Now comes the fun part… It’s time to find your first motorcycle! Most new riders fall into two categories: the ones who think they know exactly what they want and those who have no idea where to start. In this exciting time, let’s set you up for success to get you on the road to becoming the rider you were meant to be with some considerations when buying your first bike.
KEEP A NEW RIDER MINDSET
When starting, the goal is to build solid riding skills and gain confidence behind the handlebars. With that in mind, these are the top bike traits most commonly encouraged for new riders:
- Lightweight
- Manageable power
- Comfortable handling
- Manageable seat height to put both feet on the ground
These aren’t hard and fast, but they’re great considerations as you start your bike hunt.
BIKE STYLES: A QUICK RECAP
A little recap never hurt anyone even if you took our Find a Bike quiz. Here are the most common bike types/categories to refresh your memory:
- Mini Moto
- 3-Wheel Motorcycles
- Standard/Naked
- Adventure
- Sport
- Cruiser
- Touring
- Scooter
- Off-Road
- Dual-Sport
DON’T AIM FOR PERFECTION
Your first bike will likely be something other than your forever bike. The goal is to find a reliable bike to learn on, that makes you comfortable riding it, so you can practice loads and build your confidence. Just because you don’t start your journey on an ADV bike doesn’t mean you won’t find yourself on one in the future!
GET CLEAR ON YOUR INTENTIONS (AS MUCH AS YOU CAN)
The best place to start is by asking yourself “What kind of riding do I want to do?” This answer more times than not changes throughout a rider’s journey, so it’s okay to accept that your answer likely won’t be the same in the future. Until you get some miles under your belt and some experience on two wheels, this is just the jump start to an entire spectrum of riding, so keep it simple.
WHAT YOU WANT MIGHT NOT BE WHAT YOU LIKE
Do you want to commute to work? Are you looking to explore trails? Maybe you want to build up to a long touring ride in the future? All of these are great reasons to ride, so if you’ve got specific aspirations, lean into them. Just don’t beat yourself up if you get the opportunity to ride what you thought you wanted and find out it didn’t quite work out. Many riders start thinking they want one bike and fall in love with something they never expected, so keep an open mind! A great starter bike will find you.
DON’T GET CAUGHT UP IN ANALYSIS PARALYSIS
The great news is that manufacturers are producing a larger variety of bikes than ever before! The bad news is that there are a heck of a lot of great choices out there for consideration. Remember, you don’t have to keep this bike for the long haul; consider it your training wheels to get you used to riding and growing!
TAKE A FIELD TRIP
Getting out, seeing bikes in person, and throwing a leg over some models is a great experience. It’s also a great way to get introduced to models you didn’t even know existed. Check out your local dealer options to get your wheels turning; you never know what you might find.
Remember the main goal; to get out there and ride! There’s no such thing as the perfect bike, but you can find a great machine to ride, learn, and grow on as you figure out exactly what bike speaks to you most.