QuestionHi Mr. Roberson:
What's the smallest cycle I can buy that is freeway safe, meaning it won't have any problem keeping up with freeway traffic?
Thanks Terrence
AnswerHi Terrence,
Thanks for the question.
My general guideline for highway travel is that the bike should be a minimum of 500cc. You want to be able to do more than just "keep up" with traffic. Since you are basically unprotected (compared to being in a car) while in traffic, one of your best "safety devices" while riding is your ability to GET AWAY from potential trouble. If you are on a bike that is just able to manage the speed limit (75mph in some places now), you've lost that ability.
No question there are smaller bikes that are freeway capable. The Kawasaki Ninja 250 comes to mind. It can spin up so high that it has the ability to pass and so forth, but I'd say it's an exception. The 400cc Honda CB-1, a four-cylinder screamer made in the early 90's, is another "little" bike that can pass muster on the open road. It's rare to find a clean one now, but worth having if you can.
I know there are several 250's available in cruiser form, and around town they are great. But they just don't have the power to provide a margin of safety on the open road, and they are spinning so fast that vibration fatigue becomes an issue as well.
Lastly, you did not specify your weight, and when dealing with small bikes, it makes a difference as you can imagine. If you weigh 125, a 250 Ninja is a rocketship. If you weigh 225 (like me), it can barely get out of it's own way. A larger engine is just mandatory.
So I'll stick with 500cc as the baseline for highway use. My first "big motorcycle" was a 1979 Honda CX500 (a 500cc V-twin), and it took me everywhere I wanted to go. Not a high-powered bike by any means, but it had enough power to pass on the freeway and squirt away from trouble, and that's what's most important on the open road.
Take care, ride safe,
Bill Roberson
