There are many different types of motorcycles to choose from, from standard, cruisers to dirt bikes.
In this blog post, we’ll be describing each motorbike in brief. And, you can decide what motorbike is right for you or you’ll have a better understanding of each motorbike.
Standard
Standards, also called naked bikes are versatile, general-purpose street motorcycles. They are recognised primarily by their upright riding position, partway between the reclining rider posture of the cruisers and the forward-leaning sportbikes.
Standard is often a synonym for naked, a term that was originally used in reference to 1950’s road racing bikes. Standards are known and admired for their simplicity, quality and versatility.
Because of their flexibility, lower costs, and moderate engine output, standards are particularly suited to motorcycle beginners.
Cruiser
Cruisers are styled after American machines from the 1930s to the early 1960s. The likes of Harley-Davidson, Indian and Excelsior-Henderson comes to mind.
The riding position places the feet forward and the hands are up relatively high so that the spine is erect or leaning back slightly.
Though they can thunder away from traffic lights faster than almost any sports car, cruisers are not about outright performance. Instead, they’re designed to look cool while chugging lazily along.
Sportsbike
These are known as race replicas for good reason – they’re road-going versions of race bikes, complete with full fairings, firm suspension and highly tuned engines. The upside of all this is their performance in perfect conditions. No bike is faster around a racetrack. The downside is their riding position, which puts lots of weight on your wrists and cramps your legs – not great for long journeys or potting around town. Though most big manufacturers have a sports bike as their flagship, there are plenty of beginner-friendly versions.
Tourer
Big, lavish and covered in luggage; if you want to rack up big miles on holiday with a passenger, you need a tourer. Well, that’s not quite true because a lot of bikes can tour, but a tourer makes it so easy. A good tourer will make cruising all day at 85mph feel utterly effortless, and they usually have all the latest gizmos such as stereos, heated seats and central locking for the luggage. They are, unsurprisingly, expensive.
Dual sport
If you want to commute across town during the week and ride local trails at the weekend, a dual-sport (or dual-purpose) is just the job – it’s a road-legal bike that’s excellent off-road. Unlike adventure bikes, most of which are road bikes with off-road styling, dual sports are proper off-road bikes adapted for the road. Consequently, they are light, wear tyres that can grip in mud, and have big bump-friendly front wheels. The downside of the off-road potential is they lack a few road-based skills – they tend to be too slow and uncomfortable for long journeys and the knobbly tyres can be sketchy around tarmac corners, especially in the wet weather.
Scooter
Scooters haven’t changed much since the 1947 Vespa. If it’s got small wheels, a floorboard for your feet and an automatic gearbox, it’s a scooter. They’re great city transport, with decent weather protection, loads of storage under the saddle and no gears or clutch to worry about – you just twist and go. Several manufacturers sell bigger versions – maxi-scooters, that can hit far higher speeds and handle motorway travel.
Moped
Technically, a moped is a motorcycle with pedals, but these days it’s used to refer to any bike with an engine smaller than 50cc. If you’re 16, you can ride a moped on L plates once you’ve passed your CBT (Compulsory Basic Training). If you passed your car driving test before Feb 2001 you can ride a moped with no further training or tests. Mopeds are restricted to 30mph, so they’re not great for long distances, but they’re economical, great in town and get you on the motorcycle ladder.
So, these are the types of motorbikes you can get! Which one will you be choosing?
If you have any questions about motorbikes and you’re not sure what to get, feel free to give us a call on 020 8952 9622 or email us at training@northlondon-mct.co.uk and we’d be happy to help.