What are the different types of motorcycles?

I think I misspoke yesterday when I said I wanted a sports bike for my long open road trip. I dont mean like a racing motorcycle. I just want a cool looking bike that isnt one of those humongous bikes with like a 10 gallon holding compartment in the back and side compartments etc…

When you say ‘sport bike’ people think of a particular kind of bike that is very popular today. The -real- sportbikes today are really racing bikes for the street, they are very single purpose, very serious. Their design sacrifices everything to speed and handling, so they are fast as hell but they aren’t very comfortable for a long trip. These bikes are so popular that they represent a big share of the entire motorcycle market, so all the Japanese manufacturers make one, and they compete strongly for that market share. Honda CBR, Suzuki GSX-R, Yamaha R1 and R6, and Kawasaki makes one too but I forget the number.

But there are also more general-purpose sport bikes, we might call them ‘sporty bikes’. The Kawasaki Ninja seems to be the one most often mentioned here, but again all the manufacturers make them. They still have plenty of power and handle well enough to give you a thrill, plus they are easier to ride, more comfortable, and probably safer. Sometimes these are called ‘sport touring’ bikes because they are sporty but still comfortable for a long ride.

The Harley Davidson Sportster is not really in either of these classes. It’s an entry-level cruiser. Its not a bad bike for what it is, but I think you could do better for the same money with a Japanese bike. The Sportster came about in the 1950s when Harley execs saw a lot of British and German bikes being imported because they were lighter and faster and handled better than the standard Harley. So they decided to compete by making a smaller Harley. But it never really competed with the foreign bikes, it came to be seen more as an ‘entry level’ Harley. There are always a lot of used Sportsters in Craigslist and on EBay for reasonable prices, and I’ve always wondered if this was because people buy them, then fall out of love with them and want something else, or if they love them so much they want to move up to a bigger Harley.

In the old days, almost all bikes were ‘standards’. In those days, you bought a motorcycle and if you wanted to race it (or look racy) you’d put low handlebars on it, a little bullet fairing, stiffer shocks, maybe different carbs, etc., and build a ‘cafe racer’. If you wanted a touring bike you’d start with the same bike, put on a fairing and bags and maybe a more comfortable seat. They used to say in those days that a ‘touring bike’ was any bike you could bungee a sleeping bag to. 8^) Today bikes are more special-purpose–touring, cruising, off-road, etc. etc.

Just in the category of ‘sport touring’ some bikes are sport bikes you can tour on and some are touring bikes you can ride fast. There is a wide range here from sporty bikes like the V-Strom that are also comfortable enough to ride all day, to touring bikes like the Honda ST1300 which are styled a little bit sporty but are really designed for all-day freeway riding.

As for brands, all the Japanese mfgrs are pretty good. They compete against one another. They are well-engineered, reliable and long-lived, and economical. I think Honda is best but they are all good. Generally speaking, more cylinders means smoother, fewer cylinders mean more ‘character’. Water-cooled is smoother, quieter, longer-lasting but heavier.

You don’t want a new bike for your first bike. You want something maybe 5-10 years old, old enough to be depreciated but new enough that you can still get parts and service. After a year or so you can sell this ‘old beater’ for about what you paid for it, and by then you’ll have a better idea of what you really want. If you plan to do long distances at highway speed you want something at least 500cc, and 650cc is better. Bigger bikes are heavier and harder to handle, at first, but a 650 is not so huge that you won’t be able to manage it. So long as you can sit on the bike with both feet flat on the ground.

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