What Should Your Next Motorcycle Be?

By: Robert Bacon
Estimated Completion Time
4 min
What Should Your Next Motorcycle Be?
Image: HVD / Moment / Getty Images

About This Quiz

Life is full of tough decisions. Are they "the one"? Is this the career you want for the rest of your life? Are you ready for your first child? For a motorcyclist, however, a question that plagues their life constantly is, "What bike should I buy next?"

Unfortunately, the motorcycle you want and the motorcycle that's best for you aren't always the same thing. Many bikers have bought their dream sportbike with hopes of canyon riding at every available opportunity. But they must eventually come to terms with the fact that they ride once per week for pure pleasure and five times as much as that on their daily commute. Take this quiz to avoid similar pitfalls. 

People don't just buy motorcycles based on their needs. Industry trends also influence buyers. For instance, during the 1990s, it was a race to the top for superbikes: top speeds and track times were all that mattered. Then the 2000s brought the rise of adventure tourers like BMW's R1150GS, which people used for everything from continental trips to daily commutes and track days. 

Past trends have led to a sweet spot in the motorcycle industry: now more people are looking for a perfect all-rounder. They want something fast, reliable, comfortable and that doesn't cost too much to run. The only problem is the market is now awash with excellent bikes - no matter what your needs and wants are. So take this quiz now and get a helping hand with your decision!

Q 01 Riding style How would your friends describe your riding style?
It depends on the situation, but I know how and when to push it.
Aggressive
Technical
Relaxed

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Q 02 Armor leather jacket If you could only have one set of gear for the rest of your life, which of the following would you choose?
My cut
Full race leathers
An armor leather jacket and Kevlar jeans
Goretex pants and touring jacket

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Q 03 Dirt Track You've had a long week and want to get out for a spin, which of the following sounds the most appealing to you?
Mullholland Drive
A dirt track
A mixture of twisty roads and long straights.
Any open highway

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Q 04 Stylish motorcycle How important is it that your motorcycle be stylish?
Very important
Not too important
Pretty important
It's the most important factor

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Q 05 Riding position If someone saw you riding past, how would they describe your riding position?
Arms up, rear down
Upright
Slightly leaned forward
Chin down, rear up

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Q 06 Dripping in chrome If your bike was described as "dripping in chrome," how would you feel?
Horrified
Suprised
Happy enough
Delighted

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Q 07 Sports Bikes When you walk into a motorcycle dealership, which section are you drawn to first?
Adventure bikes
Sports bikes
Naked bikes
Cruisers

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Q 08 Motorcycle Track You've just won a track day in a raffle. Which of these best describes your first thought?
"Wow, I've always wanted to do one."
"I'm always up for trying something new."
"It's never too soon for another track day."
"I'm sure I can find someone who'll use this."

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Q 09 Country In your opinion, what country produces the best motorcycles?
Japan
Germany
England
America

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Q 10 Used bike When you're thinking of buying a motorcycle, do you look for a new machine or a classic?
I always want the latest bike.
An older bike is fine as long as it's reliable.
I'd buy used, but preferably new.
The older the better

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Q 11 Passenger How often do you carry a passenger?
Once or twice per month
Weekly
Never
Practically every time I hit the road

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Q 12 Engine If you could drop one of the following engines in your bike, which one would you choose?
V-Twin
Boxer twin
Inline triple
Inline four

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Q 13 Torque horsepower What's more important, torque or horsepower?
Horsepower
It depends on the road.
A healthy mix
Torque

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Q 14 500 Mile plus How often are you likely to tackle 500 mile plus trips on your bike?
Never
It's all I do.
I'd do it if I had to, but most trips are much shorter.
A few times per year

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Q 15 Monday morning If you were to start your bike at 6 a.m. on a Monday morning, how would your neighbors feel?
Extremely angry
They wouldn't notice.
They probably wouldn't mind.
They wouldn't be happy.

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Q 16 Top speed When it comes to your motorcycle's top speed, how fast is fast enough?
110 mph
135 mph
150 mph
It'll never be fast enough.

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Q 17 Soundtrack Which of the following best describes the soundtrack of your ride?
"Down Under" - Men at Work
My exhaust note
"Satisfaction" - The Rolling Stones
"Born to be Wild" - Steppenwolf

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Q 18 Quizz show If you were on a quizz show, which category would you do the best in?
Sports
Geography
Art and culture
History

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Q 19 Tires It's time to change your tires! Which set of rubber will you choose?
Pirelli Diablo Rosso Corsa II
Continental Trial Attack 2
Michelin Pilot Power 2CT
Michelin Commander 2

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Q 20 Luggage You're going on a two-day road trip. How much luggage will you bring?
A pretty big backpack
I'll fill my saddlebags
As little as possible
My panniers and top box will be full.

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Q 21 Easy Rider If you had to forego a ride to watch a movie, which of the following would you choose?
"Easy Rider"
"The Long Way Round"
"The Great Escape"
"The World's Fastest Indian"

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Q 22 Modern Old-school style or modern looks?
Modern
Looks aren't too important as long as the bike does what I need it to do.
I like a modern take on retro style.
Old school

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Q 23 Aftermarket parts After you buy a motorcycle, what's the first aftermarket part you look for?
Performance exhaust system
Engine sump guard
Bar-end mirrors
Saddlebags

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Q 24 Motorcycle Is your motorcycle your main mode of transport?
As long as the weather is good
No, but I use it to commute when I want to spice things up.
Yes
No

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Q 25 Desert If you were dropped into the middle of a desert with a motorcycle, would you have the off-road skills to get yourself back to civilization?
Probably not
Easily
I could find my way.
No

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Q 26 0-60 mph Are 0-60 mph times important to you?
Absolutely!
Yes
Not really
Not at all

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Q 27 Buy brand new motorcycle If you were buying a brand new motorcycle, how much would you be prepared to hand over?
$10,000
$17,000
$20,000
$24,000

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Q 28 Latest tech How important is it that your bike have all the latest tech?
If it's good for track times, it's on my bike.
If it helps keep me upright, I want it.
Some tech is OK but not too much.
It's not important at all

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Q 29 Full service If you had to, could you perform a full service on your bike?
Pretty much
Sure, working on my bike is pretty straightforward.
No, there are too many electrical systems.
Yes

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Q 30 Twisty When you hit an open highway, which of the following sounds most like your first thought?
"When does this thing get twisty?"
"I prefer the road less traveled."
"I hope this thing doesn't break down."
This is my type of road."

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