The number of people in the world who own a car now stands at 1.4 billion. That’s around 18 percent of the total global population. Obviously, there’s a perception that cars are the ideal way to travel, but there is another option. Motorcycles are incredibly popular in populous countries like China and Vietnam, thanks largely to their small size and relatively cheaper running costs. This mode of transport might not be as popular as cars, but there are still plenty of reasons to ride a bike (and reasons not to, of course). Here are some of the pros and cons of riding a motorcycle if you’re indecisive.
Table of Contents
PRO: Motorcycles are smaller
With the world’s population quickly increasing, the benefits of a smaller and less intrusive mode of transportation should be obvious. Using a motorcycle, you can get to places much easier than you can in a car, largely because of the vehicle’s smaller size. Filtering, while not necessarily a legal manoeuvre in all situations, can save a lot of time during rush hour. It’s also possible to weave in and out of traffic that’s slow moving (assuming you’re doing so safely), meaning you can leave car owners in your dust. That’s a satisfying feeling for any motorcyclist.
CON: It’s hard to find good gear
High-quality suppliers of motorcycle gear are rare, and if you’re going to become a motorcyclist then you’ll definitely need good-quality gear. Boots, a helmet, and a jacket are all essentials for the enterprising motorcyclist, but they’re not all you need to consider; parts and replacements are also crucial, as they would be with a car. If you’re looking for a good place to go for motorcycle gear, then click here. It’s very important to buy good equipment; after all, it’s better to buy a good thing once than a bad thing several times.
PRO: Motorcycles handle better
Since motorcycles weigh less than cars, it’s much easier to make turns and handle them in general. A motorcycle feels like an extension of your body; after you’ve been riding one for a while, you’ll feel like you’re simply running on the road with wheels rather than riding something external. Although it’s true that cars often make corners more quickly than bikes, the acceleration and speed of a bike on a straight is very difficult to match. Controlling a motorbike simply feels less cumbersome and less weighty than making the same movements in a car.
CON: It’s less safe to ride a motorcycle
Generally, it’s agreed that riding motorcycles tends to be less safe than driving cars. While advocates of safe motorcycle riding argue that it’s entirely up to the rider to make sure they’re riding without danger, the stats still say that motorcyclists are more likely to find themselves in serious or even fatal accidents than people who drive cars. Of course, as a motorcyclist, it’s entirely possible for you to ride safely and not become one of these statistics, but it’s definitely true that you’ll have to look out for yourself more actively if you ride a motorcycle.
PRO: Motorcycles are more environmentally friendly
While it’s not necessarily true that motorcycles emit fewer greenhouse gases than cars do (although this can certainly be the case on a model-to-model basis), there are still ways in which motorcycles are a greener option than their four-wheeled cousins. It takes fewer parts to produce motorcycles, which means a factory can make more of them in the same period of time than they could make cars (assuming a similar rate of efficiency, of course). There’s also less pressure on the roads and on transport in general from motorcyclists, meaning they’re not contributing as much to deterioration of infrastructure.
CON: Your family won’t fit on a motorcycle
There’s a good reason why those with large families tend to gravitate more towards cars and larger SUVs than they do towards motorcycles. If you’re on a motorbike, you’ll probably be able to get you and another person on the bike, maximum. Of course, you can increase the people-carrying capacity of your bike using a sidecar, but you’ll still not be able to transport groups of more than three or four. If you have a large family and you regularly travel, then it’s probably not a great idea to opt for a motorcycle. Stick to environmentally friendly cars, or if you have a seriously large family, environmentally friendly SUVs.
PRO: Motorcycles give you a good workout
You might not believe it, but you’ll actually get a pretty solid round of exercise if you ride a motorcycle. Granted, it’s low-impact exercise, so it’s not likely to give you incredible muscle definition. Still, it’s much more physically demanding than driving a car. Riding a motorcycle is a constant resistance exercise, and you’ll burn around 600 calories an hour if you’re a motorcycle rider. You can also look forward to improved core definition and better muscle strength all around. It won’t replace a gym membership, but it’s healthier than the alternatives (except push bikes).
CON: Transporting things is harder on motorcycles
Just like transporting your family, you’re going to have significantly more trouble moving things around if you’re a motorcyclist. You’ll find transporting goods – furniture, for example, or heavy musical equipment – much more difficult on a motorcycle. Again, you can mitigate this issue somewhat with a sidecar, but that’s not going to make it easier to transport rafts of heavy goods. For that, it’s hard to beat a car. Motorcycles offer more freedom, but with freedom comes a decreased ability to use your vehicle as a storage medium.
