Is A Motorcycle The Right Choice For You?
Posted by admin at 28 November 2020, at 11 : 30 AM
Are you thinking about purchasing a new vehicle or perhaps getting the vehicle for your first time on the road? If so, then you might want to think about opting for a motorcycle rather than a car. Here are some of the key points to consider before you make this key decision.
Benefits Of Motorcycles
There are numerous benefits of riding a motorcycle compared with buying a car. First, they are more energy efficient. Regardless of whether you are driving through town or out in the country, you’ll find that these bikes do use far lower levels of c02 compared with a car. They are perfect for the modern age where governments are going to start charging people a fortune for exceeding C02 standards. Due to the fact that these bikes are far more fuel efficient, they also come with the added benefit of being cheaper to put on the road. The cost of petrol is going to be far lower and you won’t even have to pay as much to get a high class motorcycle. You can get your hands on a great model for far less than you might realize.
You can even get places you want to go faster than before. While not always literally faster, motorcycles provide one clear benefit. You don’t have to stop in traffic when you’re riding a motorbike. You can legally weave through and this cuts off a lot of the time that would have been added to your journey.
Riding a motorcycle will even provide health benefits. Research shows that riding a motorbike is going to help build up leg strength, arm strength and even neck strength. Some studies sugges that you are far less likely to develop health issues wihth these areas of your body later in life if you ride a motorcycle. Other research strongly implies that if you ride a motorbike the right way, it’s going to be far less stressful than driving a car.
They are even likely to last longer than the typical car. You might think that a vehicle like this is going to see a lot of wear and tear. Research suggests that the opposite might be true. Instead, you could find that the vehicle only has minor levels of wear and tear, even over an extended period. This means that you could still ride a motorcycle you love for more than forty years, as long as you take the right steps to maintain it effectively.
There are other more quirky benefits as well. For instance, motorcycles are definitely a romantic choice. The reason for this is quite simple. You’ll be able to get up close and personal with someone from the first date. This could ultimately help you secure the second and you’re sure to have fond memories of riding the motorcycle together.
How Dangerous Are Motorcycles?
Make no mistake, riding a motorbike is always going to be dangerous. Along with bike users and pedestrains, motorcyclists fit into the ‘vulnerable road users’ group. This means that they are more likely to be involved in accidents and more likely to be seriously injured. There has been a 9% increase in deaths on motorbikes since 2017 so they are definitely not a vehicle for the lighthearted.
You might think that if you ride safely and sensibly you can avoid some of the dangers here. While this might be possible to an extent, it’s important to note that driving sensibly does not fully protect you from the actions of other road users. In 2017, more than 5000 people died while riding their motorbike. It’s also worth noting that helmet usage has been steadily increasing since 2005 after dropping considerably. Wearing a helmet is deemed to be one of the best ways to stay alive when riding your motorbike.
Ultimately, the issue with a motorbike is that it does provide a highly limited level of protection. You can easily get thrown off on a crash and if you are on a highway, you could end up in the path of oncoming traffic. Unlike cars, motorcycle safety has not seen great levels of advancement over the past few years. Indeed, motorcycles are still roughly as dangerous as they used to be. The best thing that you can do is ensure that you are wearing your leathers and guaranteeing that your helmet is fitted correctly.
Common Mistakes
There are numerous mistakes that you can make as a beginner when you first start to ride your motorcycle. By being aware of these, you can make sure that you are safer and far more sensible on the road. So, what mistakes are we talking about here?
First, you do need to know the law and regulations. It’s important to recognize that the law will often be different depending on where you are. For instance, motorcycle helmet laws by state determine whether or not you need to wear a helmet and at what age you should be wearing a helmet. Although, generally speaking, due to the danger of riding it is advisable to ensure that you are always wearing a helmet. Remember, when Tom Cruise rides without one while shooting a scene, he’s typically attached to a rig on a highly controlled set.
Another mistake to avoid would be staying still in traffic. Research has shown countless times that if you stay still on a motorbike, then you will be in more danger and that’s why you should always keep moving. This is why, legally, you can zip through traffic queues on your motorbike. You just need to make sure that you are keeping a steady pace and that you’re not racing off. You need to watch out for cars changing lanes in traffic or even swerving into your path. Be prepared for the fact that most drivers are not aware that motorcyclists can overtake in traffic. However, if they do intentionally try to stop you and an accident does occur then they are completely liable.
That said, there are accidents that could be your fault. Particularly, if you are too close to a car infront when you are riding on the road. This is often a habit that you will have picked up from driving and that’s understandable. It’s common when driving to be just a couple metres behind the car in front. On a motorbike, you need to give the car a lot more room than this. By providing cars with more space, you can ensure that you will be safer on the roads. You have to make sure that you are providing yourself with enough space in case the car does suddenly decide to brake and this can happen.
Finally, you need to make sure that you are taking corners at the ride speed. This is quite a difficult part of riding to master. It often won’t be until after you pass your test and have a little more experience on the road that you start to correct this issue. Just remember, it’s always easier to add speed through a bend, rather than to lose it.
We hope this helps you understand whether a motorcycle could be the right choice for you. There’s definitely a lot of key points to keep in mind here and it’s important to think about this decision carefully before you race off to get your own cycle. One final piece of advice would be to make sure that you don’t look at your dash while riding. This is going to throw off any natural balance that you might have.
