hotels motorbike holidays, airport hotel bournemouth, guest house, british dorset hotel, b&b late availability, best value, non smoking, relaxation en suite, one night, south, england, hotels motorbike holidays

Drag is the major factor that limits motorcycle speed, as it increases at the square of the velocity, with the resultant required power increasing with the cube of velocity. As can be seen from the streamlined appearance of new performance motorcycles, there is much aerodynamic technology included in the design. Unfortunately, no one has been able to overcome the effect of the turbulence caused by the spinning front wheel, which prevents the motorcycle from cutting a clean path through the air. Another problem is the fact that no designs have been discovered that can improve aerodynamic performance without unacceptably compromising the rider's ability to control the machine. In the absence of a fairing or windshield, a phenomenon known as the windsock effect occurs at speeds above 100 km/h, where the rider becomes a major source of drag and is pushed back from the handlebars, tiring the rider. However, these motorcycles still effectively push their way through the atmosphere with brute force.

The front suspension generally consists of sliding aluminum tubes with long springs inside called forks which use hydraulic fluid for damping shock absorbers. The front fork is the most critical part of a motorcycle. The angle of rake determines how stable the motorcycle feels. The rear suspension supports the swingarm, which is attached via the swingarm pivot bolt to the frame and holds the axle of the rear wheel. The rear suspension can consist of several shock arrangements:

Dual shocks, which are placed at the far ends of the swinging arm Traditional monoshock, which is placed at the front of the swingarm, above the swingarm pivot bolt Softail style monoshock, which is mounted horizontally in front of the swingarm, below the swingarm pivot bolt

Almost all commercially available motorcycles are driven by conventional gasoline internal combustion engines, but some small scooter-type models use an electric motor, and a very small number of diesel models exist.

The Displacement is defined as the total volume of air/fuel mixture an engine can draw in during one complete engine cycle. In a piston engine, this is the volume that is swept as the pistons are moved from top dead center to bottom dead center. To the layperson this is the "size" of the engine. Motorcycle engines range from 50 cc (cubic centimetres), commonly found in many small scooters, to 2294 cc, the largest production engine currently made by Triumph for its Rocket III cruiser-style motorcycle.

Motorcycles have mostly, but not exclusively, been produced with one to four cylinders, and designers have tried every imaginable layout. Engines with more cylinders provide more power for the same displacement, and feel smoother to ride. Engines with fewer cylinders are cheaper, lighter and easier to maintain.

Water-cooled motorcycles have a radiator which is the primary way their heat is dispersed. Water is constantly circulated between this radiator and the cylinder when the engine is running. Air-cooled motorcycles have no "cooling system," as such. As air blows past the engine case, it disperses heat. The cylinders on these bikes are designed with fins to aid in this process. Air cooled bikes are cheaper, simpler and lighter than their water-cooled counterparts.

As applied to motorcycles, two stroke engines have some advantages over equivalent four-strokes: they are lighter, mechanically much simpler, and produce more power when operating at their best. But four-strokes are cleaner, more reliable, and deliver power over a much broader range of engine speeds.