Jason762

Well, recently I got mugged recently and last night I walked out of CostCo at 11:30 at night and found my bike cable partway cut, and my rear tire flat (I suspect my boss: I'm leavng his department and he's pissed about it). Either that, or karma is out to get me.

I still haven't gotten a phone, but luckily I was able to flag down one of my coworkers driving by and was able to phone for a ride.

Needless to say, I think it's time to look ito a fuel-powered source of transportation.

For a while I've been considering a bike. I've done my research on motorcycles, reading forums and articles online as well as reading "The Idiot's Guide to Motorcycles".

It seems cheaper to get a bike (after all, 80 MPG? That's damn decent!), at the cost of being less safe. However, I do not plan on being one of those idiots who weave through traffic at 100 MPG. Not sure about insurance yet...

A car is a lot more expensive than a bike. You don't get as good MPG though you do get better saftey. You can do more with a car (traveling, camping, fishing, grocery shopping, etc.) but also a bit more expensive for a decent car. Also not sure about experience...

I'll be able to pay off any debts of the bike and it's gear a lot sooner than a car. Bike has it's limitations, but I can still go road traveling.

I've driven a car a little, bu never a bike. I planned on taking the motorcyce saftey course rather than going to the DMV and just taking their test (in Caifornia taking and passing the MSF course is the same as passing a DMV course).

So in the end, at most my bike would be used to get me to work. Additional sidetrips would be going to the friend's house, or the gym.

What do you think is the better option. I'm hankering for a bike (due to the "coolness" factor and price), but I'll listen to voices of reason...

Thanks!

castex

I say buy a bike. Bikes are cool. Get one, have fun, take care. There'll be plenty of time for you to hang up your gloves later, but if you don't do it now (I'm assuming you're young and childless) then you probably never will.

BadNick

I recommend a bike, too. Sounds like you have a mature attitude about it so that's a good start.

waltert

bike =D I just got an ex 500 a few weeks ago, and the thing is a load of fun. I got it for $2,100 and it came with a helmet.

they also let me use it in the msf class, which was great, it helped me "get to know" my bike alot more.

insurance for me on this bike (minimum liability coverage) is $540 per year.

it gets just a little over 50mpg. get a ninja 250 and you're looking at around 70mpg...
the 250 will be a little stressed out if you take it on highway trips.

most of the cruiser bikes get worse gas milage, as im sure you know.

a guy I know with a V-max only gets like 35mpg...thats not much better than my hyundai.

I figure if you're getting along fine with a bicycle right now, a motorcycle would be something you could swing.

if you look hard enough, you might be able to score a bike, gloves, a full face helmet and jacket for $3,000.

Willravel

How safe are bikes in the rain?

Jason762

Yeah I've been looking at the Honda CBR 600's. I WAS considering the Ninja 250, but I asked some guys over at the sportsbike forums and they said at my height and weight (6' 2" and 230) that a 250cc would be pushing it. :-/ Or were they saying I'D be pushing it?

Willravel, I've read that bikes are relatively safe in the rain... so long as you let it rain a bit before heading out. Why? So the oil has a chance to slick off the road.

A fully faired bike helps prevent water from coming back at you, or so I've read.

I've actually read that gravel is more dangerous. They say it feels slippery, which is quite understandable.

As for riding bike, WalterT is right. Only difference between me now and me with a motorized bike is that one's leg powered and the other is gas powered. Ha ha. So as for being uncomfortable on a bike, being on a motorized one would just have my discomfort over with quicker.

kinsaj

Support for the motorcycle here. I also think that the bicycle experience that you have will make a huge difference; it did for me. If you were able to get along alright for the most part on a bicycle, the lack of significant storage room on a motorcycle should not be a problem.

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Seaver

Motorcycles are ONLY good if you have a car.

Think about it. If it's raining you're wet, cold, miserable. If you go grocery shopping, every single time you go you'll either buy 1 bag maximum or will have to plead your friends with cars to take you. If you go to a job interview you smell like smog and your cloths will be wrinkled. You can't wear shorts/flip-flops/t-shirts no matter how hot it is outside, cause if you whipe there goes all your skin. For school/work you'll have to carry your bike helm around at all times else it get stolen. While women love a bike and men who ride them... they don't like riding them in reality. Because if she dresses nice (in a dress) she'll refuse to get on. She has to wear a helmet which ruins her hair, and again she cant wear the shorts/flip-flops/t-shirt less she lose her skin.

Dont get me wrong, I absolutely miss having a motorbike. I don't miss everything I just listed, though.

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waltert

as for the girlfriend thing, just find a girl with a car. job interviews, etc will be a bit more tricky without a car, especially on a hot day.

another thing: health insurance...if you dont have it, I might shy away from the bike. if you crash badly on a motorcycle with health insurance, you might wish you were dead when you get your medical bills....if you crash badly on a motorcycle without health insurance, you may try to take your own life.

I have both a bike and a car, so im lucky in that sense. what I would do is think about all of the times in the past year (or since you've started riding your bicycle) that you've needed a car, now some of those times, you could have probably made it on a motorcycle...but make a decision based on the situations where you found yourself needing a car, and determine whether or not its worth it to you to buy a car instead.

Cynthetiq

i had a bike in 1992, rode it all over the place in NYC and upstate NY. It was wonderful!

But I don't have ANY control over the other driver, which is what finally did me in on Route 4 after a 100 mile uneventful ride, I was 1 mile from home and I got hit from some young girl who pulled out of the gas station and instead of pulling into the closest lane swung wide into the middle lane which I moved to so that she had plenty of space.

Busted collarbone, a chunk of my ankle, scarred knuckles, totalled bike... i take public transportation and have a car now.

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Plaid13

really depends what the weather is like there and what you plan to use it for. if you just want a replacement for a bicycle then a motorcycle is a good choice. if you live somewhere with alot of traffic... i wouldnt suggest it because people are stupid and stupid kills. however they are very practical if you live somewhere with nice weather most of the time and dont need to haul stuff around. Personaly i would never ride a motorcycle you cant hear at least a block away. I want something that people hear long before they see me just for saftys sake.

Jason762

I notice some people aren't taking note of what my source of transportation already is. As for what would I do abou groceries, etc? Same thing I'm doing right now, bum a ride.

Anyway, so IF I don't get a bike what car do you think is "best"? If I did get a car I would probably end up going camping quite a bit. I also like manual transmission better, as it's more interactive AND you get more gas mileage. Suggestions?

Cynthetiq

for motorcycles there are saddle bags that one can mount, one has to just keep the storage balanced as they would for a pedal bike.

as far as a car is concerned, you'll need to give more details based on what money you have to spend. Also, there's insurance, maintenance, and gas. Four wheel drive for camping would be more expensive all around.

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Jason762

Well as cheap as possible.

If it takes more money than I have I'll just save up, but the cheaper it is the sooner I can get it.

I wanted a Toyota 4Runner but they're expensive not to mention that the gas mileage is terrible! I really like the Honda Avalance though... if only it came in a manual transmission! *sigh*

Cynthetiq

I'm assuming you mean the Element, since the Avalanche is a Chevy product and gets horrid gas mileage.

again, as cheap as possible means different things to different people. Since you've not given anything to work with like what monthly money you have to spend and amount to put down or buy outright, I'm going to assume that you aren't ready for all the costs associated with owning a vehicle at the moment, which means, save up as much as you can.

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Jason762

D'oh! I meant the Honda Ridgeline.

I earn $ 10.50 an hour ($ 15.25 on Sundays), and typically work about 35 hours a week. I get paid biweekly and my check usually comes in at about $ 600-ish.

However, I'm thinking about upping my 401(k) to take out 25% of my paycheck, so it will soon be less than that.

I'm a big guy at 6' 2" and 200 pounds, so getting out of those Accords/Civics/small cars, while do-able, is a pain in the ass.

ryfo

Take it from a person with a car who has a partner with a bike....get a car!!

waltert

I've got a stickshift hyundai elantra thats treated me alright. its a 2003 with 60k miles. no problems at all with it. they also make a hatchback version (extra room for camping gear). its got alot of headroom, so your height wont be an issue.

you could always get a cruiser bike with a trailer!

Jason762

HA HA! Cruiser bike with a trailer!

For me it isn't so much the height issue, but getting into, or especially getting out of a car. That part is a bitch!

Still in the air for me, though I think a bike will be easier.

Maybe I can get a bike first (not a big deal, no g/f at the moment and I still can get rides to the grocery store), then save up for a car. I like those '95-'96 Civic Coupes. Pretty sexy looking, though I'm sure it's small.

Seaver

Just make sure you NEVER brag about the gas milage you get. I had a friend who would constantly brag about how little he payed for gas... then 2hours later would ask me to go drive him to the store/mall/cleaners/etc.

He shut up bragging about how little he spent on gas when I started charging him by the mile. I'm a good friend and all, but I just got sick of fitting the bill because he was too cheap to get his own car (he had the money too).

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Jason762

Seaver, I wouldn't do that. I migh mention it if the guys were talking car talk, but I wouldn't brag about it.

And I usually get a ride when my buddy's going.

Scorps

Bike are fun but you gotta think about winter(depends on where you live) and riding in the rain is no fun. I used to own a bike but ever sense getting my car I miss the bike but I save alot of money on Insurance because bike insurance is really expensive.

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Jason762

I live in California. At most the winters are just wet and cold. But like I said, I'll be in the same weather if I'm riding my 10 speed road bike.

Really? I'm somewhat surprised to hear it's expensive. I hear getting a full helmet gets you cheaper insurance. How much was the insurance for you?

I'm seriously looking into the Honda CBR 600's. I first considered a Kawasaki Ninja 250 but with my size I was told that it's too underpowered for me. It's 50cc less than the SV650 (which I dislike a lot), and a lot of people reccomend the SV650 as a beginner bike.

What's your guys' opinion on the SV650?

Cynthetiq

I had a Ninja 250. IMO it was a good first bike because I got to learn the mechanics of riding without worrying about taking off on a 600. I'm 5'6 and 185 at the time I had the bike. I was planning on buying a CBR600.

The 250 had enough power to move me from point A to point B, it had enough acceleration since it was still very light weight and a powerful engine. See if you can get someone to test ride you. You'll be able to see a difference between them yes, but since you've never ridden before, why do you care about the performance of the bike since it's supposed to be basic transportation?

I bought my 250 for $1200 back in 1992 and my insurance was $200/year.

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Scorps

Well your in the States so its probably different then canadian insurance, like cali has a different helmet rule also.

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Cynthetiq

Remove doubt, call up insurance companies and get real numbers. Quotes are free, so call up and find out.

A 250 will be less than a 600 which is less than an 1100.

Find insurance companies like Geico, Allstate, Progressive, and ask.

http://www.google.com/search?q=motorcycle+insurance

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Jason762

Alright, thanks.

Found a really nice bike on craig's list for a good price.

I want to get it but don't have my M1 yet. Should I let it slide? Perhaps you guys know someone local who can inspect the bike and if I buy it, bring it home for me?

Thanks!

kinsaj

Let it slide. There will always be good deals. I bought my bike off CraigsList in the same area and have a lot of experience in the area. Not to mention the fact that if it truly is such a good deal, it is probably taken already; things go fast on CraigsList. You need to get a good idea of what you want and simply wait until the right deal comes up. You should be able to jump on it within a few hours of posting if you are after seriously good deals. Also, know how to inspect what you are buying or get someone who does know.

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Jason762

I did. I'm starting to think it MAY be a good idea to get a used bike from the dealership, as they have mechanic services and warranty and all that.

Am I wrong?