A person can watch every beginner motorcycle video on the internet, read every forum thread, compare every bike, maybe go to Beach Bike Week or other events, and learn how these motorcycles are designed, and still get humbled by the first handful of real rides. Though that’s not a bad thing, either. It’s just how motorcycles are. They make perfect sense in theory, then the second the helmet is on, traffic is moving, the wind is being, well, wind, and a stoplight appears on a slight hill, and for the most part here, this is a whole different thing. Reading something and experiencing something are like totally different things here.
And bluntly put here, though, it doesn’t really matter what type of motorcycle someone buys. No, really, be it a cruiser, sport bike, touring bike, smaller starter bike, bigger dream bike, whatever. The first few rides teach things that some YouTuber or Reddit post can.
The Wind Gets Involved Immediately
Well, yes, you already knew that, but it’s more about underestimating it, though. Because wind sounds like such a basic thing until it’s hitting a rider in the chest, pushing against the helmet, and making a normal forty-five-minute ride feel oddly tiring (and a bit dangerous to a small degree). Basically, new riders tend to think about speed, handling, and how the bike looks, but wind protection doesn’t always get enough attention. You know when you’re at an amusement park, and the wind is hitting you really hard on a ride? Well, it’s that, but for more than three minutes.
So, as you can hopefully see here, that’s when little details start making sense. For example, ideally, you should look into a windshield, a better helmet fit, the right jacket, and even the riding position can change how comfortable the bike feels. It might even help to see if theres courses or you can practice driving in high winds for safety. No one wants to spend money on a motorcycle and then realize every ride feels like some sort of uphill battle with the wind and general weather.
Road Noise Eats More than Expected
Because of the wind, traffic, and engine noise, it can be pretty hard to hear. A lot of people love listening to music when they’re driving their car, but it can be hard to do that on a motorcycle, and music, of course, makes long rides more bearable. So you might need to look into a cicada amp for your motorcycle if you want stronger audio that’s not going to be eaten up by road noise.
Have You Considered Storage?
You can’t get a piece of tarp and call it a day, like you absolutely can’t do that. Sure, some people will do that, but it’s a horrible idea. But it’s not even storage, as in how to take care of it, but it’s also actual storage within the motorcycle itself. Sure, you can have your motorcycle in the garage, but how safe will it be there? How secure if your garage? What type of locking system does your garage have? Plus, keep in mind that while a car lets people toss in a water bottle, hoodie, phone charger, random receipt pile, groceries, and probably three things that should’ve been taken inside last week.
A motorcycle, however, gives absolutely nothing for free. You actually have to calculate what you need to bring and what to put where. But here’s an example: a quick stop at the store takes planning. Where does the helmet go? What happens if it rains? Can a backpack hold everything without making the ride uncomfortable?
