Motorcycles have become one of the great solutions for urban transport in large cities. Its lightness and ease of parking make it the ideal vehicle for getting around cities. However, many people discard them because of their danger and the great risk that exists in case of suffering any type of accident. On top of a motorcycle, only our body and our helmet go In the event of an impact, we fly away and not the protection and airbag that we have in a single-seater. Therefore, it is necessary to know all these aspects when calculating motorcycle insurance.
What is riding a motorcycle?
Riding a motorcycle is the action of placing yourself at the controls of a motorcycle, starting it up and running. There are two large types of motorcycles that we can govern. On the one hand, we will find the scooters. It is an ideal type of motorcycle for those people who want to travel in a relaxed, comfortable and calm way. They have more space to store luggage such as helmets or other types of equipment. Even under the seat we would find the possibility of doing it. They are ideal for transporting any type of passenger, be it a child, a teenager or an adult. They can do many kilometers within their capabilities thanks to the possibility of being able to opt for a much more relaxed posture than on other types of motorcycles. Different sizes can be found.
On the other hand, motorcycles, vehicles that have a manual transmission, are focused on a younger public and all those people who love motorcycles above all else. They allow you to maintain greater control over the machine, especially thanks to the existence of the engine brake, providing us with another element to accelerate or brake as we want. They are somewhat more uncomfortable when it comes to transporting passengers, but they are also much more fun for routes and outings with a group of people. Those who love curves should opt for this type of motorcycle. In fact, on this type of terrain they are especially important since we will be able to accelerate, speed up the braking and bring it more to our style than on a scooter, where everything tends to be more scheduled. The automatic transmission always changes the same, and we cannot graduate it in our own way as in the other type of motorcycles. Within this typology, we can adapt it with a Harley, another cross-country motorcycle, trail. Everything within our reach.
Obviously, if we refer to big cities, scooters take the cake thanks to their comfort. Something similar happens with cars. The automatic ones allow to face a traffic jam with greater margin of maneuver. We just have to press the accelerator and the brake and go. If we do not dare to zigzag between the vehicles, with a scooter we will only have to hit the accelerator and the brake, and not be clutching, placing first gear and neutral constantly. In addition, they also take up less space and, therefore, if we want to park we will have more possibilities than with a motorcycle. In fact, with large displacements, these motorcycles can occupy a large space, especially if we choose to fill all their sides. However, above all, the motorcycle market offers numerous alternatives to satisfy each and every one of the available needs. It is also easier to wash a motorcycle than a car.
Benefits of riding a motorcycle
All in all, riding a motorcycle brings enormous benefits for all those people who opt for two-wheeled vehicles. The most prominent are the following:
- No parking problems in big cities. Going on a motorcycle avoids one of the great drawbacks of the car in the main towns, and especially at rush hour: parking. With a motorcycle you have many more parking options, and they are also free. Let’s not forget that big cities have blue and green zones, where you must pay and also allow parking for a limited time.
- Skip traffic jams Rush hours also mean long queues and wasting a lot of time in the car. On a motorcycle you don’t have this same problem. Although it is not recommended, due to the possibility of suffering any type of accident, it is possible to zigzag with your vehicle to move forward until it overcomes the collapse and circulates normally again.
- Lower consumption than cars. Due to its lower weight, and the smaller size of its engine, the consumption of a motorcycle will always be considerably less than that of a single-seater. Therefore, in the long run you can save a lot of money if you choose to drive a motorcycle rather than a car.
- Lowest prices on the market. At the same time, buying a motorcycle is also cheaper than a car. In this sense, we have a greater possibility of changing vehicles more frequently due to the lower cost of two wheels compared to four wheels.
However, we must not ignore the greater danger that motorcycles have compared to cars. While on all four wheels we have a body that protects us, on the motorcycle we barely have a helmet and our ability to know how to fall in the event of suffering any type of accident. In addition, inclement weather is another of the great setbacks that we can find. Rain and snow, or fog among others, have a greater impact if we ride a motorcycle than if we do it in a car where the bodywork will protect us, at the same time, from getting wet or getting cold throughout the winter. Thus, the motorcycles will require the use of a good coat with protections, gloves and clothing that allows not to catch a cold when we circulate with really low temperatures.
How to ride a motorcycle?
Once we have convinced you to choose a motorcycle, we will learn how you can drive one and get the most out of it. We have two types of options: scooters or motorcycles. The main difference lies in an automatic or manual transmission system. Scooters are a simpler type of motorcycle. All you have to do is put on your helmet, turn on the motorcycle with the key and start riding. The only thing we have to know is that we will have the gas on the right lever. Sliding our fist forward we will accelerate and we will be able to start the motorcycle. The brakes are similar to those of a bicycle. The front brake is also located on the right lever, while on the left we will have a similar device for the rear brake. It is advisable to activate both at the same time and with a progressive force, especially the front one. If we lose the front end, we are talking about an almost certain fall. With the rear we can counter steer and save the possible fall. On the control panel we will find other useful devices for us such as the turn signals, the oil or fuel levels, or the horn that will serve to alert the rest of a possible dangerous situation.
If, on the other hand, we opt for a motorcycle, we must learn to use gears. The transmission is manual and the situation of all the elements of the motorcycle varies a bit. The way of lighting up changes. We make contact with the key and when the green light comes on we press the ignition button to start the engine. We will have to do it in neutral. This gear is between first and second gear. Once we are in this situation, we will press the clutch, which is the lever that acts as a rear brake on a scooter. With your fingers we will pull it back, and holding it tight, with the gear lever located on the left side of the motorcycle we will pull it down to engage first gear. Once this point is reached, we will have to let go of the clutch little by little while giving gas with the accelerator, located on the right handle of the motorcycle as on the scooter. If the process is not carried out, the motorcycle will stall and stop automatically, forcing this process to be restarted. If, on the other hand, we do it correctly, the motorcycle will be put into circulation. Since then, we will have to listen to the engine and it will tell us when to go up and down gear. Rush every five or six speed. It will increase the fuel consumption of the motorcycle. Remember that to go up a gear we must squeeze the clutch and pull the gear lever up. Otherwise, we must carry out the same procedure and pull the lever down.
Another of the big changes is that the rear brake is on the right foot. One of the big mistakes made by beginners and people used to riding a scooter is forgetting the rear brake. Brake only with the front and have many options to fall. Remember that you must brake with both progressively. The control panel, for its part, is similar to that of a scooter. All in all, riding a motorcycle will bring us many advantages of comfort as well as an atmosphere of speed compared to a car. If for our part we opt for a gear motorcycle we will have greater control over it by having the engine brake, being able to speed up the gears and having a more racing feeling. On the other hand, with a scooter we can walk, enjoy without worries on the motorcycle.
