

Ask HN: What is the best /starter motorcycle for bay area commute? - neduma

Hi there,<p>Currently, I&#x27;m commuting between Cupertino to San Mateo on I280 and am planning to get motorcycle to commute instead of car. Please share thoughts and experiences.<p>Many thanks.
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marssaxman
I've been commuting to work via motorcycle for six or seven years now, though
I'm in Seattle not the Bay Area. Here is my generic advice:

Don't buy a shiny new bike to start on. You WILL lay it down and scratch the
paint up - everyone does. But you'll stand it back up again and keep riding,
because laying a bike down is not that big a deal.

No matter what you're intending to end up on, start with some fairly
inexpensive ten-or-more-year-old Japanese bike, preferably a Honda. You want
something simple and reliable, not something you have to tinker with, and a
machine whose maintenance is cheap and easy, because it's all going to be
unfamiliar.

The standard wisdom is that a beginner should start out on a small bike, 250cc
or so. This is because small bikes are lighter, which makes them easier to
handle, and because newbies often get in trouble by yanking on the throttle
when something startles them, so you want to have less engine going crazy when
you do that.

If you're going to be riding I-280 every day, though, I think you'll find that
the low power of a 250cc bike will make life a little bit scary. Part of what
keeps you safe on a motorcycle is the fact that you are faster and nimbler
than everyone else around you. Cars rely on metal frames and bumpers and
airbags for safety, but motorcycles rely on getting the hell out of the way.
You'll probably want a 500cc-600cc bike to start with, so you have the option
of flying away at 80 mph when you need to.

My current bike is a Honda Nighthawk 750 and I think it is probably the best
commuter bike ever made. It is not exciting, but it is sturdy, reliable, and
handles freeways with no problem. (Top speed is roughly 100 mph.) I've taken
it on long weekend trips, too, and while it's not the most comfortable cruiser
ever, it is certainly up to the job. But mostly I just go back and forth to
work, and it just keeps on ticking, and life is pretty darn good. I'm not sure
how it would work as a starter bike - it's a little on the heavy side - but if
you're a tall guy it might work.

I get about 40 mpg. It is possible to do better, but I am a relatively
aggressive rider.

~~~
dmfdmf
> You'll probably want a 500cc-600cc bike to start with, so you have the
> option of flying away at 80 mph when you need to.

Its a little confusing but cc's can be a bit deceiving. Some 600cc motors put
out 100+ horsepower and would be a death ride for a new rider. Some 650cc
twins are mild manner and put out only 70-80 HP and are more manageable. If
freeway riding is planned then he would need around 50+ HP to do so safely.
The Suzuki GS500 or the Kawasaki 500 EX are usually recommended as good
beginner bikes with enough power for freeway use. The 250cc bikes put out
about 35-40 HP and can go freeway speeds but not much left for evasive
actions.

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DanBC
No answer to your question but I'd love a Puch Maxi style moped. They're not
popular in the UK; and they're expensive; and you need to pass some tests.

An electric Puch maxi would be amazing.

My biking history: Started with a handme down Yamaha Passola, then a handme
down puch-maxi-clone, then an abandoned converted Honda 75cc, and then I went
to a moto guzzi v50mkIII (a 500cc motorbike) with a sidecar. At the time you
could ride that with L plates without having to take a test. Looking back now
it was a stupid thing for me to do.

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dmfdmf
Is this to save gas or so you can lane split and save time during your
commute? Have you ever ridden a moto before?

~~~
neduma
>> Save gas or lane split to save time

Save gas. mostly.

>> Ever ridden moto before?

No. But got motorcycle driver license last week.

~~~
dmfdmf
Riding is a lot of fun but I don't really recommend it for commuting,
especially for a rookie on I280. Furthermore, I don't think it will really
save you all that much in gas unless your car gets 10 MPG. Any decent car
built within the last 10 years gets 20+ MPG on the freeway and your average
bike might only be double that, especially if its a smaller bike that will be
wide open throttle at freeway speeds. Get a different car or drive slower on
the freeway at 55-60 MPH in the right lane during your commute is probably a
better risk to reward strategy -- as I am sure you know and it is true --
motorcycles are dangerous and maybe more so today with all the distracted
drivers.

I rode in college and recently got my M1 so I can do some recreational riding
but have not bought a bike yet, haven't found the time to clean the garage. I
recommend you sign up and hang out on BARF (bay area riders forum) and pickup
the knowledge you need to learn and to ride safely.
[http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/](http://www.bayarearidersforum.com/forums/)

~~~
neduma
Thanks for the advise & link.

