Choosing a Motorcycle

As you have arrived at this site I will assume that you have already decided that you will be riding a cruiser motorcycle. Cruiser motorcycles are recognisable by their unique styling. Custom motorcycles are available in a wide range of engine sizes including 125cc for the learner rider.

They usually have a low seat height with a ‘laid back’ riding position.

Buying a bike will be a sizeable investment and it is easy to make big mistakes – there are plenty of sharks out there waiting to separate you from your hard earned cash, even when you find a good honest deal it is all too easy to end up with the wrong motorcycle.

You must ask yourself – what you want to do and want from your motorcycle?

* Do you want to learn on the motorcycle?
* Are you entitled to ride motorcycles of any engine size?
* Are you looking for a gentle introduction to the world of motorcycles?
* Are you going to use it to get to work?
* Are you going to use it as part of your work?
* Does it have to be cheap to run?
* Are you just going to be a poser around town?
* Do you intend to travel long distances?
* Are you hoping to go touring (don’t forget about the luggage!)
* Do you like a lot of chrome? – Cruisers need tender loving care and attention to keep clean.
* Comfort – are you comfortable on the machine?
* Can you reach the controls?
* Can your feet touch the ground?

Above all don’t forget the weight and height of the motorcycle, you must be able to handle and control the motorcycles, not just when you are cruising along on the roads but also when you have stopped at a junction, a roundabout or even when just parking the motorcycle

As you can see you have a lot to consider and think about.

You must also consider your budget

Purchase price – this may determine whether you buy new or second hand

Accessories – if you ride a cruiser then you need to dress it, you can purchase the manufacturer’s own, or look for the independent accessories dealer’s, which tend to be cheaper, but you need to ensure that the quality is good. Dressing up your cruiser can be a very expensive job

Insurance – some models cost a lot more to insure

Talk to your friends or other riders about their motorcycles and their experiences – most will give you sound feedback about the motorcycle that you will need. Have a look at road tests in bike magazines, attend motorcycle shows etc. just to see what is available. Contact the manufacturers for information, but at the end of the day the choice is yours and yours alone.

Be a bit wary of advice from dealers at this point – although there are honest ones out there, it is an all too common a tale to hear of an unsuspecting novice has being sold something completely unsuitable for his/her purpose. Don’t forget they work on commission and may well point you in the direction of what suits their income, rather than your needs.

Do you buy a motorcycle to learn to ride or just use the one supplied from the training centres, or do you buy new or a second-hand motorcycle so that you can gain more experience beyond that which you receive through the training sessions?

Should you buy new or used, official or parallel import, buy a used machine from a dealer, or privately? They they all have merits for and against but at the end of day, the choice is yours. You can always get the AA or RAC to check over the motorcycle before you buy.

Further tips

If buying a motorbike, whether it`s a new or a used one, its important to know what to look for. If you`re clear on what you want before you start to look rather than letting what you see inform you, you`ve got more chance of finding a bike you can cherish. Only you will know what style/colour/modifications you want, but there are a few basic things you should check.

An all over check for any rust or cracking on any of the metal work on the bike. With most cruisers, this will be easy, but don`t be afraid to ask the seller to remove any fairing if you want a proper check, especially if the bike is more than ten years old. Have the bike fired up, and check the smell and texture of the smoke. If it is a four stroke bike, it shouldn`t be any less clear than a car. Ask the seller to check through all the gears while the bike is stationary to check the clutch and gearbox are not faulty. Before looking at a bike, check the average mileage of other bikes that age. If the one you`re looking at is excessively high, this obviously means the bike has been used heavily during its life. This might not necessarily be a bad thing, if the bike has been cared for well. Check the log book to see how frequently the bike has been serviced. Unfortunately, many cruiser owners will perform jobs on their bikes themselves, in which case you can still enquire as to their level of experience and the brands of components used. If the mileage looks suspiciously low for the bike`s age, it may have been tampered with at some point, doing so is generally an easier task to perform than on a car, so look out for this. A vital thing to do before buying any vehicle is to perform an HPI check. This can be used to clarify a vehicle`s last recorded mileage. It will also let you know if the bike has been reported stolen, has been recorded as an insurance write-off, or if it still has any outstanding finance against it.

New and used bikes can be bought either privately or from specialist dealers. Unlike car dealers, bike dealers will normally offer more than one brand of bike (although for some, like Harley Davidson, you`ll have to go to a specialist). Its now possible to buy a new bike over the internet, usually paying a deposit online, and the rest on collection, or via finance repayments. Buying a used bike online is more common, and may be less risky, as payment will usually be on collection, allowing you to check the bike over before the purchase. Online auction sites, or private ads sites such as Auto Trader will have a good choice available for comparison.

Its a good idea to make sure you can afford cover before buying your bike, as insurance is a legal requirement. Using a price comparison website allows you to compare not only the cost, but also the level of cover of different policies. For example, if you`re using your cruiser for cross-country trips, included breakdown cover might be useful. A good tip when buying is to check the exhaust of the bike. These are the most common modification owners make, but many replacements are not legal. A legitimate exhaust will be stamped with the BSI Kite Mark and CE mark.

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