ALT-9 How to Choose the right Motorcycle for you
The pain between my shoulderblades was just intense enough not to be ignored.. I'd just been to visit my sister who lived near Huntly, about 535 kilometres from home. These days it doesn't seem all that far, but in the Spring of 1976 I had a Honda CB175. Even allowing for my own light weight and compact dimensions (you'd never believe I'm Dutch) it was not a particularly suitable mount for such a long journey. I tried to rationalise that a Ducati 750 Sport would have given me the same pain and that it would have used more fuel and probably need a bit of roadside R & R at some point but I didn't fool anybody, not even me. The problem was absurdly simple, really. Low, narrow handlebars and a bikini fairing looked sporting but forced me into a foetal crouch. If I used wider bars and sat upright, the restricted effective speed range of the engine meant that I'd be down to third gear in even a slight headwind.
The problem was not my body (no one calls me deformed - unless he's a specialist), which was, and still is, well-formed and firmly muscled and pleasingly proportioned. The problem wasn't the bike either. Used as Honda intended, the CB175 was economical, reliable and fun. The problem was that it was my only transport at a time when I covered a lot of distance. Its small engine and high specific output meant that it had very little torque and most of that was at or over 7000 rpm. That meant a lot of gear changing, a lot of throttle and frequent stops en route because the tank went on to reserve after just 85 miles, reinforced by the uncomfortable seat. The engine got very hot on the highway, so I had to check the oil level at every second fuel stop because the sump was tiny. Briefly, I'd bought the wrong motorcycle. I actually bought it en route to my sister, when the alternator on my Triumph Tiger Cub burnt out. Yes, I agree, the Cub wasn't the right bike either although it had a good seat and the 3 gallon tank gave it a highway range of about 270 miles in theory. In practice it never ran all the way to empty without breaking down.
The bigger Japanese bikes at that time, at least those I could afford to think about, tended to be thirsty and had a reputation for dubious handling and speed-wobbles. British bikes were cheaper and handled well, but so many thieves were stealing them to order that they were uninsurable. General use, commuting and trips up to 700 kilometres, day or night and in all weather..... a BMW was the answer. Or would have been if I'd had more money. They were uncommon in New Zealand in the seventies, and they didn't depreciate. After reading a magazine test I bought a 1972 Ural 650. It felt good when I test-rode it, with lots of torque at low to medium speed, a good riding position and good lights. And it was designed by BMW. In 1940. You guessed it; it was another wrong choice. It may have been designed by BMW, but it was built by Russians in a factory which must have worked only on Mondays and Fridays in Winter. The best thing I can say in its favour is that it never left me stranded a long way from home, but that's only because I didn't dare to ride it very far by myself. The car I bought to replace it wasn't a good choice either, but that's another story.
So much for wrong choices. How do you make the right choice?
Several things come to mind. How much money do you have available to buy a motorcycle after deducting the cost of suitable clothing? What is it going to be used for? Will it be your only transport? Will you be carrying a passenger often? Do you have a particular model in mind? Are you buying new or used?
Think carefully about this. If you plan to cover long distances, particularly at night, you shouldn't buy a supermotard, or anything with a single cylinder for that matter. Or a very small fuel tank. If you need to ride in city traffic and on long trips, with some dirt road mileage, a medium-sized (750 - 900) cruiser might be right for you, or if you don't mind a high seat, an adventure bike. Definitely not a 600 sport-bike though, too specialised.
Accept no substitutes. After the Ural, I made a series of right choices. For my only transport, with a bit of city traffic, a bit of touring and quite a lot of fast riding on winding roads, day and night, rain or shine, a Honda CB450 twin was ideal. Later, when I also had a car, I wanted a good punchy 650 twin, and a Yamaha XS650 was the right choice. I really wanted a Triumph at the time, but the Yamaha did a big mileage and left me stranded only once in three years.
More recently, after 15 years of cars, I went back to bikes. My choice was influenced by the need to get gently back into motorcycling with a bike big enough to cover, say, 300 - 400 kilometres in a day but small enough not to intimidate me. After two years on a Jawa 350, I felt confident enough to buy something bigger. Knowing exactly what I wanted, I found it - a BMW R65, in a dealership just 440 kilometres away. Yes, it was in Winter. I flew up and rode it home. I was tempted by an R100RS in the same showroom, a bit older but with a full fairing and a bigger engine...
The R100RS was more expensive, but affordable. It was the earlier. twin-shock model and the R65 had the later monolever rear suspension. Having ridden both types, I chose the smaller bike because I knew it would handle better. It was the right choice, and I'm likely to have it for a long time to come.
Assuming you have sorted out such things as price, the most important factor in choosing the right motorcycle is to know with some accuracy what you need, and to stick to those parameters.
