan as a customized sport bike with the fairings off and higher handlebars; now factory-made too.
How this list was compiled: 25 kinds of motorcycle. Every line was checked by script on 2026-09-30 against the text of the English Wikipedia article in x.src, fetched that day: Types of motorcycles for most, and the Moped, Bobber (motorcycle), Chopper (motorcycle), Sidecar and Electric motorcycles and scooters articles for those five. Each line says what the kind is or what it is built for, in the article's terms. No maker or model is named, no prices, engine sizes, weights or speeds are given, and nothing here is advice on safety, training or licensing. Where the article states it, x also holds trait tags for a later quiz: surface (road, dirt or both), trips (short or long), position (upright, leaning forward or feet forward) and size (small); a tag the article does not support is left out, never guessed. Our own: the choice, the five groups and the wording. Licence: Facts from English Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0), in our own words; selection and groups are own work