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Posted by on April 30, 2006, 7:16 pm
For all intents and purposes, I'm new to street bikes and was
considering getting one to save on my daily commute. (I used to have a
dirt bike when I was little and loved it, but I know that's not the
same thing.) My situation is; I live in Tucson, AZ where there are
300+ days without rain, and it rarely gets below the 50s during the
day, even in the winter... So the majority of the time I would be able
ride to work, including most of the winter. Right now I have a
gas-guzzling SUV that I was planning on getting rid of, but would
really like to keep. The reason being; I drive about 1,500 miles per
month, almost all of which is city/rural/stop & go, and it is costing
me a fortune.
With that being said, saving money isn't the only reason I'd like to
get a bike, but me getting one would be contingent on being able to
save money with it. We just moved here from Maryland, and it's so warm
and sunny most of the year I think it would be fun to use a bike for my
commute.
I know that tires wear out quick, and the engines need a lot of
maintenance, but I wanted to get an idea of just how much it's going to
cost me so I can weigh that in to my decision. How much do tires cost
and how long do they last? 3k miles or so? What other maintenance
costs can I expect with a beginner-type street bike? How much do you
typically spend a month or year on maintenance? Would it be reliable,
and is there anything I should watch out for in putting that many miles
on a bike?
Also, what is a good beginner bike? I would like something light and
easy to handle, and something that is comfortable for an approximate 40
minute commute. ...probably good to mention that I am 6'4". I like
the sport bikes like the ninja, and it would be nice to have one that
could seat 2 for an occasional outing, but I don't want one that's
going to require excessive maintenance and cost a fortune in insurance.
Any other caveats or words of wisdom before I make a decision?
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Posted by Steve L on April 30, 2006, 7:31 pm
show/hide quoted text
> For all intents and purposes, I'm new to street bikes and was
> considering getting one to save on my daily commute. (I used to have
a
show/hide quoted text
> dirt bike when I was little and loved it, but I know that's not the
> same thing.) My situation is; I live in Tucson, AZ where there are
> 300+ days without rain, and it rarely gets below the 50s during the
> day, even in the winter... So the majority of the time I would be
able
show/hide quoted text
> ride to work, including most of the winter. Right now I have a
> gas-guzzling SUV that I was planning on getting rid of, but would
> really like to keep. The reason being; I drive about 1,500 miles per
> month, almost all of which is city/rural/stop & go, and it is costing
> me a fortune.
> With that being said, saving money isn't the only reason I'd like to
> get a bike, but me getting one would be contingent on being able to
> save money with it. We just moved here from Maryland, and it's so
warm
show/hide quoted text
> and sunny most of the year I think it would be fun to use a bike for
my
show/hide quoted text
> commute.
> I know that tires wear out quick, and the engines need a lot of
> maintenance, but I wanted to get an idea of just how much it's going
to
show/hide quoted text
> cost me so I can weigh that in to my decision. How much do tires cost
> and how long do they last? 3k miles or so? What other maintenance
> costs can I expect with a beginner-type street bike? How much do you
> typically spend a month or year on maintenance? Would it be reliable,
> and is there anything I should watch out for in putting that many
miles
show/hide quoted text
> on a bike?
> Also, what is a good beginner bike? I would like something light and
> easy to handle, and something that is comfortable for an approximate
40
show/hide quoted text
> minute commute. ...probably good to mention that I am 6'4". I like
> the sport bikes like the ninja, and it would be nice to have one that
> could seat 2 for an occasional outing, but I don't want one that's
> going to require excessive maintenance and cost a fortune in
insurance.
show/hide quoted text
> Any other caveats or words of wisdom before I make a decision?
Honda Civic.
Seriously, ...bikes can be more uncomfortable in real hot weather than
cold weather. Espcially if you are wearing protective gear, and you
SHOULD to that if you want to survive all that city stop and go traffic.
If you really want a bike, pick up a "first year learner" that is past
it's prime but has plenty of service left in it. these are out there in
every shape and size because som many goofy people buy a bike to be
cool, ride it a season 3 to 8K miles and then don't ride anymore because
they are too busy with kids, college, work, boats, etc etc.. and finally
the forsale sign goes on it.
You're a big guy, so pick up something you can fit on. I'd go for 650
or 750 machine at least. A "standard" like a Honda Nighthawk would be
good. Buy something up to 10 ~12 years old with low miles and use it
for a year. Decide if you like motorcycling and get to kick a lot of
tires and then go buy your real bike the next year. That way, if you
drop the first one.. scratch it up etc etc .. who cares. So many guys
go out and buy bike XYZ and then 3 months later they are saying ..."gee,
I wish I bought ABC" ...but I didn't know any better. (lot of bikes can
be had that way too.)
But, seriously, 1992 Honda Civic.. with A/C.
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Posted by on April 30, 2006, 11:59 pm
Thanks for the advice, it is incredibly helpful. I have some decisions
to make, and I have to talk to my insurance company and see how much
they would charge, but I think you're right about the bike... If I do
get a bike, I'll get something like a Nighthawk. Something that I
won't feel bad about getting rid of in a year, or feel bad about
dinging it up a bit. I know nothing about my preferences yet so it's
silly to go on looks, which is what I would end up doing.
One of the reasons I'm not as concerned about the heat is because it's
not usually too hot during my commute (early in the morning, and in the
evening) which is when I'll be doing most of my riding. That may
change when it starts to average in the 100s, but it heats up and cools
off fairly quickly in the desert...
I'll look at the MSF beginner's course too and see about taking it
before I buy a bike...
Thanks everyone for the suggestions!
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Posted by Venture Rider on April 30, 2006, 7:38 pm
On 30 Apr 2006 16:16:14 -0700, kyle.kvech@gmail.com said:
show/hide quoted text
> Right now I have a
>gas-guzzling SUV that I was planning on getting rid of
Don't get rid of the SUV! You'll need it to trailer your bike to some
of the big motorcycling events.
--
"I refuse to answer that question on the grounds
that I don't know the answer."
- Douglas Adams
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Posted by Dean Hoffman on April 30, 2006, 8:07 pm
show/hide quoted text
> On 30 Apr 2006 16:16:14 -0700, kyle.kvech@gmail.com said:
>
> > Right now I have a
> >gas-guzzling SUV that I was planning on getting rid of
>
> Don't get rid of the SUV! You'll need it to trailer your bike to some
> of the big motorcycling events.
Is this the right spot to comment on American made bikes? I can't
imagine running some of those $150K custom built bikes down the road.
Some are just too fancy to ride. Insurance or not, I don't think I
could bring myself to ride one of those much.
Dean
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> considering getting one to save on my daily commute. (I used to have