Debating to get a motorcycle

That is an interesting prize for a debate. Hope you win.

Ride and die

I call dibs on your kidney. I've got a buddy who is an alcoholic that might want to eartag your liver. bottom line, no matter how safe you are, a mom with 4 kids in the back of her minivan and talking on her cell isn't. good luck with all that.

Yeah my dad works in a ped's er. Didn't sound too thrilled about the idea either hah. Ride and die sounds about right.

Ninja 250. Cheap, more or less fuel efficient, you won't be tempted to ride like a maniac, but it will still be fun.

My brother got thrown off his Vespa a year+ ago and tore up his knee (ACL, MCL, miniscus, tibial eminence avulsion fracture)- gonna make life hard, and he's only in his 20's. Bum joints are no fun, esp. if you love to run.

Triumph bonneville

Get a same sex male partner.

forms of suicide that are probably less painful. Is this the only method you've considered?

Ride or die wrote:

Yeah my dad works in a ped's er.

There's an ER for athletes to get dope?

Ride or die wrote:

I have to have a truck for work which works out fine since I get reimbursed for part of it, but I'm tired of paying so much in gas. Again I get reimbursed for some but not all of the money I she'll out for that.

Advice in getting a motorcycle (cruiser, not crotch rocket)?

If you want a bike and can accept&mitigate the risks, sure, buy one. They're fun. If you don't have a moto endorsement yet, take a MSF course before you do anything (www.msf-usa.org). Also, the standard advice is to buy a cheap, used 250 first while you learn to ride. Something like a Honda Rebel. Trade up when you have some basic competence and you have a better idea of what you want in a nicer bike.

However, for most American use cases, bikes do NOT save money.

If you take a 50 mpg bike instead of a 15 mpg truck for 3000 non reimbursable miles / year, that saves you about $550 / year in gas.

On the flip side, you will have additional costs:

Motorcycle depreciation (rapid)

Motorcycle maintenance (lots of money or time, sometimes both)

Riding gear (Easy to spend $1000 right off the bat)

Motorcycle accessories (bags to carry stuff)

Motorcycle insurance, registration, tax, inspection

Motorcycle repair (inevitable)

Medical bills (riders get hurt much more often than drivers)

Also, there will be a lot of trips where you may prefer to take the truck:

-Carrying passengers

-Carrying things

-Don't feel like gearing up

-Long trip

-Hot weather

-Cold weather

-Rain

-Snow

-Wind

Getting a motorcycle is like getting a tattoo. Just let that sink in.

in what way?

Could you get by with a smaller truck for work?

Growing up my father always said if I purchased a motorcycle I could no longer live under his roof. I told my son the same thing.

Life has enough risks in it.

Depends on the state. Cali drivers know motos; East Coast? They'll try to kill you every time. Weather is also a factor.

Bikes are kind of a pain in the butt if they're you're primary transport.

That said: cheap used hatchback is safer.

- do you have experience riding a motorcycle?- what kind of roads will you ride on? Urban freeway,city streets, rural roads or a mix?I started riding dirtbikes at 10, racing motocross at 14 and continued through my 20s. I had a road bike for a short time, but found it to (strangely) be too dangerous and pretty boring. As a previous poster said, you're no safer than the shitty distracted drivers around you. You might not ever lay the bike down on your own. After all, it's really easy to ride on the road, hence the boredom. You might screw up if you're new to bikes, but the main danger comes from the cars/trucks around you. Just about any contact with them has the very real potential to kill/maim for life. Ever had a fender bender with a car? Imagine your leg in place of the bumper or fender. I've had flying cartwheel crashes, all manner of slide outs, over the handlebar wipeouts, etc., on motocross bikes, but think riding on the road is way more dangerous.

Ride or die wrote:[/b

Advice in getting a motorcycle (cruiser, not crotch rocket)?

I'm a motorcyclist (Kawasaki Versys 650) and years ago I raced motocross, but I'd recommend against getting a motorcycle.

You won't save money. You'll only get 45mpg on most cruisers... maybe 50mpg. You'll have depreciation, insurance, helmet, gear, maintenance and repair, which is most likely going to be a combined total of over $1,000/year.

In summer, you'll be soaked in sweat by the time you get to work. In rain, you'll be at risk of falling on greasy roads. Want to pick up some groceries? Oops, no room to carry them. Run over a nail? In a car, you could plug the tire for $10. On a motorcycle, you'll have to replace the tire... $150-$250.

But worse than all the above are all the distracted drivers. To non-motorcyclists, it's almost impossible to convey how invisible you are on a motorcycle. It doesn't help that most cruisers are about as maneuverable as a UPS truck.

In my state, the cycling season is about 8 months long. Even in summer, motorcycles are maybe 0.5% of traffic, yet 13% of motor vehicle fatalities are motorcycles in my state.

I might go out for a Sunday ride through the country, but I'd never commute to work on my motorcycle.

I already have a tattoo. It sunk in a couple months ago, and I still like it.