How much money do you want to spend?

• Why do you want to ride and how do you plan to use your motorcycle?
• How much bike are you big enough and strong enough to handle?
• How much money do you want to spend?

Three simple questions that, if you really think about and answer honestly, will help you choose the right bike for your pleasure and your safety.

Why do you want to ride and how do you plan to use your motorcycle?

Answering this question will point you in the right direction as far as selecting the appropriate style of bike. There are six major categories of motorcycles, with frequent crossovers and hybrids:

• Off-road
• Dual-purpose
• Cruiser
• Sport
• Sport touring
• Touring

Off road & dual-purpose bikes

If you want to explore backcountry, dirt roads, deserts, or wooded trails, then you need to check out off-road or dual-purpose bikes. Lightweight and powerful, these motorcycles can take just about any terrain you throw at them. They can traverse rugged trails, slosh through mud, bounce over rocks, and climb steep rutted hills.

Designed with higher ground clearance and exaggerated suspensions, they can take the bumps, dips, and jumps of the trail. Motors are strong, and the bikes are lightweight, so there is a very high weight-to-power ratio. Models can start with engines as small as 50cc for a very light dirt bike and climb all the way up to 1150cc for a large dual-purpose bike. However, most dealers agree that in general the largest size that can safely go off-road is a 650cc dual-purpose bike. Machines larger than that are usually too heavy for any but the strongest, most experienced riders to handle.

Most off-road and dual-purpose bikes have chain drive. It delivers a higher percentage of an engine's power to the rear wheel and is better suited to harsh, off-road conditions.

Obviously, the lighter the bike the easier it is to handle, but there are conditions under which any bike can throw you. When riding in the backcountry, those conditions are ever present. Sooner, rather than later, you'll have to stand your bike back up. There is a huge difference in motorcycle weights in this category. Some featherweight models tip the scales at less than 100 pounds (45.4 kg), while a 650cc model may weigh as much as 300 pounds (136.1 kg). However, this is still significantly less than many cruiser models with engines of the same size.

Because ground clearance is higher, the saddle is generally higher than on most street bikes of comparable size. On larger models, it can be up to 32 inches (83 cm) off the ground. It's a good idea to match the seat height to your trouser inseam length and then sit on the bike to see how it feels. If a bike doesn't fit well, don't worry. The great range of motor sizes and frames on the market assure that just about any rider can find a bike with a workable seat height.

Dual-purpose bikes have tires which are suited for both pavement and trail. They have lights, usually larger four-stroke engines, and other equipment that make them completely street-legal.

Some off-road bikes, including dirt bikes and motocross bikes, are designed only for serious backcountry riding. Many have two-stroke motors, which have trouble passing US EPA or other governmental emissions standards. Few have lights. Many are not approved for street use. Which means you'll need a vehicle to transport these bikes to a riding area--or a very big backyard.

Cruisers

If one of the reasons you're thinking of buying a motorcycle is so you can look cool riding around town, you are definitely not alone. In fact, more than 55 percent of all people who ride motorcycles choose the classic street cruiser.

Cruisers usually have comfortable high-rise handlebars, laid-back seating positions, a saddle that is raised in the back for a passenger, lots of chrome, and stylish paint jobs. Saddles on cruisers are closer to the ground, from 24 to 29 inches (61 to 74 cm), depending on the model. That means your feet can reach the road more easily. People with shorter legs have an easier time walking these bikes and handling them when stopped. Foot pegs are positioned to let you ride in a chair-sitting posture, and an extra forward-mounted set called road pegs let you stretch out your legs.

While cruisers are ideally suited for an afternoon run to the local greasy spoon, they also fare very well on longer rides. In fact, the king of long-haul motorcycles, the touring bike, actually developed from cruisers.

Cruisers range in size from 250cc all the way up to the largest engines found on bikes. There is one model, the Yamaha Road Star, that has a 1600cc V-Twin. There are even bikes that have a V-8 car engine, but these are only a small segment of the market. You'll find everything from lightweight 300-pound models to behemoths weighing in at 780 pounds (354 kg) and more.

You can find cruisers that employ each of the three drive trains--belt, chain, and shaft. Chain drive transfers power more quickly and efficiently, but requires more maintenance. Shaft drive is enclosed, so there is less maintenance. All you really need to do with shaft drive is change the oil in the drive unit. Typically, shaft drive works well for cruisers with larger motors because the bigger motor more than makes up for the little bit of power lost in transfer through the shaft. Belt drive is similar to chain drive and is found mostly on Harleys.

Sport Bikes

If high performance, tight cornering, and flat out speed are what you want in a bike, then check out the sport bikes. Often styled like a racer, these bikes deliver nimble handling and squeeze speed and quickness out of their combination of a powerful engine mated to a lightweight frame. They are excellent for day rides or zipping around town.

Handlebars are lower and foot pegs are mounted farther back, producing a more forward-leaning riding position. Seats are often higher, which means you may be on your toes at a stop if you have short legs. Brakes, tires, transmission, and suspension are all tuned for performance. In this category, you'll find full wraparound fairings, high-speed aerodynamics, and usually dual disc brakes. A number of models will accommodate a passenger, but many sport bike riders prefer to ride solo.

With a sport bike you get a phenomenal power-to-weight ratio. One new model has a 1000cc motor but weighs only 375 pounds (170.1 kg). Sport bike designers are pushing the envelope as far as it will go. Still, not every bike is all that top-heavy with power. Engine sizes usually range from 250cc to 1300cc, while weights range from just under 300 pounds (136 kg) to the 500-pound (227 kg) area.

Many sport bikes have chain drive because of its superior power delivery and quick response. Compared to a shaft drive, a chain drive requires more maintenance but delivers more power.

Sport Touring & Touring Bikes

If the wide open road, long trips, or even cross-country rides are what you're looking for, a sport touring or touring bike is likely to be your best choice. Sport touring bikes are hybrids that combine the agility of a sport bike with the long-haul utility of a touring machine. Sport tourers are ideal for people who want to mix weekend getaway rides with day-in, day-out use.

If you plan on being a true "iron butt" and traveling hundreds or even thousands of miles on a given trip, a touring bike is the best bet. These large bikes surround you with a level of creature comfort unexpected on a motorcycle. Plush, wide saddles ease the miles, and windshields and fairings make for a quieter, less wind-buffeted ride. You'll also find ample luggage compartments and features such as cruise control, AM/FM cassette stereo, and even rider-passenger intercoms.

The downside to tourers is that they can be a bit unwieldy. A bike weighing in the vicinity of 800 pounds (363 kg) can be a lot for a smaller rider to handle. This is especially true at lower speeds and when a bike is not under power. More upper body strength is required to handle these monsters.

Weight is definitely a factor in these two categories. Sport touring and touring bikes have engines that range between 750cc and 1600cc. Usually sport touring models are in the lower half of that range, with full touring bike engines beginning at around 1100cc.

The larger motors are great for really long rides-especially if you are carrying a passenger and luggage. Touring often involves riding two-up, and sometimes even includes pulling a trailer. It also racks up mileage, and generally speaking, the larger the motor, the longer its life.

With a height usually ranging between 27 and 30 inches (69 and 77 cm), saddles on touring bikes are closer to the ground than those on sport bikes. However, they are not as close to the ground as cruiser seats, and saddles are often wider on tourers than on many other models. This causes you to spread your legs more, effectively shortening them. As a result, you may have to look for a bike with a slightly lower seat height.

Some bikes in these two categories have chain or belt drives, but many touring bikes are shaft driven. Their large engines more than make up for any minimal power loss. In addition, shaft drive requires much less maintenance than chain or belt.

How much bike are you big enough and strong enough to handle?

Now that you've decided how you want to ride, it's time to determine what you can ride safely. Once again, you need honest answers to some very important questions.

• How tall are you?
• How strong are you?
• How much do you weigh?
• Is there such a thing as too much power?
• What is the most important safety factor when riding?
• How do you safely get riding experience if you're just starting out?
• Matching your body and your skill level to the proper bike can yield hours of fun and safety while on the road. Failure to find a good match can result in accident and injury, or owning a bike that you just don't ride very much.

How tall are you?

Or perhaps a better question is: How long are your legs? There is no question that maintaining good contact with the road while at a stop is important to motorcycle safety-especially with larger, heavier motorcycle styles such as cruisers and tourers. A general rule of thumb with any style bike--especially when just starting out--is to match the seat height to your trouser inseam.

Motorcycles have saddles of varying widths. The wider the saddle, the longer your legs will need to be for your feet to reach the ground. The larger and heavier the bike, the more of your foot you want to be able to put on the ground. Ultimately, the best way to tell if a bike is right for you, is to sit on it.

There are several schools of thought about foot contact, especially for beginners. For lighter-weight motorcycles, such as off-road, dual-purpose, and sports bikes, you may need to keep only the balls of both feet on the ground at a complete stop. However, as you move up in weight and power, it becomes increasingly important to be able maintain total foot contact with the road at a full stop. Also, you will have to walk the bike to back it up. Walking a heavy bike backwards with only the balls of your feet in contact with the road is a prescription for disaster. One slip of the boot on road grit or gravel, and you are in danger of dropping the bike.

With heavier bikes, in addition to being able to touch the road, it is essential to be able to have a little bit of knee bend. Being able to sit on a bike with your knees flexed makes it easier to keep the bike upright at a stop on a slightly uneven road.

How strong are you?

If you are just starting out, or just getting back into the saddle, your upper-body strength may be an issue, particularly with larger, heavier models such as cruisers and touring bikes. This is especially true if you have to walk the bike any distance when parking it.

Obviously, the heavier a bike is, the harder it is to pick up once it has been dropped. If you are just starting out, or returning to riding after a long hiatus, you can be sure that at some point you will have to pick up a downed bike. Everybody drops a bike now and then.

It can be something as silly as forgetting to put the kickstand down. It can happen at slow speed on gravel. It can happen when parking on slippery grass. It can happen in a panic stop. Or the bike can just fall over because the kickstand sank into the ground or into asphalt softened by a hot sun.

Drop your bike and you will learn just how valuable an engine guard is. Usually sold as an accessory, it protects the engine from damage when a bike is dropped, and it stops the bike from falling flat. Instead, the bike will usually rest on the engine guard at about a 45-degree angle, making it much easier to pick up.

One final, important note regarding physical strength: The more experience you have, the less you will need to rely on brute strength. Many smaller women today are riding large, full-dressed cruisers that weigh close to 800 pounds (363 kg). They have developed the techniques, skills, and balance that enable them to handle the bike safely and effectively.

How much do you weigh?

Let's face it, if you are a 220-pound male you are going to look pretty ridiculous on a 50cc dirt bike. You're probably not going to travel very fast, either. But if you weigh only 95 pounds (43 kg) soaking wet, you'll probably have your hands full trying to handle a full-dressed Harley--especially if you're inexperienced. The more you weigh or the greater the weight you plan to carry on your bike, the larger the engine you should consider. The less you weigh, the less power you need. However, you always need to have enough power to get you out of trouble, should it find you.

Is there such a thing as too much power?

Yes and no. If you are a beginner, you must ask yourself the question: How safe do I feel? Many motorcycle dealers recommend that first-time riders keep power within a safe range (engines sized at right around 600cc, depending on the style and model of bike). Once again, it's almost always a matter of gaining experience. After all, it is the rider who decides how fast to go, therefore you should buy something in line with your experience as a rider as well as your physical size and strength.

What is the most important safety factor when riding?

Experience--and you only get that through training and practice. Motorcyclists who are not formally trained are involved in more than 92 percent of all accidents, according to "Red" Runyon, owner of the Los Angeles Area Motorcycle Training Center.

How do I get experience if I am just starting out?

In the US, the Motorcycle Safety Foundation offers a safety course titled the MSF RiderCourse. It is 16 hours of instruction designed to teach basic riding techniques and strategies. While many US states offer these courses, some, such as California, have their own courses. Many US states require a safety course as a prerequisite to receiving a license.

For the novice rider or even the rider who is getting back on the road, the MSF RiderCourse is essential. These classes offer instruction on the basics of motorcycle operation, including straight-line riding, shifting, turning, braking, and obstacle avoidance.

After mastering the preliminaries, you can expect to be taught some basic street strategies, such as positioning, visibility, maximum braking, advanced turning, and swerving. The latter is a skill found lacking in a majority of riders involved in accidents. When you're on the road, and have to swerve, it's too late to learn.

Students in many of these classes are provided with 125cc to 350cc motorcycles in a very controlled environment. "But," cautions Red Runyon, "you still have to teach yourself, because you are the one controlling the motorcycle."

Learning basic theory in a classroom and then practicing skills in a controlled setting, rather than learning from a family member or a friend, can keep you safe on the road. If you are a novice, it may open the door to determining how you might like to ride, while also introducing you to people who share your interest in motorcycling.

Pay attention in class. According to course instructors, women are the best students because they are willing to listen and learn. Men who are returning to the road after 10 years or more out of the saddle also do well in the classroom and on the road for the same reason.

"Our biggest problem is with males, typically younger males, who feel they have some sort of gene that allows them to ride a motorcycle," says Red Runyon. "Believe it or not, they are usually the first ones to hit the pavement."

How much money do you want to spend?

Buying a new motorcycle may cost anywhere from $1,100 for a 50cc Yamaha PW50 all the way up to $20,000 or more for a full-dressed cruiser. In general, the smaller the bike, the less expensive it is going to be. Smaller dirt bikes are relatively inexpensive, but when weight, size, and performance increase so does price. Dealers say the average first-time buyer usually spends somewhere between $3,000 and $8,000.

If that sounds too steep, buying a used bike is always an option, particularly if you are short on funds or just starting out. If you buy a used bike, you should be mechanically inclined, or have a mechanic check out the bike first. It's very easy to end up with hundreds of dollars worth of tires, chains, and sprockets in need of replacement.

"You want to check out very carefully anything between you and the road," says Dave Sumner, owner of Cycle Therapy, a motorcycle salvage company in Ohio, US. "If you are not mechanically inclined, take along a mechanic. You should also try to find out how the bike was cared for and ridden."

A good mechanic will test the compression on the motor and check the oil for any signs of abuse. Other fluids also should be inspected. Often, a mechanic will be able to tell if the bike has been wrecked or raced. On any used bike, thoroughly examine items that relate directly to safety--tires, lights, mirrors, etc. Remember, you do not have the same safety margin on a motorcycle that you have in a car.

Caveats aside, you may be able to pick up a fairly late-model used bike with all the depreciation already wrung out of it.

"I am a big proponent of used motorcycles for first-time riders," says one industry expert. "There may be someone who has given up the sport for one reason or another after only a few thousand miles on their bike. So you may be able to pick up a machine that in reality is new, but you are only going to pay 60 to 70 percent of its showroom value."