[Porsche-O-Phile]

A motorcycle is a must-have in southern CA. Cheap to own/insure, great on gas, always a parking space available, simple to maintain/work on, split lanes, use the carpool lane, etc. What's not to like? They're incredibly practical.

The only reason I was able to survive in LA as long as I did was because I had a bike. I probably saved literally thousands of hours of my life that otherwise would have been wasted sitting in traffic. You can get to places in half the time it would take you driving. No joke, no exaggeration. And that's without riding crazy or like a maniac or swerving all over the place or anything like that - it's just keeping it rolling and a nice, steady even pace.

And you don't have to deal with the smog nazi money-grab B.S., which is another plus. I wouldn't consider living in southern CA ever again without a motorcycle. No way, no how. It's a must-have as far as I'm concerned.

As you might expect, I'm going to say get a really good helmet (best you can find), good riding gear and don't buy a POS or go cheap. Get a bike that you'll trust your life to - not some boy toy that some punk kid has gotten tired of. My bike is a Suzuki Katana and I consider it to be absolutely ideal for commuting - it's small enough to split lanes effectively, big enough to be solid and have good performance, it isn't a stupid obnoxious RUB-mobile Harley or a boy-racer crotch rocket. The riding posture/frame geometry is way more comfortable and upright than say, a GSXR, but it shares the GSXR drivetrain (different transmission gearing and different cams, otherwise the same). Reliable as a hammer. Mine has 60,000 miles on it and still runs like a Rolex.

Be careful - shiny side up, rubber side down. Enjoy!