twitchtwice

iTrader: (12)

I figured theres a few people on the site that have a bike as well as a sports car. I'm thinking about picking up a bike so that I can use it as a daily commuter since they are so cheap. I drive a carolla thats around the house now as a daily but would like to drive a bike instead.

Im leaning heavily towards a sportbike because i think they would be more fun to drive around, they are cheaper, and i just cant see myself driving a harley type bike around. thinking about a 600. i dont plan on using it as a race bike or racing the bike period. i just want it to have a decent amount of power. i like the honda cbr because im pretty short and small and they seem to be a thinner bike so i can get my legs around it. ill probably end up lowering any bike i get so its more comfortable for me.

i was mainly posting this just to get some ideas on which bike to get base on your experiences.

thanks in advance for any info

ls1rocker

iTrader: (7)

In the long run the commuter idea doesn't work out, atleast not for me. I see the bike as another toy.

Just have to add up all the cost -
oil (cost ya as much or more tha say a f-body)
tires (last a fraction of what car tires do)
riding gear (you have to wear gear, sweat dries faster than road rash heals)
insurance (higher on sport bikes)
mods (haha believe me, you'll mod it)

You're probably not gonna save any money but they are a ton of fun.

tollway bandit 1

iTrader: (2)

Busa, done. Badest bike ever. Gen 1 or 2 if you can swing it. Its like a superchargered bigblock Caddy.

1qwkz

iTrader: (5)

insurance on bikes is cheap, sportbike or not, my last bike 2005 gsxr 600 full coverage 60 a month from farmers, now the zx10 i have liablility is 28 a month

1qwkz

iTrader: (5)

and a busa is probably the worst choice you can go with, their heavy **** turds i drag those things all day down the highway or at the track on my zx10, 8th mile or 1/4. their way too heavy espeacially if your looking for a beginner bike like a 600, if you were gonna get a 600 suzuki or kawi is the way to go either way there ahead of there class. thats just my .02

tollway bandit 1

iTrader: (2)

You want to race any of my customers busas. I would be glad to show you how slow they are. They are only heavy due to the size of the motor. And if you want to get beat some more I'll get my car out.

ls1rocker

iTrader: (7)

Bike insurance is cheaper than most cars, but out of bikes sport bikes are higher. Gotta add up the total cost and see if its going to be worth it to daily

Ericbigmac83

iTrader: (19)

How long is your commute? ride a couple bikes first, a small cruiser might not be a bad idea if you have a decently long commute. def not as fun tho, but if its just a commuter to save money then its prolly the better way to go. a sport bike you'll just end up dumping money into. on the sport bike note tho, the cbr is good for us smaller guys and would be a good choice. also one of the comfier bikes

edzsilverss

iTrader: (4)

Have you ever riden a street bike before? If not, don't go over a 600 for your first one and ALWAYS wear full gear and last but not least, go take the motorcycle saftey course. A lot of good info in there that will have save your life. Oh yeah, there are only two kinds of riders, those who have crashed and those that will crash.

03Sssnake

iTrader: (20)

I think you are on the right track in looking for a CBR. The F4/F4i would be a good starter bike for you, they are relatively inexpensive to pick up and comfortable as far as sport bikes go. Definitely take the MSC course as already recommended and don't cheap out on good gear!

99zee

iTrader: (4)

I have been thinking about this over the last couple years. Been looking again lately. The "commuter" thing just doesn't add up for me. Keep track on a calendar how many days you could have used it. Here lately it has rained every 2-3 days. Take the extra rain out of the picture and its still only a couple days a month that I would actually take it to work. Now, I only work 2 days a week. Take it to run errands? I come home with too much $hit to take a bike. Buy to save on gas? The price of the bike/insurance/etc, pays for alot of gas. Would I still like to have one? Hell yes! The commuter/savings thing just doesn't hold water for me. I would have to buy it knowing that I would take it out just to cruise and enjoy. There is nothing wrong with that. You live "out west" like me. There are alot of places to ride without getting into the city. Oh, and I would start changing $hit as soon as I got it. Thats just how "we" are. Good Luck

2001AntiVenom

iTrader: (84)

i was riding an hour one way on my busa and it sucked lol. If ur just going to ride like 25-30 min its not so bad. And my insurance was like $45 a month and i was 21.

Pearce

So I commuted in so cal for months on a sports bike. 600 F4i. Great bike i loved it. That being said, they are expensive to maintain compared to a car. Oil changes are expensive because they have to remove so much plastic to get to the internal parts. Insurance is cheap on sport touring bikes and cruisers, not sport bikes. Theres a reason you dont see many for sale past 15 to 20K miles. People total them and insurance companies pay out on them all the time. Insurance isnt cheap for full coverage on a sport bike. Liability is dirt cheap. For a decent amount (not minimal) amount of insurance i was paying over 100$ a month and thats with no tickets and a stellar driving record for a 23 year old. They are fun but dont look at getting one to save money. They get about 35 to 40 mpg if you like having fun on them closer to 40 if you baby it but i dont think you will. Start cheap though because if you ride for very long you will drop and or wreck the bike and it doesnt hurt as bad when the bike wasnt as nice. Take some safety courses too once you get the bike. Hit me up if you have any other questions.

twitchtwice

iTrader: (12)

the commute will be to school and to work, which are both within 10 mile drives from my house. ill most likely take the class but i may not need to. my dad has ridden bikes since he was 15 and has taught me a lot, and will teach me more once i actually have my own bike to drive. ive driven his harley davisdon ultra classic quite a few times and i definately dont want a large cruiser like that. and i can say now that i wont be modding the bike at all, i know you guys say i will but i wont be because I know i wont. and of course ill be wearing full gear all the time

my biggest complaint is that sportbikes are much cheaper to buy from what i was looking at but im not sure what type of cruisers i should be looking at.

dshag

iTrader: (1)

i was in the same spot last year, i ended up buying a 05 cbr 600 and it was a blast to drive but it i sold it last month. If i get another one it will be a 1k or bigger, the 600's lack the torque and you really have to wnd them out for power. I could power wheelie and clutch it up in 2nd gear at the right speeds (you will try these even if you say you wont). If you havent ridden much def start on a 600 they are very fun in the corners with good tires. If you have ridden before i would say def get a 1000 or you will be bored with a 600. If your looking for a commuter and good gas mileage ive heard good things about the sv650's but have never ridden one my self.

DKM DWN

Great advice from everyone.... riding daily is possible but gets to be a hassle and dangerous. Rain,fog and night riding, suck solo. People just have too much going on in there cars to watch for you on your bike. Everyone is in a rush and we get stuck dealing with there impatience. I ride a chop so have to take extra time to stop and harder to maneuver. I love my bike though every time I ride I know how blessed I really am. Ride safe

twitchtwice

iTrader: (12)

Thanks for the input. I'll always have a car to use in bad weather so in not too worried about that. But I do understand what you guys are telling me. My dad says it all the time, it's not about being a bad bike rider, rather the people around you that are the problem

03Sssnake

iTrader: (20)

+1 you are not lying about the idiots in our area and houston in general. I have had moron soccer moms and office drones change lanes on top of me in my torch red Z06. Who the hell can miss a focking red corvette! I have had a few close calls on the 98HD FXST as well, too many, especially on 290...

1_fast_gto

iTrader: (1)

wtf ever my first and only bike has been a 1000cc r1. its not as bad *** as every one says it is. but yes wear at least a helmet and a good jacket!

edzsilverss

iTrader: (4)

Just trying to keep him alive lol. A 600 is too much bike for alot of folks. Better to start out slow and work your way up. How many times did you dump your ****? And don't say never lol. I agree with it's only as fast as you twist the throttle but that's not always easy to do once you get cocky. Don't get me wrong, I love a 1000 cc. Nothing like shifting into 2nd at 80-90 mph lol. A 600 is a good bike for a starter in my opinion.