Motorbiking 101 - Different Types of Bikes

The world of motorcycles is very interesting. It is like one big family, however, you get different kinds of bikers: those who ride to get from A to B, those who ride socially, those who ride for sport, those who ride for sheer passion (I'll explain this one in another post), those who ride because you like your pizza hot and those who ride simply because they have the pockets to.

When you're a biker, you meet a lot of people who'll come up to you and tell you about how much they want to buy a bike. Some go as far as asking you which one to get... Err...I find this one a little tricky. How do I answer that?

See, first you need to determine WHY you want to ride and feel the need to own a motorbike. Secondly, you need to know about the different types of bikes there are out there... I mean if you're going to ride, you want to ride a machine that's going to be aligned with your needs, wants, desires and uhm...childhood fantasies.

Let's have a look at all the different bikes one can get:

Sports bike/Superbike:

These bikes are all about high performance, they are meant to be ridden really hard and really fast! With that said, they are very unforgiving machines! Definitely not for everyone, even though everyone thinks they should ride one.

Naked bike:

These bikes are essentially sports bikes without much bodywork or fairings (covers). I reckon they sometimes look better too. Raw. Aggressive. Sexy.

Cruiser:

These bikes are designed for laid-back riding. Many of them have limited performance and turning ability due to their low-slung design. Careful how low you go in that corner, nothing cute about a scraped pipe. Certainly not for those in pursuit of being fast and furious... Chilled and stylin'? Sure.

Tourer:

These bikes are specially designed for touring. One could use any bike to tour but manufacturers give this particular bike features that would address the specific needs of the touring biker, like: larger fuel tanks for long ranges between fill-up stops, larger displacement fairings and windshield that offer a high degree of weather and wind protection, they have a large top box and panniers for luggage, and offer a upright and comfortable riding position which minimizes fatigue from hours, days, weeks of riding. Under the Tourer umbrella, you also find: the Adventure Tourer, which allows you the combined benefits of a Tourer and a Adventure bike, the Sports Tourer, which also allows you to tour with a little speed, and the Full Dress Tourer, which is a complete package...I'd say it's a house on wheels. It comes built in with heated seats, speakers, can reverse!! Yes, for real!

On/Off-road Bikes:

With the basic design of a dirt bike and features of a road bike, such as indicator lights, provision for licence plate and slightly lower height.... This bike is a triple threat ready to take on tar, gravel and trails. Quite comfortable too. These are, in my opinion, the best bikes for beginners. Very forgiving machines that are a joy to ride everyday.

Adventure Bike:

These bikes are used for...well...adventure... They are long-distance touring machines capable of burning off pavement or shooting rooster tails on back-country dirt roads. They are do-all bikes that allow riders the flexibility to accessorize and make the bike what they want. 

Scooters:

These are small motorcycles with a step-through frame and platform for the riders feet. They are very cost efficient, easy to maintain and have very little fuel consumption... Basically your get-around bike! They generally use either a continuous variable transmission (CVT), or a manual transmission with the gearshift and clutch control built into the left handlebar. Scooters that boast engines of over 250cc are referred to as "Maxi Scooters" or "Scooters on Steroids"... Scooters on Steroids, yeah, I like that! 

Commuters:

I'd actually forgotten to add these... *gasps* How could I when this was my first bike?? These bikes will take you from A to B, from Home to School to Work and back! They are for the everyday rider, more than perfect for scholars and students. They are also very light weight, wouldn't advice riding them near trucks...yes, I have a few funny personal stories about this. Commuters are affordable freedom defined! Totally awesome, I loved mine...aaah, the good old days...before Debonaires started putting boxes on them! Nx!

That's as brief as I could get summing up some of the different types of motorcycles one can get to legally ride on our public roads. Soon, I'll tackle purely off-road and competition bikes... Most tend to look pretty much the same for those who don't know much about them, so I'll break it down for you!! 

Next time :) 


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