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Here’s why big bikes should be allowed to park in car parking slots

Big bikes are a lot harder to park than their smaller counterparts

EJ Punsalang EJ Punsalang on Jan 03, 2022
Here’s why big bikes should be allowed to park in car parking slots

Over the course of the last few years, several social media posts have gone viral bashing big bikes and their owners for parking in car parking slots, even if it has explicitly been allowed by the respective establishments’ administrators. Now, naturally, these complaints arose from the notion that all malls and commercial establishments have their own designated motorcycle parking areas. 

Now, this is all well and good, as more than 99 percent of the bikes you see on the street are small displacement scooters or underbone motorcycles. While you may say that equality is the name of the game, the notion of allowing big bikes to park in car slots is more of an equitable decision—a more forward-thinking approach to equality. That said, let’s dive a little deeper and discuss why high-displacement motorcycles should be allowed to park in car parking slots, regardless of the establishment. 

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Big bikes are…big

The first reason why big bikes should be allowed to park in car slots is really simple: they’re big. Unlike their small displacement counterparts, big bikes tend to tip the scales in excess of 400 pounds, making them difficult to maneuver in tight spaces. On top of that, their physical size is such that they simply occupy a lot more space. If you’ve ever seen a bike like the BMW R 1250 GS up close and personal, you’d realize that it takes up nearly as much space as a small hatchback. 

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Motorcycle parking areas are usually small and cramped

Motorcycle Parking

This brings us to our next point. Given just how small motorcycle parking lots in malls and establishments are, it’s practically impossible to park a big bike in a motorcycle slot without it getting dinged and scratched from other bikes. On top of that, it’ll surely be a pain for the big bike’s owner to move their bike out of the parking area when time comes to leave. The reason for this is simple. As mentioned earlier, more than 99 percent of motorcycles on the streets are small-displacement commuters. As such, establishments design their parking spaces to maximize space, and make parking slots as small as possible. 

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Big bikes are very expensive

The next point is pretty obvious. Big bikes are very expensive. As is the case with all things in life, we want to do our best to protect our possessions from damage or theft. This is especially true for luxury vehicles such as sports cars and big bikes. Unsurprisingly, high-capacity machines like the Kawasaki Ninja ZX-10R can cost ten times the price of a commuter scooter. Even entry level big bikes like the Husqvarna Svartpilen 401 fetch twice or even thrice the price of a commuter scooter. 

Big bikes should, however, pay the same fees as cars

Here’s why big bikes should be allowed to park in car parking slots

Now this is all well and good, however there are some caveats when it comes to the side of big bike owners looking to park in car parking slots. While small bikes that park in designated motorcycle parking areas usually get a cheaper parking fee that’s usually a fixed daily rate, big bike owners must pay the same fee as car owners when parking in car parking slots—and that means hourly rates and surcharges, too. That being said, you could say that the playing field is equal. Next time you see a bike parked in a car slot, just remember that its owner is paying the same parking fee as car owners, and therefore should be treated just like a car owner. After all, when you see a small car parked, you don’t discriminate against bigger, more expensive cars, do you? 

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