Which Mario Kart game introduced bicycles as vehicles?

Mario Kart Wii introduced bicycles as vehicles in the Mario Kart series. Released for the Wii in 2008, it was the first entry to let racers choose motorcycles alongside traditional karts.

The game included two broad vehicle classes: karts and bikes. Bikes were further divided into regular bikes and sport bikes, with sport bikes using a distinctive inside-drifting style. This gave Mario Kart Wii a noticeably different handling system and encouraged players to learn new cornering techniques rather than treating every vehicle as a standard kart.

The addition grew from producer Hideki Konno’s interest in extreme sports and motorcycle racing. The development team had considered bikes earlier, including during Mario Kart: Double Dash!!, but the idea was not used at that time. Mario Kart Wii also expanded races to as many as twelve competitors and added motion-control support through the Wii Remote and optional Wii Wheel. Later games, including Mario Kart 8 and Mario Kart 8 Deluxe, continued the bike tradition.