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Car or Morotcycle?
So I took the written test so I can get my license again.
Now the big question before me; do I stick with a car, or go for a motorcycle again?
I'm going over the pro's and con and they go something like this:
1: Car - expensive on the up keep. Expensive on the gas. Expensive on the tolls.
Motorcycle: Upkeep costs vary. Gas goes much further. Tolls are half the cost.
2: Car - safer means of transport in NY, where drivers seem to lack the intelligence to recognize that motorcycle drivers DO exists.
motorcycle: Laugh happily as you cut through traffic jams. :->
3: Car: Air conditioned.
Motorcycle: ... it's a motorcycle!!!!
4: Car: Plenty of storage room.
Motorcycle: ... it's a motorcycle!!!
5: Car: more comfortable for long trips.
Motorcycle:.... it's a motorcycle!
So... you see my dilemna. I'm just not sure what to do. *sigh*
Now the big question before me; do I stick with a car, or go for a motorcycle again?
I'm going over the pro's and con and they go something like this:
1: Car - expensive on the up keep. Expensive on the gas. Expensive on the tolls.
Motorcycle: Upkeep costs vary. Gas goes much further. Tolls are half the cost.
2: Car - safer means of transport in NY, where drivers seem to lack the intelligence to recognize that motorcycle drivers DO exists.
motorcycle: Laugh happily as you cut through traffic jams. :->
3: Car: Air conditioned.
Motorcycle: ... it's a motorcycle!!!!
4: Car: Plenty of storage room.
Motorcycle: ... it's a motorcycle!!!
5: Car: more comfortable for long trips.
Motorcycle:.... it's a motorcycle!
So... you see my dilemna. I'm just not sure what to do. *sigh*
I wasn't wearing a helmet and with the type of accident that I had a helmet would have been a real benefit. I more or less jack-knifed my bike and went down when a car was backing out of a driveway just beyond the apex of a curve. My leg got smashed too. I had an external fixator on (with 11 skewers through) my leg. I did wear and still do wear a half helmet but I wasn't on that day.
I have always hated ape-hangers - the looks and the impracticability of them. When your hands are above your heart that's not a good thing.
I think I will put crash bars on my bike. They would have saved me leg had I had them on. I always like a loud horn but I never put one on. I bought my bike in 1991 and in 1995 I put an S&S 96 inch engine it in. The original engine is on my fireplace mantle all shiny and nice. And at the same time I swapped wheels, carb, ignition, starter and a bunch of stuff. The metal, frame and transmission are original but little else is. I don't ride as much or with as much joie de vivre as I did before the wreck so maybe I amuse myself by putting stuff on the bike. I used to get up in the morning and just decide to ride 600 miles. I don't do that anymore and I can't see the day when I will.
Mike
I have always hated ape-hangers - the looks and the impracticability of them. When your hands are above your heart that's not a good thing.
I think I will put crash bars on my bike. They would have saved me leg had I had them on. I always like a loud horn but I never put one on. I bought my bike in 1991 and in 1995 I put an S&S 96 inch engine it in. The original engine is on my fireplace mantle all shiny and nice. And at the same time I swapped wheels, carb, ignition, starter and a bunch of stuff. The metal, frame and transmission are original but little else is. I don't ride as much or with as much joie de vivre as I did before the wreck so maybe I amuse myself by putting stuff on the bike. I used to get up in the morning and just decide to ride 600 miles. I don't do that anymore and I can't see the day when I will.
Mike
Chitchatnine wants to see me riding down the street decked out in full gear on a tricycle! (Captain, we've dropped to Cool Factor of "1") :->
1973 R75? that was/is a good bike.
I never went in for decking them out. Okay, not entirely true. I generally had one bike I'd "pimp" a bit, and the other fast my "Doin' the dirty business machine". The second I kept stripped down for city travel. I kept it to the minimum, like "roll bars" on the side to protect against leg crush and an air horn for when I needed to REALLY get someone's attention.
When I'm in the village you can see the Hell's Angels' bikes. Some of them have old fashioned (illegal) Ape Bars that are just...awesome to look at.
What type of head gear were you wearing for the accident? I usually wore the full helmet unless it got so hot I'd switch to a 3/4 with a face plate or goggles.
The irony for me is I took the roll bars off the bike to protect your legs two weeks before I had MY accident and crushed my leg. The helmet did it's job though.
1973 R75? that was/is a good bike.
I never went in for decking them out. Okay, not entirely true. I generally had one bike I'd "pimp" a bit, and the other fast my "Doin' the dirty business machine". The second I kept stripped down for city travel. I kept it to the minimum, like "roll bars" on the side to protect against leg crush and an air horn for when I needed to REALLY get someone's attention.
When I'm in the village you can see the Hell's Angels' bikes. Some of them have old fashioned (illegal) Ape Bars that are just...awesome to look at.
What type of head gear were you wearing for the accident? I usually wore the full helmet unless it got so hot I'd switch to a 3/4 with a face plate or goggles.
The irony for me is I took the roll bars off the bike to protect your legs two weeks before I had MY accident and crushed my leg. The helmet did it's job though.
Car ---- definitely where you live a car OR a bicycle!
C~
C~
I think it was a 1972 or 1973 R75. My friend bought it and he didn't know how to ride it so it was mine for close to 1 year. I seem to remember it was gold but after thinking about it I think it may have been black. It's crazy that I am not sure of the color but I did suffer some head trauma in 2005 when I wrecked my other bike and I use that excuse a lot. The scary thing is that I am probably right - I lost a lot of memories from that wreck.
I kind of like those Mini Coopers - I know that I'd love parking one.
I don't know your tastes in motorcycles but they too can be quite expensive once you start putting all of the chrome doodads on. I am thinking about buying some Fat Daddy Spoke wheels for my Harley and they will cost around $1400. And then I will want to match the belt pulley and rotors so it can get costly if you let yourself go. I am trying to restrain myself be because it doesn't need wheels.
Good luck with you decision.
Mike
I kind of like those Mini Coopers - I know that I'd love parking one.
I don't know your tastes in motorcycles but they too can be quite expensive once you start putting all of the chrome doodads on. I am thinking about buying some Fat Daddy Spoke wheels for my Harley and they will cost around $1400. And then I will want to match the belt pulley and rotors so it can get costly if you let yourself go. I am trying to restrain myself be because it doesn't need wheels.
Good luck with you decision.
Mike
You had a BMW 750? Was it a K75? I had one of those in cherry red. :->
I know what you mean on the grocery thing. Try packing your groceries into a couple of hard luggage cases and bungee cording a 20 lb litter to the back of the bike.
Those are the moments when bike riding is definitely not glamorous.
I had a Harley sportster back in college as well; I used to drive the 15 blocks to the campus with Stoic, my then cat in a rigged up saddle bag. We'd then attend classes together and hang out on campus (Yes, Stoic WAS a chick magnet. :-> )
Honestly, the biggest issue right now is cost. A motorcycle is cheaper to own than a car.
But it would be convenient to know my wife could take the car and pick me up at the station or go to the store.
The idea of my wife on a motorcycle just gives me the heebie jeebies. I'd be so worried she'd have an accident I think I'd stroke out.
So I will probably go the car route at first. The only problem then is she wants me to get a mini cooper, which she thinks is "Cute" (she's from Europe).
I don't know if I can bear driving around in a "Cute" little car.
I know what you mean on the grocery thing. Try packing your groceries into a couple of hard luggage cases and bungee cording a 20 lb litter to the back of the bike.
Those are the moments when bike riding is definitely not glamorous.
I had a Harley sportster back in college as well; I used to drive the 15 blocks to the campus with Stoic, my then cat in a rigged up saddle bag. We'd then attend classes together and hang out on campus (Yes, Stoic WAS a chick magnet. :-> )
Honestly, the biggest issue right now is cost. A motorcycle is cheaper to own than a car.
But it would be convenient to know my wife could take the car and pick me up at the station or go to the store.
The idea of my wife on a motorcycle just gives me the heebie jeebies. I'd be so worried she'd have an accident I think I'd stroke out.
So I will probably go the car route at first. The only problem then is she wants me to get a mini cooper, which she thinks is "Cute" (she's from Europe).
I don't know if I can bear driving around in a "Cute" little car.
If I had to have only one vehicle I would get a car.
I lived one year with only a motorcycle when I was in school - and it was a warm climate too - but it was very limiting. For instance, getting a bunch of groceries and maybe a bottle of wine home can be rather difficult.
Bikes are more fun and I agree about the culture. An immediate bond seems to form whenever there is more than one motorcycle. I love to ride.
I used to ride a BMW 750 but that was a long long time ago. I ride a Harley I bought new in 1991. It is pristine, of course.
Whatever you decide on - be safe.
Mike
I lived one year with only a motorcycle when I was in school - and it was a warm climate too - but it was very limiting. For instance, getting a bunch of groceries and maybe a bottle of wine home can be rather difficult.
Bikes are more fun and I agree about the culture. An immediate bond seems to form whenever there is more than one motorcycle. I love to ride.
I used to ride a BMW 750 but that was a long long time ago. I ride a Harley I bought new in 1991. It is pristine, of course.
Whatever you decide on - be safe.
Mike
That is awesome. The last big Rally I went to was down in Pennsylvania Amish Country.
The highlight for the guys I was with is one of them won a BMW750cc. Which I was happy for him, but jealous of.
The highlight for the guys I was with is one of them won a BMW750cc. Which I was happy for him, but jealous of.
I live within a mile of Marcus Dairy - famed for its Super Sunday bike gatherings. I love going to those, you see 3 generations of scooter people all gathered. I'm going to miss that place!
jd
jd
Yeah. Bikers have should petition to make car doors and broomsticks illegal. :-)
Mostly when I last had one I used the bike as a way to zip into the city to work and back.
But biker culture is SO much fun. When you're on a motorcycle, you become a part of a community. Going to the biker meets is like a family experience. Yound guys on sportsters, elderly grandmothers and grandfathers touring on goldwings... it's *alot* of fun.
But I'm wary of drving in NYC again. I've driven all over and NYC is just not a safe city to be on a motorcycle.
Mostly when I last had one I used the bike as a way to zip into the city to work and back.
But biker culture is SO much fun. When you're on a motorcycle, you become a part of a community. Going to the biker meets is like a family experience. Yound guys on sportsters, elderly grandmothers and grandfathers touring on goldwings... it's *alot* of fun.
But I'm wary of drving in NYC again. I've driven all over and NYC is just not a safe city to be on a motorcycle.
"motorcycle: Laugh happily as you cut through traffic jams. :-> "
Until someone suddenly opens a car door!
Its a tough choice, I agree. Bikes are such fun. You are brave to drive one in NYC, though!
jd
Until someone suddenly opens a car door!
Its a tough choice, I agree. Bikes are such fun. You are brave to drive one in NYC, though!
jd
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