Why The Weight Of The Motorbike Matters When You're Buying
Highlights
Most of the time, motorbike buyers tend to pay more heed to the aesthetics or features of the vehicle than one of the most important attributes – weight. The weight of your motorcycle can make or break your experience. Bear in mind that a motorcycle's weight affects your safety, comfort, handling, and the bike's overall performance.
What's more, the weight of your bike might also affect its fuel consumption rate. You'll be surprised to learn how the bike's weight or lack of it goes a long way towards improving your experience. This article elaborates on the importance of considering the motorbike's weight to help you make the right choice! So, let's get going!
It Affects Acceleration and Speed
You might be confused why 600cc engines travel way faster than 1000cc bikes. Bikes with 1000cc motors are heavier and thus offer a relatively slower speed. The heavy engines tend to decrease the acceleration and top speed of bikes. Bikes with 300cc or 400cc engines are lightweight and can touch the maximum speed levels faster than heavier bikes.
Handling and Steering Differences
Another factor that heavily influences is the handling and steering differences. Although cruising a highway at a steady speed on a heavy cruiser is a most sublime feeling, you really feel the weight when you need to take tight turns and require a combination of both steering and leaning. Also, heavy bikes are less comfortable to handle at lower speeds, like in city traffic. On the other hand, a lightweight bike is easy to manoeuvre and control in most situations that will turn up in your daily commute. Although they feel less planted when you are zipping on a highway, the other benefits outweigh it if it´s commuting is your primary usage.
Also, the Brakes!
Do you know that the brakes take more time to respond on heavier motorcycles? One significant advantage of lightweight bikes is that it takes less time to halt when you hit the brakes. There is a simple logic behind this – the centre of gravity.
What About Control?
You might have heard bike enthusiasts claiming that lightweight bikes are more agile and quicker than their heavy counterparts. Well, agility is essential for a good riding experience. Moreover, you'll struggle with heavy bikes while parking, hitting the brakes, and making turns. So, we suggest you only go for heavyweight bikes if you can handle the extreme weight.
Finally, Fuel Consumption
Fuel consumption of vehicles is something that worries all of us. If you are eyeing a heavyweight bike, let us tell you that it will raise your spending on fuel. The engine will have to work harder to manoeuvre a heavy bike, impacting its fuel requirements. Additionally, the load will also lead to heating issues. These heating issues, in turn, can deteriorate the lifespan of the bike.
And, that was all you needed to know about why the motorbike's weight matters! You can now pick the most apt bike for yourself with all this handy information!