Pros and Cons of Riding a Motorbike?

Riding a motorcycle is among the most beloved activities for those who love bikes. There are many reasons why bikes are one of the favorite modes of transport for many around the world, particularly in the US.

There are motorcycle enthusiasts who love to ride motorbikes. Whether they have to travel to work, go to college, or they want to explore the world, they choose a bike.

Most motorbike enthusiasts don’t ride bikes because there are many advantages to it. They ride motorcycles because it makes them happy.

However, where there are pros, there are cons of riding a motorbike, too. Many people don’t ride a bike because they think it is not safe. Motorbikes lack safety features, but the experience you get from riding a bike is unmatched.

There is a never-ending debate about cars and motorcycles between bike riders and car drivers. When you discuss the pros and cons of motorbikes, you naturally start comparing them with cars.

Continue reading this article to learn in detail about the pros and cons of riding a motorcycle. Let’s find out whether riding a motorbike is useful or worth the risk.

There are countless useful advantages/pros to riding a bike. Let’s discuss them one by one in detail:

Motorbikes are quite cheaper than most fancy cars. The reason is pretty obvious. Bikes are smaller in size. They have smaller engines and fewer parts compared to cars. Motorcycles are easier to build and produce compared to cars. These are some key reasons why they are quite affordable than other vehicles.

Motorcycles consume way less fuel than cars and other large vehicles. They have smaller engines compared to cars, and as a result, this engine draws in less fuel to operate.

Motorbikes are also quite lightweight compared to other vehicles. Being lighter, they do not require high torque figures to propel them forward, as in the case of cars.

Most people don’t know about this, but riding a motorcycle helps relieve stress. This is not just a claim; it is a proven fact. According to a recent study by Brain Research, motorcycling helps in decreasing the cortisol level in riders’ bodies, which is a stress hormone.

Besides, motorcycling also helps in releasing dopamine, which is a happy hormone. It also raises the level of adrenaline in your body, which keeps you entertained.

There are many mental health benefits to riding a motorcycle. If you want to have all these positive impacts of motorcycling, start riding a bike.

Compared to other vehicles powered by the engine, motorbikes are quite small in size. They take up much less space than any other vehicles on the road. This also makes motorbikes easier to park than cars and other large vehicles.

Being small in size, motorcycles make it quite easier to zip through busy roads. As a biker, you can easily make your way even on busy roads. A motorcycle can also switch between lanes easily or can be ridden between two lanes if the local law allows riders to do so.

If you ride a motorcycle, you can reach your destination on time, particularly if you have to travel within the city. As the world progresses, the number of cars, motorbikes, and vehicles on the roads also increases. The roads are becoming busier, and traffic jams are becoming common.

To tackle such situations, motorcycles are quite an effective mode of transport. You don’t have to keep standing in a queue.

Most riders love the experience of riding a bike. When the air hits your face and body as you cruise down the open roads and highways, this is something that cannot be described. Unlike cars, you aren’t trapped inside an enclosed or cage-like structure. You are closer to nature when you are riding a motorbike.

Motorcycles may have smaller engines compared to cars, but due to being lightweight and smaller in size, they have an exceptional power-to-weight ratio. The high power-to-weight ratio makes motorbikes very exciting and fun to ride. It is a mixed feeling that cannot be described in words.

There are motorbikes, particularly sports bikes and performance cruisers, that take you to another world when you twist the throttle. There is a quote that perfectly sums up the experience of riding a motorcycle:

“Four Wheels Move the Body, Two Wheels Move the Soul.”

Besides being more affordable and fuel-efficient, motorcycles are also cheaper to maintain. This may sound simple, but only the owner can tell what it is like to maintain a car. You can do so many things you like with the money you save on maintaining a motorbike.

In America, the motorcycling community is very strong. It is easier for a biker to make new friends even if you have moved to a new place. You can find people with similar interests. There are also many female motorbike riders out there if you are looking for more than a friendship with a biker.

There are many riding clubs and motorcycle clubs operating in almost every part of the US. If you are a motorcycle enthusiast, you can also join them.

Even if you don’t want to join a motorcycle club, you can still be a part of the biker community. You will still have support from riders in case your motorbike breaks down in the middle of the road.

Due to being lightweight, motorcycles are more maneuverable and agile than cars. This makes them more fun and thrilling to ride. It only makes bikes easier to ride in urban settings. It also makes them very sporty and addictive for high-speed and bike stunts.

Motorcycles have small engines compared to cars and other large vehicles, which eventually leads to less carbon footprints. They are considerably better for the environment as they produce less toxic gases.

However, the pace at which electric bikes progress is quite slow. Riders don’t seem to accept the electric bike culture any time soon. Meanwhile, electric cars have become quite a common thing.

If you don’t treat motorcycles with respect and don’t ride them defensively, they are quite dangerous. Riders need to ensure they follow the traffic rules and wear protective riding gear at all times during the ride.

Due to being lightweight and sporty, they accelerate quite fast. There are many motorbikes that can even beat performance cars when it comes to drag racing.

Motorcycles are inherently riskier to ride. However, riders can ensure that their journeys are safe if they follow the safety rules. Motorbikes can kill you if you are a reckless bike rider or a motorcycle squid.

Why are motorcycles considered dangerous? The main reason behind this is the lack of safety features. Bikes do not come with seatbelts, airbags, and an enclosed structure like cars. If you meet an accident on a motorbike, the chances of surviving severe injuries and death are less compared to car accidents.

Due to being smaller and faster, motorcycles are less visible than cars and other vehicles. A car driver or a large vehicle needs to carefully look out for a motorcycle while on the road. Bikes are prone to get into the blind spot of a large vehicle. Therefore, as a car driver, you need to be very vigilant about bikers on the road, particularly while driving at night.

Bike riders must also use reflectors on their bikes and wear reflective vests and gear to be more visible while riding.

Motorcycles are not suitable for riding in the rain. They are also useless during extreme winter when it snows. Riders use to store their bikes for the whole winter season if it snows in your region.

Motorbikes are open and exposed. There is no enclosed and protective structure safeguarding the bike rider. The rider is directly exposed to the external conditions and weather.

On extremely sunny or windy days, it is unsafe to ride a motorbike. If the winds are too fast, it can make the ride highly unsuitable. Motorcycles come with two wheels and require balancing to keep them planted. Winds acting in different directions can make it very dangerous for riders to continue riding.

If you used to ride your motorcycle on backcountry roads, you must have experienced bug attacks. It is quite risky to ride in such a situation. If a rider wears a helmet, he/she will not have to eat bugs.

However, the helmet visor gets so dirty with hundreds of bugs sticking to the visor, making riding nearly impossible. You will not be able to see through your helmet visor. It happens to almost every bike rider, and it is quite frustrating.

A biker needs to be more active and alert than a car driver. It is important for a rider to be safe. Consider everything as a threat on the road if you are a bike rider. Even a small stone, a pothole, or a bump can become a reason for a bike accident.

However, the same pothole or bump wouldn’t be an issue for a car. When you see everything as a threat on the road while riding, you will not be able to enjoy the ride.

Riding a motorcycle may be more fun and thrilling, but the fact that you have to wear and carry proper protective riding gear is frustrating sometimes. You cannot carry a particular hairstyle or dress as you want if you ride a bike.

You have to ensure that you wear a helmet, leather jacket, riding pants, and riding boots while riding. This is one of the major reasons why many people prefer cars over motorbikes.

Motorcycles don’t have good storage space as you will find in cars. Most motorbikes have little to no storage space, while some bikes, like touring or adventure touring bikes, come with standard luggage bags.

If you add more luggage options to your bike to carry the load, there is a possibility that you will interfere with its handling. The ride may become unstable if you don’t mount the luggage in the right way.

Therefore, we always suggest visiting Viking Bags, a top motorcycle luggage bag manufacturer, to find the best-suited luggage options for your particular make and model. There are a variety of luggage options to choose from, including saddlebags, sissy bar bags, backpacks, tank bags, motorcycle trunks, and much more.

The worst thing about motorcycles is that they are becoming quite expensive, especially the ones you get attracted to. It has become quite difficult for a bike rider to find a dream bike that falls under his budget.

You will have to settle for a compromise while looking to buy a bike. Harley Davidson, the most desirable motorbike brand in the US, is the most expensive, too. You need to have a wealthy background if you want to ride a new and top Harley motorbike and maintain it.

Similarly, if you prefer one of the best performance sports bikes, like the Ducati, they are also getting out of reach. If you are a budget-conscious bike rider with limited resources, there are very limited options for you in the new bike market. You will most likely have to find a bike in the old bike market.

Riding a motorcycle may sound simple, but most of them are not easy to ride. Whether it is a cruiser bike, sports bike, touring bike, adventure bike, or dirt bike, every bike requires practicing and training.

You cannot start on a motorbike above 500 cc. Firstly, they will be heavier, and secondly, they will be more powerful for you to handle. Motorcycles are no joke. You need to gain a good amount of experience and enroll in safety riding courses to become a better rider.