Welcome, Guest. Please Login
SLINGING.ORG
 
Home Help Search Login


Pages: 1 2 3 4 ... 7
Send Topic Print
motorcycle? (Read 21113 times)
bigkahuna
past-moderator
****
Offline



Posts: 3894
Delaware, USA
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #15 - Aug 8th, 2011 at 10:46pm
 
Get a CAR!!! It's hard to make out with your girlfriend on a motorcycle. You get wet, cold or hot. Having had both, and I still have a bike, a car is much more versatile than a motorcycle.
Back to top
 

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
John Walker  
IP Logged
 
xxkid123
Past Moderator
*
Offline


Hallo, ich heiße kartoffel

Posts: 4807
new to california
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #16 - Aug 9th, 2011 at 12:45pm
 
At the rate I'm going i'll never get a girlfriend Smiley

I still do want to try out a motorcycle, although it'll be for joy riding I guess, not serious transportation.
Back to top
 

There's no break, there's no end, just a-living on;&&Wide awake, with a smile, going on and on.
xxkid123 tanma101  
IP Logged
 
Knaight
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Slinging Tennis Balls!

Posts: 1237
Colorado
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #17 - Aug 9th, 2011 at 5:39pm
 
xxkid123 wrote on Aug 9th, 2011 at 12:45pm:
At the rate I'm going i'll never get a girlfriend Smiley

I still do want to try out a motorcycle, although it'll be for joy riding I guess, not serious transportation.

It works well for serious transportation. Its a lot cheaper than a car too, both in the initial buying part, and in the use. Motorcycles make hybrid cars look like gas guzzlers, and considering how much gas costs right now, that is a big advantage. That said, I'd also strongly suggest getting a bicycle, which are also incredibly fun to ride, dirt cheap unless you get something really high end, easy to do maintenance on, incredibly maneuverable, and a way to get from point A to point B without using any gas, getting some exercise in, and actually going at a reasonable speed. Just make sure you always wear a helmet, because if you get in a crash with a car, you will come off far worse than the driver, and that helmet will be all that stands between you and some degree of terrible brain damage and/or death, much like on a motorcycle.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Morphy
Slinging.org Moderator
*****
Offline


Checkmate

Posts: 8102
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #18 - Aug 9th, 2011 at 7:03pm
 
Ditto what Knaight said, bikes are awesome.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
Mauro Fiorentini
Forum Moderation
*****
Offline


Forge your future with
the hammer of your mind!

Posts: 3442
Ancona, Italy.
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #19 - Aug 10th, 2011 at 5:01am
 
Knaight is right!
Mauro.
Back to top
 

Like! Smiley https://www.facebook.com/Arte-Picena-238289793027749/timeline/
Greetings,
Mauro.

Mauro Fiorentini - 339-525
 
IP Logged
 
peacefuljeffrey
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Peace through superior
slinging power!

Posts: 2700
West Palm Beach
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #20 - Aug 10th, 2011 at 10:06pm
 
"You have the be twice as good to watch out for people who aren't watching for themselves."

AMEN to that!

I've been a driver since 1987, and a motorcyclist since 2009. (Actually, I did learn to ride a motorcycle as early as 1992, but never had one of my own, so my riding was extremely limited.)

My recommendation would be to get a cheap, small, economical "beater" car to start with. NOT a motorcycle as a person getting out onto the roads for the first time.
It's not that the small car will give you that much more protection (although there is a quantum difference in how much protection you get from a car versus a motorcycle); it's that a motorcycle REQUIRES you to be ON YOUR GAME AT ALL TIMES. You cannot ride a motorcycle in a lackadaisical way and expect to live long.  You cannot ride a motorcycle and daydream and expect to live long.  You must be observing what is going on around you at all times, or else someone is going to KILL you!

Trust me. I have seen the moronic things people do, while riding my motorcycle.  I see it even more now than in all the years when I was just driving a car.  People have said to me, "Ride as though everyone else on the road is trying to kill you."  It may not be their intention, but in a practical sense, that is just about what it amounts to. Teenyboppers putting on their makeup or chatting on their phones; hot-dogging teen boys trying to show off; elderly people whose vision and hearing are greatly diminished who drive anyway because they don't want to give up their independence. Distracted businessmen reading the stocks pages while sipping coffee and attempting to drive.  They are all out there.

I think that you should build experience on the road in a car before you attempt to cruise the streets on a motorcycle.

Whatever you decide, stay alert and safe, please.
Back to top
 

Cradled rock is slung&&Once around the back and gone&&Flying far and true
 
IP Logged
 
peacefuljeffrey
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Peace through superior
slinging power!

Posts: 2700
West Palm Beach
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #21 - Aug 10th, 2011 at 10:14pm
 
My motorcycle gets in the vicinity of 52 mpg or so.  Far better than cars and trucks, and even better than most hybrids. But it isn't as practical as a car is. I can ride in the rain, yes, but don't care for doing so. I can ride in summer heat, but it's a bit of a drag. I can ride in winter cold -- fortunately it never gets that cold in Florida, and if it were to snow, I would not be able to ride the motorcycle. I can carry a moderate amount of groceries on my motorcycle, using some bungee netting I bought; but the capacity is limited.

The motorcycle is a LOT more fun to get around on than the car is.  The car seems so ordinary.

You could probably get a decent used motorcycle for $5,000, but bear in mind that paying for maintenance is not a whole lot cheaper, if it's cheaper at all. You'd better learn to do your own oil changes, and spark plug and air filter replacement, etc.  Learn to do as much of the maintenance as you can, because motorcycle mechanics charge an arm and a leg.

I use Mobil 1 synthetic oil in my bike now, and the last time I did my oil change (in July) the oil cost $12.99 per quart, and I used three quarts plus a $15 oil filter.  That's $54 or so plus tax.

You don't get nearly the 30,000-50,000 miles out of a set of tires like on a car.  You expect to get between 8,000-12,000 out of your tires, and then a new set will cost $200-$500 easily to have installed.  (I pushed my tires to about 15,000 miles before getting them changed, and the change cost me about $250.)

I installed my own replacement air filter and spark plugs, after investing about $120 for a rear swingarm lift (a frame that lifts the rear wheel off the ground by supporting the axle).  That saved me hundreds of dollars, I think, because on my bike, the operation involves removing most of the front fairing and the fuel tank!

Be aware of what you may be getting into.
Back to top
 

Cradled rock is slung&&Once around the back and gone&&Flying far and true
 
IP Logged
 
xxkid123
Past Moderator
*
Offline


Hallo, ich heiße kartoffel

Posts: 4807
new to california
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #22 - Aug 10th, 2011 at 11:57pm
 
Hmm I guess ill go with a car first, but i do hope to get a motorcycle later on in life
Back to top
 

There's no break, there's no end, just a-living on;&&Wide awake, with a smile, going on and on.
xxkid123 tanma101  
IP Logged
 
bigkahuna
past-moderator
****
Offline



Posts: 3894
Delaware, USA
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #23 - Aug 11th, 2011 at 1:18am
 
That's it!! Get the car for practicality and the bike for fun!.
Back to top
 

Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man to fish and he will sit in a boat and drink beer all day.
John Walker  
IP Logged
 
peacefuljeffrey
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Peace through superior
slinging power!

Posts: 2700
West Palm Beach
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #24 - Aug 11th, 2011 at 8:47pm
 
Morphy wrote on Aug 5th, 2011 at 5:34pm:
For a first vehicle I would go with a car. Not just because of the safety issue, although that would factor in. When you want to hang out with friends a car is more practical. Or dating. A motorcycle would work but not every woman is going to want to ride on the back of a motorcycle. Also moving from one apartment to another in college, it's really nice to have a car. There are a lot of good reasons to have a car. Whereas a motorcycle is mostly for fun. The gas mileage really isn't a huge deal unless you do a lot of driving or your driving a real gas hog. I can almost guarantee after getting caught in some bad rain a couple times or in the blazing sun the whole motorcycle thing is not going to be quite as cool as it seemed at first. They make great second vehicles when you can choose between car or motorcycle as opposed to being forced to ride them all the time no matter what.


Pretty much spot-on perfect post.

My motorcycle is a second-vehicle. I do use my car for times when the bike is not convenient or practical.
Back to top
 

Cradled rock is slung&&Once around the back and gone&&Flying far and true
 
IP Logged
 
peacefuljeffrey
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Peace through superior
slinging power!

Posts: 2700
West Palm Beach
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #25 - Aug 11th, 2011 at 8:47pm
 
xxkid123 wrote on Aug 10th, 2011 at 11:57pm:
Hmm I guess ill go with a car first, but i do hope to get a motorcycle later on in life



I think that's the right decision.  I had to wait until age 38, actually -- but it was worth the wait, for sure.  Cheesy
Back to top
 

Cradled rock is slung&&Once around the back and gone&&Flying far and true
 
IP Logged
 
Rat Man
Slinging.org Administrator
*****
Offline


Slinging Rocks!

Posts: 13666
New Jersey, USA
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #26 - Aug 11th, 2011 at 9:37pm
 
bigkahuna wrote on Aug 11th, 2011 at 1:18am:
That's it!! Get the car for practicality and the bike for fun!.





I second that.  My dad gave me the same sound advice, knowing full well that I'd ignore it.  I got a small motorcycle as my first vehicle and quickly discovered that I needed a car.  Though dangerous, motorcycles are great fun but the only time they're practical is when the weather is very nice.






   


Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
peacefuljeffrey
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Peace through superior
slinging power!

Posts: 2700
West Palm Beach
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #27 - Aug 11th, 2011 at 10:46pm
 
Rat Man wrote on Aug 11th, 2011 at 9:37pm:
bigkahuna wrote on Aug 11th, 2011 at 1:18am:
That's it!! Get the car for practicality and the bike for fun!.





I second that.  My dad gave me the same sound advice, knowing full well that I'd ignore it.  I got a small motorcycle as my first vehicle and quickly discovered that I needed a car.  Though dangerous, motorcycles are great fun but the only time they're practical is when the weather is very nice.




I feel that a huge part of the "danger" is injected by the behavior of the rider.
Obviously, if you get hit, the consequences are far worse than if you were in a car.

What I'm saying is that the rider has a lot of control over whether the ride will conclude safely or not.  Many of the crashes I read about involve riders who are either reckless in their riding (speeding, stunting, DUI/DWI) or are just not as attentive to their surroundings as they should be.  Or they are not conforming their riding to match conditions (going too fast around corners in wet conditions, going around blind curves too fast to be able to react if there is an obstruction around the curve. ...

Riders have to make their own safety.  I am fortunate that my observation skills were taught to me at a young age in an aviation setting.  My dad taught me to scan like a pilot when I was about 11 years old.  I watch for danger with a pilot's eyes, not a complacent driver's, and it has served me very well all these years.
Back to top
 

Cradled rock is slung&&Once around the back and gone&&Flying far and true
 
IP Logged
 
Knaight
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Slinging Tennis Balls!

Posts: 1237
Colorado
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #28 - Aug 12th, 2011 at 12:11pm
 
peacefuljeffrey wrote on Aug 11th, 2011 at 10:46pm:
I feel that a huge part of the "danger" is injected by the behavior of the rider.
Obviously, if you get hit, the consequences are far worse than if you were in a car.

What I'm saying is that the rider has a lot of control over whether the ride will conclude safely or not.  Many of the crashes I read about involve riders who are either reckless in their riding (speeding, stunting, DUI/DWI) or are just not as attentive to their surroundings as they should be.  Or they are not conforming their riding to match conditions (going too fast around corners in wet conditions, going around blind curves too fast to be able to react if there is an obstruction around the curve. ...

Riders have to make their own safety.  I am fortunate that my observation skills were taught to me at a young age in an aviation setting.  My dad taught me to scan like a pilot when I was about 11 years old.  I watch for danger with a pilot's eyes, not a complacent driver's, and it has served me very well all these years.

The danger is injected both by the rider and by the various morons on the road making their lives difficult, just like bicycling. Some crashes are caused by idiot cyclists - these tend to be worse, as said idiot cyclists also have tendencies not to wear helmets. However, people who bike perfectly safely still get hit. For instance, I am a safe biker, which really didn't help when going through an are where parallel streets are connected by short roads, and a car going quickly enough can go around two corners before you can react. In my case, that constituted someone going about 40 miles per hour in a 10 mile per hour zone. That said, injuries are heavily reduced by awareness. In my case, I hit the brakes fast enough that only my front wheel was clipped, and because I wear a helmet I got away with only bruises. Someone not paying attention would have been hit full on, and probably been all sorts of screwed.

My point is, safe riding can heavily mitigate danger, but it can't remove it. Similarly, extremely stupid riding such as the geniuses who are drunk, helmet-less, in the dark, wearing dark clothing, and without a light greatly exacerbates the danger. Though really, if you are dumb enough to try and ride a bike (in either sense) drunk, in the dark, without a light or helmet you deserve what happens to you.
Back to top
 
 
IP Logged
 
peacefuljeffrey
Interfector Viris Spurii
*****
Offline


Peace through superior
slinging power!

Posts: 2700
West Palm Beach
Gender: male
Re: motorcycle?
Reply #29 - Aug 25th, 2011 at 8:57pm
 
But I was never saying, nor would ever say, that riding safely can remove all of the danger.  I have seen plenty of videos and read plenty of news stories about people who could never have avoided what happened to them while riding their motorcycles or bicycles.

I know someone who says that when he was a lot younger, he witnessed a bicyclist get struck by something that was sticking out the side of a truck; the cyclist was knocked to the pavement from behind and then his head went under the rear wheels of the truck and POPPP! He was dead, instantly.  Nothing he could have done, really.

Years ago, in two separate incidents, I was hit from behind by people who did not stop in time behind me.  In one case, I was simply stopped for traffic, and in the other I was stopped at a red light while a train went through a crossing.  Neither was severe, and no damage caused to the vehicles or occupants.

Recently (a few months ago) I was stopped at a traffic light late at night ON MY MOTORCYCLE, and I saw a car coming up behind me in exactly the same manner as I had seen the other two (yes, I had SEEN the other two approaching before they hit me, but I couldn't have gone anywhere).  When I saw this woman coming, I actually got off the clutch and moved about a car length forward, and she came to a stop where I would have been.  I did a bit of yelling and gesticulating at that point.  So, you even have to be looking BEHIND you; and even then, it can't always save you.
Back to top
 

Cradled rock is slung&&Once around the back and gone&&Flying far and true
 
IP Logged
 
Pages: 1 2 3 4 ... 7
Send Topic Print
(Moderators: Bill Skinner, Chris, Masiakasaurus, Mauro Fiorentini, Rat Man, David Morningstar, Curious Aardvark)