Practicality

So, I've been doing a lot of thinking recently about finding a new commuter vehicle.

I knew that I would have to use the BMW for the daily slog at least for a little while. But now I've kind of gotten used to the 30mpg's and it would be very hard for me to jump back into a pickup like my original plan.

I stripped the BMW to fix some rust issues in preperation for paint. I have everything except for the dash and drivers seat pulled out of the interior. In the five or so months that I've been driving it like this I can say that I've never needed another seat in the car. The only time I've ever even had another person in the car is when I begged my wife to go on a little weekend drive with me. I just drive to and from work. The most I carry withme is a lunch box and a one gallon cooler for water.I can count on my right hand how many times in the year I've owned this car, that I've needed another seat at all in my car.

My first thought is to yank the drivetrain out of the BMW and swap something cool into that and use the drivetrain in either a locost or other homebuilt locost type car that would only have one seat.

Something about having or building a car with only what I need to get back and forth to work appeals to me.

However I don't really have the time, money, tools or space needed to build my own car.

Then I hit me, what I really need is a motorcycle. My commute is roughly 30 miles each way 95% on the freeway. A little too far for me to ride a bycicle. I used to ride my bycicle to work and loved it. Of course it was only two miles away then.

A Motorcycle seems like it would be the perfect commuter vehicle for me because;

A. It would be the most fuel efficient. Should get better than the BMW not worse.

B. Something about the idea of a bike really appeals to me. As odd as it sounds the bike seems like the most practical option for me.

C. The cost of entry is low. A decent bike would be easier to save for than say a 2000 and up Tacoma.

Of course my wife says I'm just looking for an excuse to justify a bike. There may be some thruth to that but, I just can't see switching the BMW from a DD role to a toy role and replacing it with something that would be worse than it as far as mpgs are conserned.

I think you're just looking for an excuse to get a bike! and I am too.

It really depends on where you live. If you live where it gets cold, you'll need a lot of cold weather equipment and some strong fortitude to make it through the winter. If you live in or near a city, you'll need lots of safety gear (probably more than the normal motorcyclist), a swiveling head, and a lot of fortitude.

It's all very romantic, but I'd think long and hard about what you really want to drive to work in. I commuted for 4 years on a bike in Nor Cal, and past October, it was miserable. In the rain it was miserable. May to September was glorious, and I got 55mpg at 80mph on my 883 sportster.

Luckily there are a lot of riders in this area. So hopefully the masses will be used to looking for them.

I get around 50mpg commuting on my ZRX1200, but keep in mind that with bikes - especially the larger and/or more powerful variety - fuel is only one expense. Tires are much more expensive than car tires and don't last very long - I reckon about 12k miles out of a "touring" tire and I'm probably looking at $200+ for a replacement.

Good gear is also expensive but fortunately it normally lasts a while if you don't get involved in horizontal biking. If you're in an area where it doesn't get stupidly cold you can probably ride for most of the year - I rode all year in the UK, out here it just gets too cold in winter and I draw the line at snow anyway.

I normally prefer to commute on a bike that has hard luggage mounted as it's much easier to lug your stuff around that way than in a backpack.

^Yup, tires are a HUGE expense, especially if you go with something sporty.

Even in 2006, a set of tires installed was around $350ish for Pilot Powers and my R6 would go through a set in 3500-4000 miles. Less if threw on a few track days.

Chains/sprockets, etc etc

1) where do you live? 2) have you ridden before? 3) Whats the weather like?

Your commute is very similar to mine and I live in San Diego so about the best place in the country to own a motorcycle.For two reasons 1) climate and 2) legal lane splitting

So I had an f150 and a dual sport, I commuted on the dual sport when gas prices got high had the supermoto wheels for it and everything. And a small windscreen. This actually worked great up to about 80 and that bike (08 WR250R) got 55mpg at that speed. When I felt like I HAD to ride the bike due to the gas mileage (saved 10 bucks a day on the 60 miles of commuting over the truck) it ruined a lot of the enjoyment of riding a bike to work.

Got rid of the truck and picked up the Jetta TDI I drive now which gets 43mpg doing 80 on the freeway. Even once I got the jetta I didnt ride as much because the nicety of having the radio/ac/heater meant I only rode on days where it was nice and I felt like it

I traded the dual sport for a sport touring bike now, and its just too heavy for me. For commuting on the highway its super comfortable and its a rocket ship but I don't feel right on it in the turns and it gets worse mpg than the Jetta does

Number 1 tip on gear advice, size yourself for an aerostich roadcrafter and then look on ADV rider for a used one. I got mine for less than 200 bucks and its the best single piece of street riding gear you will ever own

and PS chains suck, hate dealing with them

I live in Knoxville, TN.

I have ridden before but not a lot. I bought an early eighties Honda 450 custom to learn on back in the day. Had a learners permit and rode for a little but the engine let go and I never bought another one.

I would say that I would be able to ride from early/mid March to around mid/late october.

Fuel savings are not the motivating factor. And it's not that I would be looking to save a bunch of money.

It's a minimalist thing. Somewhere in my mind there is a part that keeps telling me that having a car is unnecessary. Even though my car is small compared to all the modern boheamoths it still feels huge to me.

In my car I don't have A/C, heater, radio, carpet, sound deadening or any seats beside the drivers seat. And when I'm cruising down the road and look around in the car I just can't help but feel it's all wasted space. Because I don't need any of it.

The perfect car for me would be similiar to a formula v. I've designed such a beast in my head over a thousand times.

As for a bike it would not be a sport bike. I rode a gsxr1000, never went past a quarter throttle and it scared the crap out of me. The sportiest bike I would consider would be a Truimph Thruxton. I've always had a thing for them. Looking more at a standard type bike. The only cruiser type bike I would consider would be a sportster.

Anyway I was just wondering if anyone else felt that way. If it was feasable I would be riding a bycicle to work and saving the car as a toy. And I had several drinks and was half asleep when I made the original post It's amazing that anyone could make heads or tails out of what I was trying to say.

Do VW bugs have flat floors due to engine in rear then you could have a solo seat in the middle with some work ;p?

love the Thruxton. Love it. I purposely bought the sportster not to be a "harley" guy, but because at the time (2004) it was one of the better deals in motorcycledom that met my needs. It was a great bike, but I wanted something slightly sportier but not powerful enough that I would kill myself the first time out.

Where do you commute in Knoxville? From Knox up to Oak Ridge and back? If so I'd be cautious about riding a bike up and down Pellissippi everyday. That road is CRAZY!?! I'd worry about the crazy lane changers all along that road.

Of course my wife says I'm just looking for an excuse to justify a bike. There may be some thruth to that but, I just can't see switching the BMW from a DD role to a toy role and replacing it with something that would be worse than it as far as mpgs are conserned.

You're just looking for an excuse. Assuming you would replace the DD with a car that got worse mileage is a very strange/forced assumption. There a plenty of 4-wheeled options that get BETTER mileage while being SMALLER and less luxurious than the BMW..

In fact, it sounds like you would really like my 85 CRX HF im selling...

Maybe not my insight though because it doesnt really feel bare-bones.

And honestly, after getting 42-50 hwy mpg from those two cars i am REALLY not impressed with bike mpg considering the likelihood of dying on one or shortly after separating from it. I like the idea of a bike as a toy, but NOT as a DD because there happen to be other drivers in my area.

Really though, my CRX HF is perfect for someone who wants to live a minimalist/ascetic/masochistic drivestyle. I really liked driving it until summer hit down here and i went back to car that had ac...

Vigo wrote:

Of course my wife says I'm just looking for an excuse to justify a bike. There may be some thruth to that but, I just can't see switching the BMW from a DD role to a toy role and replacing it with something that would be worse than it as far as mpgs are conserned.

You're just looking for an excuse. Assuming you would replace the DD with a car that got worse mileage is a very strange/forced assumption. There a plenty of 4-wheeled options that get BETTER mileage while being SMALLER and less luxurious than the BMW.. In fact, it sounds like you would really like my 85 CRX HF im selling... Maybe not my insight though because it doesnt really feel bare-bones. And honestly, after getting 42-50 hwy mpg from those two cars i am REALLY not impressed with bike mpg considering the likelihood of dying on one or shortly after separating from it. I like the idea of a bike as a toy, but NOT as a DD because there happen to be other drivers in my area. Really though, my CRX HF is perfect for someone who wants to live a minimalist/ascetic/masochistic drivestyle. I really liked driving it until summer hit down here and i went back to car that had ac...

Eh, you have to consider what kind of bike you're comparing it to. Both of those cars get better mpg than my RC51, but really suck compared to a Gpz550 or Ninja 250.

In reply to octavious:

From near cedar bluff to south Knox via 40 to Alcoa hwy then John Sevier.

While I do know that it obviously is, would a CRX be THAT much safer? I mean, it'd be hard work to fall out of it, and its got sheet metal and seat belts and everything, but you're essentially talking about 1800 lbs of 20-30 year old rust... forget semis, that think would lose in a fight with an Accord.

In reply to Vigo:

The BMW has by far the best MPG of the nearly twenty five or so cars I've had in the last fifteen years. Not really strange or forced at all. Based on personal history. If I do get another car it will be rallycross focused verses the BMW being more autocross focused.

I have been riding my sv650 almost daily for a year and a half. Motorcycles are great for a lot of things, but commuting is not their strongest suit. I have a pretty short commute, but during the school year, I go from home, to work, to school, to work, sometimes back to school, and then back home. While I don't ride a lot of miles, I have a lot of days with over an hour on the bike in-town.

Here are the pros: It is fast. It is fun. It easily gets me where I need to go, when a car cannot (car parking decals are unobtanium for most students). If you get involved with other riders, it is great to join a like-minded community. It is one of the best answers to an afternoon with nothing important to do.

Here are the cons to commuting: Gear. It is a really good idea to wear it. I find riding in gear quite comfortable. It gives me peace of mind, it has protected me when I have crashed, and I hope that it protects me again. As soon as I'm off the bike, though, it's uncomfortable and cumbersome. If you have leather, it stinks: One day, I wondered who the heck was smoking indoors at work, but then I realized that I was smelling my leather jacket from five feet away. Diesel exhaust accumulates, and the sun just bakes it in. Whenever I ride somewhere and set my jacket or helmet down, I worry about someone lifting either of them as soon as I take my eyes off of them.

If you have to dress nicely for work, regardless of what you look like leaving the house, you will arrived looking a comfortable state of disheveled. On a warm summer day, my jacket presses some really dramatic creases into my dress shirts with the help of my sweat. Motorcycle boots are not comfortable to walk in. For this reason, I keep a pair of shoes at work. Gloves easily fit into my helmet, and I don't bother with riding pants.

Around town, the SV gets about 40 mpg; on the highway, it gets closer to 55. As others have said, though, tires really add up.

While a hot day isn't great in stop and go traffic, it isn't unbearable by any stretch if you have a decent jacket. I have a Vanson Lightning, a heavy leather jacket, but their perforated panels and vents are really effective once moving. Cold weather is more challenging. Thick gloves make operating the controls more difficult, and there are always little gaps in your warm gear that lets a gust of cold air inside. When it rains, you will get wet. It's really as simple as that.

What I'm saying is, if you want a bike, get a bike. While they're compromised commuters, they are amazing toys. Ride it 3/4 of the time. For those other times; when it's pouring when you get out of bed, when you have to stop at the store on the way home, or when you just don't want to ride that day, have another vehicle around.

That's why I suggest everyone try the Aerostich. It's so easy to get on and off it takes 30 seconds max

In reply to Mitchell:

I appreciate your first hand experience and input.

My four year old already is calling out squids wearing shorts and flip flops. I will be atgatt.

I go straight to work and come straight home. I can't even remember the last time I went anywhere else.

The BMW is not going anywhere. It will be there for the times when I can't /shouldn't ride.

In that case, A bike should fit the bill. However, once you leave work, you may feel inclined to check out a few out of the way roads, you know, just because.

One of my coworkers commutes on a bike roughly 3/5' s of the time. If its absolutely pouring he drives his truck, but he rides in light rain. Our office has flex time, so he does the 6:30 to ~3:30 shift to miss the heaviest traffic - we work in central NJ so that's important. He's been getting about 40 mpg (10 less than my TDi).

He did go very "non-GRM" with the bike: a brand new Ducatti sport tourer. It's quite a bike and seems to have more computers than my TDi. Nuts stuff like temperature sensing traction control that auto-adjusts the ABS. The bike also cost about as much as my TDi did new...

He plans to ride pretty much year round once his gets better rain and winter gear. If I'd spent $20k on a bike, I would too...

Full gear can take away from the enjoyment of the ride on a hot day. If it's hot outside, I'll opt for the helmet, some thin Alpine Stars gloves, a mesh Dainese jacket or t-shirt, jeans, and my Alpine Stars boots or whatever shoes I have on.

I'm also aware that the abrasion resistance of a t-shirt and jeans is inadequate and sneakers don't do much to protect your feet. The thin gloves won't protect my hands from much more than a tip-over and kamikaze bugs/rocks.

Wearing a one or two-piece leather suit is a short cut to misery when it's over 80 degrees. These things are incredibly uncomfortable at anything less than a race pace. The same goes for the heavy jackets. The Aerostich is very expensive and is also very uncomfortable in the heat.

Being comfortable is a key to riding safely. The fewer the distractions, the better. Having your thighs chaffe while commuting to work sucks. I'd just wear a helmet and gloves plus my work clothes on my commutes, though, the "Power Ranger" comments can be funny.

Eh, you have to consider what kind of bike you're comparing it to. Both of those cars get better mpg than my RC51, but really suck compared to a Gpz550 or Ninja 250.

Yeah, and my insight has a higher top speed than a ninja 250 and the dodge dynasty i just sold for $400 was faster in the 1/4 mile. Most people get 60+mpg out of Insights (mine had a lifetime avg of 60 over 280k when i bought it) but i hit 100mph pretty much every day in mine.

Is the crx THAT much safer? By an almost unfathomable amount. People who ride have drunk the koolaid and simply cannot admit how ridiculously imperiled they are at all times. The only times you'd be seriously hurt in a collision in the CRX are the times you'd be dead on the bike.

So nicksta, the bmw is the highest mpg car you've had out of 25.. so what? Out of ~45 cars ive owned only 3 of them averaged above 30mpg. But that was because i didnt know better until the last few years. Going forward, im guessing one out of every 3 or 4 cars i own will do that.. And ill always have one that gets 40+ because it doesnt make sense to live without one anymore. They're not that hard to find.

CRX made of rust? Buy mine.. 99% rust free. I just calculated it would cost you ~$76 to drive it to Knoxville from here.

Vigo wrote:

Eh, you have to consider what kind of bike you're comparing it to. Both of those cars get better mpg than my RC51, but really suck compared to a Gpz550 or Ninja 250.

Yeah, and my insight has a higher top speed than a ninja 250 and the dodge dynasty i just sold for $400 was faster in the 1/4 mile. Most people get 60+mpg out of Insights (mine had a lifetime avg of 60 over 280k when i bought it) but i hit 100mph pretty much every day in mine. Is the crx THAT much safer? By an almost unfathomable amount. People who ride have drunk the koolaid and simply cannot admit how ridiculously imperiled they are at all times. The only times you'd be seriously hurt in a collision in the CRX are the times you'd be dead on the bike. So nicksta, the bmw is the highest mpg car you've had out of 25.. so what? Out of ~45 cars ive owned only 3 of them averaged above 30mpg. But that was because i didnt know better until the last few years. Going forward, im guessing one out of every 3 or 4 cars i own will do that.. And ill always have one that gets 40+ because it doesnt make sense to live without one anymore. They're not that hard to find. CRX made of rust? Buy mine.. 99% rust free. I just calculated it would cost you ~$76 to drive it to Knoxville from here.

The Honda Insight is limited to 112mph and takes an eternity to get there. A ninja 250's top speed really depends on the size of the rider, but I'll say that usable highway speed is the same as an Insight's or stock CRX's. Actually, it's probably more stable at 85mph. Seriously, though, this is like a cripple fight or the Special Olympics in terms of top speed; I can't believe you even brought this up. Do you have a commute with a 10 mile straight-a-way so you can hit "100mph pretty much every day?"

What flavor Kool Aid are you drinking? I'm guessing yours is "Lefty Lemonade."

I agree to an extent that motorcycling is believed by motorcyclists that riding is safer than it really is. Everyone I know that rides has crashed at some point, and most have been riding for only a few years. Plenty of crash stories; miraculously, no one that I know personally has died due to a two wheel crash.

In reply to Vigo:

In all honesty I am not a Honda guy. The original plan was to get a truck to take over DD duties once I got the BMW into shape. So thats kind of where my head was as far as mpg's. However my commute has tripled and it just doesn't make sense now to get a truck.

And while a CRX would make an awesome commuter, it doesn't fit in my mind as a natural rallycross car. Plus I'm really wanting a bike.

As far as the safety between a car and bike. Car wins hands down. However I'm not going to live my life in fear of dying. I want to be here for my son as long as I can but I'm not going to stop doing the things I want because they have a little more risk. I have enough life insurance in place that if something does happen the wife and kid will be ok as far as money is concerned.