Extreme Newby Needs Advice

[Scott58]

Economy and 2-up ridikng certainly don't go hand in hand. If your going to travel 2-up. The V Star is probably the minimum you'd want to go. You'll have to think about the total weight of the 2 people involved. You don't say what your inseam is, but if it's under 32" and you decided to go strictly with a work bike based on the economy of it your looking at the scooter thing or a 250cc cruiser. My rebel gets 75mpg and maintenance and insurance are cheap. It's the only way you'll get close to saving any money.

[BuzZz]

Are these people who are coming up with these scarey comments people who ride? If not, how do they know what they are talking about. That's like taking medical advice from your gardner.......

Motorcycles are as dangerous as anything else, or as safe. People die in cars everyday. I have had many more and much more serious injuries crashing a bicycle than I have a motorcycle(safety gear played a big role in that. I've never worn lycra on a bike with an engine ). At least on a motorcycle you have a chance to accellerate away from trouble at a much quicker rate than on a bicycle.

[JCS]

I call all the comments and tragic stories "Uncle Fred" stories. "Yeah, I know about motorcycles. My Uncle Fred...." Most of us have heard many variations of these and most have a gruesome outcome. But for all of these I have heard as many or more stories of great times, trips and experiences from riding.
My wife commutes daily (about 50 miles round trip) from the start of the riding season to the end. She figures that she has added at least 2 -3 years to the life of her car because it rarely gets driven in the summer. Plus the bikes get better mileage that the car. You will have to replace tires more often. I do most of our maintainance so that is not an issue.The only time the dealer sees one of our bikes is if the repair is over my head. I am not a mechanic. Get a factory shop manual for whatever bike you get and you could do the same. Most can be done with basic tools.
As far as the bike itself, you may want to check out some others unless you are set on getting a cruiser. Personally I find cruisers a bit awkward handling and unwieldy. Also underpowered for the size. Advantages are a very low center of gravity and usually a low seat height.
For commuting check out a more standard style of motorcycle. Many of these will also give you more room for 2 up with your wife. (Don't try riding with a passenger until you get some miles under your belt.) You might also check out something like the Kawasaki KLR 650. It is a dual sport. Also makes a great commuter. Good mileage and you are sitting higher so it is easier to see around traffic.

Just something to think about. Good luck with your choices.

[iwannadie]

Are these people who are coming up with these scarey comments people who ride? If not, how do they know what they are talking about. That's like taking medical advice from your gardner.......

Motorcycles are as dangerous as anything else, or as safe. People die in cars everyday. I have had many more and much more serious injuries crashing a bicycle than I have a motorcycle(safety gear played a big role in that. I've never worn lycra on a bike with an engine ). At least on a motorcycle you have a chance to accellerate away from trouble at a much quicker rate than on a bicycle.

a canadian in spandex, now that is just a bad image to even consider. you might try spandex with chrome accents, tassles and a harley logo at the next biker convention. might start a new trend with that one. call it 'buzz gear' you could make a killing selling to HD riders who dont like the chaffing involved with leather, or who dont want to let their pricey leather get weather beaten.

[mendel]

But all I hear from people are comments like "I hope you have lots of life insurance" and "I thought you had a lot to live for", and frankly it scares me.

They're just poor statisticians. They see a couple dozen news articles about riders down every summer, and they never see articles about motorcyclists who made it home alive, therefore all of the motorcyclists that rode that summer went down.

Can anyone give me some advice? If I continue on the path should I try to buy a bike that is white or yellow or some very visible color?

Visibility's always a good idea, as long as it's within your taste levels; no point in getting gear you don't want to wear, because then you won't wear it. Remember that not much bike paint is exposed to oncoming traffic. If you want to be high-visibility, get a bright jacket and helmet (or if you're commuting, just bite the bullet and get a bright Aerostich.

But even then you're going to be invisible on the roads. Ride as though you are that way and you'll do fine. If your safety relies on the other guy seeing you, you've already got a problem!

-Rich

[Nibblet99]

Ok... here's my view on things...
Yes motorbikes can more be dangerous.... Only if they aren't treated with respect and attention to whats around you ....

If you compare a motor bike with a push bike (which is an experience you have knowledge about), you'll notice the only main differences as far as safety goes, are speed, visibility, braking, and safety equipment)

Speed - A motorcycle will most likely be travelling at 60ish mph most of the time, which means any serious crashes will most likely happen at higher speeds! however you will also find you are moving with the flow of traffic, unlike on a push bike where you are constantly being overtaken. Which in my view is a big safety bonus.

Visibility - Motorbikes are much larger, have more lights on, and don't have huge gaps in the frame you can see through. This makes it more visible to other drivers on the road

Braking - Better brakes, bigger tires, lower centre of gravity = better braking... Nuff said!

Safety Equipment - Any accidents you have, will be in full leather/armour, rather than a polystyrene hat and lycra, and you'll find it copes with impact/abrasions much better

So yes riding a motorcycle is a little more dangerous than driving in a metal box, with airbag protection, and crumple zones to dissipate the impact. But in my opinion, it IS safer than riding a push bike.

For me the rewards outweigh the risks. I understand this is not true for everyone, but the only real way to find out is by trying it. Why not take the safety class to get a better idea of what you're getting involved in, then you can make an educated decision based on your own physical knowledge.

Get some first hand knowledge, think carefully, and let us know what you decide, and why

Andy

[Buelligan]

Instead of 2 up have you thought about the wife taking a course too? Then you can have a couple of smaller bikes, with the better gas mileage, and a great hobby that you both enjoy.

I come from a family of riders (we had a motorcycle and sidecar when were kids and the whole family and Grandma went everywhere), I hate to think how may hours we have accumilated between us, and we're all here to talk about it, Dad rode with my Mom well into his 70's.

I do question the save money part of motorcycle ownership though. Gas seems to be the least expensive part of it.

[JustJames]

my .02, don't worry about other thinking. I, same, got those crazy look and also nasty talk to get me out of buying a bike. Yes of course I've heard of ugly stories about bike and accident but I ask myself if I do really really wanna ride. You too should ask yourself first if you really really wanna ride, ask yourself if you have two choices, car and bike which one will you take to go somewhere nearby let say about 30miles without traffic.

About V-Star 650cc, don't worry about two-ups, this thing seems to be pretty small but big in spirit. You can ride two-up on FWY speed without a problem. I can get this baby up to 90mph in just a few seconds.

[iwannadie]

as far as safety goes i dont think you can even compare them to a car. yes bikes can be safe but in an accident the risk of injury is just much greater than in a car. on a bike if someone bumps you it will cause you to hit the ground, in a car someone bumps you it causes a few minor dents in your car no big deal.

cars are safer no question in my mind.

[ronboskz650sr]

I used to be an avid cyclist (250+ miles/week) when I was in the Air Force. Personally, If the commute is 22 miles, and the primary goal is saving money...I'd ride a bike to work. Motorcycling isn't really a great money saver, especially if you're considering buying new bikes. Bicycling is far cheaper, assuming to are indeed an avid cyclist. You'd be ready to commute with minimal investment. I did it in New York, and I spent 6 weeks at Maxwell AFB in Montgomery using a bike exclusively during my stay. The weather should really be pretty good for you, most of the time. Yes, you should ride a motorcycle, if you want to. But from a purely economical standpoint...bicycle to work, then pay everything off and buy a motorcycle . Incidentally, You control a great deal of the danger yourself, just like on the bicycle.