Decline of Motorcycling

[plexiform]

I hope I don’t lose the passion to ride. I do hate riding in heavy traffic but for now I tolerate it because riding is just so much fun. The occasional ride out on the isolated countryside is certainly my preference but I also commute to work at least a couple times per week.

[911boost]

Oracle makes a good point on the brand of dual sport bikes. It is also not a requirement to buy a thousand dollar Areostich riding suit.

[Seahawk]

Originally Posted by pavulon

and....just like that, motion is back!

We are programmed to receive...

Rode trails with my friend this morning...I mustsa got at least a foot of air.

[techweenie]

Living just 2 miles east of Venice, I can tell you there are pockets of RUBs still out there, plus the grizzled old Harley guys who despise mufflers and sleeping residents.

I went from a Honda CB550 to a Norton Commando JPS to a Yamaha FZR600 in the 90s, but limited my rides to the urban rural roads -- Mulholland Drive, mostly. Really got tired of oblivious drivers in random vehicles & would only take up motorcycling again if I lived outside of the packed urban traffic of LA.

[jwasbury]

Originally Posted by 911boost

It is also not a requirement to buy a thousand dollar Areostich riding suit.

not a requirement, but certainly a worthwhile investment if you are serious about logging miles on 2 wheels. I wear my 'stich 5 days a week, rain or shine.

I don't expect it will happen, but would like to see more states legalize the practice of lane splitting and filtering like California has. Aside from the squids (and there will always be squids), lane sharing is a demonstrably safer way for motorcycles to interact with the cagers in dense urban traffic settings.

Traffic and congestion is a growing problem in population centers around the country. Motorcycles and scooters could be part of the solution. Legalizing lane sharing would create a powerful incentive for people to take up riding for basic transportation and commuting. More bikes on the road should ultimately lead to greater awareness amongst cagers. Go to any major city in any country besides the USA and motos are a huge part of the transportation pie (Paris, London, Rome, etc.). No reason it can't work here either, other than the most powerful force in the universe (inertia).


Perhaps they already are doing it, but I'd think the motorcycle industry should lobby hard for lane sharing laws.

[FPB111]

I started riding on a 200 cc Triumph Tiger Cub in 1965. I have had many bikes since and ridden them many miles. My wife and I averaged ~25k miles a year touring plus I commuted year round most years.
My last bike was a 1998 BMW R1100RT. Wife wasn’t able to ride so we hardly used that bike. I think ~30 k miles the whole time, 15 years?? we owned it. One day I went to put my foot down at a stop and leg didn’t work. Had to sell the bike.
I’m now hell on wheels with my walker.

[Math]

Originally Posted by Tobra

People suck. It is bad enough in a little sports car. I would never ride a scoot on the street, not anymore.

thats the thing. in my little sport car i feel trapped between a bunch of people that suck.
on my drz, i can just get out of there.
i do work commute on it 2 times a week, i wish i could do 5. on the bike its 15 min country road, 15 min city, no highways.
in the car its a minimum of 45 minutes total.
my porsche has been on the operating table for over a year, when spring came, i did not mind too much that its not ready, i had the bike.

[jwasbury]

Originally Posted by FPB111

My last bike was a 1998 BMW R1100RT...Had to sell the bike.

A fantastic machine! Its got about 48k on it now...was my daily to NYC (170 miles per day) for the better part of a year. Just put a fresh battery in it last weekend.

[jorian]

Although anecdotal, I see an increase in popularity here (Vancouver) especially amongst women.

I rode on the street 30 years ago during my university days. 10 years ago I picked a used version of the bike I had in university (CBX 550F), rode it for 5 minutes and asked myself why the hell I stopped riding. Since then I've added a few. Stopped counting at 15. They are in the garage, the shed, my apartment building, friends commercial building and a friends garage. My buddy said guys shouldn't own bikes after 50. 50 is too many

I usually ride about 10K kilometers per year with a couple of 3000 KM trips thrown in. Like others here I have had a couple of close calls with inattentive drivers. I tend to never drive into the city and don't commute as I think the same trip dulls your awareness. I ride the Sea to Sky Hway to Whistler often (Google it if you havent heard about it) and alternate between my liter bike and a big Duc ADV rig depending on my mood/riding partner. I never ride in groups and avoid toy run type gigs. I have a dual sport with knobbies and enjoy exploring the back country.

I have a KTM 300 EXC that I trail ride with. It's a fantastic woods machine but can bite you if get too cocky. I hope to well into my 70's on the street and maybe another 10 years in dirt.

Still meaning to make it to Cle Elum....

[vash]

Originally Posted by Oracle

Me too, I gave up on street driving.. Way too many people distracted.

I sold the street bike and got a Dual Sport.. and I am very happy.
It's so much safer riding on those empty dirt roads and I have to say I enjoy that much more!

By the way, don't drink the Koolaid of BMW, KLR, etc.. a good classic Jap will give you the same fun for a fraction of the price. But as they say: your money your choice

Its not about speed, its the feeling of control and handling.

I wanted a DRZ badly. But being married means my impulse purchases are wisely limited. An electric motorcycle would be perfect. The DRZ would be a close second as my commuter.

[wayner]

My son had a few good beginner bikes

A Suzuki 500gs followed by a really cool twin ninja 650 turned into a naked bike.

When he was out of the country for a year and called me for advice on which bike to buy DRZ, CBR, VTR etc

I told him “ you HAVE to buy the DRZ”

If you don’t do it now you’ll miss out on the experience and never go back to try it, and if you do go back one day, it won’t be the same experience after being exposed to those other bikes

He was glad, even organized a local bush riding group and lead the rides.
But mainly commuted to work on it and had lots of fun and was glad he did

[ckelly78z]

I really enjoy kicking around in the fields, streams, and country lanes on my KLR 250. It absolutely sips the gas, and is comfortable, starts first kick, and is light enough to pick up should I get too spunky.

My son's GF just bought her first bike, and got her "temps" yesterday. She got a Suzuki GSX 250R crotch rocket style. just like the bike below...same color.

https://www.thebikemarket.co.uk/suzuki/gsx-r/gsx-250r

[tevake]

No lack of motorcycle riders around here these days quite the opposite. Panama City Beach is hosting the rumble on the beach, a twice a year bike week that attracts thousands of Harley riders. They are every where riding in large groups, or just a few.
Many trikes and customs to be seen.
I live 15 miles inland from PCB. And bikes and rigs towing trailers loaded with bikes are streaming in.
I'm about a half mile from the highway and the sound of unmuffled Harley's is almost constant all day.
Lots of old guys having a good time 🙂
There a lot of riders around here all the time with the good weather. But its pretty amazing during these Rumble on the Beach weeks.
Thousands is no exaggeration, they are everywhere.
.
Cheers Richard

[vash]

i see a LOT(!) of those three wheeler things. i hesitate to call them motorcycles, but yea, i suppose they are. i see both versions. they typical trike ones and the modern ones with the two wheels up front. huge swarms of them out at the coast on HWY1.

i'd love to try one.

[speeder]

I’ve said it before but texting drivers bother me more in my car than they do on my bike. I was second in line at a traffic light the other night and the car in front did not move when light changed. Common occurrence, NBD. Toot the horn and they go, right?

I toot the horn and nothing. I actually thought the driver might have OD’ed or had a heart attack. I reversed a couple feet and went around, the young female driver was completely consumed in a text and just was not to be bothered. That was seriously a first in all my years of driving.

On my MC, I would not have even known she was doing it because I would have been ahead of her at the light. I’m the first one at every light on my bike. People make left turns into my path and illegal u-turns in front of me every time I ride my bike. It’s just life in the big city. Every big city. If you don’t have the skills and reflexes to operate a motor vehicle safely under those conditions, you should definitely not ride and surround yourself with as much metal as possible.

[Jeff Higgins]

I'm envious, Denis. Our state legislature had a "lane sharing" bill die in committee a session or two ago. Someone was savvy enough to bring it up, at least. Maybe there is hope. Someday. As it stands, we get to remain stuck behind these dolts, regardless of what we are driving or riding. While that may have been a first for you, I can honestly say I have been stuck behind way too many of those, where there was enough time to back up, change lanes, and go around them. Enough time, but never enough room.

I still maintain that it should be perfectly legal, nay encouraged, to shoot texting or cell phone yammering drivers. We should strive to do so safely, of course, like when they are stopped at an intersection. The state should even print up kill stickers we can apply to our doors, and give discounts on next year's tabs.

[tevake]

Clearly it's not just inattentive drivers in cars that caust bikers problems.

A bunch of riders from Tx. We're riding in a group on I 10 yesterday, when one up front slowed the riders behind crashed into the bike that had slowed. Causing 3 or 4 bikes to go down at highway speeds.
One died right there, three others are in critical condition.

Bummer! But most riders that Im seeing around these days are in shorts and tee shirts, or at most jeans and light boots and tee shirts. Very few helmets to be seen.

I'd imagine it's hard to party for a week and still ride focused and safely throughout.

Stay safe out there riders.

Cheers Richard

[jorian]

Originally Posted by tevake

......... riding in a group on I 10 yesterday, when one up front slowed the riders behind crashed into the bike that had slowed. Causing 3 or 4 bikes to go down at highway speeds. One died right there, three others are in critical condition.

This is why I don't do groups. 2 riders max. If I can't see traffic ahead, I back off.

[javadog]

When riding in a group, you ride in staggered fashion. Left of center, followed by right of center, followed by left of center, etc. This allows much greater sightlines and prevents incidents like that described above. That assumes the riders aren't incompetent, which is always a possibility.

I saw a family of 4 out for a ride the other day and momma bear had no business riding a bike. She could barely get it rolling straight off of a stop. Felt bad for the young kids on the back...

[speeder]

Riding or driving sports cars in a group creates a dynamic that invites crashes. I’ve seen it enough to know it’s a bad idea. If the riders were not skilled enough to avoid the hypnosis of following the rider in front of them, loss of control is likely.

I’m a pretty good rider, (particularly on the street/traffic), but I’m getting older and have zero track experience on a bike. The few friends that ever ride with in canyons have hundreds of track hours on 200 mph crotch rockets and if I try to keep up, I’m going off the side of the mountain. Not so much because I can’t turn the motorcycle but because I’ll get hypnotized. When I ride w them, I consciously put some distance between us.