The big question that many up-and-coming riders have when first starting out is “What kind of motorcycle should I get”? If you happen to be blessed enough to be able to afford any time of motorcycle you want then this article may help you decide.
As the picture at the top shows sports bikes have an appeal to many people. There are two main sports bike groups to look at. The first one which is what the picture shows is called a “super sport”. Supersport bikes typically come in around 600 CC engines or their larger brothers the 1000 CC engines “CC” meaning cubic centimeters which are measuring the engine. The super sport sports bikes typically have an inline 4 engine which means they have four cylinders and are typically pushing 130 horsepower or over and reaching 150 MPH+. If you’re first starting out these types of bikes should immediately be off your radar. They are the opposite of beginner-friendly with the Kawasaki zx-10r being nicknamed the “widow maker” back in the day solely because of the sheer power it produced with minimal electronic assistance. If you were still interested in sports bikes and one day wanted to move into getting a super sport bike I would recommend the second category of sport bike which is known as the “sport touring” bike. Sport-touring motorcycles have a much more relaxed body position while still having that sporty feel and look to them. Sport touring bikes are typically much less powerful and incredibly more beginner-friendly. Some sport touring bikes I would recommend looking into are the (Kawasaki Ninja 650, Kawasaki Ninja 400) (Yamaha R7) (and Honda CBR 650 R).
The Dual Sport dirt bike has an incredible following from people who want a little adventure in their lives. Speaking from experience riding a dual sport motorcycle is one of the most freeing experiences you can have as you feel like no road or no mountain can stop you. You feel as if you can go anywhere at a minute’s notice and that is a part of the appeal for many. Dual sport motorcycles are also incredibly beginner friendly with many of them either being 250CC all the way up to 500CC. If you wanted to experiment with some off-roading I would highly recommend getting a dual sport bike as they are one of the cheapest motorcycles you can get new or used.
Now we have a motorcycle which is known as the “cruiser” or “bagger”. The word cruiser is for obvious reasons they are meant to cruise on at a slower pace and are far more comfortable than any other motorcycle. These types of bikes are also named “baggers” due to them usually being equipped with bags near the rear tire for storage as they are often used to travel across the country! If you’re not looking to go fast and dip down into corners are explore trails and dirt roads and would much rather go at a slow pace as the wind hits your face then I would highly recommend getting a cruiser. The only downside to getting a cruiser is that they are extremely heavy and harder to maneuver at slower speeds which could be quite difficult for a beginner to get used to. Luckily there are lighter cruisers available for beginners.
At the end of the day, it all comes down to what your needs are and frankly what you can afford. If you’re strapped for cash investing in a used dual sport motorcycle off facebook marketplace would be in your best interests. But if you’re dying to go 150 MPH+ and you don’t mind dropping a pretty penny then you know just what type of bikes to search up.
