What Is the Safest Type of Motorcycle?

Many new and veteran motorcyclists want to know, “What is the safest type of motorcycle to ride?” The answer is a bit more complicated than you might imagine.

It isn’t always easy to choose the safest motorcycle for you. You know the potential dangers of motorcycle riding, and you want to eliminate them as much as possible. You also want to ensure that you have a motorcycle that meets basic specifications that make it road-legal. But within those parameters, which motorcycle protects your safety the most?

While some people focus on specific makes or models, the safest motorcycle for you might not be the one you first think about. Instead of choosing a specific brand or type of motorcycle, it’s most important to choose a motorcycle that you can handle well: one that you can control, feel comfortable driving, and do not find yourself struggling to keep upright or hold on the road.

Let’s review the steps in selecting the safest motorcycle for you.

Step One: Find the Right Size

The safest motorcycle for you is the one that first you best. To start, pick a motorcycle that fits your body and frame. This isn’t always easy, especially for motorcycle buyers who are short or tall. In general, however, the correct motorcycle size depends on meeting the following specifications.

You can place both feet flat on the ground while sitting on and straddling the saddle.

If you can only reach the ground with your toes while sitting or need to stand on your toes while straddling the bike, the bike is too big for you and will impair your balance. Riding oversized motorcycle risks having the motorcycle slide out from under you or layover when you stop. Riding safely requires the balance and strength that comes with placing both feet flat on the ground to steady yourself at very low speeds and when stopped.

You can comfortably reach both hand and foot controls.

You will rely on hand and foot controls to start, stop, brake, and accelerate your motorcycle, so it’s critically important that you be able to reach them comfortably. If you find yourself straining to reach your brakes, accelerator, or gears, that means you do not have sufficient control over the motorcycle to ride it safely. In particular, an inability to reach your hand and foot controls can impair your ability to control the motorcycle in an emergency, which increases your risk of getting into a serious accident.

You can sit comfortably on the motorcycle.

You may spend hours on your motorcycle at a time, so it’s important to find a seat and setup that feels comfortable when you’re sitting in a riding position. Some motorcycle components, especially seats and handlebars, suit certain body shapes and levels of rider fitness better than others.

Before you purchase a motorcycle, make sure you can sit comfortably on it. Consider going for a longer ride to test your comfort over distances and various riding conditions.

Finding the right bike for your body and riding style isn’t just about creature comfort. It’s also a key element in keeping you safe. Discomfort in the seat can become a dangerous driver distraction that pulls your attention away from the road and puts you at risk of getting into a dangerous accident.

Step Two: Assess the Motorcycle’s Weight

The safest motorcycle for you is one you can control easily. Motorcycles can vary widely in weight. A scooter, moped, or dirt bike may weigh in the neighborhood of 200-250 pounds, whereas a touring bike can top out at more than 900 pounds.

For new or inexperienced riders, a heavy motorcycle can prove difficult to handle. If you start to lean it over and do not have the strength to pull it back up, you may quickly find yourself in trouble, especially at high speeds. While motorcycle manufacturers engineer bikes to offer a stable for a broad range of riders, they cannot eliminate the possibility of a heavy bike overwhelming a rider.

So, test the weight of a motorcycle before you try to ride it. Make sure you can comfortably pull the motorcycle off of its kickstand and straddle it with both feet on the ground and the weight balanced. Test to make sure that you will have the strength to manage it out on the road.

Weight can make a huge difference in your comfort as a rider. Touring bikes, in particular, offer many comfort-centered features, but those features add weight. You may need to find a compromise between those characteristics to identify the bike with the safest weight for you.

Step Three: Choose a Body Style to Suit How You Ride

The safest motorcycle is ready to tackle the type of riding you do most! Motorcycles come in a variety of body styles, each with different performance characteristics. In selecting the safest motorcycle for you, choose a body style that fits how, where, and how often you intend to ride.

#1. Sport Bikes

Sport bikes have an aerodynamic design and smooth action. They’re built to run at higher speeds than other types of bikes and to allow for a deeper lean angle when cornering. These high-performance characteristics often come at the cost of comfort, however, especially over long distances. The power and responsiveness of a sport bike can also overwhelm less-experienced riders, posing a potential accident risk.

#2. Cruisers

Riding a cruiser can offer comfort and convenience. They tend to have lower seat heights and a comfortable seat design. Often, cruisers serve as a better fit for shorter or younger riders, since they sit lower to the ground and have a lower overall weight that makes them somewhat easier to handle. Cruisers come in multiple designs and styles, which facilitates finding a model that fits your specific needs and specifications.

#3. Standard Bikes

Standard bikes incorporate all the basics, including a variety of sizes and designs so that you can find one that has a good fit for your body type and riding style. Standard bikes can handle almost anything out on the road, whether you want to take them on a longer trip or pick up the speed on your local roads.

#4. Touring Bikes

Touring bikes offer plenty of comfort, though they also have the increased weight to go along with it. Touring bikes tend to have greater mass and weight than other bikes, which can make them uncomfortable for a new rider to handle. However, in general, touring bikes serve as the most comfortable option on long trips.

#5. Dual-Sport Bikes

Unlike other types of motorcycles, dual-sport bikes have off-road capability that makes them suitable for riding trails as well as handling paved roads. Dual-sport bikes may have a higher seat to provide the clearance necessary to keep the bike handling smoothly across whatever terrain you face on your journeys, so make sure you find a safe fit.

Step Four: Adjust the Bike to Fit You

The safest motorcycle is one that is adjusted to your specific requirements. Sometimes, you may need to make adjustments to your bike to ensure that it fits you as well as possible. You might have picked up a used bike, acquired a hand-me-down from a friend or loved one that has sentimental value, or simply failed to find a motorcycle that perfectly fit your needs when you purchased it.

Most motorcycles offer a couple of adjustment options that can help them fit your body and riding style.

Adjust the Suspension

Many bikes have high seats that do not offer a good fit for shorter riders. Fortunately, you can adjust the existing suspension or replace it so that the bike rides lower and better fits your size. Keep in mind that sitting too low can offer just as many problems as sitting too high, so you may want to work with a professional bike shop to get the ideal fit for your bike.

Buy a New Seat

Sometimes, a new seat can make all the difference in creating a better fit in your motorcycle. Many seats, including those on touring bikes and cruisers, have a lot of padding that can raise the rider off the ground and increase the distance to reach the controls.

While that extra padding can offer some additional comfort, it may also make it more difficult for you to comfortably reach the controls you need to use to operate your motorcycle safely. By replacing the factory seat with one with less padding or a different angle, you may find a better fit that keeps you safe while still offering a suitable amount of comfort.

Step Five: Check Your Safety Features

The safest motorcycle has the best safety features. To make sure you have the safest motorcycle possible, check your safety features. Not only should you take care to comply with applicable state law regarding specific features your motorcycle must have, you should also consider purchasing a bike with additional features that enhance your safety.

#1. Handlebars

State laws often contain handlebar height requirements. Under Florida law, for example, handlebars must be no higher than your shoulders. If the handlebars or hand grips are above your shoulders, it can prove much more difficult to control the motorcycle safely, increasing your risk of an accident.

#2. Brakes

Motorcycles must have functioning front and rear brakes to operate legally.

#3. Mirrors

Your mirrors serve as a vital tool for keeping you safe on the road. They allow you to track the location of other vehicles around you, which is essential for your safety, particularly if you find yourself in heavy traffic. Your mirror must allow you to keep an eye on the road for at least 200 feet behind the motorcycle on a straightaway.

#4. Lights

Motorcycles must have functioning headlights and tail lights to make you visible to others on the road, and to illuminate the road when you ride at night. Your motorcycle must also have functioning turn signals.

#5. Passenger Seating

To legally ride with a passenger, you need a motorcycle that has seating for that passenger. In other words, you cannot legally carry a passenger on a single-seat motorcycle. The passenger seat must actually attach to the motorcycle.

You may also want to check the passenger’s seat just like you check the fit of your seat on the motorcycle: can the passenger’s feet reach the footrests? Does the passenger have the ability to sit comfortably on the motorcycle, particularly if you plan to ride together for long times? Having your passenger seated properly can make just as big a difference as ensuring that your seat remains comfortable and secure.

Step Six: Remember Your Helmet

When it comes to motorcycle safety, motorcycle helmets offer extreme advantages. Not only does a motorcycle helmet significantly reduce the risk of traumatic brain injury, or reduce the severity of traumatic brain injury in many victims, it can also help reduce the likelihood of other types of injuries in a crash, including facial injuries and neck injuries. Failing to wear a helmet can cause you to experience considerably more trauma in a motorcycle accident than you might otherwise suffer, which can increase your medical costs and sometimes, often permanently, impact your quality of life.

Make sure you have a DOT-certified helmet that fits your head well. If the helmet is too loose, it might not provide adequate protection in the event of an accident. You may also want your helmet to include a face shield. In many states (including Florida), your helmet must have a feature that protects your face and prevents objects, such as bugs, from interfering with visibility. A face shield on your helmet helps provide that layer of protection while also protecting your head.

Helmet laws vary from state to state. If you plan to cross a state border while riding, always make sure you know the helmet regulations at your destination. To stay in compliance with helmet laws wherever you ride, the safest bet is always to wear a DOT-approved helmet.

Choosing a safe motorcycle can go a long way toward protecting you as you head out on the road. Still, despite the many precautions you can take to protect yourself, you cannot eliminate the risk of getting into an accident.

If you get hurt in a motorcycle accident, a lawyer can help you understand your right to seek compensation from the parties at fault. Contact a motorcycle accident lawyer as soon as possible after your accident to learn more about your rights and options.