Things To Consider Before You Buy Your First Motorcycle
The time has come that you’re ready to purchase your first motorcycle! While you may want to jump straight in there and purchase, we recommend you consider the following few things FIRST, so that when you do buy your first bike, you’re stoked with it because it meets your needs.
Identify Your Needs
Start at the beginning and identify your needs when it comes to a motorcycle. It’s a good idea to have some understanding of the types of motorcycles (e.g. on road: sport, travel, naked, cruiser, adventure, off-road: motocross, enduro, e-ride and farm for example) as each is good for a different type of rider and a different type of need.
Also, consider where, when and how you’ll be riding. Will you be riding in lots of traffic in a daily commute? Will you be travelling long distances? Will you be using on rural or urban streets or both? Will you be riding with a pillion? Will you only be using in the weekends? Will you be using to race on a track?
By identifying your needs FIRST, you then have a clear picture of what you’re after so when you’re exploring different options you can decide which trade-offs you’re happy with and which things are a must!
Start Off Smaller
It’s common for newbies to want to dive right in and they often overestimate their ability. It’s recommended that when you first start out on a motorcycle you learn to ride on a slower bike first and master the skills and become a better rider. Once you’re more confident and experienced then you can upgrade to a more powerful machine.
There’s also some advantages for starting off with a smaller cc and these include:
- You often save money with a smaller engine bike
- Smaller engine, lower-displacement bikes are typically easier to handle
- You’ll have the chance to learn proper techniques before moving up to something bigger.
Choose a Bike That’s a Comfortable Fit for Your Body
This may seem a little strange but given bikes come in many different shapes and sizes (like the human body!) it’s important you get a bike that works well and is suited to your body shape. There is definitely no one size fits all when it comes to motorcycles!
It’s always a good idea to try the bike for size (think height and weight) and where possible take it for a test ride. Sometimes the bikes you like the look off, quickly get scrapped off your list when you’ve been for a ride on them, and they haven’t suited your body shape.
Consider Your Finances
Obviously, there is a cost for purchasing a bike so work out your finances and what you’re able to afford for a new bike. There are a few options here too; you may have the money to pay for it outright, or you might wish to use the finance available through the dealership. At MAKZ GEAR we provide finance through two reputable expert companies MTF Finance and UDC, or you might want to use a combination of both.
Look After Yourself – Gear Up!
As well as the purchase of your new bike, it’s really important you allow for purchasing some gear to wear while riding the bike (if you don’t already own some). It’s recommended you have this gear so you can ride safely and protect yourself.
This list may differ slightly depending on whether you’re riding on road or off road, but a recommended list is below:
- Approved motorcycle helmet
- Riding jacket
- Riding pants
- Riding boots
- Riding goggles
- Riding gloves
And finally, choose a bike that you’re excited to ride! If you can find a bike that matches all your needs above and you can’t wait to get riding, ‘job well done!’, you’ve made a great choice.
The MAKZ GEAR team have over 80 years combined experience, so if you’re looking to purchase your first bike and need some help finding a bike that meets your criteria above, pop in and see us. We can help you on your journey.