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1923 - First BMW's produced 1928 - First front-wheel brakes on Harley-Davidsons met with scepticism 1939 - First flashing turn signals 1940 - First sealed-beam headlights 1947 - First Honda produced 1949 - First Kawasaki produced 1949 - Harley-Davidson fits hydraulic front suspension 1952 - First Suzuki produced 1952 - First hydraulic brakes on motorcycles 1953 - Patent for protective helmet issued to University of Southern California (USC) Professor CF "Red" Lombard for energy-absorbing liner separate from the comfort padding 1953 - Movie The Wild One released 1954 - First Yamaha produced 1957 - Snell Memorial Foundation established to create helmet performance standards 1958 - California Highway Patrol starts using helmets 1958 - Harley-Davidson introduces rear suspension 1959 - First Japanese motorcycle manufacturer (Yamaha), enters U.S. market 1962 - "You meet the nicest people on a Honda" campaign launched 1969 - Stock motorcycles run quarter-mile in less than 13 seconds 1970 - Movie Easy Rider released 1973 - Movie Stone released 1973 - Motorcycle Safety Foundation of America created 1976 - USC Professor Harry Hurt begins study of motorcycle crashes with NHTSA funding 1978 - Stock motorcycles run quarter-mile in less than 12 seconds 1980 - First International Motorcycle Safety Conference sponsored by Motorcycle Safety Foundation of America 1981 - Motorcycle Accident Cause Factors and Identification of Countermeasures, a.k.a., the "Hurt Report" released in America 1983 - Stock motorcycles run quarter-mile in less than 11 seconds 1989 - Researcher Harry Hurt named motorcyclist of the decade 1990 - Second International Motorcycle Safety Conference sponsored by MSF 1991 - First anti-lock brakes on motorcycles 1992 - Automatic-on headlights for motorcycles introduced in Australia, repealed in 1997 1997 - OECD/RS9 Technical Experts Group formed to develop common international methodology for in-depth motorcycle accident investigation 1998 - Stock motorcycles run quarter-mile in less than 10 seconds 1998 - OECD common methodology first used in Bangkok, Thailand 1999 - MSF and NHTSA sponsor development of National Agenda for Motorcycle Safety |