5 Bad Things Nobody Tells You About Motorcycling

[SweatHog]

If you're reading this, you probably love motorcycling or at least have an active interest in it. We don't need to tell you why it's cool (besides, we already did). What nobody tells you, though, are some of the bad things about riding a bike. Yes, contrary to popular belief, not everything is sunshine, rainbows, and unicorn farts on a motorcycle. Dork In The Road does a good job summarizing what some of these pitfalls are that you might not have considered.

1. Bugs Get Everywhere

They say that sometimes you're the windshield, and sometimes you're the bug. Your bike and your body are always the windshield when it comes to the constant battle with bugs. The aftermath can be a bit messy. In other words, your bike, your helmet, and your riding gear are all going to get coated in bug splat at times. This is just a fact of life when it comes to motorcycling. It is certainly one reason why I prefer a modular or full-face helmet. Taking a bug to the cheek at 50 mph hurts.

2. Gear Gets Sweaty

Even the best ventilated gear won't stop you from getting hot while wearing it all the time. You might hit traffic. When I started riding off-road I soon learned that at the lower speeds involved I could still overheat in a mesh jacket. Unless you wash it frequently, your riding gear is going to get kind of funky.

3. There's Nowhere To Put Stuff

This may not be true if you have a touring bike with luggage, but generally speaking, when you get where you're going, there's nowhere to put your gear. I enjoyed being able to lock up my jacket in my Honda PC800's cavernous trunk, while my helmet fit inside its Givi top trunk. That's not the case on my Kawasaki KLR 650. You either have to carry or wear your gear inside with you or leave it on the bike, hoping that no one messes with it or carries it away at a five-finger discount.

4. Sometimes It's Easier To Just Take The Car

There are certainly some die-hards out there who ride through anything—heat, cold, rain, snow, whatever. Some people own a motorcycle but not a car. For the rest of us, there are times when it's super tempting to just hop in the heated and air-conditioned car and cruise in comfort instead of on two wheels. Whether you do or not is up to you. I won't judge you.

  5. You Are Invisible

They might tell you this during your MSF course, but you don't realize how true this is until you actually get on the road. Nearly every ride, someone appears to be looking right at me, then pulls out in front of me anyway as though I'm not there. It's annoying, but you have to expect it, deal with it, and ride your way out of it. Always assume "the other guy" doesn't see you, and you'll be ready to take evasive action when they don't.

While I agree with all of these points, I think we can also agree that the joy of motorcycling is worth all of these disadvantages. It's no fun taking off my stinky, muddy, bug-splattered gear at the end of a hot summer ride, but I wouldn't give up the fun of the ride itself to avoid it.

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[Tym]

The worst, no one ever tells a rider that their bike makes their butt look huge... or Maybe, im surrounded by a bunch of fat riders...