If the Bike Fits...

© Ken Bingenheimer / RumBum.com

Sport bikes at the High Plains Raceway.

Motorcycles are a lot like shoes: You can walk down the street in pretty much any pair of shoes, and you can ride down the street on just about any kind of bike. But you don’t want to be stupid about it. Just as you wouldn’t hike 10 miles in 6-inch heels, neither would you want to take your Harley bagger on a boulder-strewn jeep trail.

Here then is a brief overview of the different types of bikes and what each is best for.

The Standard or "Naked Bike"

As the two largely interchangeable names imply, this is your basic motorcycle. It may not do anything as well as a purpose-built bike, but it will do most anything you ask of it. Ride around town or to work and you’ll be just fine. Add some bags and a windshield and go touring. Take it off the pavement and kick up some dirt, but stay out of the really rough stuff. Take it on the track and have fun, but expect to be passed by everyone else.

“Naked” in this instance means it doesn’t have a lot of plastic bodywork; the engine is right there in full sight. “Standard” generally implies an upright seating position, with the foot pegs directly beneath you, so you can stand up to cushion bumps.

The Cruiser

Generally a V-twin, the cruiser is an easy-going bike best suited to meeting your buddies out for lunch and taking an afternoon cruise. That loping twin doesn’t put out high revs, and you won’t beat anyone off the line or around the track, but for just sitting back and enjoying the ride you can’t ask for much better. Throw on some bags and go touring but stay on the pavement. With your pegs way out in front, your tailbone will take a lot of punishment if the going gets rough.

The Sportbike

Often known as a “crotch rocket,” the sportbike is slim, covered in bodywork, light, and fast. Very fast. It’s not engine size so much as what you do with it, and a 600cc sportbike will totally smoke a 1500cc Gold Wing or a 1600cc Road King. If you’re into wheelies and stoppies and wearing down your knee puck, this is the bike for you.

The bike to ride on the race track, a sportbike is not usually the best choice for long trips. Yes, you can fit hard bags on many, and tank bags on any. But the extreme forward reach to the grips plays havoc on your back after awhile, and the tight crouch with high, rear-set pegs is something only younger knees can bear for long. As a smaller, lighter, less-expensive machine than most, the sportbike is a favorite among both younger men and women.

The Tourer

Planning on riding across the country? That’s the touring bike’s forte. Large and roomy, with comfortable seats and large bags part of the standard package, this baby is built for eating up miles. If it didn’t come from the factory with a sound system or GPS, put them on. Any other gadget you want or need? The tourer has the amps to handle the load. Want to go riding in the dirt? Don’t even think about it. Not only will you bottom out on some not-very-large ruts, you really don’t want to have to pick this thing up.

The sport tourer is a subset of this breed, and generally offers higher clearance, higher speed, and body work enhancing the aerodynamics.

The Dirt Bike and the Dual-Sport

 If you really want to go off-road there’s no beating the dirt bike. With knobby tires and tall suspension to soak up rocks and ruts, this usually smaller, lighter bike, with lots of torque, will take you anywhere.

Or consider the dual-sport. A cross between a dirt bike and a street bike, the dual-sport does neither as well as the purpose-built machine, but does each one heck of a lot better than a dirt bike does the street or a street bike does the dirt. If you want to do both, the dual-sport is a very decent compromise.

So now, could we interest you in this size 11 DD Harley-Davidson Ultra-Glide? Or maybe you’re more interested in this 600cc Madden Girl pump.