Motorcycle Travel Myths

A passion for speed and motorcycle travel gets the heart pumping since a teenager hits adulthood. We all have heard the stories about what could happen if you ride a motorcycle and the freaky things we keep doing with our bike. Most of these tales have arisen due to ignorance, misconception, and ideas that have spread across the motorcycling world. Here are some motorcycle myths that we hear most frequently.

1: You can go touring on any motorcycle

Modern motorcycles are much more reliable. But this does not make it an ideal touring bike. It’s very important to choose the right bike if you decide to go touring as the chances of breaking down are very real for the normal bikes. A large displacement bike is almost the right choice for touring as it takes the stress of running for a long time continuously, then smaller engine bikes. The bike and the tires should be decided based on where you plan to go. You need to think about many other aspects when you are planning to go on tour by motorcycle.

2: Race tires will help you travel faster

Motorcycle race tires are totally different from ordinary road tires. They have a different composition and properties that are designed to work best only when they get heated up to a certain temperature to provide a better grip. You are rarely going to get a clear road out on the highway where you can speed up with these pairs of tires and gain the proper racing temperature. The legal race tracks are built specifically for racing, not the freeway.

3: A fast-moving motorcycle is small enough to avoid speed traps

It doesn’t make sense if your motorcycle is smaller than other vehicles and that you cruise by without getting detected by radar guns. Police today use lasers to detect your speed and the equipment is extremely high-tech and far more accurate. Just because you’re riding a speeding bike doesn’t mean some people get motorcycle title loans to pay for that ticket they thought they could avoid.

4: It won’t happen to me

Don’t ride with that impression. Though you might have been riding a bike for years and had never encountered an accident doesn’t mean that it’s never going to happen. Not every day is the same. Always ride prepared for the unexpected and remember not to even get on your bike without proper safety gear.

5: Using high octane fuel increases a bike’s performance

It’s recommended to use high octane unleaded fuel for high-performance bikes because their engines are tuned to release more energy by compressing the fuel at a higher level. A regular motorcycle engine is designed or tuned to compress the regular fuel at a much lower level than a performance motorcycle. So, even when you use premium, high octane fuel the engine is simply not designed to advantage of providing you the required result. So you are just wasting your money by using higher than the manufacturer’s recommended octane.

6: Avoid using the front brakes if you’re a novice

Always remember that front brakes are more effective than rear brakes in stopping a bike. In fact, 70 percent of the braking power comes from the front brakes. It’s always advisable for a beginner to learn the usage of front brakes in the right way from the start. Modern front brakes provide consistent, manageable stopping power. But keep in mind that during an emergency you need to apply both the brakes as this will stop the bike faster if you’re headed for a collision.

7: Lay down your bike if you’re going to crash

Crashes occur in the blink of an eye. You don’t get time to judge and react when a crash is going to happen. You can’t lay down your motorcycle to avoid the damage and need to apply for payday loans to pay for a crash. Some incidents are just unpredictable. Instead, apply both the brakes on your bike to either stop in time or slow down enough to find a way around the hazard.

8: Wearing helmets reduces the ability to see or hear danger

Researchers have said that motorcycle rider who use helmets crash less frequently than those who don’t. Maybe that’s due to motorcyclists who decide to wear helmets have a clear realistic attitude about riding. Because putting on a helmet reminds you that riding a motorcycle can be risky and the act of wearing safety gear puts you in the right mindset. Adequate testing and crash statistics clearly show that a helmet is the most important piece of safety gear to be used. With skull protection, it also adds to eye protection, cuts down wind noise, avoids bugs, dust and debris.

Hopefully, this was helpful in knocking out a few myths that you might have believed. If you know some more misbeliefs related to motorcycling do share them with us. And don’t forget to ride your bike with safety gear because the speed may be fun for a moment, but protecting yourself from injury is a lesson for your lifetime.