Today we are truly spoiled for choice, there is genuinely a motorcycle out there for “every purse and purpose.” You can even add to that every shape and size, seeing as though that actually plays a big part in the purchase of a motorcycle. As easy as it is to find a shoe that fits, it can be equally easy to find a bike that fits too, unlike cars that can usually accommodate several different shapes and sizes, bikes are more like shoes, some fit, others don’t.
A big part of the decision-making process should be a test ride, no matter how experienced or inexperienced you are, getting a bike without riding it first is like buying shoes without checking the size.
10 Decide What Kind Of Riding You Want To Do First
It can happen that you buy a bike wanting to get into riding dirt bikes, only to discover you actually don’t care for it, these things happen, but they are usually isolated.
Once again, we need to stress that you test the bike first, most dealerships are not too excited about letting people go for test rides, but there are events held every so often and it is well worth waiting for them. It is also important to test a bike in the environment you will be using it, riding your friend’s dirt bike around the block will not suffice.
9 No Such Thing As A Unicorn
We all want a motorcycle that can do it all, tear up a track, do a little trail riding and then do the commute during the week.
Obviously, that simply does not exist. Once you have accepted the limitations of the different types of motorcycles, you can then make an informed decision on what kind of bike you really need.
8 Comfort Or Performance
In some unique cases, you really can have both, but there will always be some sort of compromise here.
A sport bike might look good, might look even better on paper, but once you ride it you might find being in full tuck all the time is a little less fun, and a little more awful. If you are only going to use it once a week and are after the speed, by all means, but if you need a commuter or a touring bike, find something more comfortable, even if it means sacrificing a few horses.
7 New Or Used
Usually this will come down to budget limitations, but not always. Touring bikes, especially Japanese made bikes, are among the most reliable machines and touring bike owners are usually the most careful in terms of maintenance.
Getting one of these bikes will save money, and you can then also ride with the knowledge that all the little kinks have long since been ironed out. Getting a ragged dirt bike or sportbike may not prove to be as shrewd a decision, as they tend to see the most abuse and big issues can be hidden by unscrupulous sellers.
6 Dirt Riding
It is pretty hard to get out and test a full-blown dirt bike, but, being a more social sport you will likely want to take this up because you already know somebody who has a dirt bike, so taking their bike for a ride is an essential first step.
If you are just keen on exploring some trails it might be best to consider a more approachable dual sport, some are beginner-friendly and light on maintenance compared to competition spec motocross bikes. You also won’t need a pickup or a friend with a pickup to get to the trail, as most are road legal.
5 Touring
Truth be told, you can tour on any bike, but you don’t necessarily want to. A bike that has a small tank, cramped riding position, or a hard seat will be frustrating to deal with.
Less experienced riders need not fear, there are several very good, affordable and approachable touring bikes on the market today.
4 Track Day Special
If you are looking for a bike you can ride to the odd track day, an old sportbike is a good place to start, but riding a bike to a track has a big downside.
If you do crash, well, you just binned your personal transport. If you go in with the mindset that you won’t crash, well, good luck. On the whole, if you want to be a regular at a track it is a better idea to buy a dedicated track bike, so when, not if, you go down, you can at least still get home.
3 Design
There is a range of different types of bikes out there, no matter how eclectic your taste we assure you, you will find something you like.
Just don’t buy a bike purely on aesthetics, some Italian bikes are painfully beautiful, but equally painful to ride and even more painful to maintain.
2 Ergonomics
Arguably the most important part of buying a bike is how it feels to ride it. We cannot overstate how important it is that a bike just “feels right.”
For a bike to feel right, it doesn’t need to be comfortable, it just needs to both fit your needs and retain the element of fun that all bikes should contain.
1 Preference
At the end of the day, the heart wants what the heart wants, and we are incredibly versatile as humans, willing to adapt to almost anything.
Sometimes it really isn’t worth it, but as long as you are still having fun, then you will know you made the right choice.