Riding Motorcycle to work?

[movingex]

I am considering buy a bike to ride to work in an effort to save on gas $$.

I have 54 mile round trip to work and my 2001 Nissan Frontier gets about 15 mpg, but it's paid for. It's costing me a small fortune to get back and forth to work, plus I have to take the tollway.

A few questions for anyone who actually owns a bike and maybe rides to work on it:

1. How may days per year do you ride your bike to work? (due to weather)
2. What would be a good bike to purchase for this purpose. Style and looks not being consideration, just fuel efficiency, safety, low repair costs and comfort are my concerns.
3. How many miles do you travel round trip?
4. What are some other considerations for a novice bike rider?
5. How much should I expect to pay for a decent no frills bike?
6. How much should I expect to pay for insurance?

Lots of questions I know but thanks for any input from those who actually own a bike.

Thanks

[r6isnum1]

I had a bike for about five and a half years (sold it about two months ago) and I would only ride it once or twice a week. When you ride you tend to stink so working in an office I would hate coming in smelling of exhuast fumes and sweat.

If you're looking for a bike to simply get you to work and home any smaller cruiser would do. Maybe even a 600cc sportbike.. Both would get you great mileage but the cruiser of course would be more comfortable. My round trip was a little over 30 miles and I had a sport bike. I never had a problem with conform. A decent bike would cost you about 3500-5500 depending on the year/make.. I sold my bike for 3500 and it was a 2002 r6.. The fairings were scratched up a bit but the bike rode fine.. Insurance is really going to depend on your age/driving history/bike.. I had full coverage for about six months and it was 180.. I later got liability and paid $200 for the year..

[groovyone]

1) I ride mine a lot when the weather isn't like the rain today. Mine averages 32.5MPG, 30 if I am hard on it.

2) Lots of bikes to look at. Personally I like naked/standard type bikes. The Versys is a great bike, 650cc twin. If you want to save even more, Ninja 250R. The new one should get over 60MPG easily and costs $3500 new.

3) 20 miles

4) TAKE THE MSF CLASS!! I CANNOT RECOMMEND THIS ENOUGH!

5) New, $2500-$6K depending on what you want out of it. I started on a $2500 used 1995 Ninja ZX-6E. If you keep it below $2500 financed you can get away with minimum insurance. Used 250Rs can be had is good shape for $2K or less. DO NOT FORGET THE COST OF GEAR! Plan on a jacket, helmet, and gloves as a minimum, especially if you will be on the highway.

6) Full coverage on mine is about $800/year, but I have a few years of riding. Basic coverage will likely run you $20/mo, depending on the bike.

If you find specific bikes you want to know more about, just post them, or if you want a huge list of options, let me know. One of my bike mags just did a great article on economy bikes. I think it was Cycle World, but I'll double check. It should be vailable on newstands now.

[HotHolly]

1. How may days per year do you ride your bike to work? (due to weather)
Mike has had several bikes over the years, of which I rode them poorly. So responses are based on Mike's riding days. About 9 months out of the year he can ride here.

2. What would be a good bike to purchase for this purpose. Style and looks not being consideration, just fuel efficiency, safety, low repair costs and comfort are my concerns.
You dont want a tiny thing as you'll be blown off the road. I would think you'd want a cruiser since you are going distance.

3. How many miles do you travel round trip?
About 40 for work.

4. What are some other considerations for a novice bike rider?
Take the bike class so you are less likely to have the 6 month newB crash. And this is me - dont be stupid! Dont be a squid-mark.

5. How much should I expect to pay for a decent no frills bike?
Depends on the size and type. A weanie bike that wont go onto the highway starts around $2-$3K new. Mike's picked up bigger bikes for around $3K.

6. How much should I expect to pay for insurance?
Its cheap. Like $100 per year for basic coverage.

[SCone]

Rules of the road

1) You are invisible
2) Everyone is trying to KILL you
3) There is no such thing as "I had the right of way"

If you play the game that no one can see you, then you'll never allow yourself to get into the wrong situation.

Being paranoid is a good thing, when someone really is after you.

You are the smallest vehicle on the road, you can be right and dead, or yield and live.

Been riding for 30 years - big, small, cruiser, touring & sport-bikes. Has never made any difference on the size of the bike I was riding, on any given day there will be someone that does something stupid. Your survival will be based on your ability to read the traffic and make the moves needed to avoid the concern BEFORE they get the chance.

How to spot the stupid driver before they get to you.

1) Dirty or damaged vehicle
2) Vehicle touches the striping on the road
3) No signal when changing lanes
4) Multiple people in the car
5) Bumper stickers
6) Dangling things from mirror
7) Cell phones, cell phones, cell phones
8) Jumping lanes
9) Speeding

These are by no means definitive, but it is uncanny how they fit so well.

[Shaggysnack]

I ride my bike as often as possible. When I was younger I didn't have a car, so I rode my bike year round, so it can be done.

I would ride more but until they let me put a car seat on the back of my bike I have to drive!!

You want a bike that you feel comfortable on. And you want one with some get up and go. The larger the bike the more it is going to weigh. The more it weighs the more difficult it is to manuever at slow speeds. When picking a bike out you need one that you can balance with no issues, but is big enough to move you out of the way when a car pulls into you, which is bound to happen. I do not recommend a bike smaller than 600cc.

As others have recommended, take the class. You can find where to take them off the DPS website. Upon completion of the weekend class, the state says that you have the equivalent of two years riding experience. IT is a great class.

I pay $170 a year for full coverage minus medical for an 1100cc bike.

The best advice that I can give you is, As you ride assume that every body on the road to trying to KILL YOU!!!! So stay vigilant! and obey the speed limit, even though it is sometimes more fun not to.

[billbunton]

1. How may days per year do you ride your bike to work? (due to weather)

Depends on the year. I bought a new car recently, so I'll likely end up with 40 or 50 days this year I didn't ride to work. From December of 2003 through November 2004 there were 0 days I drove to work. I had to drive one day in December (ice), and four or five in January of 2005, a couple of those due to weather.

2. What would be a good bike to purchase for this purpose. Style and looks not being consideration, just fuel efficiency, safety, low repair costs and comfort are my concerns.

An older reasonably naked bike. You're going to drop it. Period. So get something with some power but not a lot of plastic. A standard or cruiser, not a road warrior :-).

3. How many miles do you travel round trip?

About 25 round trip.

4. What are some other considerations for a novice bike rider?

TAKE THE MSF CLASS. Practice, practice, practice. Don't immediately start commuting. Riding in traffic is scary (and dangerous) until you're really comfortable on a bike. It stays dangerous, but gets not as scary.

Everyone is out to kill you. This isn't an attitude you adopt, IT'S THE TRUTH. It's not that they didn't see you. They either saw you and don't care, or they were trying to kill you.

5. How much should I expect to pay for a decent no frills bike?

I'd guess $3-5K from a private party, more from a dealer. I can't help much here, I haven't bought used for 10 years or so, and haven't looked at prices anywhere other than a BMW dealer for about the same length of time :-)

6. How much should I expect to pay for insurance?

Depends on what kind of bike, and what coverage. Liability is cheap, my three bikes are $45/year, $57/year and $75/year. Collision is cheap on all but the newest. It's the uninsured/underinsured bodily injury that's really expensive.

[Concisus Cognatus]

Here's the link to the Motorcycle Training Center :

http://www.texasmtc.com/

Because of increased demand for training, the waiting period for the actual class is roughly a month. I enrolled for the beginners course at the end of July and my actual class dates are 8/27,28,29. The location is Arlington which is a good location for me since I too live in Desoto.

[ramblinray]

1. How may days per year do you ride your bike to work? (due to weather)
I ride almost every day. I'm lucky and work a rotating shift so most weeks are 4 day weeks. I go with the rule, it the sidewalk is dry I ride and if the sidewalk is wet I think seriously about it. If it's below 30 deg I think about it if there will be wet stuff falling from the sky. (Ice is hard to do on two wheels.) About a dozen car days a year due to bad weather.
2. What would be a good bike to purchase for this purpose. Style and looks not being consideration, just fuel efficiency, safety, low repair costs and comfort are my concerns.
Any of the new cruisers are good. You don't specify how much you weight so it's hard to give you an answer. Obviously a large guy doesn't want a small bike. Nor would a small guy want a large bike. Traffic stops on occasion, so you must be able to comfortably stop and balance the bike. Sport bikes are taller than cruisers, so if you have short legs like I do choose the cruiser. Or lower the bike, added cost there. You want something big enough to accelerate out of trouble if necessary and it will be necessary.
3. How many miles do you travel round trip?
35 miles
4. What are some other considerations for a novice bike rider?
TAKE the motorcycle safety course.
You are invisible. Cage drivers will try to run over you, or at least give that appearance.
Cell phones are very bad in the hands of a cage driver. They do really stupid things when gabbing on those mind sucking devices.
Young drivers with passengers or parents with small children don't even know you exist. For all the attention they give to driving you won't if you don't keep your wits about you.
Old people are blind and can't see you. They will look right at you and still turn left in front of you.
You will dump your bike.
Asphalt surfing at 70 mph is not fun, save it for the beach.
Two wheels lock up as easily as four and the results are not nearly a good when this happens.
Chicks dig a Harley, but the price tag usually isn't worth it. Opinions vary on this one.
Always ride with your gear on no matter how hot it is. Minimum is helmet, jacket and gloves. No helmet may look cool, but brains oozing from your head doesn't. Shorts may be cooler, but road rash is really painful. Flip flops are just plain stupid. Boots covering the ankles are highly recommended.
5. How much should I expect to pay for a decent no frills bike?
$2K to 6K for a used bike, more for new. Check Cycletrader.com for new and used bikes. Lotz of guys fall for the lure of biking and find it's not for them and sell their rides CHEAP.
6. How much should I expect to pay for insurance?
Full coverage on 1300 cruiser is ~$350/yr. Sport bikes, like sport cars are more expensive to insure

Riding can be great, but realize it has it's limitations. It can get hot and sweaty as mentioned above. In the winter, windchill is in full effect. Good gloves are vital when it's cold out. Modular helmets are good but slightly more noisy. I recommend always wearing earplugs when riding. High frequency hearing loss will not get better and wind noise will cause HFHL. Riding isn't for everyone. If you do choose to join the group, enjoy the ride. A bad day on the bike is better than a good day in a cage(car). This last statement is non-applicable to Maseratis, Lamborghinis and about any car driven by your chauffer.

[d2creative]

1. Take the MSF
3. Read Proficient Motorcycling cover to cover
2. Expect it to take quite a while before you seen a return on your investment

I have an 11 mile trip to work.
I either drive, take my Vespa (use to have motorcycles), or bicycle.
I try to take the bicycle as often as possible, then the scooter, and drive as a last resort.
If there is a small chance of rain, i'll do the bicycle or scooter. If there is a 50% chance of rain, i'd rather be on the bicycle. If there is more than a 60% chance, I'll probably just drive unless it's been a few days since I took the bicycle... if it's not showing thunder/lightening storms i might decide to bicycle anyway.

www.twtex.com is a good m/c forum similar to TFP.
www.modernvespa.com is a pretty good scooter forum (even if it is skewed towards the vespa brand) if you decide to go that route.
www.bikeforums.com for commuting by bicycle

edit: the scooter/bicycle thing doesn't really pertain to the OP unless you go maxi-scooter (due to mileage - i'm assuming hwy travel). I was just throwing it out there as general info for everyone.

[Hanky]

You wont save on gas, you will be with angry drivers who dont want to go to work.
If you are not willing to go faster than rest of traffic you can expect to be run over.
I'm not knockin the cruiser types but camping out in a lane aint my style.
Steve is spot on, drive like you are invisible because really you are.
Harsh discipline but it works, buy it for fun.

[movingex]

Originally Posted by Hanky

You wont save on gas, you will be with angry drivers who dont want to go to work.
.

Why do you say I wouldn't save on gas?

[raevyncent]

If any of this scares you at all, consider this: a 1986 Honda CRX with 5-speed was EPA rated at 52 MPG hwy.

[Hanky]

Originally Posted by movingex

Why do you say I wouldn't save on gas?

Perhaps I should have said, weigh the savings against the risk involved.
Some bikes don't get good mileage but if you only put 4 gallons a fill up
then wallet burn is not so seemingly bad.

[David Whatley]

I just got a 94 Kaw Vulcan 750. Check the users here. www.vn750.com
I get 42mpg so far, and I'm not a rider yet, just getting used to it. You can find these for 2-3K here local on CL and the bike was made, unchanged for 20 years.
PM me and I will tell you what I know from my research. And 90% of the people out there dont see you, the other 10% are trying to hit you.