One of the most basic aspects of motorcycle touring is what kind of bike is best. Motorcycles come in several different styles, and each style is designed to excel at a certain type of riding. Touring bikes are big and have lots of options to make long distance travel more enjoyable. Sport bikes are all about speed and acceleration. Recent years have seen the emergence of sport-touring bikes, which attempt to operate well in both worlds. How can you recognize each type, and which should you choose when you’re just getting started?
First of all, you should understand that touring motorcycles are big and heavy. They are expensive to buy, ranging up to $20,000-plus, or even more. They also require some pretty good handling skills to operate. In short, a touring motorcycle is not something you should buy as a beginner. To get used to riding, you should start out with a standard bike, which tends to be more upright, moderately powered, moderately priced, and a great deal easier to ride. Once you’ve spent some time at this level, then you’ll be ready to move on to different types.
Sport bikes are incredibly popular, especially if you let YouTube be your guide to popularity. Often called “crotch rockets,” these motorcycles pack a lot of power into a relatively light frame. This results in unbelievable acceleration times, like zero to 60 miles per hour in around three seconds! When you consider their agility and speed, sport bikes are not necessarily a great choice for beginners either. It’s too easy to let your riding quickly move beyond your skills.
The relatively new sport-touring motorcycle brings together aspects of both touring and sport bikes. I suppose you could say that a sport-touring bike is touring motorcycle made sporty. However, most agree that things go the other way: these bikes started out as sport bikes and have been modified to make them more suitable for touring. This usually involves modifying the engine to maximize torque instead of horsepower, lengthening the wheelbase and leaving ground clearance high. The result is a touring motorcycle with power to spare. Unless, of course, you want to think of it as a civilized sport bike.
What happens when you want to go touring in a region where it’s often raining? What if the weather on your trip turns cool and damp? Motorcycle rain gear is the answer. Rain gear can turn normally uncomfortable conditions into a good ride experience. Cheap rain suits may be an attractive alternative, but you regret not buying something that works. But don’t view your rain suit as a superhero cape that makes rain riding safe. It’s for keeping the rain where it belongs, it doesn’t magically keep your bike on the wet roads.
Motorcycle rain gear extends your riding time. Obviously, rain suits allow you ride on a rainy day. But rain gear can also turn cold, damp rides into more enjoyable adventures. As seasons transition from one to the next, weather can often be unpredictable. Say you’ve been planning a trip for weeks and everything is set for the weekend. But when the weekend rolls around, you wake up to a cloudy and cool, foggy or misty day. In other words, the weather is just good enough to make canceling seem like an overreaction, but it’s just bad enough to make any riding totally uncomfortable. Good quality rain gear provides excellent protection from the elements and gives you more control over your riding schedule.
Don’t try to save loads of money on the motorcycle rain gear you buy. There is always a temptation to assume that you’re buying something you won’t use that often, so going for the discount brand is fine. I can almost guarantee you that you will never regret any penny you spend on good rain gear. Cheap motorcycle rain suits allow water to come in at the seams and around openings. This means they are failing at their most basic function. Plus, cheap gear is usually made from materials that don’t breathe properly. That means you’ll start perspiring inside the suit, and essentially end up as wet as you would have without the suit at all.
You should remember that riding in the rain is more than just slapping on some rain gear and heading down the road. Wet weather motorcycle touring requires more attention and care from the rider. With only two wheels touching the pavement, hydroplaning can happen quickly and turn disastrous. Your visibility may be hindered, and you will certainly be less visible to others on the highway. So don’t start thinking your rain suit will be an all-access pass in any kind of weather. There are some days when it is simply too wet to ride.
Choosing a motorcycle helmet is one of those areas where choosing what you like may be the best way to decide. It sounds a little crazy to say that when there seem to be so many different features to compare. Helmets come in a wide range of styles, they have different safety ratings of which you should be aware, and come with accessories like Bluetooth and intercom systems.
So why would I maintain that choosing based on what you like is the top priority? Motorcycle helmets only work if you are wearing them. If you buy a motorcycle helmet you absolutely love, then you will wear it more often. You should love it enough that you would never dream of riding without it. That way, it shifts helmet wearing from something you must do to stay safe to something you love to do because you look good. And those emotions are simply stronger than self-preservation and planning for unlikely events.
Unless you buy some sort of novelty helmet, you should be fine when it comes to safety. There are always two ratings to look for: DOT and Snell. The Snell rating means the helmet has been certified by the Snell Memorial Foundation after extensive testing. Manufacturers must submit their helmets and pay for certification. The DOT rating is less useful. It is based on an impact test which determines how much of the impact is absorbed before reaching your head. However, a DOT rating doesn’t necessarily mean that every helmet displaying it has been tested. Manufacturers can claim the DOT rating based on similar materials and design. You’ll pay more for a Snell-certified helmet, but it’s worth it.
Even after you take your motorcycle helmet home, you don’t have to stop there. There are many ways to customize and personalize your helmet. Although most people interested in motorcycle touring won’t want the helmet “Mohawk,” such a thing is available if you do. Custom paint jobs are probably one of the most popular customizations, but there are also decals available if painting is too pricey for you.
If you ride your motorcycle on a regular basis, you may be missing some additional insurance. Here’s what you need to know. Basic insurance coverage is mandatory. There are additional policies or additions you might want to consider. Not only will they give you peace of mind, they may actually help save a trip from being a total failure.
Chances are you already have basic coverage on your bike. This is the insurance that covers things like liability, damage to your bike, and theft. Liability insurance is mandatory everywhere, so if you don’t have it, you should avoid riding your bike until you do. But there are additional types of motorcycle insurance that go beyond the required basics.
You should consider additional accessory coverage if your motorcycle is more expensive, has a lot of optional equipment, or has been heavily customized. This coverage will come in the form of a “rider” on your existing policy. It’s main function is to extend coverage beyond basic costs and items. Check your current policy. You may find that there are limitations you weren’t aware of. When insurance policies say they will replace only a certain amount or certain items, they mean it. The only way to be sure that it’s covered, is to make sure that it’s actually listed in the policy.
Roadside assistance could end up being a real life saver, or at least a trip saver. If your motorcycles quits on the highway, leaving you stranded without tools, fuel or anything else it takes to get going again, roadside assistance will pay for towing, minor repairs, fuel, or other helpful functions.
Rental coverage (usually part of your main insurance policy) will pay for the rental of a replacement motorcycle while your current bike is being repaired. Usually, this only kicks in for collision damage, not when your bike is just broken down.
Cargo trailers can allow you to carry more gear and extend your trips to greater distances. But you should verify that your trailer is covered under your existing policy. You may need to hook up some trailer coverage to your motorcycle insurance.
You may be able to purchase trip interruption insurance on a trip-by-trip basis. Sometimes trips are interrupted by mechanical breakdowns, accidents, or illness. With this type of coverage, you could be reimbursed for extra costs resulting from the interruption. This could include penalties for changing reservations, extra nights on the road, or other possibilities.
Helmet choices abound, but three manufacturers stand out: Arai, Shoei and Bell. Arai motorcycle helmets are built on a foundation of personal touch. Their protective features are a given. The real story is the choices riders have for matching helmet design to personality. Arai has managed to successfully merge the concepts of safety and fashionable. But the single most important distinction between Arai and other manufacturers is that Arai helmets are almost completely handmade. No other manufacturer can make that statement.
Shoei motorcycle helmets are known for their blending of comfort and performance. Each helmet model is available in ten different forms. Shoei also produces different sizes that are designed to fit Americans, Asians and Europeans. Riders with relatively smaller heads often look to the Shoei helmet line to find a more perfect fit (which makes the helmet safer). No helmet leaves the Shoei facilities until it has passed a complete battery of rigorous test. Finding a defect in workmanship with a Shoei helmet will almost certainly be a fruitless endeavor.
Bell motorcycle helmets are easy to identify by their shape and the distinctive company logo. Helmets are made in a full range of styles, from flashy to minimal, from sleek to classic. Barring a major accident, you should expect your Bell helmet to last a lifetime. In addition to their road helmets that are great for motorcycle touring, Bell also manufactures motocross, open-face and street helmets.
Motorcycle helmets are definitely the most important safety accessory out there, so important that it’s difficult for me to call them an accessory. They are more like a motorcycle essential. But the protection helmets provide doesn’t mean they have to be utilitarian. With today’s materials and design processes, there is almost no limit to how stylish and customized these helmets can be.
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