50cc motor bikes are the stuff of most kid’s dreams, I certainly wanted one for all my childhood and still have the odd urge to buy one. People from a non-biking background often criticise the 50cc motorbike for being underpowered, girl and toy like, but these people are obviously blinked and are missing all of its pulling points. This article aims to turn those people from 50cc haters to 50cc bike lovers! All its main advantages are listed below, please let me know if you agree or disagree.
50cc Motorbike
Running Costs
For most people buying a 50cc motor bike, cost is factor. As a rough guide, the smaller the engine, the lower the cost and this means that 50 cc motorbikes are often the cheapest to purchase. This tends to make them popular with younger riders or the elderly.
Not only is the upfront cost of ownership low, the ongoing costs are also low. 50 cc motor bikes use a lot less fuel to run than bikes with larger engines and perform very well in mile per gallon (MPG) comparison charts. This again makes them popular with young drivers.
Insurance Costs
Motor bikes are divided into different insurance groups with the least powerful bikes in the lowest groups and therefore with the lowest associated costs. The logic behind this is that bikes with smaller engines tend to be slower than larger engine bikes and are deemed less likely to have an accident which is likely to incur a insurance claim.
Being in a low insurance group, 50cc bikes are also popular with bikers who have got a number of penalties on their license as they are able to get insured for a much lower cost than on a large bike. The added advantage is that the bikes are slower than what they are used to so the riders will find it harder to break the speed limit again! Read about 50cc motorbike insurance costs in more detail here
Age
In most developed countries including the UK it’s possible to drive a 50 cc motor bike or scooter two year before it’s possible to drive a full powered bike. As a result a lot of youngsters use the smaller bikes to learn their basic road craft before progressing to drive a full powered bike when they are old enough.
Environmentally Friendly
As mentioned previously, 50cc motor bikes consume a lot less petrol than bikes with large engines or cars for that matter and as such are a lot less harmful to the environment. An average 50cc bike will use up to 90% less fuel than a car. If everyone used bikes instead of cars the world would be a much cleaner place.
Safety
Driving at slower speeds decreases the chance of accident. This has been proven time and time again and it why so many governments have installed speed limits on all their roads. The other aspect is that riders are much less likely to suffer fatal injuries going at slower speeds than they would if they were travelling at faster speeds.
Conclusion
Due to their image, 50cc motor bikes are not for everyone but if you are young, poor or just want a general introduction to road riding then they make an excellent choice of vehicle.