I know youβre not asking this but please think twice about a commuter bike. Everyone I know who has a motorcycle has had an accident. Several serious, one death.
I hear ya. I am not gonna lie... I'm a little scared π but not enough. Been dreaming of getting a bike for some time now and it's now or never.
Your dream will be stuck in traffic or having to deal with shitty drivers that can hurt you instead of just piss you off. Buy the bike. Ride it on weekends.
Donβt buy a brand new buy a under used couple of yrs old one at 5-6k budget and be safe
drz400sm, get a used one for less than 4k
Yahamas are cheaper to repair. Suzukis and BMWs are less so. If this is your first bike I would stay under 50hp/500cc, buy used, and spend less than 4-5k. Also definitely get a mechanic to look at the used bike before you buy it. Seriously.
It's been so long since I rode a bike that it's almost like a first bike. I was thinking 600 to 800cc given the freeway speeds. Isn't 500cc/50hp too low power?
Nah, unless youβre carrying multiple people youβll be fine. My first bike was 51 hp and could go 110. I read your other comment, if youβre looking for recommendations I am in love with my BMW F800. Itβs half cruiser, half adventure, and is really torquey at low rpms. Can go offroad too, if youβre into that. I think BMW dealerships let you test ride motorcycles too, both new and used.
do you have a motorcycle license?
Yep, got it few weeks back
Buy a used one for 3-4k$ to see if you can really do it, it's not very comfortable and limited storage and passenger options. If after a year you can manage it, get something better.
Good advice and strategy here ππ»
Buy a new CBR300r for 5k or a ninja Kawasaki new around the same price range. That's what I got. Love my 17 minute commute vs 45-60 minutes normally. Cons: facing death twice a day. Edit: one thing about owning a bike: please only get a bike if you truly believe that your eye hand coordination and reaction time is much better than the average person. It may not help you in every potential accident, but be honest with yourself and figure out whether you do have what it takes to avoid a near death collision. I've had a good 4 or so close calls in the past 4 years of riding, so about 1 a year. If it weren't for my reaction time/being able to stay calm and collected in extremely stressful situations I probably wouldn't be here. I still love riding my bike though, and I accept these risks every day I ride.
How do I even begin to figure out my hand eye coordination as better than avg? I feel I have good instincts for traffic and I can generally figure out or anticipate cars and their movements. I used to ride extensively before but that was 9 years ago. I am going in with my eyes open... Maybe I'll very quickly realize it's not what i was romanticizing. And I am prepared to get out if that happens.
This is something that you'll need to judge on your own. Do you play sports? Video games? How well would you be able to catch a frisbee if you've never played before? How is your split second decision making like? This is especially important if you plan to lane split (I lane split all the time from the first week I started riding) since even a quarter of a second too late, it could all be over for you. Your life depends on how good your skills are since you have no control over the actions of others, so you have to be reactive and hyper aware of your surroundings. California is no easy place to ride a motorcycle considering how many cars there are, and how many people never check their blind spot.
Lightly used Ninja 400 or sv650.
+1... except for potential insurance costs. MT07 and Ninja 400 insurance were almost double a Monster 696/Street Triple R.
Checkout dual sports bike like Suzuki DL650, Triumph Tiger 800, bmw F800. These have an upright seating position which may be more comfortable on long rides. You can grab these "used" for < $5k. If you are married, get life and disability insurance from outside work.
Thanks!
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Iβm selling my Ducati 696 for $4.5K. It has 10k miles on it
Thanks but I am looking for more cruiser/adventure type chassis and not a sporty bike. Btw, how do you carry laptop and other daily stuff on that bike?
Backpack?