motorcycling
- Thread starter ameerj596
- Start date
ddusseld
Well-known member
I generally ride 9 months of the year. A bad year 8 months and a good year 10 months but on average I'm not riding from mid Dec to mid March. So, you can get more then 6-7 months of riding time.
If you approach riding from a purely economic point of view it is hard to justify. Personally, since I work downtown and commute from the burbs I can justify a bike from a pure cost perspective. I have a high mpg bike and free parking. I save over $400/month riding vs driving. This include gas/parking/maintenance. Basically I save ~$3600 year on commuting costs. But, I also have to pay $1000/yr in insurance and there is the cost of the bike to take into account. I figure my commute saving pay for my bike.
The upside is that when I'm on the bike I enjoy my commute. I love to ride and my commute affords me the ability to get on the bike everyday through my riding season. Plus I have it for weekend fun. For me it is all good..
If you approach riding from a purely economic point of view it is hard to justify. Personally, since I work downtown and commute from the burbs I can justify a bike from a pure cost perspective. I have a high mpg bike and free parking. I save over $400/month riding vs driving. This include gas/parking/maintenance. Basically I save ~$3600 year on commuting costs. But, I also have to pay $1000/yr in insurance and there is the cost of the bike to take into account. I figure my commute saving pay for my bike.
The upside is that when I'm on the bike I enjoy my commute. I love to ride and my commute affords me the ability to get on the bike everyday through my riding season. Plus I have it for weekend fun. For me it is all good..
I meant safe and comfortable ride. When you ride in November to mid December or in March, you are taking a risk with black ice and other hazards and unless you have full heating gears i dont see how it can be a comfortable ride
Type17
Well-known member
It's not exactly comfortable in 40+ degree heat on an SS either brah. The 1st time you ride you'll be exhausted, especially if it's a hot day. Anyway, for hazards you just use your head... if it's safe, dry, and sunny, then you ride... it's not like it's a contractual obligation
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There is always oil slicks, man holes (go over a man hole during a turn at speed will make you piss your pants), squirrels, raccoons, deers, moose, moron cars, la dee da.
There's a lot of stuff that can potentially murder you no matter what season you ride in.
It's not exactly comfortable in 40+ degree heat on an SS either brah. The 1st time you ride you'll be exhausted, especially if it's a hot day. Anyway, for hazards you just use your head... if it's safe, dry, and sunny, then you ride... it's not like it's a contractual obligation
Not comfortable but doable for sure in even that hot weather as people in places where it does get that hot do not store their bike away but ride throughout the year unlike here where 99% of motorcycles are off road come end of October.
I pop wheelies and do backflips on snow mountains using my GSXR during January to February.
PLau
Well-known member
Riding during the summer months, you got speed demon race car drivers with raging hormones that always want to race or not give a crap about their driving and run you off the road. Ever since I started riding, I rode as long as temps are +/- 0 degrees which is usually early December and start again as soon as the snow melts and temps are hovering in the positives.
Many people do stop riding in Summer because of hot conditions as dehydration is a serious matter as well... Definitely not very comfortable - especially stuck in traffic.
Then again, I don't have a car to drive around.
"There are no stupid questions"........................Unless you see the original post. Seriously, you're going to ask a forum dedicated to motorcycling in Ontario if it's worth it to own a motorcycle in Ontario?
Why not? My purpose was to find pros and cons of it. You are right. People who ride are not going to give any negative response about it, but common sense and logic may suggest otherwise. Everyone has every right to enjoy any hobby they want to enjoy but there is nothing wrong with looking at pros and cons of that hobby. Its reasonable to say that weather, high insurance cost in Ontario and it being prone to risk are major cons of it.
Well it would appear you already know the cons of it. The pro of it is it's FUN (but you already answered that in your last post where you wrote "Everyone has every right to enjoy any hobby they want to enjoy"). So since you already know the Pro's and Con's why are you asking us if it's worth it? None of us can make that decision for you.
Yes it is fun and I do ride a 600 ss but may be because of lack of skills or courage I think I am lot better at driving my 1.8 4 cyl car and I suspect, that to be the case with majority of motorcyclists in general and on this forum. That was the point I was trying to make.
And lot's of people on this forum wear big-boy pants and know how to properly ride their bike. Maybe your original post should read "I'm scared and can't ride for sh*t so what should I do?" It's really quite simple: take some riding lessons (you ride an SS which is a terrible decision if you don't have decent skills already so consider a track school) and once you actually have some decent riding skills you'll get some courage from it. Or leave your balls up on the mantle, sell your bike, and be content in the safety of your cage. You're welcome.
Do you even own a motorcycle. Just because you can ride a motorcycle does not mean you have enough skills to ride it to its full potential. I was hoping to have civil discussion about pros and cons of it and not to get into a debate with some little insulting prick who probably do not even own a motorcycle let alone ride one.
You've failed at reading comprehension on numerous areas/levels. I've been riding motorcycles for 32 years now btw. You started a thread on an open forum and didn't want a debate? That's funny. You think it's insulting to be shown what your own words typed out actually mean? That's funny as well.
You're questioning if riding is worth it because you lack skills and courage? Well EVERYONE was scared when they started out, some wussed out and went back to cages, while others took it upon themselves to learn some skills so that their fears went away. Pick a direction, but know that even if you hear 1000:1 replies telling you that riding is worth it, it's not going to give you any courage.
He rides, and could do circles around you. Most usually call it being lapped.
Harsh yes he may be, but he has some good points and excellent advice.
Have you ever considered rider training? Not just the beginner stuff, but more advanced courses?
Not to everyone. If you don't think it's worth it, don't ride.
For example, some people love riding horses. I think it's a silly, uncomfortable, dangerous, expensive, and dirty hobby and that they are stupid animals that should be used for food instead. But that's just me. Others spend all their money on it.
Another example, car companies spend millions designing cars that will go around a track really fast. Other people will spend $40k on a decently fast car and say that's good enough.
Different hobbies for different people.
Many people think even just buying the bike is a waste of money to start with. Some people even think buying a car is a waste of money.
For example, some people love riding horses. I think it's a silly, uncomfortable, dangerous, expensive, and dirty hobby and that they are stupid animals that should be used for food instead. But that's just me. Others spend all their money on it.
Another example, car companies spend millions designing cars that will go around a track really fast. Other people will spend $40k on a decently fast car and say that's good enough.
Different hobbies for different people.
Many people think even just buying the bike is a waste of money to start with. Some people even think buying a car is a waste of money.
Most people are better at driving their cars because cars are easier to drive and don't fall over if you mess up and they've probably been driving from the age of 16. I started riding at 24. That gives me 5 years of experience riding vs 12 driving and I don't/can't ride all year. I probably have at least 500000 km worth of experience in my car vs maybe 20000 on a bike (if that). Of course I'm better at driving my car...
Even with cars there are slight differences in how they perform in FWD vs RWD vs AWD and manual vs automatic so there are opportunities to still learn, there. I still sometimes make silly mistakes in rain or snow in my RWD Porsche with no ABS and I learned to drive on RWD with no ABS but drove FWD for most of my life until a couple of years ago and my newest car is AWD which handles a little differently than both.
Does that mean I shouldn't bother learning to ride properly or that it's too dangerous to be worthwhile? Not to me.
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