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+--- Thread: Thinking about getting a motorcycle (/showthread.php?tid=183206)
Thinking about getting a motorcycle - M A V I C - 09-20-2015
When I took my job a year+ ago, I decided to sell a car and only have one for the family. There was a decent but route I could take which got me to work in 35min. Driving would take me 15 or so.
Friday I saw a notice on the bus that the bus route is changing. I'm a little peeved because last fall a measure was passed by voters to increase funding for busses so they could at least keep service the same, if not make it better. Now they're making my route worse. I'm betting my new commute with the same route will now take 50-60 minutes each way. I have a friend that lives 40 miles north of me and he can get to work in 70 minutes. Drives me nuts how bad bus service is when you just want to get across town.
Anyway, the price of a car + insurance + parking (~$10/day)... just makes it so I don't want to spend the money on another car to commute. But I just don't want to lose that much of my life sitting on a bus.
I have ridden my bicycle to work during good weather. It takes about 40 minutes. At least then I'm getting some exercise. But coming home is different - a lot more uphill and I don't want to do that either, especially not in the dark, nor pouring rain.
I'm trying to find another option. One is a motorcycle. It would be less expensive than a car, and I can get free parking. Of course, riding in the dark and rain is also not something I look forward two.
Anyone here commute with a motorcycle? How do you like it?
Re: Thinking about getting a motorcycle - space-time - 09-20-2015
car pooling with a co-worker?
Re: Thinking about getting a motorcycle - fromish - 09-20-2015
Consider one of the newer, excellent electric bicycles. Their general range is perfect, the speed, generally 18 to 20 mph, seems very functional for your needs, and the price range is under $1500 new with judicious shopping. An electric bicycle, or bicycle with sophisticated electric assist, would give you nearly all the advantages of a motorcycle with fewer disadvantages. It would also have extremely low costs of ownership and maintenance.
The motorcycle will cost more, involve registration, parking, insurance and fuel costs, and by any estimate is a very dangerous mode of transportation regardless of your skill as a rider but because of other people. It's no accident that ER docs call motorcycle riders 'organ donors'.) I rode all through college and it was my second accident, again caused by a car that "didn't see me' that convinced me to give up the motorcycle. Although bikes are also devoid of the weight and structure that protect a car passenger, they are also slower and have to be ridden on bike paths or lanes when available.
Let us know which way you decide and how the decision works out.
Re: Thinking about getting a motorcycle - freeradical - 09-20-2015
M A V I C wrote:
Friday I saw a notice on the bus that the bus route is changing. I'm a little peeved because last fall a measure was passed by voters to increase funding for busses so they could at least keep service the same, if not make it better. Now they're making my route worse. I'm betting my new commute with the same route will now take 50-60 minutes each way. I have a friend that lives 40 miles north of me and he can get to work in 70 minutes. Drives me nuts how bad bus service is when you just want to get across town.
Yeah, it's especially bad if you have to make transfers. Here in Sacramento, there are bus routes that only operate once or twice per hour, so what should be a relatively short trip can turn into a journey. I'm convinced that light rail has made this worse. It greatly contributes to urban sprawl by making it easier for people to commute from greater and greater distances. The Regional Transport system here provides massive parking lots for commuters. The way I see it, if there were no light rail system, there would have to be more bus routes with greater frequencies, which would make the system far more usable. The Federal matching money for light rail must be like crack.
Re: Thinking about getting a motorcycle - Ombligo - 09-20-2015
Maybe combine the bike and carpooling -- ride the bike to/from to carpool pickup spot. The biggest issue is stowing the bike at that point.
(or maybe a short bus ride to the carpool site?)
Re: Thinking about getting a motorcycle - space-time - 09-20-2015
Choose THE SAFEST OPTION. You have a kid, maybe two, I am not sure, make sure they have a Dad.
Re: Thinking about getting a motorcycle - Surfrider - 09-20-2015
A friend I hadn't seen in a very long time time dropped by work on Friday. He was riding a Harley, I asked him why he was walking weird, he pulled up his pants leg to show me his artificial leg.
He was out riding with four of his friends, including his wife. Old lady crossed the center line on a curve and took out four bikes. He got the worst of it, many broken bones and the loss of his lower leg, but all the other people got very badly injured too.
That was seven years ago. He said both he and his wife are still living with massive pain every day.
Re: Thinking about getting a motorcycle - space-time - 09-20-2015
Surfrider wrote:
A friend I hadn't seen in a very long time time dropped by work on Friday. He was riding a Harley, I asked him why he was walking weird, he pulled up his pants leg to show me his artificial leg.
...
either he loves bikes too much to give it up, or he still didn't learn a lesson. I don't think I could ride a bike after an accident like that.
Re: Thinking about getting a motorcycle - davester - 09-20-2015
fromish wrote:
The motorcycle will cost more, involve registration, parking, insurance and fuel costs, and by any estimate is a very dangerous mode of transportation regardless of your skill as a rider but because of other people. It's no accident that ER docs call motorcycle riders 'organ donors'.)
I agree with all that except for the danger part. An electric bike has the same level of danger (probably a bit more due to poorer braking) as a motorcycle driven over the same route. Where the danger comes from is riding on the freeway, or fast, or fast on winding roads. Driven sensible a motorcycle is perfectly fine. However, i do agree that if high speeds or busy highway travel aren't needed then an electric bicycle is a much better alternative for the other reasons you stated. There are a whole bunch of people where I work who commute on them and they are universally happy with their purchases.
Re: Thinking about getting a motorcycle - Filliam H. Muffman - 09-20-2015
I have a motorcycle, but I don't commute on it. Imagine being on a motorcycle when the M$ bus hit you. That said, you ought to be able to find an electric bike with disc brakes.