Can we just say right off the cuff, Motorcycles are EPIC! Even if you think they're dangerous, you still think they're cool. ( We'll talk about danger and bikes in a few weeks time)
How do I go about purchasing a motorcycle:
The answer is a simple 3 step:
- What kind of bike can you see yourself riding?
- What kind of budget do you have?
- And what do you plan on doing with your motorcycle?
Lets start off with the different types of rides:
Some of these don't count, this is a silly picture.
Scooters: Small, practical, great for commuting short distances and relatively easy to ride. Scoots can have quite a trendy element to them. Made famous by the "mods" in the late 50's early 60's. Vespa is probably the Italian "Harley" of the scooter world.
Street bikes: Regular road bikes, or street bikes, can vary greatly and this is probably the most dynamic and broad category. From basic delivery type bikes (125cc -250cc) to bigger more commuter styled bikes. like the Kawasaki ER-6n or the more "naked" (without fairings) type.
Touring bikes: They're like regular bikes, except older people tend to ride them in their matching gear and they're almost less like bikes and more like really really thin cars. They have creature comforts like: radios, adjustable screens, seat warmers and cup-holders. (I kid you not) If you're into luxury and don't mind losing a bit of respect. Well this is you. Except if you ride the new Indian Roadmaster. Then you're living it, because that thing is basically a miniature yacht.
Sport bikes: Are tuned up versions of regular road bikes. Still quite comfortable but bit with a bit more of an edge speed-wise. Lots of plastic, often ridden by your weekend breakfast runner. Normally powerful enough to carry larger people at great speeds. Am I digging myself a grave here?
Sport touring: Just a sports bike with "panniers" (those bags that clip on the side) for a weekend-away. Still feels like you're going fast, but now you can go fast with all your junk clipped on the side.
Adventure/Dual-Purpose: A hybrid style bike. Kind of a cross between an off-road and on-road machine. Popular for commuting, but also really big in South Africa, as many of the "roads least travel" are dirt. Broad sort of style with regards to riding on dirt and a huge community of adventurous like-minded riders.
Dirt bikes: Not for road use, although that doesn't really seem to stop these guys. Normally 2-stroke bikes whereas the others are 4-stroke. Two stroke requires more maintenance and the mixture of fuel to oil in the right quantities. Really powerful, really light, loads of fun! Motocross, Enduro racing and all these wonderful dirt riding sports happen on these guys.
Cruisers: This is your "Son's of Anarchy" sort of machine. Very relaxed seating position really for cruising around. Loads of chrome. Loads of noise. Perfect gang bike. Loads of guys customize them and they can look pretty epic. Big culture of cruiser riders globally, but most of them don't know cause they live in America and if you live in America the rest of the world doesn't matter as much to you!
Classics and Customs: This range can be quite broad:
These sorts of bikes are hugely trendy on a global scale. At the moment and are pretty great because there is so much variety in parts and so much that one can choose to do to them it really goes along the line of making your ride your own.
Super-bikes: These machines were designed to be raced. They're not very comfortable, but they do go rather fast. The likes of the Yamaha R1 has been around for many years. And I think the 2015 model has been said to push just over 300 km/h on a straight. If you're riding pillion, you literally have a tissue-box sized seat to sit on. So not great. Its hard to be social on one of these, because of the speed. But again, if speed is your thing then provided no sudden stopping happens, you'll love this sort of ride.
I suggest, buy newish second hand, or older "new" motorcycle rather than the latest out the box machine. Its cheaper and you get the same thing... unless of course it has been in an accident, then bad idea. Make sure you fit on the bike comfortably. You don't want to be too far off the ground if you're short. Or too cramped if you're tall. Check the weight of the machine and purchase a bike in an engine range you feel comfortable with. You can always move up in engine size as you grow in skill and confidence.
There are a number of great places you can go to learn how to handle your motorcycle with confidence. Even if you are an experienced rider these courses just give you a bit more, and sometimes a slight refresher can go along way towards better handling.
There's:
www.bikerbravado.co.za
www.bikerbravado.co.za
www.adasa.co.za ( specifically good for off-road)
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