BUYING YOUR FIRST MOTORCYCLE: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW

Few things in life deliver the thrill and pure joy of cruising the curves on your own personal, two-wheeled fun machine. Sure, they may be dangerous — they are dangerous — but motorcycles offer a sense of freedom and excitement no car can provide, not matter what it costs. Riding requires sharp skills, a keen mind, quick reflexes, and the ability to handle hair-raising situations. Because of the demands inherent with riding motorcycles, the barrier to entry is high — higher than it should be, anyway.

Here’s a quick rundown of everything you need to know to get out of your cage and onto the open road.

Bike basics

The first gasoline-powered motorcycle, dubbed the Petreoleum Reitwage, was built by legendary German designers Gottlieb Daimler and Wihelm Maybach back in 1885. Since then, motorcycles have branched in countless directions, with different machines made for different purposes. Here are the five basic categories:

Cruisers

Think Harley Davidson. These bikes have lower seat heights and a more laid-back riding position. They often have large engines (though not always), but are not made for racing or super-high performance situations — situations you should not find yourself in for a long time, if you’re just getting started. Most major bike manufacturers produce some type of cruiser.

Sportbikes

Massively popular in the U.S., sportbikes — often called “crotch rockets” — are finely tuned machines capable of high performance and even higher speeds. Because of the intense power of these bikes, we strictly recommend avoiding any type of sportbike for at least your first couple of years of riding. It takes time to train your body to handle a motorcycle, and it’s far too easy on a sportbike to chuck yourself into a deadly situation before you even know what’s happening. But don’t worry: You absolutely do not need a sportbike to have fun on a motorcycle.

Touring

Touring motorcycles come in a wide range of shapes and sizes, but their purpose is always the same: long-distance travel. Some bikes, like the Honda Goldwing or the BMW K1600GTL (above), come fully-loaded with large fairings, luggage trunks, windshields, and even stereos and GPS. Others, like the BMW R1200GS, are more stripped-down, and have high seats (due to high clearance) to allow for off-road riding. Touring bikes generally deliver an excellent riding experience — but because of their high price and weight, they may not be the best choice for a new rider. But they’re definitely a great option not far down the road.