History of the motorcycle manufacturer, with their motorcycles being sold by dealers in 67 countries. By the late 1920s or early 1930s, DKW in Germany took over as the largest manufacturer. BMW motorcycles came on the scene in 1923 with a shaft drive and an opposed-twin or "boxer" engine enclosed with the transmission in a single aluminum housing. By 1931, Indian and Harley-Davidson were the only two American manufacturers producing commercial motorcycles. This two-company rivalry in the United States remained until 1953, when the Indian Motorcycle factory in Springfield, Massachusetts closed and Royal Enfield took over the Indian name. There were over 80 different
Curtiss V-8 motorcycle Motor Cycle", the first of over 100 books in the Tom Swift series, was published shortly after the V-8 record setting run. The record setting V-8 motorcycle is now in the Smithsonian's National Air and Space Museum. The Air and Space museum lent it to the Guggenheim for the 1998 "The Art of the Motorcycle" exhibition in New York. The Curtiss OX-5 aero engine, a successor of the V-8 motorcycle engine, powered several United States civilian and military aircraft. More than 10,000 were manufactured. Curtiss V-8 motorcycle The Curtiss V-8 motorcycle was a V8 engine-powered motorcycle designed and built by