Why do motorcycles tend to have low miles?
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frodus
10 kW
Depends on where you're looking....
If you look in Seattle (and Portland) the mileage will be lower on motorcycles due to not many people wanting to drive in the rain or snow in the off season. (I would assume anyway, because I don't see many motorcycles on the road when the weather sucks).
If you look in Seattle (and Portland) the mileage will be lower on motorcycles due to not many people wanting to drive in the rain or snow in the off season. (I would assume anyway, because I don't see many motorcycles on the road when the weather sucks).
Drunkskunk
100 GW
ever tried to use a motorbike to get the groceries? or grab a case of beer on the way home? take the kids to the mall, drop them off at school, or carpool them to soccer practice? ever try to bring home a new TV on a motorbike? or comute in rush hour traffic? Ever tried to ride a motorbike in 33 degree weather, with 60mph winds and Driving rain, hail, and sleat? at night in a fog? Take a family vacation to the grand canyon? how about driving on ice? Snow? Muddy roads? how about when its 110' out side and the trafic is moving at 5mph. take your boss out to lunch to ask for a raise?
Motorbikes aren't all that practicle. Cars are just easier to live with most of the time.
Motorbikes aren't all that practicle. Cars are just easier to live with most of the time.
So, the trend is that those with motorcycles tend to use them for fun more than practicality, and that most motorcycle owners use a car for the majority of their practical needs?
Ok, I thought it might been something like they require maintenance more often and more expensively, so they aren't ridden much, or people got in crashes more often and thought "Ok, it's time to give up the motorcycle that I started riding about 5000-15000 miles ago".
Ok, I thought it might been something like they require maintenance more often and more expensively, so they aren't ridden much, or people got in crashes more often and thought "Ok, it's time to give up the motorcycle that I started riding about 5000-15000 miles ago".
vanilla ice
1 MW
Most people ride them for fun. You CAN go over 100k miles on something like a late model japanese sportbike- without the engine ever coming apart. Not something commonly done, but I've heard of a few cases locally. Pretty amazing if you consider hp/liter, piston speed and vehicle co$t involved..
liveforphysics
100 TW
Motorcycles are great for commuting and personal transportation. Even a wildly powerful superbike can easily get 50-70mpg while just cruising on the freeway with reasonable gearing. I always ride with my backpack on, so I do get grocerys and do all of my small/medium item size shopping from my motorcycle. I've even carried a lot larger things by strapping them on, but it's not a very good idea for safety.
It's also fantastic for dates.
I take my bike to work and general transportation for all my <~250mile transportation needs when the weather is good. If the trip is longer than that, I take my Honda Insight, because my riding style is pretty spirited, and takes a lot out of me to sustain for more than a few hours at a time. I don't mind the super cold so much if I dress right for it. I've ridden in 20deg weather at freeway speeds for an hour and been chilly, but fine. I do NOT ride when the ground is wet. If I get caught in bad rain, I will park the bike and call for a ride, or put home at 20mph on the shoulder of the road. Explosively powered superbikes and rain do NOT mix well. My street legal KTM's seem to not even be effected by rain, and work great in any weather, but I seldom take them on the street.
I think it's pretty common for bikes to get ridden about 2,000-4,000 miles per year in our area. Since we only have about 1/3rd of the year with days that are reasonable/safe/dry riding weather, I think that seems pretty normal.
It's also fantastic for dates.
I take my bike to work and general transportation for all my <~250mile transportation needs when the weather is good. If the trip is longer than that, I take my Honda Insight, because my riding style is pretty spirited, and takes a lot out of me to sustain for more than a few hours at a time. I don't mind the super cold so much if I dress right for it. I've ridden in 20deg weather at freeway speeds for an hour and been chilly, but fine. I do NOT ride when the ground is wet. If I get caught in bad rain, I will park the bike and call for a ride, or put home at 20mph on the shoulder of the road. Explosively powered superbikes and rain do NOT mix well. My street legal KTM's seem to not even be effected by rain, and work great in any weather, but I seldom take them on the street.
I think it's pretty common for bikes to get ridden about 2,000-4,000 miles per year in our area. Since we only have about 1/3rd of the year with days that are reasonable/safe/dry riding weather, I think that seems pretty normal.
Reid Welch
1 MW
Motorcycles with low miles? When I moved into Ernie's life, this house, this garage from where I write,
in spring of 1983: oh boy! Oh Boy! A BRAND NEW HONDA 450 deluxe motorcycle, a 1976 model sold in '75,
and ONLY FIFTY MILES on the odo. Ernie bought it new, but has only one working eye, and because his then-lover, who urged the impulse purchase, soon died, Ernie never rode the bike again. Scott...suicide...schizophrenia, aged 23. I digress always. Back the general topic:
Never mind that my older bro had commuted on his well-used Harley Sportster (or was it, Sprint?) and gotten t-boned and nearly died, back in 1970.
At that time I was bullet and fool proof. I took lessons, read the manual, and rode like an old lady.
I got exactly five miles of solo time on the road before a driver twitched from center lane, to right lane,
where I was, forcing me to ditch the bike (it was only about 25 mph) and roll on the concrete.
That was my last motorcycle ride, but god, how I love them otherwise. Just twice warned (bro with a short leg, and a road rash I see today) made me phobic when it comes to motorcycles and myself.
Somehow I am not phobic about bicycles: I'm not often right in with the traffic, but when I am,
I'm weaving and making a sight of myself, that any approaching car definitely sees me.
I like bikes nonetheless. Years later we gave away the '76 Honda, slightly scraped, 55 miles and change on the odometer. Goodbye too, Scott Brandon, d. April 12th, 1976, Mutiny Hotel, Coconut Grove Florida,
Album of return to a fatal crash of a doomed life:
where my lover was last present, in 1976, to I.D. the body.
Ernie, now an old, old man, returns to the death site. Same floor, even.
We visit world famed composer, John Corigliano.
Coconut Grove is a beautiful place, as you will see in this slideshow.
So are some memories, as beautiful as the sunlight dancing with sailboats
at Dinner Key across the street..
http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/gg28/Reid_Welch/Corigliano Bennett/?albumview=slideshow
"Dinner Key", funny name for a tiny islet in the bay. How did it get that name? A name for which, are memories,
that eat up me, instead of me, them.
People one hundred years ago sailed or rowed to the little, palm-studded island and picnicked.
It was pristine and silent, then, and today.
_______
"edited" only to grab the exact url. No changes or fixes. Learning badly how to write goodly. r.
in spring of 1983: oh boy! Oh Boy! A BRAND NEW HONDA 450 deluxe motorcycle, a 1976 model sold in '75,
and ONLY FIFTY MILES on the odo. Ernie bought it new, but has only one working eye, and because his then-lover, who urged the impulse purchase, soon died, Ernie never rode the bike again. Scott...suicide...schizophrenia, aged 23. I digress always. Back the general topic:
Never mind that my older bro had commuted on his well-used Harley Sportster (or was it, Sprint?) and gotten t-boned and nearly died, back in 1970.
At that time I was bullet and fool proof. I took lessons, read the manual, and rode like an old lady.
I got exactly five miles of solo time on the road before a driver twitched from center lane, to right lane,
where I was, forcing me to ditch the bike (it was only about 25 mph) and roll on the concrete.
That was my last motorcycle ride, but god, how I love them otherwise. Just twice warned (bro with a short leg, and a road rash I see today) made me phobic when it comes to motorcycles and myself.
Somehow I am not phobic about bicycles: I'm not often right in with the traffic, but when I am,
I'm weaving and making a sight of myself, that any approaching car definitely sees me.
I like bikes nonetheless. Years later we gave away the '76 Honda, slightly scraped, 55 miles and change on the odometer. Goodbye too, Scott Brandon, d. April 12th, 1976, Mutiny Hotel, Coconut Grove Florida,
Album of return to a fatal crash of a doomed life:
where my lover was last present, in 1976, to I.D. the body.
Ernie, now an old, old man, returns to the death site. Same floor, even.
We visit world famed composer, John Corigliano.
Coconut Grove is a beautiful place, as you will see in this slideshow.
So are some memories, as beautiful as the sunlight dancing with sailboats
at Dinner Key across the street..
http://s244.photobucket.com/albums/gg28/Reid_Welch/Corigliano Bennett/?albumview=slideshow
"Dinner Key", funny name for a tiny islet in the bay. How did it get that name? A name for which, are memories,
that eat up me, instead of me, them.
People one hundred years ago sailed or rowed to the little, palm-studded island and picnicked.
It was pristine and silent, then, and today.
_______
"edited" only to grab the exact url. No changes or fixes. Learning badly how to write goodly. r.
deronmoped
10 kW
- Joined
- Oct 6, 2008
- Messages
- 706
Even in San Diego where you can ride your bike year round you will still find that people prefer the comfort and safety of their cars. It's a lot more effort to ride a bike and how are you going to listen to the radio while you are talking on the phone eating a hamburger on a bike? On a motorcycle you actually have to drive it. 
Deron.
Deron.
dogman dan
1 PW
For simple reasons of comfort, people do tend to use the motorcycle for shorter trips, or for fun rides on the weekend. Here in my town, it can get a bit cool to ride all four seasons, so you see a lot more bikes out and about when the temp gets above 50F. I think a lot of flolks buy a bike and then stop riding it after they get the shit scared out of them. A freind of mine did that, bought a small bike and loved it, but then a dunb cager bumped him and broke his leg. After the lawsuit, he still wanted to ride so the cash he got bought in a brand new KZ 1000, at the time the most powerfull superbike on the market. He rode it exactly twice. Too hard to keep the front wheel on the ground and it scared the crap out of him. You really do need to ride a year or more to really get comfy with that kind of power. Lots of folks take a few classes, get licenced and go buy way too big a bike for a beginner so you see bikes for sale, 10 years old, with 500 miles on em.
For several years in colledge and afterwards, I rode a little honda 125 everywhere and still never put that many miles on it. Work and school were about 2 miles away. But the only maintenance it needed was to replace a rusted out muffler with a piece of tubing from a vacume cleaner and some stainless steel dish scrubbers. Gave it a nice sound and cost about 2 bucks. Now I have the roketta 150cc scooter and barely ride it since I prefer the ebike to it, and usually drive a car or the truck if I have big stuff to carry. The roketta makes a lot of grocery runs though, since it is perfect for 2 or 3 bags of groceries. Still, we try to just have our act together, and get the groceries as we go by the store if we know what we need. The scooter is nice for a grocery run since it has a little stash under the seat motorcycles usually don't have. It's perfect for 2 winebottles. You can easily carry a 12 pack on the floor between your feet too.
For several years in colledge and afterwards, I rode a little honda 125 everywhere and still never put that many miles on it. Work and school were about 2 miles away. But the only maintenance it needed was to replace a rusted out muffler with a piece of tubing from a vacume cleaner and some stainless steel dish scrubbers. Gave it a nice sound and cost about 2 bucks. Now I have the roketta 150cc scooter and barely ride it since I prefer the ebike to it, and usually drive a car or the truck if I have big stuff to carry. The roketta makes a lot of grocery runs though, since it is perfect for 2 or 3 bags of groceries. Still, we try to just have our act together, and get the groceries as we go by the store if we know what we need. The scooter is nice for a grocery run since it has a little stash under the seat motorcycles usually don't have. It's perfect for 2 winebottles. You can easily carry a 12 pack on the floor between your feet too.
I've accidentally bought a 2002 beewee couple days ago, 11K kms on it. Just needed carb cleaned, now it runs good. (electric starter not working and dead battery tho.)
[youtube]oJtzw_YXLP8[/youtube]
I've noticed very few other motorcycles on the road when it's raining or even just not sunny, bet that's probably why they mostly don't have many miles on em. Also it's very reare to see people riding them in winter.
[youtube]oJtzw_YXLP8[/youtube]
I've noticed very few other motorcycles on the road when it's raining or even just not sunny, bet that's probably why they mostly don't have many miles on em. Also it's very reare to see people riding them in winter.
Reid Welch
1 MW
^ ^
What a great deal. And being seasonally ridden: no salt corrosion.
Here in South Florida, there are a great many scooters and all kinds of motorcycles,
in full-time use, year round.
I just don't have the cojones to ride a scooter or cycle, other than a slo-poke ebike.
Once bitten, as they say...and you know, here in Florida,
we don't even have to wear ANY helmet anymore.
Very few motorcyclists wear ANY sort of head or flesh protection:
shorts, T shirt, bare head, on the Interstate or US1, where I got all of five miles from home on my first cycle ride.
That accident could not have been avoided, not even by an expert rider, which I certainly am not.
I was wearing leather (jacket) and a helmet, thank goodness.
And when they, the E-Z Breezers get knocked off by Hummer H2s...
...well, the rashes and carnage and brain injuries are to be paid for by the public,
in the end. I like motorcycles. I am also libertarian about helmets.
And too, you got one sweet little scooter for not much money. I'm sort of envious, though yellow (afraid!)
cheers, M.
Hope you're continuing to mend FULLY, 100%, from that bicycle accident of months ago.
God, was I ever lucky in my recent bicycle-pedal-hit-pavement in a traffic circle, header-accident!
No lasting injuries from that, not even to the flying cruiser. Now to make it just swim instead of fly.
r.
What a great deal. And being seasonally ridden: no salt corrosion.
Here in South Florida, there are a great many scooters and all kinds of motorcycles,
in full-time use, year round.
I just don't have the cojones to ride a scooter or cycle, other than a slo-poke ebike.
Once bitten, as they say...and you know, here in Florida,
we don't even have to wear ANY helmet anymore.
Very few motorcyclists wear ANY sort of head or flesh protection:
shorts, T shirt, bare head, on the Interstate or US1, where I got all of five miles from home on my first cycle ride.
That accident could not have been avoided, not even by an expert rider, which I certainly am not.
I was wearing leather (jacket) and a helmet, thank goodness.
And when they, the E-Z Breezers get knocked off by Hummer H2s...
...well, the rashes and carnage and brain injuries are to be paid for by the public,
in the end. I like motorcycles. I am also libertarian about helmets.
And too, you got one sweet little scooter for not much money. I'm sort of envious, though yellow (afraid!)
cheers, M.
Hope you're continuing to mend FULLY, 100%, from that bicycle accident of months ago.
God, was I ever lucky in my recent bicycle-pedal-hit-pavement in a traffic circle, header-accident!
No lasting injuries from that, not even to the flying cruiser. Now to make it just swim instead of fly.
r.
TylerDurden
100 GW
You fell off another cliff onto the "confirm-bid" button?Mathurin said:
Reid Welch
1 MW
Immortally funny, fast on the draw, TYLER!!!!!! :lol: :lol: :lol:TylerDurden said:
Drunkskunk
100 GW
How do you accidently buy a moped?Mathurin said:
Oh, Oh wait.. I get it.
Yeah, yeah I "accidently" bought mine, too.
Thats the ticket. Yeah. total accident. woops
Or, no wait.. it followed me home. thats it.
No wait, its a friends. I'm just tuning it up for him.
Wait, I mean her.
Yeah, her.
Cause I don't know any guys whould would ride mopeds.
I swear!
Honest!
Please don't post pics of me on it on the interweb!
And on a totaly unrelated note, Scooters rock for Motor Polo.
vanilla ice
1 MW
I accidentally bought a little fifty last week too. Runs, but roughly. Hopefully its like yours and a carb clean is all it needs..
dogman dan
1 PW
My roketta 150 cc scooter was bought miraculously. My wife bought it! A year later, she still hasn't gotten a motorcycle licence. I suspect she scared herself silly practicing riding it. Wants to turn without leaning most likely.
Well, basicly a day earlier I needed some liniment and the store was gonna close, one of my co workers gave me a ride on his CBR 125, and it was quite enjoyable. But I don't have a class 6 lisence or I'd have looked into getting one. The next day at work the topic came up and I mentionned how I wanted a BW's as a teen but never got one, and don't you know it just happens that one of my co workers had one rotting in the garage... Went to see it, turns out it was just about exactly what I wanted, looks ok and it ran, just that it took like 12 kicks with some throttle fiddling to get it running. You could say it followed me home.
Of course, at 11K kms it would get a lot more pep with new rings & clips, cylender deglazing, remove the restrictor in the exhaust port, ajust squish, upjet etc... ~30$ in parts but kinda a PITA to do. 50cc 2strokes like this run flat out most of the time and don't last very long.
Of course, at 11K kms it would get a lot more pep with new rings & clips, cylender deglazing, remove the restrictor in the exhaust port, ajust squish, upjet etc... ~30$ in parts but kinda a PITA to do. 50cc 2strokes like this run flat out most of the time and don't last very long.
biohazardman
100 kW
I had an accident too! It's in my garage now low mileage 15k for a 1990 Ninja 600r. I Used to ride in the rain and nasty weather year round here in Portland and put 20K miles on bikes in a couple of years. But had kids to raise so the bikes went. Kids are gone now but found I can't ride anymore. To beat up and to much pain involved in riding so 600 miles and a week later will likely sell the bike I just purchased. Then again, if I can find something with a more upright riding position and four cylinders so it runs smooth like this one I might try again. There are only a select few that are crazy enough to ride cycles year round. Something about the number of brain cells still functioning at a minimum level I think. That's why they usually have low millage as most have too many good working brain cells left. Motorcycles are dangerous cuz they are invisible even with the lights on. Nothing wrong with low mileage bikes though keep them coming.
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