"One of the biggest mistakes is buying a bike that's cool as opposed to something that properly fits your needs," says Steven Balduzzi, who has been riding motorcycles for more than 30 years and was involved in motorcycle sales, maintenance and bike assembly at two dealerships in the 1990s.
Each type of motorcycle has a different fit. Balduzzi, from Jupiter, Fla., notes that sport bikes -- high-performance machines that are built for speed and acceleration -- can become uncomfortable during a long commute. You have to lean forward to hold the handlebars and tuck your legs up high to reach the foot pegs, Balduzzi says.
On a cruiser motorcycle, like a Harley-Davidson, Basem Wasef, a Los Angeles-based motorcycle writer for About.com, explains that on this type of bike, you have much more upright posture and your legs are in front of you, giving them room to move around.
Touring bikes are meant to be ridden long distances. They're all about comfort and often have backrests, wind screens, saddlebags, radios and even speaker systems, Wasef says.