How to: Choose your first motorcycle
Generally speaking, it's a mistake to go into a dealer all cashed up and full of enthusiasm. The obvious risk is that you will buy the first or second machine you see and almost certainly for the wrong reason. Some have even chosen on the basis of colour alone!
You should not buy on brand reputation or allure. If you have never actually ridden that famed Italian or American machine, you might be surprised to discover its attributes don't really suit you.
Very light bikes tend to get blown around by cross winds. Extremely heavy ones are difficult to handle in tight conditions, including roundabouts.
Probably the first thing you should do is buy a few specialist motorcycle magazines and a buyers' guide or two. Familiarise yourself with categories and sub-categories. There is a greater diversity of motorcycles than there is of cars. A Ducati sports bike bears less resemblance to a Harley Davidson cruiser than a Ferrari does to a Commodore. And a Vespa is worlds apart from a Suzuki Hayabusa.
Almost as important is to remember that mostly the experts are writing for experts. They assume a level of knowledge which you may not yet have. The same applies to sales people. For example, they may describe a 600 cc bike as being 'not a sports bike' or not really powerful. What that means is that compared with, say, the latest Yamaha R1, its performance is modest. But to someone accustomed to a 250 cc four-stroke bike, almost any 600 cc model - cruisers aside - will feel awesomely fast and with copious torque. And while you might use 12,000 rpm or more for maximum acceleration, you can ride any 1000 cc sports bike around effortlessly without ever exceeding 5000 rpm.
There is no rule of motorcycling that says you have to use the full potential of your machine.
Don't settle on a style of bike, say a cruiser, until you have taken at least one or two for a reasonable ride. Try before you buy applies even more to motorcycles than it does to cars. The difference in feel between a BMW and a Honda or a Ducati and a Harley is immense. You may even discover that you don't like the heavy and uneven throbbing of a big two-stroke engine.
If you are quite small or very large, then you should try any motorcycle for size before you buy. Some of the entry level 250 cc machines will not suit anyone more than about 185 cm tall.
Factor protective clothing into the purchase price. As a minimum you should procure good gloves, a serious helmet, a leather jacket and knee protection to be worn beneath jeans. Serious riders often refuse to go out without the full gear, meaning one or two-piece leathers with armour and dedicated motorcycling boots.
Source: JUST BIKES, October 2010, Issue #256
