HOW TO BUY A MOTORCYCLE
THERE ARE SEVERAL QUESTIONS TO TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHEN CHOOSING A MOTORCYCLE. FOR INSTANCE;
1. DO YOU REALLY WANT OR NEED A MOTORCYCLE?
2. WHAT IS YOUR PRICE RANGE?
3. WHAT IS AN APPROPRIATE DISPLACEMENT, WEIGHT AND TYPE OF BIKE FOR A PERSON WITH YOUR SKILL SET?
4. WHAT IS THE INTENDED USE FOR THE MOTORCYCLE?
5. DO YOU WANT TO BUY NEW OR USED?
6. WHAT ARE THE PROS & CONS OF BUYING USED.
7. IF USED, WHAT IS THE CONDITION OF THE MOTORCYCLE YOU ARE LOOKING AT?
8. WHERE DO YOU FIND THE RIGHT MOTORCYCLE FOR YOU?
9. HOW WILL YOU PAY FOR THE MOTORCYCLE?
A MOTORCYCLE IS A UNIQUE FORM OF TRANSPORTATION WHICH IS NOT FOR EVERYONE. I KNEW IT WAS MY CALLING AT HELLO. THE FIRST WEEK I OWNED ONE AND RODE IT I KNEW I WOULD RIDE TILL I DIE!!! HERE WE ARE 39 YEARS LATER AND I AM STILL BUYING AND RIDING MOTORCYCLES.
WHATEVER YOU DECIDE TO BUY, DO YOUR HOMEWORK ON THE BRAND, THE MODEL, AND UNLESS YOU PLAN TO WORK ON THE BIKE YOURSELF-THE DEALER WHERE YOU'LL TAKE IT FOR SERVICE AND PARTS. DON'T BUY MORE BIKE THAN YOU NEED.
ONE OF TWO THINGS WILL HAPPEN WHILE YOU'RE HONING YOUR SKILLS; YOU'LL DROP YOUR BIKE SOONER, OR YOU'LL DROP IT LATER. THIS IS NO REFLECTION ON YOUR SKILLS, JUST A REALITY OF LEARNING TO RIDE. YOU HAVE THE OPTION OF REPLACING BROKEN PARTS WITH USED ONES FROM A SALVAGE YARD OR SWAP MEET, OR JUST LIVING WITH THE DAMAGE UNTIL YOU ARE READY TO UPGRADE.
BY FAR THE MOST IMPORTANT DIMENSION FOR A NEW RIDER TO CONSIDER, IS SEAT HEIGHT AND WEIGHT OF THE MOTORCYCLE. BEING ABLE TO PLANT BOTH FEET FLAT ON THE PAVEMENT IS A HUGE CONFIDENCE BUILDER FOR RIDERS WHO FEAR DROPPING A BIKE AT A LIGHT AND LOOKING LIKE THEY HAVE NO CLUES CONCERNING THE ART OF MOTORCYCLING. WEIGHT GENERALLY GOES WITH DISPLACEMENT, THOUGH NOT ALWAYS. SOME CRUISERS WITH ONLY MODEST DISPLACEMENT WEIGH A GREAT DEAL MORE THAN MOST PEOPLE WOULD THINK. A CENTRALIZATION OF MASS CREATES A LOWER CENTER OF GRAVITY. R & D DEPARTMENTS FROM ALL MANUFACTURERS ARE ALWAYS LOOKING FOR WAYS TO LOWER THE CENTER OF GRAVITY ON VARIOUS MODELS YEAR IN AND YEAR OUT. THIS GIVES A NOVICE THE IMPRESSION THE BIKE THEY ARE SITTING ON IS EASIER TO HANDLE THAN IT TRULY IS. A PROFESSIONAL SALESPERSON CAN OFTEN TIMES BE ABLE TO DIRECT A PERSON TO A MOTORCYCLE THAT WOULD BEST SUIT THEIR NEEDS. OFTEN TIMES A PERSON WILL PUT TOO MUCH FAITH IN A PERSON WHOM HAS ONLY BEEN RIDING A COUPLE YEARS AND OWNED NO MORE THAN TWO BIKES. A PERSON WHOM HAS HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO RIDE MANY DIFFERENT MAKES AND MODELS WOULD BE BEST SUITED TO OFFER SOME GUIDANCE.
YOU CAN READ ALL YOU WANT ABOUT A BIKE THAT INTERESTS YOU, BUT YOU'RE STILL GETTING SECOND HAND INFORMATION. YOU HAVE NO REAL IDEA WHAT IT WOULD BE LIKE TO RIDE IT YOURSELF. OPINIONS VARY A GREAT DEAL. IF YOU DON'T QUALIFY FOR A TEST RIDE......YOU BETTER HOPE YOU DID YOUR RESEARCH PROPERLY AND THAT YOUR REFERENCE POINTS WERE IN FACT ON POINT! IT IS NOT UNCOMMON FOR A PERSON WHOM WRITES FOR SPORT BIKE MAGAZINES TO REVIEW A CRUISER BIKE.........THAT IS LIKE COMPARING APPLES AND ORANGES. LEARN YOUR VARIOUS TYPES OF STREET MOTORCYCLES SO IT IS EASIER TO NARROW YOUR SEARCH. TYPICALLY YOU HAVE SPORT BIKES, SPORT TOURING, CRUISERS, TOURING, CHOPPERS, BOBBERS, AND DUAL -SPORT MOTORCYCLES. THE LAST BEING A MOTORCYCLE THAT CAN BE USED ON OR OFF ROAD (IE:DUAL SPORT).
IN CONCLUSION I WOULD SUGGEST FINDING A REPUTABLE STORE THAT HANDLES THE TYPE MOTORCYCLE YOU THINK YOU WOULD LIKE TO PURCHASE AND THEN SEEK OUT A SALESPERSON WHOM HAS SOME TIME IN EITHER THE INDUSTRY OR A LONG HISTORY OF RIDING OR BOTH. IF YOU NEED SOME HELP OR YOU HAVE SOME QUESTIONS OR CONCERNS, LET'S CONNECT - I'D LOVE TO HELP YOU OUT WITH FREE ADVICE