10 Underrated Motorcycle Features

Jun 24, 2023

The less glamorous features of motorcycles that are key to a safe and fulfilling riding experience

Everyone talks about the engine, the tires, the brakes, and even the exhaust note when describing what they value most in their riding experience. Similar conversations are often led by displacement, styling, throttle response, and transmission. Most riders know these features are key, and that they matter a lot when planning to buy or switch their mile-crunching machine. This list is not about those. It is about the features that you only notice the worth of once you've put down some serious hours in the saddle of a motorcycle, and you begin to notice the little things that matter a lot. These are the features that at first appear to have little to do with the core riding experience, like the foot pegs, the horn, and the grips, but contribute more than expected to overall rider safety, comfort, and ownership experience.

Related: 10 Overrated Motorcycle Features

From the days of the first ABS systems to the current era of stability control and almost a dozen rider aids, we don't appreciate how far motorcycle electronics have come. Rider assist systems of the day intelligently augment the decisions and controls of riders while moving at speeds that could make an Isle of Man TT racer sweat. Before you can flinch during sudden hard braking, modern electronics and rider-assist technologies make sure the bike does not slide out from under you, the wheels don't lock and skid, and even attempts to cancel out panic-handling, making sure the rider does not convert a near-miss into a crash by losing posture or leaning on the throttle.

The kind of weight you are looking for in a motorcycle goes hand-in-hand with your riding style, as well as your physical characteristics like weight, musculature, and height. That does not mean that smaller riders can't ride a Hayabusa, nor that huge riders shouldn't ride a jumpy 250cc. A heavier motorcycle usually means lower fuel efficiency and difficulty picking up the motorcycle should it fall. If you're a new rider, no matter your strength or stature, you'll be safer on a lighter motorcycle because it's just easier to handle.

It is thus important to know how heavy of a motorcycle you can pick up from a fallen position to a parked one because most riders will drop their bike while parking or at slow speeds and inclines for no explicable reason at least once.

It is easy to assume that the seats are going to be just fine, whichever the motorcycle, or not so much of a factor to think about, after all, the style is all that matters to some riders. The seat, usually close to the center of gravity of a bike, plays a subtler role in rider safety. Prolonged seat discomfort can impact the rider's posture, balance, and blood circulation, impairing performance and safety. A mismatched seat will cause discomfort but in the worst cases, it can cause significant fatigue and numbness in the legs, lower back, and posterior, leading to reduced control over the bike, and increasing the probability of accidents.

Don't skip on that test ride, and don't be shy to squeeze the seat to inspect its rigidity. There are plenty of custom seat cushions and aftermarket options available for most motorcycles.

Related: 10 Reasons Why Motorcycle Seats Matter

Aerodynamics is the difference between a strained engine, a strained rider and an effortless glide. The more air pressure a rider has to actively resist, the less confident they become at high speeds, and even more insecure in windy conditions. Successful aerodynamics boost the fuel economy and encounter less air resistance for the motorcycle to fight against, cutting the engine, the chain, and the transmission some much-needed slack, leading to longer maintenance intervals.

Many riders have put down big money on a liter-bike, only to discover that the advertised mileage, which was already low from the onset, almost always turns out to be a little lower than advertised in reality.

The impulse to own a championship-winning powerhouse is quite natural and understandable, but it needs to be tempered with realistic expectations for commuting daily, commuting long distances, or spending less on fuel. Dial back a few CCs, come closer to the 600cc or even 400cc segments, and you'll have a selection of motorcycle choices that represent the best of all worlds in terms of performance, mileage, looks, and price.

You barely notice them until an unexpected bump, miraged pothole, or obscure speed bump comes, and your foot slides right off that foot peg with the least resistance. You panic for a second or two, and then you place the foot back and carry on, only to forget about it because it seems like such a minor skill issue. But it isn't a minor issue, and in those moments, you were at high risk of accidentally leaning too far, jerking your handle, and oversteering into oblivion or the closest hospital.

The solution? Ensure there is traction and grip on the foot pegs. Switch to rubberized foot pegs or those with high-friction grooves, with boots to match. And for the tarmac-only riders facing sudden hazards, stand up on the foot pegs like an off-roader and keep your elbows and knees bent for a good grip on the foot pegs.

Most roads were ideated and built from the perspective of cars, not motorcycles. With more vehicles, and faster vehicles than ever on the roads, most drivers are still used to dealing with car traffic, and it is not easy for them to notice a motorcycle rider at high speeds or poor visibility. That's where the horn comes in, not to annoy the traffic column and pass forward your road rage with a long honk, but to let drivers know that you are there with one or two gentle beeps.

It has to be loud enough to meet decibel requirements, which may vary depending on where you are, but not so loud that you get a ticket for noise pollution in the suburbs. Additionally, an excessively loud horn can drain your motorcycle's stock battery and blow fuses rather quickly, leaving you stranded.

How wide the front-end swings, may swing your opinion on a motorcycle entirely. While there are no set numbers on what a turning radius should be for different segments of motorcycles, generally, cruisers have a larger turning radius, sportbikes have shorter ones and dirt bikes have some of the shortest. It is vital that the rider does not modify or otherwise mess with the stock turning radius of any motorcycle, as that increases the risks of oversteering, misalignment, wobbling, or losing traction. Trust the manufacturers on this one.

That said, the turning radius can give you an idea of what category of motorcycles is best suited to you, based on the kind of riding you intend to do. For cities and regular encounters with rush-hour traffic, the best steering angles can be handpicked from dirt bikes, supermotos, or naked bikes. For rolling swiftly through sparsely populated mountain twisties, a sports bike will do just fine. But a relaxing highway trip is best on a cruiser with heavier, easygoing steering.

Related: 10 Safety Tips While Riding A Motorcycle On The Highway

Hard handlebar grips are usually more uncomfortable and have poorer grip, but wear out slower. Vice-versa, softer grips don't slip, are very comfortable, but wear out rather quickly, and will also get dirtier faster. Even though gloves can negate the flaws of not-so-ergonomic handlebar grips, a softer grip will always feel like an upgrade and make a difference in hand fatigue on long rides. The aftermarket choices for grips range from foam, rubber, rubber plus air, heated grips with a controller and battery failsafe, and other emerging designs made from composite materials.

Most riders think that they only need one kind of engine oil for their motorcycle, of the rating that was designated in the bike's manual. However, speaking to any veteran motorcycle mechanic will reveal that there is more to engine oil. For example, sportbikes need synthetic oil to handle high temperatures, while cruisers benefit from mineral oil for better clutch and gearbox lubrication. Weather and riding conditions matter too, as cold weather demands low-viscosity oil that flows well at low temperatures, while hot conditions require high-viscosity oil that doesn't thin out. The age and total mileage of the motorcycle also play a role. Older bikes may need very specific oil ratings or additives to regain some lost power. To find the best oil for your motorcycle, it is best to consult your motorcycle's manual again, and then approach your mechanic with questions.

Shantanu is a passionate motorcycle writer who brings together his versatile expertise in various forms of creative expression and experience writing for Electric Vehicle ecosystem stakeholders to TopSpeed. He has a preference for the most nimble & agile of sports and naked motorcycles over cruisers and tourers. A motorcycle enthusiast in real life too, Shantanu has owned and ridden bikes from various critically-acclaimed Asian motorcycle brands over a decade, and aspires to own a retro Honda Fireblade from the 90's someday because it reminds him of the game 'Road Rash'. Shantanu's hobbies include MMA & martial arts, video games, writing books, plotting for world peace, and animals. He fathers three cats- King Sunrise(Ginger), Saint Crystal (Black), and Sir Onyx (Grey).