Need opinions on transportation (bike stuff inside)

[Jjaeger240]

So as some may know, I just sold my s13 for cash money. The more I look for a new car and consider my current living situation and point in life I reconsider the plans for my next car. I guess what I'll do is I'll lay out my two options I was considering for cars and such and then look for opinions on which is better, right/wrongs in my logic, etc etc.

Option 1:
I was planning to get a used 4 door that I could use as a new drift car, however this time around I was going to build something very, very simple, not something that feels like I'm driving a racecar around 24/7. The whole plans for the car was just coilovers, cool wheels, and a welded diff. Whole look of the car would just revolve around fitment and stance, so given, it will be slammed as all hell.

The problem though is that I go to school in a city with the worst roads I have ever driven on. I can almost bottom out my roommate's stock 91 Accord a lot of the places I go on a routine basis, it's that bad. I really enjoy being able to drive a car though from my house up at school all around campus and to the store whenever I need no problems though. However when I had my s13 up here it was such a hassle because driving a low car around here was such a ****ing pain. I would actually rarely drive anywhere unless I absolutely had to and normally would just take up space in the garage because I would never drive since it was such a bitch around here. That said, having a low slammed car here on stretched rubberband tires isn't going to make daily driving much nicer while I'm up in PA for school. It will be nicer that this car won't at least always have a problem after every drive, but it will still scrape on everything and ruin nice OEM bumpers.




Option 2:
The more I look around, the more I realize how much easier and gas-friendly having a sport bike would be. What I'm considering doing is just buying a really small-engine (250-600cc) sport bike for only about $2000 to use as a daily driver 3 seasons out of the 4 of the year. Then I would also buy the same 4 door I was considering before, however, it would prevent me from modifying/drifting it.

The reason I'm considering a bike is mainly because when I go places it is for little, stupid things and I go by myself, and don't need to carry anything with me larger than what will fit in my pockets. I drive to the chiropractor, spots to go running, other side of campus to see friends, get a quick thing to eat, and the only time I actually carry things, the grocery store (where I barely buy much anyway and can hold off weeks at a time if necessary to wait for someone in my house who needs to go too). So I really on go places that don't require me to carry things or other people so there's no need to be driving a car around. Also, because I can get anywhere from 70-90mpg on a bike but yet only 30mpg tops on the car I'm considering it just makes more sense from a fuel efficiency stand point.

This summer I will also be doing coverage of running road races where I will need to only carry no more than a small spike bag full of stuff with me and will be driving about 30-40 minutes away sometimes. So it really would be practical from a gas stand point. I would not need anything that looks nice, super powerful, I can do stunts on (if there are certain bikes for that?), and so on....just something that gets good gas mileage and gets me around.

I would still buy the car I am looking at getting however I would not modify it as paying for the bike would prevent me from doing so. This is also good though because as much as I am still a huge car enthusiast, it will keep me smart and stop me from spending endless amounts of money on a car, going to the track, or possibly crashing a nice car at the track. I want to do that again but being that I'm a junior in college with little income and no workspace and even less time I really can't afford to be doing it now and by paying for a bike will stop me from working hard to manage doing so.





So I really am considering the second option right now just because it does make a lot more sense, I'll be able to get really good gas mileage as there are obviously no signs of the prices lowering while the economy falls harder on its face and yet still pay little for all the driving that I do. But yet, for the few times that I need a car to drive during summer months when I have a date/it's raining/etc I have a nice, stock car to drive around. And then when the winter comes I still have a nice car to drive and it's something that is stock so it can handle being in the snow without acting as a plow.

Someone who rides and knows bikes I would really appreciate your opinion on all of this.

Thanks.

-Jesse

[garrettej8]

option 2, seems like a no brainer

[supraghost]

sounds to me like you should get a moped


jk

but seriously yoru not gonna get close to 90mpg... 70mpg is gonna be tough. you might want to look for a buell blast. you could get one easy for 2k. they are reliable and easy to ride, they look half decent and the tanks are made from a material that you can buff deep scratches out of (because you probably will lay it over). and they get 50-70mpg.

keep in mind cities are full of traffic that does not see motorcycles, so you will have to be alert and ready for any car to pull out in front of you. i def suggest taking the motorcycle safety course if you dont have much riding experience.

oh and i dont suggest riding motorcycle after running a race. when your body is tired, you should not ride! i used to lift and ride home from the gym but i stopped when i realized how much control i had lost over the bike from being tired.


honestly, bikes are dangerous. i really suggest that you would look into getting something like a civic VX or something that gets 45mpg and you will still be visible to negligent drivers and old farts who run people over.

[Drftpretty]

So you're going to buy a sport bike for roads that you cannot drive on without bottoming out a Accord?

How about you get a four wheeler instead.

I would think that if you cannot drive a lowered car on the streets you wouldnt want to be driving a bike on those same roads.

IMHO

You need a cheap beater VW or Civic.

[whitezenki]

Ninja 250R and other RWD car.

Finance a new ninja, even olllldd ninjas still have a good resale value, so gettin a new one wont cost you too much in the long run.

Thats what I would like to do. Then grow out of the Ninja and next season step up to something else.

[supraghost]

i know york well and ride my bike their often. a motorcycle will do fine.


but there is no way in hell your friend is getting 70mpg on his zx6. i have a cbr600f4i and i get 43 when im cruising at 65mph on the highway with premium gas and 39 with regular.


good beginner bikes:

buell blast
ninja 250ex
ninja 500ex (hard to find)
suzuki sv650
suzuki gs500
honda CB1
honda nt650

[bluengoldsti]

Originally Posted by supraghost

i know york well and ride my bike their often. a motorcycle will do fine.


but there is no way in hell your friend is getting 70mpg on his zx6. i have a cbr600f4i and i get 43 when im cruising at 65mph on the highway with premium gas and 39 with regular.


good beginner bikes:

buell blast
ninja 250ex
ninja 500ex (hard to find)
suzuki sv650
suzuki gs500
honda CB1
honda nt650

I completely agree with this, except I only get about 30 mpg on my 600. If you are just commuting, get a used Ninja 250 for under $2k and you won't be pissed when you drop it. And take the MSF course even if you are only riding around town.

[Xavier]

I get between 50 and 70mpg on my Ninja 250, depending on how I'm riding. It's for sale, btw. ;)