Born to be approximately wild, or at least economical: motorcycle recommendations?

In My Humble Opinion
1

My beloved old car is getting wheezy, and I’m in no financial shape to replace it. From a fuel-efficiency and bottom-line cost perspective, I must admit that a motorcycle looks rather attractive, given my 75-mile one-way commute (doesn’t look like I’ll be able to cut down on that much in the near future either.)

Upsides (in broad strokes) would be the cost, maintenance, etc. Downsides (in equally broad strokes) would be that a hailstorm would really fucking suck.

So, if there are any biker Dopers (and I know there are,) somebody give me advice on a good, powerful bike (no 1850 cc monster, but no Vespa, either) at decent costs, I would appreciate it muchly.

I’m thinking 1000-1300 cc range, maybe?

Anybody? Sound reasonable? Am I gonna shoot my eye out or something?

Help!

2

Where are you? This is relevant because:
Different models are available in different countries.
Different models are better suited to different prevalent weather conditions.

Given the distance of your commute, I’d agree with going for the big guys. I have a Kawasaki ER5 (500cc) which I would not want to commute that far on - it has only a bikini fairing. So OK for day rides in nice weather, and for my short commute, but not for you. You would be wanting a full fairing, for sure.

Hailstorms rarely last long. Wait them out. (Are your hours flexible?)
Do not skimp on buying good boots & wet weather gear.

3

I tried using my motorcycle (an '85(?) Honda Nighthawk 700 … very nice bike) as my only means of transportation once, after my car was senselessly murdered just as I was going through an extreme money crunch, but it didn’t work out very well. The problem was that I started having to plan my entire days around what I could fit in my backpack. Just getting groceries for the week became a several day affair. However, I didn’t have saddlebags. Now I have a different bike (a BMW K75S) that has detachable, lockable saddlebags, and can carry lots of stuff. In fact, during the Xmas shopping season, I sometimes take my bike because it’s so much easier to find parking.

However, you didn’t say anything about carrying cargo, so maybe you don’t care. If you’re doing 150 miles a day, you’d best get something that’s very comfortable, which to me means you’re looking for a “standard,” a sport-tourer or a cruiser. Basically, a standard is a “generic” bike with an upright seating position; you can ride it for along time without having to support much weight with your hands (as you might with a sport bike). Sport-touring bikes are kind of “refined” sport bikes in that they generally have a sport bike heritage, but have a more upright seating position and generally come with some options for hard saddlebags. A cruiser is what I call Harleys and other V-Twins; all of them are generally reliable and have human-friendly suspensions, though on Harleys the suspensions system is cleverly hidden, making it look like there are only steel rods between the wheels and your butt.

I assume you’re doing a lot of this trip on the highway, so you should probably not go below 500 cc. The problem (that I have) with bikes that small is that they’re so light that the bike can be bounced around by wind blasts and (in Los Angeles) the grooves in the highways. YMMV. I don’t know about getting a bike as large as 1000-1300 cc for commuting, but then again, I’m a pussy. If you get too large a bike, it may be more difficult to maneuver at low speeds. So in my mind, you’re really looking for something in the 600-800 cc range.

I’ve only had a few occasions to ride in the rain, and it wasn’t all that bad, given that I was wearing my rainsuit every time. Just be cautious.

I’d suggest something like a BMW F650, a Suzuki Bandit 600 (I’m not sure if they still make these), a Honda Nighthawk 750 or a small Harley (but not the one that’s so small there’s no passenger seat). The Harley has the advantage of belt drive, which is clean and never needs adjusting. These are just my opinions, though, and I obviously tend toward standards and sport tourers.

One thing that seems to surprise non-motorcyclists is that there are a number of bikes on the market that have anti-lock brakes. Mine does, and though I’ve never had to use it, I’m happy to know it’s there. ABS is usually found on the more expensive bikes, though.

Hope this is useful.

4

I sat on a Yamaha FJR1300. It’s much more comfortable than my sportbike YZF-R1 or my standard XJ600. And it has 145 horsepower. Positives: Lots of power, comfortable, reliable, anti-lock brakes available. Negatives: Currently built to order (i.e., lag time between buying and getting), cost.

The FJR1300 retails for $11,599. L.A. Yamaha says they can probably sell it “out the door” for about $12,000 or so. Not exactly “cheap” compared to a Honda CB750 Nighthawk, but certainly less costly than a BMW. Good bike for the money.

But do you really want to use an awesome bike for commuting? My office is 43 miles away from my home. My 1994 XJ600 has 78,000 miles on it. That’s a lot for a bike. I don’t want to rack up the miles on the R1 with mundane commuting! You might consider a used bike for that role. The Yamaha FJ1200 is by all accounts an excellent mile-eater. I remember reading a “long-term rider test” on the FJ several years ago in one of the cycle mags, and they said it was a great ride for an old bike.

Or you might consider a touring bike. There’s a guy in my building who rides an old Yamaha Venture complete with heater vents, cassette deck and CB radio. Or you could find a used Honda Goldwing, which IMO set the touring paradigm. (FWIW, a brand-new 2004 model goes for $17,699 – so for commuting you might consider a used one.)

Or a new Honda CB750 Nighthawk. They’re inexpensive ($5,799), very reliable, powerful enough for the freeway, and I suspect has better fuel consumption than a sportbike or a tourer. You can get a Honda windscreen and luggage rack for it; or dress it up with after-market fairings, saddlebags, etc.

A guy I work with has a Yamaha V-Star 1100. He likes it, but he has decided he wants something sportier. (i.e., he’s not really a cruiser-type.) Still, at $8,300 it’s a reasonably priced litre-class tourer.

I’m single, so I don’t have much problem with load-carrying. My groceries fit in my backpack (even if the French bread has to stick out the top). I have the small rack that was available for the XJ600, and it has come in handy. Larger boxes can be put on the rack and the rear half of the seat, with some hanging over the back. Hold them on with bungees. Hey, it works for me. I’ve carried my backpack, a two-person tent and a sleeping bag on the ol’ Seca II. With a little pre-planning and some creative thinking, it’s surprising how much stuff you can cary on a bike.

5

Oh come, come now folks. Everyone knows Ogre’s ride Harley’s . And this years V-Rod is exceptionally nice. I rode last years Night-train (black) the other day and was thoroughly impressed.

6

Umm… if you’re really looking at cost and doing 75 miles one way a bike may not be the way to go. I got that you are going to be doing in the upper 30k per year, tires on a bike will need to be replaced every 6k-20k miles. It really depends on the type of bike and how you ride. Just for me I replace at least one set of tires a year and pay around $250 to do it. Valve adjustments need to be done on most bikes as well and will cost $200+, unless you do it yourself which is just your time. Brakes, of which I also do myself, will need to be done between 20 and 30k. Over all a motorcycle requires more maintence then a car.

I’ve been caught in the weather, many many times, it’s not that bad once you get used to it, but the other day we had a thunder storm that I got caught in that sucked. All of my gear is still soaked.

If you are thinking about a bike I’m think the NightHawk might be the way to go as I think it has self adjusting valves and should use tires that get a bit more milage out of them then a normal bike does.

7

Japanese bikes tend to have long intervals between valve adjustments. Something on the order of 25,000 miles. Tires do have to be replaced. I can get 15,000 miles out of the tires on the Seca; but yeah, that is an expense. A sportbike will tend to need tires more frequently than a standard (like the Nighthawk). Brakes should last a long time if you’re a careful rider. Aside from the tires, a good work-over annually should do the trick. It might cost $600 - $1,000.

If your car gets 20 mpg, then you’re burning 1,500 gallons in 30,000 miles. If your bike gets 45 mpg or so, then you’re burning 650 to 700 gallons per year. So in the long run the savings in gasoline vs. the required maintenance is a wash. But it’s nice cutting your gasoline bill in half every month.

8

GodDAMN the hamsters. I had a huge reply ready to go, and of course, it’s kaputschnik. Here’s the condensed version. I really need to remember to c&p a new reply so it doesn’t get lost when the hamsters burp.

Anyhow, I appreciate all the helpful advice. A few more issues, if you don’t mind:

I’m in the southeastern United States, specifically in northern Alabama. It’s a fairly wet, rainy place, and thunderstorms, hailstorms, snow, hurricane/tornadic events are all possible and relatively frequent.

Quite. One of the great things about my job is that I can exercise my option to work from home occasionally if I can’t face the possibility of the commute for some reason.

Cargo isn’t my number-one priority, and I doubt I’ll get rid of my car altogether, so if I have to move cargo, I’ll just have to drive the car.

As for models of bikes, I think I’m looking more for a “cruiser” by your definitions. Not really a tourer, but more of a standard, Harley-style classic bike. For the record, however, from what I’ve seen, I would NOT be interested in a Harley. Gorgeous bikes. I love the look of that V-Rod, but $17,000? Good God. I don’t think so. Also, I know a lot of riders consider the stright pipes and brutal noise an extra insurance policy, but they annoy the fuck out of me, living as I do on the intersection of two major roads that are seemingly constantly frequented by loud-assed, obnoxious motorcyclists.

The commute is almost 100% on open, sparsely-trafficked US highway, so I’m not looking to do a lot of start/stop traffic jam riding.

The Yamaha V-Star 1100 looks like something that would be my cup of tea. I’m not really a sport or sport tourer guy. The issue is aesthetics, really. I just don’t really like the look of sport bikes.

Also, I need to amend my OP…one of my forgone conclusions has changed between last night and today. I spoke to my girlfriend about moving to a little town about halfway between here and where I work. She seems amenable, since she has the option of telecommuting a couple of days a week, so we’re going to explore that possibility. As a result, my commute will only be about 70 miles per day, which should significantly impact the maintenance cost issue.

I still can’t afford to replace my car, however, so the savings in bottom-line costs should also help. I’ll save on purchase price and gas, lose more on gear and maintenance. Do you think I’ll come out ahead or behind in total costs, then?

9

I’m in a crappy mood right now, so take this with a grain of salt:

Having only a bike sucks. Now, I love to ride and have done it all my life, but the times I had only a bike to get around have sucked. Like someone said before, you can only have what you can carry with you at any one time. The weather is a huge factor. It takes 20 minutes a day to get dressed when the weather is bad. Forget about leaving the house with a cold or with a hangover or even the slightest discomfort.

You are talking about a commute that I would not want to do on just any bike. If you were talking about a 10 mile round trip, I’d say “Sure, get the bike. It’ll be cheaper.” But you are talking about 70 miles a day, and the kind of bike you need to safely and comfortably achieve this isn’t going to be any cheaper than a car.

Get a bike to have fun and ride to work occasionally. Use it for recreation. Enjoy the thing.

Get a $3000 used car to drag your carcass around back and forth daily, reliably in all kinds of weather. Shop smart and it will be cheaper than a bike. Shop real smart and get both.

How is Rap like Porn? Both are better with the sound turned off.

10

As I pointed out in my last response (it’s buried in there, so you might have just skimmed through,) I’ll still keep my car, which for perspective, has been paid off since 1998. It runs OK, with no huge problems, but it’s about time to put it out to pasture, and only use it when I have to or occasionally.

Hope your day gets better.

11

Its not all that bad. I did ride to work today, so thats something! :wink:

For a completely enjoyable, totally capable and horribly underrated bike, try a Kawasaki W650!

Looks like a classic Triumph, rides like a modern bike, almost maintaince-free and reasonably priced. Gets decent fuel milage, plenty of power for highways/freeways (mine goes 90 easy with my fat ass on it), passenger-ready, comfortable, stylish, very quite and all around fun! I bought it because I collect odd-ball stuff, but I find I ride it most these days. A real great standard bike.

I bought mine from a guy in northern Arkansas last year, stole it right out from under you! I’ll bet you can find one easy on cycle trader.com or elsewhere. Expect to pay around $3-4K.

As for the day getting better, I’m going out drinkin’ after work. I have a stack of drink tokes an inch thick and I plan on burnin’ some up! (but I ain’t riding the bike home)

She told me she loved me like a brother. She was from Alabama, hence the Joy!

12

For that type of distance, escpecially as a daily commuter, get something comfortable and easy to ride. One trip on an uncomfy bike isn’t a big deal, but when you start doing it everyday, it builds up. Also, since you are pretty much highway, weight is a nice thing. Since lane splitting doesn’t sound like an issue for you, I would look for stability over nibleness.

I would recommend a tourer or sport tourer, but you are more into the sleeker bikes. There are a lot of good nekkid bikes out there for a good price, like V-stars and the endless line of Honda Shadows. I would definitely recommend you look into bags and maybe even a trunk for fairly cheap, as well as a windshield, so I’d hit up Ebay and look at what is out there, and what kind of look you can get when they are dressed up a bit. 75 miles is a lot of opportunity for road grime, bugs and other stuff to collect on you. Personally, I don’t like showing up to work looking like I’ve been camping for three days. And if your weather is anything like mine, where heavy storms and/or a 30 degree temperature drop can happen in just a couple hours, it is nice to be able to have a shield/fairing as well as a place to always have some rain gear, extra sweatshirt or jacket liner, water bottles, emergency tire repair stuff, extra helmet in case I come across somebody who needs a lift, etc, not to mention that you can still stop by the store on the way home when you suddenly remember that you really need to pick up a few things.

We have a lot of riders at my work, but only three of us actually ride everyday, rain or shine. I’m on a Honda PC800 and one of the other guys is on a BMW K1200LT and the other rides a BMW R1100LT, Drakar, Aprilia Falco, or one of two other of his BMWs, depending which one has the most gas each morning. Nice bikes they got but WAY out of my price range. The stripped Harleys, Shadows, Magnas, Vulcans, and Viragos only ride on sunny Fridays. I can talk forever about how much I love my PC800, but I won’t here. If you can find one, you can pick one up for about 5K, give or take. It was designed for one reason only. Commuting. They designed it well. My daily wear jacket is waterproof, and since I haven’t sprung for armor pants yet, when it rains all I do is slip on my waterproof pants (available at any local Kmart in the fishing section) and I’m set. I keep an extra pair of socks and shoes in the trunk just in case the rain ever soaks my feet too much.

A fairing or windshield might not look cool, but I don’t see any Harley’s on the road when it’s raining. Bags and a trunk may not look cool, but neither does a guy on a crotchrocket or nice cruiser wearing a backpack. Comfort and convenience will serve you well, with the benefit of not missing your car too much, which will make you enjoy your bike more. I’m not sure how big you are, but make sure you give them a good feel. At the shop the other day, while drooling heavily over a Triumph Trophy 900, I saw a fully loaded Venture (I don’t know the year offhand, but it was a newer one) and that was the BIGGEST freaking bike in every dimension I ever saw. The seat was at my belt line. But a used cruiser in the 750 to 1100 range, should serve you very well as long as it is comfortable. Hit up Ebay to get a good idea of what type of bikes are out there and a ballpark price for what you are looking for. I like cruisers a lot, but I got spoiled by a sport tourer. I love the Honda VTX, and want one bad, but I have recently deemed it as impractical for me. That was a sad deeming.

And yes, I haven’t kept tabs other than rough figures, but I have saved quite a bit of cash going back to a bike, at least until it snows. I’ve doubled my gas mileage, went to near nothing for maintenance (two tires when I bought it, brake pads (since I was already there) and battery cuz it died = less than $300). My monthly full coverage insurance is roughly 25% of my car’s, which by the way, is worth less than the bike… still pondering that one. All the women on the freeway want me (I know it is not true, but it’s my fantasy and I’ll lie to myself if I want to). And it is the only bit of adrenaline rush I get anymore now that I’m in the most boring job in the world. I dread winter now, because I hate my car.

By the way, extra points for not wanting a Harley!!! Smart man:)

13

Ah yes, that’s the other thing. I couldn’t give a shit about looking cool (at least beyond a certain level :)). This would very much be a work bike. My girlfriend hates the things, so we’d never pop off for a road trip on it. I might ride for sheer pleasure on weekends or my off day, but primarily, it would be for one reason: getting me cheaply to work and back.

Oh, and I’m 6’1" and about 230. That should be quite large enough to handle a more weighty bike, yes?

14

I used to have an old Honda CX500 with a full Windjammer fairing.
At the time, my commute was 70 miles each way. I liked having the pockets for stowing stuff, but the windscreen blocked all of the wind. Also, being old, the plexi was difficult to see through when riding into the sun. It’s so hot out here in the summer that I finally had to lose the fairing. I missed the pockets, but I loved feeling the wind!

15

I guess it depends on the bike and how often you want to do the vavles. Both my Concours and Shadow need them adjusted at 6k. I let them go longer then that and they are fine but the first few need to be watched. Though the Goldwings can do 16-25k. It is one thing to look for though on a bike that will get high milage.

The 600-1000 is a lot of money though, more then I put into my car every year. Heck a lot more then I put into my car total almost.

I can’t say what his car may get, but I get a lot more then 20mpg out of my Escort. Yes in the long run gas is cheaper, however, I still think that a car will win out, especially for commuting. Though commuting by bike is more fun, I do it during the spring and summer and half the time in the fall, the other times I take the train.

16

Maybe it’s the V design? Ducatis have a 6K interval as well. Could be that the inlines and boxers need less frequent adjustments.

I just put a couple-thousand into my Cherokee. New tires, new brakes, tune-up, oil change, filters, throttle body cleaning, service on both differentials, new spark plug wires, new timing belt… The whole recommended scheduled maintenance, plus the necessities. I did do it in three goes though. I guess it depends on how much you want to maintain your vehicles. I see cars that probably have not seen the inside of a shop in years – and it shows. I tend to try to maintain my vehicles in top condition, which is more expensive than more casual maintenance. Of course in a car you can let things slide more than you can on a bike.

17

I have a 1988 Goldwing 1500. I used to ride to work 40 miles one way. Damn good bike. Nice ride, well balanced and smooth. It is not as top-heavy as it looks. And a heckuva lotta trunk space.

I bought it used in '95 for $6500. It had 6000 miles when I got it and 40,000 now. I put 20,000 on it the first two years. I now have a 5-minute commute so very few miles/year. But I have had very little maintenance issues, no real problems.

It has AM/FM/Cassette/CB and a backrest. There are vents to blow warm air onto the legs. I do ok even in the rain. Usually only my thighs get wet unless it’s a REALLY heavy rain.

The only drawback is that it is a little too big for riding around town zipping in and out of traffic.

The 1988 and newer Goldwings have a very nice ride. The older GW don’t seem as well balanced.

18

One of those big southern boys raised on biscuits and gravy I see. Yeah, get anything that you like:)

It’s not really the weight, but the balance and seat height that is a biggie. A tall guy like you can find anything manageable. I’m on the smaller side, with a short inseam, so seat height is the biggest limitation I have. My bike is on the heavy side at 650, loaded up, but it sits low enough that I don’t notice it. I can’t give you models to look at as recommending a bike model is like telling a guy what type of chick he should date. When you find the bike you like, you’ll know it. But keep the basics in mind.

Johnny, I hear you on the windshield. It’s been tapping into triple digits here the past couple weeks and when wearing armor, with no wind, it’s a very sweaty ride. I have two windshields, a stock and a Rifle that is very tall. I can’t ride with the Rifle cuz it is too high and I look through it, which gives me vertigo. I need to cut it down a hair.

19

Edward The Head: Right, the “fun factor” is definitely there. I have a lot more fun riding one of the bikes to work than I do in the cage. :slight_smile:

Another advantage of the bike is that lane-splitting (or lane sharing, as I like to call it) is legal out here. So if there’s a tailback I can get through on the bike, while I’d have to sit there and take it in the cage. And of course, motorcycles are handy when you want to use the carpool lane.

Turbo Dog: Sometimes I wish I had a better windscreen. The ones on the Seca II and the R1 are just there to deflect the wind, which is good for keeping a lot of the wind off but still allowing a nice breeze. But it sure is noisy. I have a Vance & Hines 4-int-1 pipe on the Seca which is louder than I’d like. That and the wind noise can get tiring. I came home on Thursday and I thought I was going deaf! Earplugs may not be legal, but they’d be a good thing to have on a long trip.

20

Johnny, I know what you mean. My stock windshield does a great job for keeping the rain off me, but it is about 2 inches too short. The top of my helmet sits right on the edge of the bubble so I get a bit of neck ache from the buffeting on longer rides. The noise isn’t terrible, but it does drown out the engine completely if my visor is down. With the visor up, it moves the bubble up enough to make a big difference, but at freeway speed I’ve taken enough rocks in the visor to always keep it down. I keep trying to get a tall windshield on the few times they show up on Ebay, but I’ve been outbid by snipers on them. The Rifle follows a different contour than stock and basically, looks bad. I’m not into looks all that much, but I mean, it really looks bad, partly because it is so tall that it looks like a barn door. It wouldn’t be too bad if I get around to cutting it down, but windshield trimming is a bitch, which is the only reason I haven’t done it yet. The reviews on Stealth edging are mixed, but I’m considering giving it a try, same with some of those clip on deflectors. Once I get it figured out, I’ll be able to install a stereo so I can ride with my Josie and the Pussycats CD. Then I’ll be the ultimate chick magnet:)