[Closed] Motorcycle Commuters

Only downside is remembering I have to get my hand back in the muff after wiping my visor or whatever rather than just slapping it back on the bar.

Yeah, that is a problem until you remember. Mine pretty much live on the bike from December to February, by that time I've learned 🙂

I like the cold and rain. It makes me feel alive. Having said that I only do 15 miles so dont have to get proper cold. Problem with heated kit is it makes you ride when it cold be icy and then you fall off outside school!

Those of you that ride in the Winter - what do you do about road salt etc - are you washing the bike down every night or something??

Rachel

I don't think regular washing really works (especially when it gets properly cold, your hose freezes solid, and if you do manage to get any water onto the bike it forms a sheet of death underneath it). I just got mine really clean at the start of winter, then sprayed it with ACF50 and let road crap accumulate on top- the bike looked like it had been parked in the sea, but stayed in good shape underneath. Despite the Legendary Suzuki Build Quality. It probably got cleaned about once a month.

I think cleaning regularily without protecting basically means you get a new coating of fresh salt on every morning, and a nice dose of wetness every night.

I agree with Northwind on the clean and protect with acf50 then don't clean it off. The honest answer from me is I don't worry about it. My commuter has done 70000 miles and looks awful but does the job. I have other bikes for when the sun is shining. Ride a bike year round and it's going to suffer.

I never wash mine, it breaks down when I do.

Nothing wrong with a 1050 Triple for commuting, my one had a few issues so I got rid of it. For £4k I'll sell you my KTM 990SM.

I don't wash mine either during the winter.

Heated gloves are the best thing since sliced bread.. unfortunately they tend only last as long! Mine are EXO, had them changed a couple of times, but gave up. The gloves themselves are pretty warm - also got a size larger so I can wear inner gloves as well. Got heated grips on the BMW, so that'll help, although I've used them before and your hands will still get cold (my commute is only 15mins 🙂 )

About 5l/100km on a 650 Vstrom here.

A lot of guys working hard to justify their dull bikes.

Get a 125cc scooter (250cc if you go on motorways) or buy a rocketship bike and rag the crap out of it.

Just buy a Honda and then you don't need to worry about corrosion, they are (or at least were) built to last commuting all year round.

Well it's now between the NC700s, CB500f and CBR300/250.The first two are ideal for commuting and the CBR same sort of mpg but can be thrashed on twisty roads without being in licence losing territory.

pirahna - Member

For £4k I'll sell you my KTM 990SM.

Do go on...? 🙂

Well I'm not sure about the NC700, but the 750 can get to license losing speeds without too much trouble.

A '700X has almost the same performance as the 750, so licence is a possibility if you're so minded.
Remember the old adage, the throttle goes both ways!
It isn't a switch, so use some common sense and a bit restraint and you'll be fine?

This thread makes me sad

This thread makes me sad

Shame.

I'm currently awaiting a 'cost to change' for a Guzzi California Custom 1400. Don't know about you, but that bike put a smile on my face...

Would meet absolutely none of the OP's criteria though....

Good, affordable electric commuting bikes are very close

Brammo have dropped the price of the Empulse R to £8000

http://www.brammo.com/empulse/

[img] [/img]

what's the advantage of an electric bike over a petrol one? (not being sarcastic)

[quotechojin - Member

pirahna - Member
For £4k I'll sell you my KTM 990SM.

Do go on...?

For reasons of house moving I'm going to have to sell it. It's an 09 with 14k ish miles. Just about to put it in for a service so £4k before the service or £4200 after.

At that price it's well under the dealer buy in which is currently £4400. Dealer retail is £5200.

what's the advantage of an electric bike over a petrol one? (not being sarcastic)

As a motorbike? Nothing IMO

As a commuter vehicle, lots I would think
Fuel costs, parking and traffic lane concessions etc. may make them more attractive than a normal bike, I guess it depends where you're commute is to.

I'd go electric based purely on numbers. If it worked out cheaper than £1,500 on petrol and £80 tax per year I'd have one. Trouble is the average cost per year of ownership is still rather high for electric as they are expensive to buy and I'm not confident the range is good enough for a 60 mile round trip commute.

Never had a go on one either, I'd jump at the chance.

I'll just leave this here.

[url= http://www.motogoloco.com/blog/whats-the-best-commuter-bike/ ]What's the best commuter motorbike?[/url]

Although, after all that I ended up buying a Tiger 800 - brilliant all-rounder, decent on juice, decent wind protection and way more than powerful enough for the road.

It's not what I'd buy as a full-on winter commuter though, a sub-£1500 ratter with some decent wind protection, headed grips and a couple of tins of ACF50 would be my choice there.

Or a cheap, £500 car from Gumtree/eBay.

decent wind protection

Are you sure?
The the OEM Triumph screens are pretty useless at any sort of wind/weather protection.
Unless you're very short, even the touring screen can't direct the wind flow high enough - most people tend to get it straight in the face resulting in very tiring buffeting.
On mine, I have the saddle at its highest and the screen at its lowest, which puts the wind straight on my chest as a best compromise.
There quite a market in alternative screens for the 800

Madstad 😉

Madstad 😉

Barn door and an ugly one at that 🙂