Street Motorcycles

[TripleR]

TripleR,
Thank you for responding. Was your Yamaha, a VStar 250, I actually considered one of those first but, that model isn't nearly as plentiful in my area as the little Hondas.

No, they weren't making any of those back then, 1974, mine was a 250 Enduro; two stroke on/off road.

 

[Ken45101]

I would not suggest a m/c for commute most of the time. In a rural area, deer are a real problem. I won't ride after dark around here and in fall, I hate even driving the truck after dark.

Weather varies tremendously over the day.

As for fuel economy, my '92 Honda 750 Nighthawk gets 54. My old '81 CB-750K got 52. My FJR-1300A gets 49-52.

 

[Bladehauler]

I have ridden for about 40 years and I have to tell you, their has been some sound advise givin already. I also drive an 18 wheeler hauling oversized loads and by far , the coal truck drivers in your part of the world border on INSANE ! I dont think they know what mirrors are for and only have two speeds , wide open and loading unloading.You do what your heart tells you, just dont become a statistic ! Im thinking of selling my Harley and getting another dirt bike cause trees wont run over me like the last car did.

Just my .02

 

[sherpa]

Dual Sport!!
You need a dual sport motorcycle. They come in all sizes. I been riding motorcycles for 45 years. I went to dual sport motorcycles 20 years ago. My whole family rides dual sport motorcycles now. My wife and I travel in an RV and take them where-ever we travel. I have two friends that I ride with from Florida 76 and 77 years old. Now for the good part, they get great fuel mileage, easy to ride, light weight, low seat height, half price insurance, cheaper to purchase and will run 70-80 MPH. I am 65 and ride a Kaw KLX250s. It is too tall for most older riders. My wife had a Yamaha XT225 and got 85 mpg! It would run 75 mph easy. You can get these used for $2000 and they have a bullet proof engine. Dual sport bikes are made like dirt bikes and usually dont hurt anything if they fall over. We love riding forest roads and dirt roads. We just bought the wife a new 2013 Honda CRF250L, it gets 77mpg with Fuel Injection, she is 58! You will be riding to work and forget and keep going!
sherpa

 

[Car Doc]

Just rent one or borrow one and try it out for a week see if its what you want to do is another idea. Being on the road everyday with trucks is not my idea of a fun commute but like I said I hate trucks most riders do.

I am in the bigger is better crowd but starting small is a good idea and most everybody finds the first few street bikes too small after awhile. fwtw

And the more lights on it the better you need all the visibility you can afford just look at the big Harley's they look like a freight train coming for a reason. my .002

 

[Bocephous]

Lots of great advice already given. I notice you mentioned that you've always had a dirt bike; no better training for riding a road bike than already being skilled in handling a dirt bike, imo. My dirt skills have saved my butt a number of times on the road.

As someone who has struck a deer at speed on a motorcycle I agree with the mention of risk of riding after dark.

I also agree with the cost factor; I go through tires almost at the rate I change my oil (3000ish miles from a rear tire, double that for a front). Chains/sprockets should last 20,000 miles or so, front brake pads slightly less. If you ride in the rain plan on a decent amount of winter maintenance in the form of applying grease to linkage and swingarm bearings.

If you still decide that you want a road bike, and if your roads are like ours in NEPA, I will recommend the Suzuki DL650, or V-Strom 650 as it is also known. I have the 1000cc version and can attest to its abilities on dirt or hard roads. The 650 is lighter, better on gas, and mixes fuel and air perfectly bone stock. Reliable as a hammer. A used example will be a bit north of your price range, however (I paid $4000 for my 2004 DL1000 two years ago) . Check ADVRider.com for a lot more info, or Stromtroopers.com.

 

[oldnslo]

This thread has been especially interesting to me because, last year, I bought a moped to ride out to the farm while my mini van was down. I figure the trip on the moped cost me about 1/4 what it costs to ride in the van. My problem is that in S.C. mopeds are legally required not to exceed 25 mph. I consider this speed dangerously slow and am considering a used 250 cc Honda Rebel. The claimed mileage is about the same as my moped. After reading some things in this thread, I'm having second thoughts and might just stick with the moped. Has anyone here ever had a Rebel and could you tell me some of the disadvantages of such a small bike? Many of of the used ones I see on Craigs List have low mileage and I can't figure out why their owners want to part with them.

Honda Rebel has one design flaw that I know of. The covers over the air box behind the fuel tank and below the seat quite frequently rub on a persons inner thighs while riding which makes riding any distance very uncomfortable. I personally do not like the cruiser style controls. I have great difficulty shifting one of these bikes. My size 15's probably contribute to this.

They are durable bike and would work well for short commutes on back roads if the above mentioned problems are not a concern for you.

 

[wjmst]

Thanks for all the feedback and discussion. The savings in gas was just one way of looking at it. I really do enjoy riding bikes and always have. Started with a Honda Trail 70 about 20 years ago or so and still have it.

I was riding my brother's 1978 Honda 400 something street bike for a while, but not commuting, just the fun back roads kind of ride. He has since traded it for a 4-wheeler, which is tons of fun too! So I was really looking for advice on what type of bike would be big enough for power and stability on a major highway, yet decent fuel consumption and light enough for me to handle.

I already own two cars and am not interested in another car, I want a motorcycle!

I looked at the dual sports and they seem great, but just too tall for me. I don't feel safe when I stop on them. I like to place both feet on the ground flat footed, not tippy toes. I love the idea of the VStrom , but the same problem it just seemed too tall and a little big, plus the price was a little more than I wanted to pay. I have never actually rode one though. No place around here rents bikes and the dealer that has them says insurance won't let people test drive the bikes.

There are some back roads that I could use to take to work each day, but it would be more miles and take longer each day, so probably not worth it from a financial perspective, but would be fun!

So it comes down to the question of what am I going to use this bike for and how much. I know I would take it for fun rides periodically, but was hoping commuting would be included in that, but from what it sounds like commuting is not fun.

I am going to look at a 95 Honda VLX 600 on friday for $2300 with about 7k miles.

 

[unbidden]

I think you'll find that newer water cooled cruisers get very good mileage. My VStar 1300 gets 47 mpg with after-market exhaust and fuel processor. Air cooled bikes don't seem to do as well on the mpg unless you go with a small engine displacement.

 

[Car Doc]

If you feel like it go check out a Softail Harley they sit nice and low you sit "in" the bike and they ride real smooth for a Harley because of the balanced engine and handle excellent its more money though. my .002

fwtw Its 30 here this morning with snow on the ground in spots and I rode to work loved every minute too. :thumbsup: