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A motorcycle can match a car in speed, but provides a sense of freedom to get around both in cities and the countryside. Motorcycling allows you to be immersed in your surroundings as you travel so that, much like cycling, you are, "in the scene, not just watching it anymore, and the sense of presence is overwhelming" as Robert Pirsig wrote in Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance. On a motorcycle you can cover vast distances in a day, at speeds as fast as the freeways allow. Adventure touring motorcycles combine swift road speed, and cargo and passenger capability with some limited off-road ability, greatly expanding the potential scope and range of a trip, recreating the epic rides made famous in Ewan McGregor's The Long Way Round or Neal Peart's Ghost Rider.

You can explore a region on a rental motorcycle, or explore a city on a rental scooter, avoiding the need to ride or ship your own bike to your destination. But motorcycle touring requires detailed planning, careful packing, and a degree of personal resourcefulness beyond driving. The inherent risk of travel on two wheels must be given serious thought. Only experienced riders should attempt a trip far from home or lasting more than a day. Novice riders should develop their skills and get miles under their belt exploring their local area before attempting touring.

Types of motorcycle riding[edit]

The touring motorcycle[edit]

Adventure touring motorcycles[edit]

Rental[edit]

Motorcycles[edit]

Scooters[edit]

Laws by country[edit]

Motorcycle laws by country
Jurisdiction Lane splitting allowed? Helmet required?
Afghanistan No
Albania Yes
Andorra Yes
Angola Yes
Argentina Yes
Armenia Yes
Australia Legal in all states up to 30km/h [1] [2] [3] Yes
Austria Yes
Azerbaijan Yes
Bahamas Yes
Bahrain Yes
Bangladesh Yes
Barbados Yes
Burundi No
Belarus Yes
Belgium Yes Yes
Belize Yes
Benin Yes
Bhutan Yes
Bolivia (Plurinational State of) Yes (except child passengers)
Bosnia and Herzegovina Yes
Botswana Yes
Brazil Yes
Brunei Darussalam Yes Yes
Bulgaria Yes
Burkina Faso Yes
Cambodia Yes (except passengers)
Cameroon Yes
Canada Alberta Yes (except practicing Sikhs wearing turbans)
British Columbia Yes (except practicing Sikhs wearing turbans)
Manitoba Yes (except practicing Sikhs wearing turbans)
New Brunswick Yes
Newfoundland and Labrador Yes
Northwest Territories Yes
Nova Scotia Yes
Nunavut Yes
Ontario Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles (The Highway Traffic Act may make motorcycle lane splitting potentially illegal per Section 130 if driving carelessly and Section 154 if not driving in marked lanes. [4]) Required. Highway Traffic Act, Section 104
Quebec No for motorcycles, mopeds, or bicycles between two lines of vehicles moving on contiguous lanes (Highway Safety Code, Section 478) Yes
Prince Edward Island Yes
Saskatchewan Yes
Yukon Yes
Cape Verde Yes
Central African Republic Yes
Chad Yes
Chile Yes
China Yes
Colombia Yes
Comoros Yes
Congo Yes
Cook Islands Yes (except child passengers)
Costa Rica Yes
Côte d'Ivoire Yes
Croatia Yes
Cuba Yes
Cyprus Yes
Czech Republic Yes
Democratic People's Republic of Korea Yes
Democratic Republic of the Congo Yes
Denmark Yes
Dominica No
Dominican Republic Yes (except passengers)
Ecuador Yes
Egypt Yes (except passengers)
El Salvador Yes
Equatorial Guinea Yes
Estonia Yes
Eswatini Yes
Ethiopia Yes
Fiji No (except child passengers)
Finland Yes
France Yes Yes
Gabon Yes
Gambia No
Georgia Yes
Germany Yes, but only when other traffic is stationary Yes
Ghana Yes
Greece Yes
Guatemala Yes
Guinea Yes
Guinea-Bissau Yes
Guyana Yes
Honduras Yes
Hungary Yes
Iceland Yes
India Yes
Indonesia Yes
Iran (Islamic Republic of) Yes
Iraq Yes (except passengers)
Ireland Yes, at low speed [5] Yes
Israel Yes
Italy Yes, but only on the left and only where there is no solid white lane line/centre line. However, all rules are widely ignored Yes, although widely ignored in Sicily
Jamaica Yes
Japan Advanced stop lines (Japanese: 二段停止線) attract motorcycles, mopeds, and bicycles to lane split (Guidance marking (Japanese: 指示標示) number 203-2 (Japanese: 203の2) [6][dead link]) Yes
Jordan Yes
Kazakhstan Yes
Kenya Yes
Kuwait Yes (except child passengers)
Kyrgyzstan Yes
Lao People's Democratic Republic Yes
Latvia Yes
Lebanon Yes
Lesotho Yes
Liberia No
Lithuania Yes
Luxembourg Yes
Madagascar Yes
Malawi Yes
Malaysia Yes Yes
Maldives Yes (except child passengers)
Mali Yes
Malta Yes
Marshall Islands Yes
Mauritania Yes
Mauritius Yes
Mexico Yes
Mongolia Yes
Montenegro Yes
Morocco Yes
Mozambique Yes
Myanmar Yes
Namibia Yes
Nepal Yes
Netherlands Yes
New Zealand Yes, but not advised for learner riders [7] Yes
Nicaragua Yes
Niger Yes
Nigeria Yes
Niue Yes
North Macedonia Yes
Norway Yes
Oman Yes
Pakistan Yes
Palau Yes
Panama Yes
Papua New Guinea Yes
Paraguay Yes
Peru Yes
Philippines Yes
Poland Yes
Portugal Yes No
Qatar Yes
Republic of Korea Yes
Republic of Moldova Yes
Romania Yes
Russian Federation Yes
Rwanda Yes
Saint Kitts and Nevis Yes
Saint Lucia Yes
Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Yes
Samoa Yes
San Marino Yes
Sao Tome and Principe Yes (except child passengers)
Saudi Arabia Yes
Senegal Yes
Serbia Yes
Seychelles Yes
Sierra Leone Yes
Singapore Yes
Slovakia Yes
Slovenia Yes
Solomon Islands Yes
South Africa Yes (Article 298 of the National Road Traffic Regulations, 1999) Yes
Spain Yes
Sri Lanka Yes
Sudan Yes (except passengers)
Suriname Yes
Sweden Yes
Switzerland Yes
Syrian Arab Republic Yes (except child passengers)
Tajikistan Yes
Taiwan, Republic of China No for motorcycles larger than 250 cm3 on national or provincial freeways or expressways (Article 20 of the http://www.freeway.gov.tw/english/Print.aspx?cnid=1094&p=522); advanced stop lines attract motorcycles up to 250 cm3 to lane split (Article 174-2 of the Regulations on Establishing Traffic Signs and Indicating Lines Yes
Thailand Yes
Timor-Leste Yes
Togo Yes
Tonga Yes
Trinidad and Tobago Yes
Tunisia Yes
Turkey Yes
Uganda Yes
Ukraine Yes
United Arab Emirates Yes
United Kingdom Yes (Highway Code Rule 88) Yes
United Republic of Tanzania Yes (except passengers)
United States Alabama No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Code of Alabama, Section 32-5A-242, Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic.)
Alaska No for motorcycles except police officers on duty ([group+!2713+aac+02!2E427!27!3A/doc/{@1}/hits_only 13 AAC (Alaska Administrative Code) 02.427. Driving motorcycles and motor-driven cycles on roadways laned for traffic.][dead link])
Arizona Yes for motorcycles with two wheels under considerable conditions to filter since September 24, 2022 (Arizona Revised Statutes 28.903. Operation of motorcycle on laned roadway; exceptions.)
Arkansas Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
California Yes Yes for motorcycles with two wheels Required. California Vehicle Code Section 27803
Colorado No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Colorado Revised Statutes Section 42-4-1503. Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic.)
Connecticut No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (General Statutes of Connecticut Section 14-289b. Operation of motorcycles.)
Delaware Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
District of Columbia Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles Required. Washington DC Municipal Regulations, Rule: 18-2215
Florida No for motorcycles except police officers or firefighters on duty (Florida Statutes, 316.209 Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic.)
Georgia No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Georgia Code § 40-6-312. Operating motorcycle on roadway laned for traffic.)
Hawaii No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Hawaii Revised Statutes §291C-153. Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic.)
Idaho Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles Required if under age 18; Idaho Statutes, Title 49, Chapter 6, Section 666
Illinois No for motorcycles (625 ILCS (Illinois Compiled Statutes) 5/11-703)
Indiana No for motorcycles as a vehicle may not be driven or operated in a manner that deprives another vehicle of the full use of a traffic lane (Indiana Code 9-21-10-6 Traffic lanes; restrictions on use.)
Iowa No for motorcycles or motorized bicycles (Iowa Code 321.275 (4)[dead link])
Kansas No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Kansas Statutes Annotated 8-1595[dead link])
Kentucky Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
Louisiana No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Louisiana RS (Revised Statutes) 32:191.1)
Maine No for motorcycles except law enforcement officers on duty (Maine Revised Statutes Title 29-A, §2062 (5), (6))
Maryland No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Maryland Transportation Code Section 21-1303. Operating on laned roadways.)
Massachusetts No for motorcycles (General Laws, Chapter 89, Section 4A)
Michigan No for motorcycles, mopeds, low-speed vehicles, or electric personal assistive mobility devices except police officers on duty; (Michigan Vehicle Code Section 257.660 Electric personal assistive mobility device, low-speed vehicle, or moped; operation; limitations; applicability to police officer; regulation by local government; prohibitions; regulation by department of natural resources.) also no for bicycles per 2006 Law (2006 Michigan Compiled Laws Section 257.660) until legalized by 2010 Law (2010 Michigan Compiled Laws Section 257.660)
Minnesota No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (2013 Minnesota Statutes, 169.974, Subdivision 5)
Mississippi Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
Missouri Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
Montana Yes for motorcycles with two wheels to filter no faster then 20 miles an hour (32 km/h) to overtake the stopped or slow-moving vehicle no faster then 10 miles an hour (16 km/h) since October 1, 2021 [8]
Nebraska No for motorcycles except peace officers on duty
Nevada No for motorcycles or mopeds except police officers on duty (NRS (Nevada Revised Statutes) 486.351 Unlawful passing; driving abreast.) Required. Nevada Revised Statutes, Title 43, Chapter 486, Section 486.231
New Hampshire No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Revised Statutes, Section 265:121: Driving Motorcycles on Roadways Laned for Traffic.)
New Jersey Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles, discouraged by official motorcycle manual (State of New Jersey - Motor Vehicle Commission: Manuals: Motorcycle driver manual revised in July 2012, pages 12 and 13 of 19)
New Mexico Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
New York No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Laws of New York: Vehicle and Traffic Law, Section 1252 (b),(c))
North Carolina Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
North Dakota No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (North Dakota Century Code, Section 39-10.2-03. Operating motorcycles on roadways laned for traffic.)
Ohio Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
Oklahoma No for motorcycles, motor-driven cycles, motorized scooters, motorized bicycles, or electric-assisted bicycles except authorized emergency vehicles (Oklahoma Statutes, Section 47-11-1103D.)
Oregon No for motorcycles or mopeds except police officers on duty (Oregon Revised Statutes 814.240) Required. Oregon Revised Statutes 814.269
Pennsylvania No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Vehicle Code Section 3523)
Puerto Rico No for motorcycles except law enforcement officers on duty (9 L.P.R.A (Laws of Puerto Rico Unannotated) § 5296. Use of any vehicle, carriage or motorcycle.)
Rhode Island Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
South Carolina No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (South Carolina Code of Laws Section 56-5-3640)
South Dakota No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (South Carolina Codified Laws Section 32-20-9.2, 9.3, 9.4)
Tennessee No for motorcycles except police officers on duty (Tennessee Code § 55-8-182. Operation of motorcycles on laned roadways.)
Texas Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
Utah Yes for motorcycles other than autocycle under considerable conditions to filter since May 14, 2019 [9] [10]
Vermont No for motorcycles or motor-driven cycles except police officers on duty (23 V.S.A. (Vermont Statutes Annotated) § 1115)
Virginia No for motorcycles (Code of Virginia § 46.2-857. Driving two abreast in a single lane.)
Washington No for motorcycles except police officers on duty, (Revised Code of Washington) Required by law; Revised Code of Washington, 46.37.530
West Virginia Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
Wisconsin Not authorized or legally referenced for motorcycles
Wyoming No for motorcycles or motor-driven cycles except police officers on duty (Wyoming Statutes § 31-5-115)
Uruguay Yes
Uzbekistan Yes
Vanuatu Yes
Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of) Yes
Vietnam Yes
Yemen No
Zambia Yes
Zimbabwe Yes

See also[edit]

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Motorcycling