How Do I Choose My First Motorcycle?
Speed, style, fuel efficiency, and long term reliability—there are so many factors to look at when purchasing a bike. If you’re stumped, get some guidance with these things to consider when buying your first motorcycle, and turn to the experts for a little help when shopping on the marketplace. Cycle Trader is providing some clarity for new riders and answering, “How do I choose my first motorcycle?”
Start shopping from a selection of Honda motorcycles for sale and other top brands online.
Find the Bike That Fits You
Start by searching for a bike that fits you and your lifestyle. Do you plan on using your motorcycle daily as a commuter, for fun weekend trips, long journeys, or off-roading? For more insight, we’ve broken down the answers to the question, “What motorcycle is best for my lifestyle?” This is a helpful way to immediately slim down your selection on the marketplace. Here are some other things to keep in mind when finding a bike that fits you:
- Experience: Your experience level will determine how much power you want with your first motorcycle. If riding is completely new for you, you won’t want a heavier bike with a bigger engine that’s difficult to maneuver or control. It might be best to stay clear of a sport bike and instead go for something like a standard or cruiser built with a 600cc engine, for example.
- Comfort: How does the motorcycle feel when you climb on the saddle? Is your riding posture comfortable, or are you putting strain on your back, arms, legs, and neck? Consider the seat height, distance to the handlebars, your weight distribution on the bike, and if you’ve got enough room to comfortably bring a passenger.
- Performance: If you plan on keeping your motorcycle around for years to come, factor in things like speed, cornering, handling, fuel efficiency, and durability. You might want a bike with a little more power that’s great for beginners but will deliver on performance as you develop your skills as a rider over time.
- Type of Riding: Think about where you’ll be riding to help you choose your first motorcycle. Are you doing a daily commute through urban streets or heavy traffic? Are you hitting the trails and kicking up dirt off-road? Or will you be riding mostly on backroads in the country and long distance road trips? And don’t forget the weather conditions where you’re riding, and how things can change each season if you’re driving through rain, snow, wind, or hot and cold temperatures.
Use these points to begin your selection for your first motorcycle, and then consider how much the bike will cost to own and operate, fuel costs in your area, maintenance and repair prices, financing options, and how long you plan to own it. Check out these different types of bikes to make yourself more familiar with all the motorcycles that are out there on the road.
What’s On the Marketplace
If you’re open to the many great motorcycle options for beginners, then start searching for bikes from all the nationwide listings from dealers and private sellers on Cycle Trader. Finding an ideal price on a motorcycle that you can learn on as a beginner might help your decision with your first bike. If you expand your search from local listings to bikes available around the country, just plan on stretching your budget to test ride the motorcycle and transport it once you’ve made a purchase.
Use the search filters online to look at motorcycles by top makers and popular models, new or pre-owned, bike type, engine size, mileage, or even keywords like “vintage.” If you have time, see how the prices change throughout the year based on what’s popular; you might find a deal on a great used motorcycle that was recently released on the market. While there are tons of listings, this is a great way to personalize your search to find the motorcycle made for you. Here’s a quick overview of each type of motorcycle on the market:
- Choppers: Powerful and fast, choppers come with extended forks, reclined seats, and long front ends. They’re not the most comfortable, but they do offer style.
- Cruisers: Designed for daily commuting and long rides, cruisers have low seats in a reclined position so your feet are forward. They’re great for beginners, and provide speed, power, and style.
- Dual Sport: Dual-sport bikes come with higher seats and durable suspension so you can ride adventurously off-road or on sporty long distance rides.
- Off-Road: Off-road motorcycles are meant for dirt biking and trail riding, and are designed with a high seat and suspension to take on difficult terrain.
- Scooter: Perfect for daily, short commutes, scooters have step-through frames and smaller engines. Economical and inexpensive, scooters are great for starters.
- Sport Bike: Built with power, speed, and cornering, sport bikes are meant for skilled riders. They have higher foot pegs and seating that push the driver forward.
- Standard: Also known as naked motorcycles, standard motorcycles put the rider in a forward upright position with handlebars and footpegs within comfortable reach. They’re ideal for new riders, and are easy to learn on.
- Touring: Touring motorcycles have big seats and big fuel tanks, and are fun to ride. They’re heavier and made to withstand the bumps on the road on long journeys.
Test Ride
Take a test ride to get a better idea of the motorcycle and how it responds to your riding style. This will help you envision yourself as a bike owner and what it will feel like when you’re moving down the road. As mentioned above, see how comfortable the motorcycle is when you’re browsing for bikes, and ensure you’re not straining yourself when reaching for the handlebars, and make sure your back is in the correct position based on the type of bike.
This will give you the opportunity to get answers to your questions before you commit to a purchase. Plus, you’ll be able to notice if there are any kinks with the bike that could be a make-or-break with a final sale. Pay attention to things like rattling noises coming from the engine and mechanical parts, backfiring, or smoke coming from the exhaust. The test ride should play a major part when you choose your first motorcycle, so let the seller know when you’re serious about buying that you’d like to schedule a ride.
Buy Two Motorcycles
Not all new shoppers have the finances for this option, but if you have the budget and you’re ready to get into the lifestyle, give yourself more choices and buy two motorcycles. You might find that you love both bikes, or you might prefer one over the other with the chance to resell later down the road. This can give you a chance to compare them side-by-side, and every week when you take them for a ride to see which one suits you. If you keep both, you also have more riding options. For example, you’ll have a motorcycle to ride every day, and maybe another to take out for longer trips. Or, maybe it’s a motorcycle you can fix up with replacement parts and upgrades for more value, if you have time for a garage project.
Buying two bikes is one more solution if you’re stuck on multiple bikes and just can’t pass over one. The only thing worse than buyer’s remorse is missing out on a great deal for a motorcycle that could have been yours.
Find the pre-owned bike you’re after and search for used motorcycles for sale.
Keep this list handy when it’s time to find your perfect bike. Consider things like comfort, affordability, power, and lifestyle to guide your decision making. When you’re ready to ride, check out all the new and used listings on the nation’s leading marketplace at CycleTrader.com.
Ryan Miller
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