Some people get into motorcycle riding at a very young age. Maybe you have a parent who likes to ride, so you feel like you’ll follow in their footsteps. You might see motorcycles portrayed on TV shows and in movies and think they look fun and exciting.
Motorcycles come with a particular lifestyle, and some people love them. However, if you are going to own a motorcycle and ride one, there are a few things you should take the time to consider. We’ll talk about just a few of them in this article.
1. They Are Considerably More Dangerous Than Other Vehicles
You might have heard that motorcycles are more dangerous than cars and other vehicles. That’s not just an opinion, though. There is ample evidence every year to back up that assertion.
The Nicolet Law website mentions that “motorcyclists are 16 times more likely to die” in vehicular accidents than their counterparts who are driving cars. That’s a sobering stat if you take the time to think about it.
The reason why you’re much more likely to die in a motorcycle wreck is that there is no protective frame around you like there is with cars and trucks. You are out there, exposed to the elements, and even if you wear a helmet and pads, it is not a substitute for the protection another vehicle variety affords you.
2. Your Family Might Worry About You if You Ride a Motorcycle
Even if you decide that riding a motorcycle is worth it because you enjoy the accompanying thrill, you might have to change your mind once you have a family. If you live alone and don’t have a partner or spouse, you don’t have to consider their feelings. If you don’t have kids, the same thing is true.
Once you marry or have a partner and start a family, you will have to think about other people besides yourself. You might still want the rush of riding your motorcycle sometimes but think how your spouse and kids would feel if they get a call from the police or a hospital one night telling them you died out on the highway somewhere.
Giving up a motorcycle is sometimes an indicator that you’re growing up and you’re thinking about other people over yourself. At the very least, if you are going to keep riding when you have a family, wear a helmet and pads constantly. You can also tell them you’ll never drink alcohol and ride your motorcycle or do anything similarly reckless.
3. They Are Not as Practical as Some Other Vehicles
If you own a motorcycle, you must realize that they are not as practical as getting a car or truck. If you have a car or truck, there is room in it for several people. If you have a family, it makes a lot more sense to get a vehicle that is large enough to fit several individuals.
The larger your family, the more it makes sense to get rid of your motorcycle and get a car, truck, or minivan. If that does not convince you, you should also consider that you can’t fit the same cargo on a motorcycle that you can if you have a car or something larger.
If you have a family, you’ll probably have to go grocery shopping sometimes. You might have to pick up a load of mulch from Home Depot or get a Christmas tree around the holidays.
You can accommodate a lot more in the vehicle if you give up your motorcycle. You can take trips to Costco or Ralph’s and load up on groceries, which you could never do if you don’t make the switch.
4. You Can Be Part of a Lifestyle
So far, we’ve talked about some of the negatives if you own a motorcycle. There are positives that are worth talking about as well.
At the top of the list is that if you decide you want to keep your motorcycle, it makes you part of a particular lifestyle you’re embracing. Bikers seem to belong to a club, a fraternity of sorts. If you ride, you’re part of a group of adventure-seekers all over the country.
You might decide to go to the big bike rally in Sturgis, South Dakota, every year. There, you can talk about motorcycles and check out all the customized bikes that people have. You can share your passion with them.
Some people who ride wear Harley Davidson gear all the time. It’s the way they advertise to other bikers that they’re part of the club.
This might be a huge part of your identity. If that’s true, then you might decide that’s what matters more than how practical a motorcycle is or how dangerous it can be.
5. You Can Have Both a Motorcycle and Another Vehicle
The last thing worth considering is that you can make a sort of compromise if you reach the point in your life where you are still riding, but you’re starting a family. Your spouse or partner might worry about you, and you can tell them you’re willing to get another vehicle and drive that most of the time.
Meanwhile, you can keep your motorcycle in the garage, and you can take it out and ride it sometimes when the mood strikes you. You might ride it on the weekends and only on days when the weather is nice. You can avoid rainstorms and other potentially dangerous conditions.
That’s a good way to split the difference between your responsible family life and still being a little wild and crazy when you feel the need to do that. You can still be a part of the fraternity we mentioned, but you can drive to and from work in a much safer vehicle most of the time.
That might be the best thing to do at a certain point. You’ll have to look at your life and consider what matters to you and what your priorities are.