How many of you would buy Motorbike

[WeeHooker]

I had a motorcycle for years while I grew up in the 70's. Rode it allot to save gas ( and just for fun). Then somewhere when I was in my early 20's and in school, it got sold off. I then spent the next 25 years swearing I'd get another one. Well now that I'm older and have some expendable income, I did buy one two years ago. I was PUMPED. Got it home in January, spent endless hours customizing and detailing it, taking riding courses, etc. However, when it actually came to riding it, I realized that there were SO MANY more drivers ( and mostly careless drivers) on the road these days. Every time I took it out, somebody would do something stupid around me. ( Usually involving a ( a) Cell phone b) Cotton Top c) Soccer mom d) big truck e) all of the above.) I had a few close calls that summer and it just became hard to get comfortable on it. I also realized that the bike limited where I could go and what I could do. ( i.e. Stop for dog food or lumber on the way home. NOT. Go to a BBQ where I may have a beer. NOT.) So after it began to sit there, unused for one reason or another, I sold it off in August. No regrets. The itch was scratched and i'm not likely to get it again for a LONG time.
IMHO: Saving gas should not be a major consideration in purchasing a bike. ( You'll save gas but you'll also need to buy , register and insure the bike.) There is allot more to consider about riding a bike than saving a few $. It's a commitment to staying 100% alert when on the road and accepting the risks of serious injury ( or worse) every time you go out.

[Devilrunner665]

i'm looking into getting my license soon and getting a cruiser(not a big fan of crotch rockets, more of a harley kind a guy) i've my truck but commuting in cali sux

[06_footy]

Originally Posted by Devilrunner665

i'm looking into getting my license soon and getting a cruiser(not a big fan of crotch rockets, more of a harley kind a guy) i've my truck but commuting in cali sux

yeh im more of a fan of european motorbikes lol

[rem]

i have a ninja 636

[zrxmike]

I'm what you call a motorcycle nut. I have about 30 bikes. Mind you, not all run but one day they will........I'm 34 and have been into bikes sence 13 yrs old or so. I'm a big fan of vintage Kawasaki street bikes like H2 750 triple & z1 900's. My daily ride is a '99 zrx1100 and for dirt a '99 XR400. Also have ATC's.....my little girl has a atc70.

[brisendines]

I have had several bikes- Averaging about one bike every 1 1/2 years or so... Currently though, I am reduced to riding my wife's bike. Looking to get a dual sport/ trail bike before too long though.

[Rusty.gh]

Originally Posted by black_pearl

I am actually looking for an enduro right now, that way I get the best of both worlds. I just haven't found the one I want for the price I want yet. I am looking mainly at the KTM and Honda 650's. I spend about 280$ + a month on gas just commuting. So the way I see it the bike will pretty much pay for itself. Being I live in San Diego I can ride it about 360 days a year.

My only concerns are the other drivers, so for commuting I plan on avoiding the highway as much as possible, or staying in the slow lanes when I can.

I have a few more mods on the truck then I will consolidate my bills in to one payment with my credit union and then Bam!!! I'm getting that Honda XR650R With that baby you can get a green sticker, for those of you that might not know that means riding in the mountains with trees. It's one of the coolest things I've even done. I'm not talking any kind of racing or jumping just cruising out on some trails in the mountains. Plus you can ride this one on the streets as it is street legal. I have ridden for 4 years straight in the past on the streets. Yes it's gets more dangerous every day, you can not be timid to ride a bike on the road now days. I've gone down a couple times and I like the risk factor as it pumps me up. I might die? Yup, but won't I anyway? Yes I've split traffic at 50MPH plus! Muhaha!

[brisendines]

Rusty- Are you in CA? Sometimes here in Colorado I have a corridor open up I could just blast down, but I'm too scared of the retribution of soccer moms and idiots. So I just sit in stop and go traffic with the bike overheating underneath me.

[black_pearl]

I actually found a bike, I bought a 2008 Suzuki DRZ400 SM. I have been riding since I was 8, and you know what...10 days of owning the bike and I wrecked...almost 20 years of riding with really no incidents till I bought my first new bike. A guy pulled off to the right shoulder going about 5mph; so I down shift to pass and low and behold he decides it's imperative he immediately make a full left hand turn. So I ended up going over the handlebars at about 45mph. Came out fairly unscathed with some road rash, fractured ankle and broken foot. But that's just part of riding, you are going to lay the bike down eventually. Do I wish the guy would have been paying attention, or at least stop to see how I was...sure. But it was partially my fault, I should have known better being he hadn't come to a complete stop. Had I been more weary of douche bag driving I could have avoided the whole situation. Either way, I love my bike and ride almost 50 miles everyday back and forth to work and wouldn't change a thing. I pay 8$ to fill it up, and 139$ a year in insurance. I am saving an easy 200$ a month by having bought the bike...with monthly payments.


We are all going to die sometime, when it's your time it's your time. I am not going to spend my life worrying about what "could" happen. Live each moment as if it were your last, you'll be a much more fulfilled person in the end.

[brisendines]

I had the same experience with the same bike. 3 weeks after I bought it- "testing" it out in the canyons-


Then a year later after just finishing a canyon heading back to town-



Finally sold the bike, but I want it back incredibly bad. It puts out the same power as the DR650 but is quite a bit lighter.
I should note both times were totally my fault. Although I could blame it on bad tires both times....