Riding a motorcycle is thrilling, rewarding, and a chance to disconnect from the stresses of daily life. But, it’s also a big responsibility. Most car drivers don’t see bikers, meaning that you have to be extra vigilant and predict their moves in order to keep yourself safe.
That is why you need to carefully consider which bike is right for you and whether there is such a thing as a bike that is too big.
Defining Too Big
There are several possibilities when stating that a bike is too big:
- Height
The general consensus is that you need to be able to put your feet flat on the ground when riding a motorcycle. This helps to ensure that you have stability when you stop and don’t drop the bike.
This is potentially even more important when you are choosing off-ride bikes, such as this selection of KTM dirt bikes Sydney.
However, a competent rider can handle a bike without both feet being comfortably on the ground, they simply learn to lean slightly as they stop and brace the bike with one foot.
- Power
Power is another measure of how big the bike is. In general, more powerful bikes are larger but this isn’t always the case.
Anyone can ride a powerful bike but, again, it is potentially better than the biggest and most powerful bikes are saved for those with experience.
Being able to get from 0-60 in a few seconds means you can quickly get into trouble, it’s better to have some experience regarding how to handle this.
- Weight
In general cruisers and bikes with large engines, weigh considerably more than sports and off-road bikes. This can make them harder to handle, especially when traveling at slower speeds. To counteract this, many of these style bikes have lower seating positions, reducing the center of gravity and making it easier to maintain balance at slow speeds.
Don’t forget that once a bike is rolling it is very easy to keep it balanced, slow speeds are a much greater challenge.
Some people are concerned that a large bike will be an issue if they do accidentally drop it. The concern is that it won’t be possible to pick it back up. However, it’s possible for any size of the person to pick up any bike, providing you use the right technique.
Considerations When Deciding If A Bike Is too Big
As a novice rider, it is advisable to ensure that both feet can be placed firmly on the ground. This will help to ensure you don’t drop the bike accidentally and injure it or yourself. In that sense, a bike that is too tall for you can be too big.
However, once you have experience riding this will be less of an issue. Equally, the weight and the power of the bike will no longer seem like an issue. In other words, you can ride any motorcycle, there is no such thing as one that is too big for you. Simply take your desired bike for a test run first and consider the following:
- Comfort
Perhaps the most important consideration is how comfortable you feel on the bike. That’s not just if the seat is comfortable to sit on, it’s also about whether the controls are easy to reach, the pedals feel right, and the back support, if there is any, s helpful.
- Balance When Stationary
Before you pull off sit on the bike and consider how comfortable you are. The bike may feel too tall, too short, or even too wide. This may make the bike feel difficult to balance or it may simply seem heavier on one side.
Consider carefully whether this is a situation you can live with or whether it will always make going for a ride a chore. That’s the last thing you want to do!
- Confidence
As no bike is really too big the real decision on whether to invest in one or not is reliant on whether you feel confident on the bike. This feeling is often tied to experience, the greater your experience of riding the more confidence you’ll feel on any bike.
Take a moment to consider this before choosing a bike and make sure you test ride it. There is no better way of ensuring you really like the bike, or not.
Don’t forget that the bike also needs to fit the type of riding you do. A big bike is great for the open road but can be harder work commuting through a busy town every day. If that’s your main ride then size isn’t everything and a smaller, nimbler bike is a better option.
Choosing the right bike is as important as thinking about whether one is too big for you or not, you need to enjoy using it every day. That’s why dirt bikes have become so popular in recent years, they are great for an array of functions.