Anyone who rides one will tell you that there are many advantages and disadvantages to riding a motorcycle. Different people will have different opinions as to what is actually an advantage or a disadvantage, but there are certain things that everyone who rides can agree on.

The Weather

Depending on what the weather is like it can either become an advantage or a disadvantage.

Obviously getting caught out in the rain isn’t often fun as not only can you get really wet, but it makes it harder to ride the bike and can cause problems if you’re not concentrating or careful enough. Snow and ice in winter can make it impossible to ride, whilst the grit and road salt that is put down to combat the ice can damage the finish of wheels and bright work of anyone adventurous enough to brave the conditions.

This is more than made up though for the sunny days of summer. The heat helps stick the tyres to the road and the warm breeze is much more pleasant than the air conditioning inside a car.

Maintenance and customisation is easy

With everything being open on a motorbike, getting to a certain part that needs replacing is easy. If it involves removing anything it might only be a plastic panel which is a simple job that anyone can do.

Washing and maintaining all the parts is easy and takes hardly any work. You can clearly see any damage and should you require help from a garage for something a bit trickier it’s usually much cheaper than a car.

It’s easier to add a personal touch on a bike compared to a car. Customisation is simple, and either large or small modifications can be made easily. Whether it is a whole new exhaust system, or fitting one of the many personalised number plates to the bike, any modification is easy.

Bikes look cool

Most people will agree that bikes look good. It’s normally the first thing that attracts people to riding, and different people will have their own opinions on why a bike looks cool.

Often people will be attracted to the colourful designs, the speed, the sound of the exhaust note or maybe something like a funny personalised number plate the owner has fitted .

Regardless what it is, people look when a bike goes past.

Practicality of motorcycles

Bikes are equally as practical as they are impractical.

For commuting, they can fit through gaps in the traffic and are much cheaper to run than a car. It’s easier to find a parking space for a bike than in a car seeing as they take up much less space, and bikes can often park in places cars could never go.

That being said, some people won’t want to show up to work soaking wet when the weather is bad. While a rider with good observation and some experience could avoid potential accidents, when there is one it will end up much worse for the rider over the driver. In an accident, bikes don’t have the same level of protection as a car however accidents are easier to avoid due to the slimmer profile.

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This post was written by James Harper on behalf of The Plate Market. Click here to find out more about personalised number plates for sale.

Always considered a dangerous hobby, motorbikes have proved to be one of the most loved forms of transport around the world. For many, it’s their first love, for others a way of getting away from the stresses and strains of their working lives and hitting the road on their own with just their thoughts and the sound of the engine beneath them for company. Bliss.

While many sceptics are critical of motorcycles and the riders, claiming that they’re “unsafe” or “accidents waiting to happen”, studies have shown in recent years that it is actually the car drivers who are more likely to be involved in accidents.

With so many advantages to riding a motorbike – not to mention the sheer passion for the speed, handling and power that you can experience on the rare occasion that the sun does come out – it’s hard to pinpoint just five, but raising the awareness of the advantages of travelling to and from work on two wheels is important. Many commuters spend the majority of their trip to work stuck in traffic – the global average commute time is around the 45-minute mark – so any way of reducing that is beneficial, and motorcycling is one way. Here are five reasons that commuting by motorbike is the best way:

Economy

Sitting in traffic, cars are using up fuel and giving off emissions without actually going anywhere. This is not only bad for the environment, but bad for fuel consumption too, with many struggling to do the trip averaging above 40mpg. Some motorbikes and scooters can average around 55mpg along the same route, with many averaging more than that depending on the size of the engine, riding style and so on, either way, it saves money and fuel.

Customisation

One of the main advantages to a car over the bike is storage space. Having a boot, passenger and rear seats and such like allow you to take briefcases, holdalls, suit bags and other essentials to work with you. While you can’t put a boot on a motorbike, you can customize it to accommodate your daily essentials by adding panniers which allow you to take your important files and, most importantly, your lunch, on your bike. This is one method used by those in the motorcycle courier industry, who turn their hobby into a profession by delivering goods around towns and cities quickly and easily.

Parking

Finding somewhere to park in the city can be a long and difficult process, especially if you’ve then got to go off and pay to do so, which means it costs you to go to work. The same is true at offices, where you could end up parked a significant distance from the door – a nightmare if you’re late or if it’s lashing down with rain. Bike parking is often much more friendly with plenty of spaces, and the majority are much nearer the building too.

Environment

We’re all being encouraged to “go green” wherever possible and motorbikes are much “greener” than cars, buses and vans, so you can think to yourself that you’re doing your bit to protect the environment by riding to work, (as well as having fun of course!) Sitting in traffic, cars emit harmful gases into the air. At least riding you have a smaller engine and can keep moving, reducing the amount of harmful emissions.

Fun

Most importantly, commuting by motorbike is an opportunity to get out and have some fun on your bike! For many, work and family commitments prevent them from getting out on their bike as much as they’d like, so take advantage of the opportunity to fire it up and zip on the leathers and ride to and from work each day.

Riding a motorbike is all about freedom and having fun, feeling the power of the machine at your fingertips. You shouldn’t have to arrive at work at the stroke of 9am with the boss already clearing their throat to have a go at you for being late when you’ve spent half an hour sat in traffic. Get out on two wheels and ride calmly and freely to work, taking advantage of the motorbike lanes which are appearing in more and more cities and save money on fuel as well, all while having fun on your beloved motorbike.

Stay safe, and happy riding!

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This article was written by Chris White, a motoring journalist with years of experience in the industry, currently working with uShip. Chris has covered a variety of motorcycling topics ranging from the latest bike and gear releases to covering races around the world and providing great tips for motorcycle riding.

It is essential to balance a motorcycle wheel following the replacement of a tire. If the wheel is out of balance it can cause a vibration – felt through the handlebars – at medium to high speeds. Having wheels accurately balanced is essential for safe riding and also prolongs the life of your motorcycle tires.

The following equipment will be needed:

• A slim piece of hard plastic (or a wheel weight scraper)
• Motorcycle Wheel Balancing Stand (or axel stands)
• Some masking or insulation tape
• Some adhesive wheel weights

Carefully remove any existing weights from the wheel; this can be done by prizing them off with a slim piece of hard plastic such as a plastic applicator which is often supplied with car body filler. If no suitable piece of plastic is available, a wheel weight scraper which can be bought from your local automotive store. Do not try to use a screwdriver to pry off the weights as it may well damage the chrome or paint on the wheel.

For the wheel to be balanced it must be suspended on its axel; this can be achieved by using a specialized balancing stand or a pair of axel stands. Alternatively, any suitable make-shift stand which is capable of safely holding the wheel up by the axel alone can be used. When using axel stands, raise them up to a high enough height so the wheel is completely free to rotate and not in contact with any part of the stand.

If the wheel is free to rotate, it is very likely that the ‘heavy spot’ will be at the lowest point of the wheel. To check this, rotate the wheel by a quarter turn and let go; the wheel should now return and settle to the same position as before. This confirms that the ‘heavy spot’ is located at the bottom of the wheel and the ‘light spot’ (where the weights will be added) is at the top.

Mark the exact position of the ‘light-spot’ with a small piece of tape.

Temporarily tape a wheel weight onto the inside rim of the wheel with the centre of the weight positioned exactly inline with the centre of the light-spot. Rotate the wheel by a quarter of a turn – with the weights and the heavy spot horizontally inline with each other – and release the wheel. If the wheel rotates back more weights will need to be added; or if it rotates and settles with the weights at the bottom, some of the weight should be removed.

Repeat the process – making sure the centre the weights are directly inline with the ‘light-spot’ – until the wheel does not rotate in either direction when released. When this has been achieved the wheel can be gently rotated and it will stop randomly, indicating that the wheel has been correctly balanced. The wheel weights can now be more permanently attached to the rim with the double sided adhesive on their reverse side.