I am a perfect example. When I first moved from dirt bikes to street bikes, riding was about the freedom to get away from mom and dad. Dad knew this and went with me to buy my first street bike. Then my riding intent moved to speed and impressing girls. Now in my mids, I ride for the freedom to get away from the daily stress of life. Just this past Memorial weekend, a buy and I rode miles, all backroad and twisty.
The best!! I needed the comfort to put in the long days. Now that you have the intent, your style of riding should influence what kind of motorcycle you should buy.
Where not going to exhaustively compare the different styles of motorcycles here. We just want to highlight the differences. As a kid riding by hind my dad, I had no idea why he rode a cruiser.
I knew they were good for the cool factor as he pulled up to take me home from school. Today though, after more than 30 years of riding, I experience the many benefits of a cruiser motorcycle. Today, cruiser motorcycles are adaptable making moderate to long-distance riding fun with just a few addons like saddlebags, a windscreen, and highway pegs.
Recently, I went into a bike shop to look at some adventure and dual-sport motorcycles. As I sat on many of the bikes, I could only put one foot on the ground. While this is not a big deal for the veteran rider, one with low confidence will have a harder time becoming conformable with the motorcycle. Remember, the Memorial Day Ride that I mentioned earlier? Just wear a really, really brightly colored motorcycle helmet. What do you do with that glossy, plastic-covered sportbike after a minor crash that mucks up all that spendy bodywork?
Strip off the mangled panels, add some dirt bike handlebars, and, voila , a streetfighter is born. What began as a low-cost way to get a wrecked sportbike back on the road turned into a cottage industry, with streetfighters taking shape in garages and small shops around the world.
With some attention to detail and imagination, a streetfighter can be a major personal style statement. Examples: Ducati Streetfighter, Triumph Street Triple series, Aprilia Tuono, whatever is being built after hours at the little motorcycle shop in your town.
Used to be, the chopper was the sole province of garage builders and outlaw bikers. But after the turn of the 21st century, builders like Indian Larry, Jesse James, and the crew at Orange County Choppers took things to another level of refinement and artistry. Suddenly, choppers were popping up everywhere as a fashion statement and status symbol. After the custom craze died off, many very expensive hand-built choppers hit the used market at deep, deep discounts and you can still find good deals today.
Just be aware of the cons listed below. Basically, a bobber is a regular motorcycle with all the unnecessary in the opinion of the owner parts removed and maybe a few styling cues added in.
Stuff that tends to get ditched includes fenders, side panels, instruments, windscreens, and anything mandated by the government. Just be sure to get a stylish jacket, boots, gloves, and helmet to match your ultra-hip ride. A bagger is a lighter-duty touring bike, similar to a dresser but with less gear. Comfortable but more minimalist, baggers are great for that weekend getaway or rally road trip. Lately, baggers have been picking up some perks — like decent audio systems and navigation — while maintaining their sleeker profile.
A bagger is a great way to go if you want to do some distance and keep closer to the minimalist tradition of travel by bike. Many cruisers can easily become baggers by adding some saddlebags or cases and a removable windscreen. For many motorcycle riders, the old bikes are still the best bikes. If you like the classic profile of a vintage bike, consider getting one.
Some bikes, mainly Japanese bikes, are considered vintage if they are 20 years old or older. If you want a vintage bike you can ride every day with little worry, you might want to look into a vintage Japanese model. Of course, with some dedication, you can certainly ride them each day. Just watch for oil leaks.
Back in the s and s, most Japanese manufacturers were unable to compete with the large-displacement machines made by the then-current read: British, American, and Euro bike makers, so they staked out the ground below the top tier and made bikes in the cc to cc range. Test riding the motorcycle gives you an initial understanding of the performance of the motorcycle. It is a great starting place to decide if the ride you have chosen is the best option for you. There are certain things that you must have when you ride a motorcycle.
These items ensure that you are properly prepared for any obstacle you may face while on a trip. It is critical to have the proper riding gear when you go for a ride. The most basic riding gear is a good helmet that offers protection to the head and neck during an accident.
Ensure that the helmet is comfortable and properly certified by safety regulators. Riding apparel like jackets, gloves, boots, and pants consists of fabric that is lined with a padded material. These items offer improved protection as well as increased durability and comfort. They also offer endurance against weather conditions like winds and rain. We have made detailed article about riding gears and how to pick a good gear, you can read our articles:.
Riders must have enough cash on hand, especially on long road trips. You may also carry credit cards and enable mobile payments for convenience. However, there is a chance that gas stations and roadside stores in remote areas do not have the provision for digital payments.
In such situations, currency in hand will help you solve your problems. If you run out of money, make sure to withdraw cash at the nearest ATM or bank so that you can proceed on your trip without any issues due to a lack of funds.
Riding a motorcycle requires the rider to have the proper paperwork at all times. The most important document is your driving license. Keeping a photocopy in your luggage is a good practice, coming to your aid in unforeseen circumstances. Ensure that you have the documentation for the motorcycle itself. This includes the registration of the vehicle and the insurance papers. Also, ensure that you follow the number plate rules of the states you may visit while on your trip.
You must carry a tool kit with you when you hit the road. This includes screwdrivers, wrenches, and sockets that allow you to make emergency repairs if your bike breaks down.
You must have a puncture kit with you as well. It will help you to fix your tires or patch them if you suffer a puncture. It is also ideal if you can accommodate an air compressor to fill your tires up in case of emergencies or low air pressure. If you are in a situation where you have to use these kits and are not a skilled mechanic, do not rely on the repairs completely and continue with the journey. Make a stop at a garage and get your bike checked to ensure a proper fix to the problem.
When you meet with an accident, you may end up wrecking your ride. You may also suffer injuries that require treatment or admission to the nearby hospital.
Post recovery, you will have to travel back home using an alternate mode of transportation. The entire cost of this can burn a hole in your pocket.
As a result, you must have evacuation insurance that will help you cover these costs. It will also ensure you do not have to deal with the hassle of settling bills and other formalities. Some insurance companies offer services to transport your motorcycle to the nearest service center or garage. Cameras are not just used for vlogging or capturing scenic settings while riding. They help protect riders on the road and document any accidents or incidents that may have happened.
It also helps to track down reckless drivers and criminals, which can then be reported to the insurance companies, police, and other agencies. GoPros of today is designed for rugged applications like riding a motorcycle. They can be mounted on a stand on the bike itself or be mounted on the helmet itself. Take an old cloth or microfiber hand towels while going on long rides.
Keeping your ride clean not only improves the visual aesthetic but also reduces the chances of dirt and debris entering the internal chamber of the bike. Also, keep a separate cloth and cleaning fluid for your helmet and visor. This will help improve visibility and prevent fogging. This will help you identify certain problems irrespective of where you are. The manual also outlines certain procedures that will act as a temporary fix.
Another good practice is to carry a spare bike key with you. Sport bikes are styled to look like racing machines, with plastic fairings covering the body and low-mounted clip-on handlebars that put riders into a crouch.
The manufacturers like to dress up entry-level machines as faster bikes in order to sell more units. Unfortunately, the insurance companies sometimes use this as an excuse to charge extra cash, so a sport bike may turn out to be an expensive proposition, even if the purchase price is cheap.
Despite what your friends say, a cc sport bike is not beginner-friendly, as the combination of horsepower and strong brakes can get an inexperienced rider into trouble quickly.
If you live near a race track. If you want to be like Jacob Black, and spend your summer weekends in hospital getting X-rays after crashing into straw bales during races. Broadly speaking, a naked bike is a motorcycle with no fairing — but not a cruiser.
Most of them offer a more comfortable riding position than cruisers or sport bikes, but still have pretty decent handling, no matter the engine size.
The only real downside is modern naked bikes are looking more and more like Transformers every year, and the lack of bodywork makes many of them unpleasant to ride long distances into the wind at speed. You should buy a naked bike if: If you want power and handling, but want a bit more comfort than a sportbike.
Cruisers come in two basic styles: the classic retro look that harks back to nuclear-age Americana, and the muscle cruiser look the Japanese introduced in the s. The smaller ones are typically cheap entry-level machines, and the bigger ones are heavy and expensive. Many manufacturers build touring bikes on cruiser platforms, and these are probably the best of the breed Harley-Davidson Road King, for example. Although many cruisers make massive torque, most are low-revving engines with old-school tech and relatively low horsepower, considering their displacement.
Some muscle cruisers Ducati Diavel is the best example have pretty modern engines, but those are the exception. Most cruisers have limited suspension travel, big front wheels and low ground clearance, which makes them slow-handling as well. You should buy a cruiser if: If the cruiser look is more important to you than performance. If you need the low seat height.
If you want to be like Mark, and cruise sedately to Tim Hortons with your spouse on board. A dual-sport is designed to work on the street but still retain decent off-road capability. That means it has to be light and have decent suspension. Dual-sports usually have single-cylinder engines in the cc range which vibrate a lot!
Japanese dual-sports are typically less performance-oriented, but generally are known for longevity, toughness, and good pricing.
Although they have large front wheels to handle off-road riding, most dual-sports still handle well, due to their light weight. Insurance companies often see dual-sports as less of a risk than sport bikes, making them reasonable to insure, but you can still hoon on them if you want. You should buy a dual-sport if: If you want a true do-it-all motorcycle.
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