pls encourage me to get a motorcycle?

Question

my car got repossessed a couple of weeks ago..instead of getting another car(an old car with high monthly payments which obviously i cant afford,plus gas), im planning to enroll on a motorcycle lesson this weekend ,then eventually get a bike....however, i thought "what if it rains hard?""how about during winter?"..im not planning on riding a bike for a long time i just need a little time to be financially ok to afford a decent car..bikers who ALWAYS ride their bike i need your thoughts pls..by the way i live in texas(doesnt snow) and im 23 yrs old..thanks!!

Answer 1

I won't talk you out of it, and I sure won't try and talk you into it. Like others above me have said, you don't have a good reason. The decision to do such a thing, or live that way, has to come from inside. As far as what's logical, with what you would spend on a bike (used), training, and gear, you could buy another old beater with some left for repairs. The decision to ride rarely has a good economic reason nowadays. "What if it rains hard?" More expense. Even a dirt cheap rainsuit is $25.00. And big drops hurt (like rocks).

Please do learn to ride, if and when you can. I'm all for more of us on the roads. Once you ride, you can decide.

Answer 2

At 23, you're tough. You can hack it.
Do take the lessons. - Be cautious.
Do remember that there's only a few layers of cloth between your *** and a whole lot of hard uncompromising reality.
If a bike is to be you prime transpotation, make a good rainsuit & gloves part of the purchase from the get-go.
Helmet with good face protection too of course.
Wind chill can get you even on only cool days when you're moving. You have to dress for the weather like momma was watching. - Layers!
The rain suit can help there too, it cuts the wind.
Even on warmer days , a denim jacket at least. You WILL likely drop the bike at least once and it cuts down on the road rash.

I'm an old road rat so please take these tips:
On a bike, safety is in your head, not your vehicle.
Kepp as much open room around you on the road as you can. An extra half second to plan & maneuver or brake can get you out of a whole lot of trouble.
Do learn to watch the road surface. - It's far more important on a bike than in a car.
Don't get mad on a bike. - You're more vulnerable than anyone around so just ride on.
Don't show off - it isn't worth it.
Don't get cocky and you'll live to have no hair on your head & grey hair in your beard like me.

Answer 3

I once carried a christmas tree home in the rain on a little Honda. I was 17, and never thought "What if I can't do this?"

Cold weather riding for me was solved by wearing an insulated vinyl pullover under a parka. Be careful going over track rails, manhole covers and street drain grating after it rains. Car drivers can also be arrogant and aggressive about 'getting you off the road'. Hot weather sucks the life right out of you.

Motorcycle maintenance costs as much as or more than automobiles, so find a bike that gets 50+ mpg. Two tire replacements can cost over $250. Batteries can cost as much a cars.

Have fun.

Answer 4

I can't do that or anyone for that matter one here as well. We don't know how well you can ride and the reality is motorcycles are dangerous. It may not be anything to do with you at all, its all the other stupid drivers you have to worry about. People in cars half the time do not pay attention or they do not notice you are there. I spend a lot of time on the road because I am a mobile field technician and I run across at least one bike accident per week. Don't get me wrong, I want a Royal Enfield bullet with a passion but you can't trust other people you know?

Answer 5

My thoughts are that even if you aren't PLANNING to ride for long, the Biker Bug will bite you and you WILL be a hardcore rider before long. : D If you don't want to invest in motorcycle gear, though, you can use clothing items you probably already have to protect you from the elements. When it rains hard, be sure you have good eye/face protection and a good rain suit , including boot covers. The first 15 min of rain is the most dangerous cuz the oils, etc on the road surface floating to the top make the road one big oil slick. If you can, wait the 15 min till the rain rinses that stuff away before getting on the road. If you are already out on the road when it starts raining, stopping till it's rained a few minutes, or better yet pulling over for coffee or something is the thing to do. If you can't stop, SLOW DOWN!!!!!! Rainy weather is not the time to try and hurry anywhere. I also have a set of goggles that seals around my eyes...the rain doesn't penetrate and they're vented to prevent water vapor buildup. During winter be sure you dress in layers, this creates air spaces between your skin and the outside weather. Your body heat will be trapped in the inner layers, keeping you warmer. My routine is usually a tank shirt, then a long-sleeve T-shirt, turtleneck or hoodie jacket, and vest underneath my leather jacket. Heavy jeans and thermal underwear (and/or leather chaps over the jeans), a couple pairs of thick socks or a pair of insulated ones, and insulated gloves that go over the jacket sleeves (Mine have Velcro to seal out the wind) are a MUST. If you do not use a full-head helmet, something to cover your ears, face, and neck are important, also. (I refuse to wear a full-face helmet in any weather--personal choice.) I use a hood that extends down onto my shoulders underneath my jacket ( You can wear a hoodie jacket instead of the turtleneck as an option) and smear my face including my lips with Vaseline to prevent windburn. ( You can use a ski mask instead..Just be sure you can see well out of it) I hope this has been helpful---If my feelings are correct, though you will be a big-time biker in no time..hey if you can ride in rain or winter, think how much fun it is in GOOD weather!! See ya in Daytona next year...LMAOOOO PS...Most of this stuff you will learn in the Training Course...LISTEN and apply it!!

Answer 6

Well, when you get a SCOOTER, you have legshields for weather protection, and a cool factor too, as scooterists stick together!

Motorcycles, being heavier and almost always having manual transmissions, are more difficult to ride. Cars can be cheap, but with even the smallest of them being fairly large, they can be difficult to park, store, or drive in certain situations. Mopeds are restricted to top speeds of 25 to 30 mph, depending on where you live, which seriously limits where you can ride them... some scooters are fast enough to ride on freeways.

I guess the most compelling reason is the cool factor... and the fact that total strangers will always be telling you how cool they think your scooter is. The only other vehicle that elicits reactions like that is a Smart car...

Answer 7

You can get a decent car at a place like CarMax for about $2000. A motorcycle will cost you as much, if not more.

The motorcycle is a lot more dangerous for a novice rider, than is a car.

Texas roads, because it's so sunny a lot, turn very slick in a rain storm from all the deposited oil / rubber until it's rained a good long time. This is not somewhere you want to be.

Answer 8

all the suggestion you get that announces that's like a bicycle or a automobile gets YOU KILLED! motorcycles are no longer bicycles in any way different than they have 2 wheels. and that they do no longer look to be like autos in any way different than they have handbook transmissions. yet it rather is the place the similarities end. The stability is distinctive than a bicycle, and turning is composed of countersteering- no longer something that comes intuitively, and not something you get from bicycle driving. working a snatch in a automobile will make you understand the theory, however the rather execution of shifting, braking and throttle are distinctive than a automobile. the respond that advised you to place your actual foot on the brake? do this for the period of a panic provide up and the rear wheel locks up, sending you flying in the process the air, then hitting the pavement and sliding into yet another automobile and/or concrete barrier till now the 800lb bike comes sliding in to overwhelm you. it rather is the reason the rear brake is asserted as a "highside lever." yet for the reason that in a automobile you panic brake alongside with your actual foot, you do an identical on a bike in case you do no longer understand a thank you to holiday precise. the terrific suggestion is to spend a pair hundred $$ to take an MSF direction. they'll teach you the thank you to holiday a bike, no longer a thank you to holiday one like it rather is a automobile or a bicycle.

Answer 9

You should get a motorcycle. Get a dual sport because it will handle better in the weather and not get you killed doing over 100 mph. If you're tough enough you can ride in the rain and whatever. You'll get 60 miles/gallon. Insurance is only 75 bucks a year. You can go anywhere on or off road. Just pay attention while your riding.

EDIT: WTF is with all the people telling you NOT to ?

Answer 10

Texas roads are not any more slippery than in other places. Rider education will teach you how to deal with this and other riding hazards. Talk to riders. My wife and daughter (who is 22) commute 50 miles on a motorcycle every day.
Who knows, you might get into it.