Considering a motorcycle...

[tynyphil]

Pros and cons, but definitely worth it. I would start small, like a 150cc or 250cc. Take a motorcycle class. Once you start getting real good, you will naturally want to test your limits, but know your limits. Testing your limits will also make you a better rider. Times have changed, with so many people on the phone driving these days, you have to be very careful. You will have a feeling like no other everytime you ride. If you do decide to ride, just accept the fact that there's a higher possibility you don't make it home if you get in an accident. Always wear a helmet, it could save your life. Here's a picture of me and the wife scraping pegs at The Dragon's Tail

Pros and cons, but definitely worth it. I would start small, like a 150cc or 250cc. Take a motorcycle class. Once you start getting real good, you will naturally want to test your limits, but know your limits. Testing your limits will also make you a better rider. Times have changed, with so many people on the phone driving these days, you have to be very careful. You will have a feeling like no other everytime you ride. If you do decide to ride, just accept the fact that there's a higher possibility you don't make it home if you get in an accident. Always wear a helmet, it could save your life. Here's a picture of me and the wife scraping pegs at The Dragon's Tail

Here we are on the Tail of the Dragon. Didn't scrape any pegs but it was a good time

 

[davek]

When I was taking the road test for the motorcycle endorsement some one came careening out of their driveway right in front of me. One block the driver's side door of a parked car was opened in front of me.
I passed the road test or, in my case, survived.
I gave up motorcycles in 2006 after almost getting hit twice in one commute by cars driven by teenagers using cellphones.
I still miss it on nice days, but there were just too many close calls.
The advice about getting a decent used Toyota instead of a motorcycle for commuting is right on.

 

[GnometownHero]

Triumph builds great bikes
New Royal Enfield models are pretty cool
Used 1200 Sportsters make good commuter bikes

 

[RidgeRunner45-70]

I have had many different motorcycles over my lifetime such as a Norton 850 Commando, Z1 900 Kawasaki, several Harley dressers, BMW’s, Honda Goldwings etc. My very favorite was a neat dual sport Kawasaki KLR650. Good on road or off, single cylinder 650 with gobs of torque and very nimble. Not sure if they still make them but I would suppose they are available on the used market if not new. Rode mine from Denver to Prudoe Bay Alaska and back one summer. Best time of my life!

 

[capnkirk462]

I live about 8 miles from my office, do a lot of around-town driving, and am sick of filling the tank in my truck. I've never had a motorcycle but I think I have my wife on board with me buying my first bike.

So, I'm hoping some of you more experienced guys might be able to give some advice as to where I should start and what I should be looking for.

I am not looking for a crotch rocket... As far as looks go I really like the looks of the Indian Scout and most Harleys. Is it unseasonable to budget $8000?

I feel like an idiot with this stuff. Guns, guitars, mountain bikes, knives, that's what I know; bikes are completely foreign to me!

ok i live in norman, later about that. that being said i only own a motorcycle, also a bicycle. if you do it go to a riders course, you will get a discount on insurance. insurance will be high the first few years, depending on what type you get. full coverage first year,2007 was i think around 600 now it is 190 not bad. but maintenance cost so much more. but that depends on the miles you put on it. dealerships are called "stealerships" do as much maintenance as you can. youtube is great on it. maintenance manuals can be found online for free or pay.. some motorcycle forums are great, some not for help. i ride a 2007 triumph bonneville and love it. but that being said ride every moment like someone is trying to kill you. as i said i live in norman and we have more 18-26 year old, you know the prime age of using cell phones, than most towns. but i bicycled for 15 years before i got the bonnie so i have a healthy amount of paranoia in me. i don't go to the city much cause i really don't need to go there, but it depends on where you are at, some of the city i don't mind and some i do. simple rule if a road sucks to be in a car don't ride a bike there. you couldn't get me on lindsey street until they widened it, still don't like that street anyway. so you might think that i would be a cheerleader for motorcycling but i am not, it can be bad, here in norman we had this happen Norman police officer suffers leg injury in accident most people don't understand how much training they go through and i think they had only had the motorcycle cops for about 3 months before that. it can be real bad out there. oh and the myth of you need an 1100cc to go on trips is b.s. the bonnie is 865cc and i've been out to the grand canyon and beyond, did 2500 miles in 5 days. but it is tiring also. but that is if you travel any distance.

 

[Profreedomokie]

Pros and cons, but definitely worth it. I would start small, like a 150cc or 250cc. Take a motorcycle class. Once you start getting real good, you will naturally want to test your limits, but know your limits. Testing your limits will also make you a better rider. Times have changed, with so many people on the phone driving these days, you have to be very careful. You will have a feeling like no other everytime you ride. If you do decide to ride, just accept the fact that there's a higher possibility you don't make it home if you get in an accident. Always wear a helmet, it could save your life. Here's a picture of me and the wife scraping pegs at The Dragon's Tail

I think it was in 2018 we did the Tail of the Dragon with about 100 other Fiat owners. It was crazy. A guy driving an Abarth lost it in front of me on a sharp curve. He was lucky that it was dirt there and not just air.

 

[Buzzdraw]

Seriously weigh getting a "gas mileage getter" used car before getting a motor cycle. They really aren't that much more fuel efficient than a basic compact/sub compact car. Cars with standard transmissions are far and few these days. A modern automatic trans will be more fuel efficient. You can drive the car in rain, snow and other climate extremes. You can easily carry the weekly groceries home in it, with room for a few passengers.

A motorcycle is very limited in its carry capacity, both people and cargo. To be a little safer out in traffic it needs to be LOUD. Other drivers on the road are often discourteous or downrange dangerous to motorcyclists. A motor cycle needs to stay home in rain, snow and extremely cold weather.

Not saying a 'cycle isn't fun because they are. Just won't save you a ton of money over a basic gas getter car.

 

[swampratt]

I won 20 bucks on a bet that I could not ride my V65 Magna all year to work.
Rain, sleet, ice and snow I rode it and only dumped it 2 times.
That bike never got hurt laying it over no busted off blinkers no busted clutch levers or brake levers.

It was slow speed where it tumped over going over car ruts in the frozen ice on MacArthur on the way to FAA.
I had a rain suit on and under that coveralls and then leathers.
I wore a simpson neck brace and SNELL Approved helmet.
I was actually sliding down the road and laughing.

I may not be right in the head though.
@Buzzdraw stated if you are looking to save on fuel research the bikes and small cars.

36 MPG for my Honda Magnas and 35 in my Corolla or Geo and sometimes in the 38 in the cars
but never on the bikes.

Mother-in-law had a 1985 Honda 250 custom with belt drive and I asked her what MPG it got.
She said 110 MPG.
I said BS I want to drive it a couple days and you can drive my V45.
She let me borrow the 250 and she left the V45 alone.
With my 200lb butt on it I got 105 MPG.

My younger son got his first bike a 250 Rebel 1998 was the year of the bike I think.
56 MPG and a super turd of a bike.
I mover the handle bars forward and cut some foam out of the seat to move sitting position back and made forward controls and moved the pegs forward.

Really improved that 250 rebel.
MPG was terrible though.

 

[Snattlerake]

I was in a parking lot at Swadleys in El Reno and backing up my van. I couldn't see very well but I did hear a loud motorcycle engine revving up so I slammed on the brakes. I had almost hit a guy on a chopper behind me. If it weren't for his revving engine, I would have smeared him. I thought to myself, that revving his engine was a whole lot more effective than a pissy little meep horn for a bike. I always tell everyone in a motorcycle conversation about this because it might save their life.

 

[Jack Shootza 50]

I live about 8 miles from my office, do a lot of around-town driving, and am sick of filling the tank in my truck. I've never had a motorcycle but I think I have my wife on board with me buying my first bike.

So, I'm hoping some of you more experienced guys might be able to give some advice as to where I should start and what I should be looking for.

I am not looking for a crotch rocket... As far as looks go I really like the looks of the Indian Scout and most Harleys. Is it unseasonable to budget $8000?

I feel like an idiot with this stuff. Guns, guitars, mountain bikes, knives, that's what I know; bikes are completely foreign to me!

If you're looking for economy and you are going to be solo on the bike, depending on your size & weight I'd start with a 250-400cc dual purpose single cylinder bike, they are very maneuverable in traffic and can get up to 60 mpg, even the bigger 500-650 size bikes can get 50+mpg if you are planning on riding double with your wife. I love my Harley's but they are not a good trade off to be a replacement for a car or pick-up. A twin cylinder mid range 500-750cc street bike, cruiser style would be my choice for a pure street bike. I imagine the price of motorcycles has gone thru the roof like everything else so shop around and watch out for rip-offs, good luck.