riding a motorcycle in houston? smart?
#41
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i hade a 600rr for 5 days, spent the next 3 months in a wheelchair, then the next 3 learning how to walk again, now, 9 months later, i almost have gotten rid of the limp and find out here during spring break if i can play tennis again
im lookin to buy another bike as soon as the insurance claim gets settled
im lookin to buy another bike as soon as the insurance claim gets settled
what i was tryin to say was that you either love to ride or you dont, if you dont then i wouldnt try to commute, if you do, then crashes are part of it, if you gear up and ride responsibly then you should come out relatively unscathed
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I'll tell you the truth dude there is no way in hell you'll get 50mpg on a SS bike maybe 40 if your nice but if you like to have some fun on your ride more like 35 (still better than any car that will run that fast). The other thing is everything you'll save in gas you'll spend on maintenance or at least waste a lot of time doing things like valve adjustments. The real money sucker will be rubber if you get the kind of tires that belong on a sports bike you'll be lucky if they last 7,500 miles. So if you looking to save money this might not be the best idea still it makes the commute a ton more fun.
another thing, buy full coverage insurance and up your limits because if you end up in the hospital and they dont have insurance, the basic limits arent near enough
im lookin at 75k in med bills so far and they are talkin about another surgery, luckily this guy had insurance
and this was a slow wreck, 35 mph
just puttin that out there, i had no idea about uppin limits or any thing on insurance, its somethin people should know because i wouldve done it for sure had i known about it
#43
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If you have special hours, it may be a little less congested, but in Houston, there's always a fair amount of traffic. The risk is still there, so don't fool yourself or try to fool others. On my way home, I see all sorts of 'migrant' looking workers in some beat up trucks driving around with 3-4 guys in the cab drinking tall boys in broad day light.....so it's not just the 'drunk' hours you have to worry about. If you can take the HOV lane for most of your commute, I think you do cut back on a lot of your risk, and many people do have routes that may be much safer than others. Just be alert if you do ride, none of us here want to hear about losing a fellow gear head.
So LS1vazquez, going by the Galleria on Richmond or thru montrose is safe? Do you know how many morons I see drinking their starbucks & talking on the cell phone not paying attention on that route? Hell, I think i'd be more scared having to go thru all those lights than riding on the freeway. Way too many people running lights.
Back in 1990 when I was coming back from lunch & at the light at Rankin and a lady decided to make the left turn from the lane that was supposed to go straight, the cycle was in the lane that could turn or go straight & he turned into his path & he had to lay the bike down because she didn't see him & his bike went under his back bumper....some of us had to get out of our cars & lift the back of her car off him because his leg was caught between the bumper & his bike. He was pretty jacked up, broke his leg up pretty good, but luckily he had on riding boots/leathers so he didn't get much other damage. Cell phones weren't even in widespread use back then...that's when the plans came with like 20 min. a month, lol.
Just because something can be done, doesn't mean it's worth the risk. You can't stick to off hours if you have to commute to most schools or jobs. Not everyone does the normal business hour thing, but most of us do. Chances of getting in an accident no matter what you drive is always pretty good in Houston, but the chance to survive is greatly reduced if you are on a cycle.
Unless you grow up on cycles, I'd seriously advise people not to get one for commuting purposes in Houston. Especially if the price of gas is the only reason. Unless you are getting a bike dirt cheap or free, it would be hard to make up the difference of buying a bike & the additional insurance or just paying a little more for gas each week. If this was a short time solution, ie, while he's going to school at SAM, just suck it up & pay for the extra gas. Since you are probably into hot rodding tho, this is the perfect time to pick up a little parts truck, find a little Taco or I4 S10 w/5spd & sport that for some gas savings. Chances are, if you have an Fbody, and an M6, you can get good enough MPG anyhow, so just buy mods, lol.
I think if I ever did ride in Houston, I'd put a train horn on the bike.
#44
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very true, if you are doing it purely for the commute, you should be lookin into a ninja 250 or somethin, you would for sure save money that way, 3k for a new bike, lots of mpg, not sure of the exact number, better than 5k for a used sport bike that gets 35 mpg, insurance prices would also be better
another thing, buy full coverage insurance and up your limits because if you end up in the hospital and they dont have insurance, the basic limits arent near enough
im lookin at 75k in med bills so far and they are talkin about another surgery, luckily this guy had insurance
and this was a slow wreck, 35 mph
just puttin that out there, i had no idea about uppin limits or any thing on insurance, its somethin people should know because i wouldve done it for sure had i known about it
another thing, buy full coverage insurance and up your limits because if you end up in the hospital and they dont have insurance, the basic limits arent near enough
im lookin at 75k in med bills so far and they are talkin about another surgery, luckily this guy had insurance
and this was a slow wreck, 35 mph
just puttin that out there, i had no idea about uppin limits or any thing on insurance, its somethin people should know because i wouldve done it for sure had i known about it
#45
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haha nah you could possibly beat me... I havent played for over 2 years. Last time I played I fractured my shin (TALK ABOUT PAIN!!) My racquet fell apart (grip fell off!) as I was swinging through for my serve and crashed into my shin... and i fell onto the ground. Luckily my best friend was there to make me laugh about the situation... she walks over by me, kicks me, and says "get up you *****, it doesnt look that bad"... when clearly something was wrong because it immediately turned black and blue and swelled up like a softball....
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haha nah you could possibly beat me... I havent played for over 2 years. Last time I played I fractured my shin (TALK ABOUT PAIN!!) My racquet fell apart (grip fell off!) as I was swinging through for my serve and crashed into my shin... and i fell onto the ground. Luckily my best friend was there to make me laugh about the situation... she walks over by me, kicks me, and says "get up you *****, it doesnt look that bad"... when clearly something was wrong because it immediately turned black and blue and swelled up like a softball....
#48
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Just fyi from a guy that has 5 motorcycles in his garage, only the ninja 250 gets better then 40MPG, if your getting a 600-1000 true sportbike even if you baby it . it's going to get 35mpg 40 on a 600 if you drive like a grandma.
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i was speaking hypotheticly (spelling?) on gas mileage. **** even 20 i would be happy with compared to what i get now. i just think i'm going to hold off on a bike, i like my life.
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Call me a cager? LOL what ever, I just have common sense enough to realize the danger involved in riding in this ******* city. I have 3-4 people almost hit me a week when I'm driving my crew cab dually or my Jeep SUV....so what makes me think they will see or avoid me more on a bike?
Secondly, a guy I went to school with all thru high school, drank beer with, hung out with for years after school died while riding his bike. How many personal friends have you lost that were riders? Do you even still have a bike or are you a cager now too?
You are just butt hurt you got your *** punked on other threads.....so why don't you shut your ******* pie hole. You had to make it personal, now it's ******* personal.
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Ok, it's official, you are on my **** list. First of all, lets go back to the thread where the guy is trying to sell his roller with a bad *** cage & 9". You are on a CAR forum for fbodies & racing & don't know dick about it & make all sorts of retarded statements on his post....**** you.
Call me a cager? LOL what ever, I just have common sense enough to realize the danger involved in riding in this ******* city. I have 3-4 people almost hit me a week when I'm driving my crew cab dually or my Jeep SUV....so what makes me think they will see or avoid me more on a bike?
Secondly, a guy I went to school with all thru high school, drank beer with, hung out with for years after school died while riding his bike. How many personal friends have you lost that were riders? Do you even still have a bike or are you a cager now too?
You are just butt hurt you got your *** punked on other threads.....so why don't you shut your ******* pie hole. You had to make it personal, now it's ******* personal.
Call me a cager? LOL what ever, I just have common sense enough to realize the danger involved in riding in this ******* city. I have 3-4 people almost hit me a week when I'm driving my crew cab dually or my Jeep SUV....so what makes me think they will see or avoid me more on a bike?
Secondly, a guy I went to school with all thru high school, drank beer with, hung out with for years after school died while riding his bike. How many personal friends have you lost that were riders? Do you even still have a bike or are you a cager now too?
You are just butt hurt you got your *** punked on other threads.....so why don't you shut your ******* pie hole. You had to make it personal, now it's ******* personal.
Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to calm down.
I'm just saying that it gets a little old when your having the usual "should I commute on a bike" thread, and you have somebody who responds with a -wall of text wall of text wall of text- with a dash of "organ donor" perspective and a sprinkle of fear mongering and then tops it with, "Well, I don't ride, but that's how I see it."
Not that I'm saying that people who don't ride lack common sense, but not being a rider and trying to give advice on riding is akin to a virgin trying to explain sex. That's all I'm saying.
It gets a little old after awhile.
And FYI to answer your cager question, yes on both of them. I still ride and I did have a buddy I went to school with who high sided a bike at about 15 MPH and connected his head with the curb, resulting in cranial drilling and blood swelling and about a half a million for hospital bills. He made a 95% recovery but it could have all been avoided if he had just worn his helmet.
So yes, I do still ride, and I keep it safe and I keep my gear on and keep my head on a swivel. Not to say I haven't had my close calls also but I play it smart, stick to the off hours, don't go into the ghetto areas or ride at night and it greatly reduces my risks.
Heres my bike,
![](http://a709.ac-images.myspacecdn.com/images01/126/m_6c66771e21a47de179b4ec54ee1d008c.jpg)
It gets +55 MPG and I drive the **** out of it on the beltway.
Last edited by LS1vazquez; 03-17-2008 at 06:49 PM.
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I never said that, & I did ride for about 2 months in Houston when I was a young buck, I kicked in a few doors from *** hats that didn't see me & came into my lane, also laid a bike down before too because of a ***** that didn't see me.
Also, it's not fear mongering you dumb ****, what part of I HEAR THE STORIES FIRST HAND FROM MY GF THAT IS A NURSE THAT SEES THESE FOLKS, or WHAT'S LEFT OF THEM COME INTO HER EMERGENCY ROOM.
Also, it's not fear mongering you dumb ****, what part of I HEAR THE STORIES FIRST HAND FROM MY GF THAT IS A NURSE THAT SEES THESE FOLKS, or WHAT'S LEFT OF THEM COME INTO HER EMERGENCY ROOM.
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on a 08 triumph daytona 675 and im getting around 45.5 mpg or so(and thats been while im playing with it to), been checking it since i got it last friday
as far as the danger of riding sure its there but you either ride or you dont, i ride my bike every where i can weather permitting, i love to ride and always will, dont care where i am or what time it is, always wear full gear and am very careful and thats about all you can do .... already been under a car once when she pulled out in front of me and put me in the hospital for a week and about 6months to recover completely yet here i am still riding sport bikes
as far as the danger of riding sure its there but you either ride or you dont, i ride my bike every where i can weather permitting, i love to ride and always will, dont care where i am or what time it is, always wear full gear and am very careful and thats about all you can do .... already been under a car once when she pulled out in front of me and put me in the hospital for a week and about 6months to recover completely yet here i am still riding sport bikes
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2. And both were taken prematurely, and had PLENTY of life left. Is it fair? No. But I will take both sides on this one, being a biker, and someone who knows better. Both were taken doing what they LOVED. They were on thier bikes, they were happy, and unfortunatly, two of them had no control over how it happened.
If its your time to go, its your time to go. You can't argue with God/Fate/Whatever you want to call it.... Whether your in bed asleep or skydiving out of a plane, it'll happen when its supposed to.
R.I.P. Matt S. & Mike P.
If its your time to go, its your time to go. You can't argue with God/Fate/Whatever you want to call it.... Whether your in bed asleep or skydiving out of a plane, it'll happen when its supposed to.
R.I.P. Matt S. & Mike P.
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