| Author | Message | ||
     Ratbuell |
OK, well...I scored a job and I start May 1 (yay!). Catch is, I think I won't be able to ride to work. It's *too close* to home. It is, literally, less than 2 miles away. I know I won't ride my aircooled bikes. I have no desire to annually replace base gaskets, and to perpetually have milkshake oil. And at that distance, the fuel mileage in my Jeep will be basically a non-issue. My question is this - how about riding my 1125? In *theory* it'll have the same warmup/operating/lubricating characteristics as an automobile...right? I have no problem parking it on a tender every night because I know it won't be a long enough hop to refill the battery...and I can guarantee I'll take the "long way" home if I do ride so I'll be sure to cook off the morning's condensation  Any thoughts on this? | ||
| Bandm |
Take the "long way" there also? | ||
| Jcbikes |
Its not worth starting the bike and putting on all the gear just for 2 miles. Then it sits out in the weather all day. If you want to ride 2 wheels to work, than why not ride a bicycle. I have done that most of my life when my commute was under 10 miles. Just a thought! Congrats on your new job. | ||
| Midknyte |
2 miles on a nice bicycle gets my vote. Good thinking Jc' | ||
| F_skinner |
What will you being doing Joe? I agree, take the long way to work. | ||
| Jaimec |
Midknyte & Jcbikes: +10 It'll also do Ratbuell a WORLD of good to do four miles a day on the bicycle as far as his own body is concerned. When I used to live five miles from work I used to bicycle every day the weather permitted. I would just bring the bike inside and keep it in my office. I wasn't the only one in the company to do this, either. In bad weather I would use the car though. | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
I know this may sound just terribly old fashioned, but I walked a couple of miles to work for many years. Never did me a bit of harm.  | ||
| Glitch |
Ambulation would be my choice, ought to take you around 30 minutes. | ||
| Pwnzor |
Ummm... perish the thought, but perhaps you could just warm the bike up all the way before riding the two miles...? Or walk. Or bicycle. | ||
| Jaimec |
GJ: Barefoot? In the snow? Uphill? Both ways?? | ||
| Teeps |
I talked to a guy that was riding one of these: http://www.ultramotor.com/us/product/a2b_metro said he rode it everyday to work. I live 2.5 miles from work, but it's burden some of us must endure... (Message edited by teeps on April 10, 2010) | ||
| F_skinner |
And Joe, if you go that route can you please post a picture. Bonus if you are in full gear. | ||
| Steve_mackay |
I'd do the bicycle thing. I've committed to doing the bicycle thing at least 1 day a week in my 20 mile commute(both ways) to work. | ||
| Greg_e |
http://www.brammo.com/home/ Said to be sold at BestBuy when they are released. Alternate, get a really cool scooter. Alternate, rollerskates. Alternate, Segue. Extremely fun alternate, Yamaha YSR50 or YSR80. You can be a GP hero for all of two miles! | ||
| Chainsaw |
I've been commuting sub-5 miles by motorcycles for about 9 years. Unless it's really hot out, the XB's fan doesn't even kick on. Can't say I've noticed any adverse affects on the bikes, but I am mindful to run them longer distances on the weekends to burn off condensation. Walking to work would take me 45 minutes or so. By MC I'm about 8 minutes out if I catch all the lights right. | ||
| Alchemy |
Congrats on the job Ratbuell. The bicycle sounds like something to check out. | ||
| Malott442 |
Totally. 4 miles a day on a bike can lead to some really inexpensive weight reduction for the bike. Best mod ever | ||
| 86129squids |
+1, bicycling fo sho. Provided the way to/fro isn't like the old video game "Frogger", which describes most of the roads around where I live. Had a cyclist killed a couple of years ago when a dude off his meds plowed into him- this sparked legislation that "mandates" 15' clearance from auto vehicles. Of course there's the redneck factor...  I'm pretty close to work too- I always drive, because (1) I've barely gotten into a GOOD heat cycle for the motor before I'm done, not good- (2) behaviorally, I associate riding my motorbikes with FREEDOM and a day off FROM work- it's just depressing to have to end a ride so soon. I found this even more true when I worked for a HD/BUELL dealer- (3) Gearing up and down so quick is a hassle. Get a bicycle or an electric scoot- I'd LOVE to have that Brammo! Technically, I think I'd be allowed on the greenways around here on it!  | ||
| Gentleman_jon |
GJ: Barefoot? In the snow? Uphill? Both ways?? Not really. More like English wing tips, on the sidewalk, down Madison Ave. Mostly downhill from East 65th Street to my office on the top floor of the Chrysler Building. Very amusing stroll. Might take Park or Lex for variety. Took the bus in the snow: didn't want to ruin my shoeshine, dear boy. | ||
| Treefrog |
My ride to work is 1.2 miles. Been doing it for a couple of years now. No issues for the XB so far. Yes, it does take longer to gear up than it would take to drive the Jeep to work, but I would rather ride. | ||
| Crackhead |
+1 bicycle, think if it as cheep weight reduction. I rode 5 miles to the commuter buss and it did some amazing things for my stamina (ask the wife). Going to work I took my time doing a easy non sweating effort. For the ride home, i pushed it (work clothes in a trunk box)and pushed it hard. After riding back and forth from work, you will have no problems standing on the motorcycle pegs for carving for hours. | ||
| 2008xb12scg |
I work 12 miles away. It does take longer when I take the bike by the time I gear up and stuff. But then I take the long way home sometimes and it's worth it. Is it bad to use the xbs for short trips? I let mine warm up for a minute or so. Basically I start it up and it idles a little high I wait for the idle to drop and smooth out then go.. | ||
| Xbeau12s |
I've only got about 2 miles from work also. My bikes over the years have had no problems at all. I just ride it when I want to! | ||
| Preybird1 |
That when i bust out my Kawi Klr 650. Awesome do everything bike and very cheap! | ||
| Ratbuell |
Good ideas, all. I have thought about the ol' mountain bike...but in sales, if I come in sweaty (I'm not the personality type to take a "relaxed ride" LOL) it would likely hurt my income chances...but they *do* allow nice shorts with the uniform golf shirts, so if they can live with my scars and graft....hmmmm..... And lord knows I could use the cardio! Easy answer is, I'm prepared to be using my Wrangler a lot more, but I know I'm gonna miss riding the Buells on a daily basis (which is what I'm used to). I guess I'll just make sure to leave time for after-work pleasure rides The walking would be OK...but I still can't run - my legs are still too clumsy from the wreck and probably will be for a long time, and the "commute" involves crossing a divided major highway (it'd be an interstate other than the at-grade intersections). I don't think I need to take *that* much of a chance, at least not till my legs let me run again | ||
| Patches |
Buy you a Buell Blast, there cheep used, cheep on gas (I run mine on 87 octane- almost 70 mpg if I don‘t wrench the throttle all the time), very low maintenance, easy to operate and handle, “Fun to Play in Traffic With” I can outrun just about every thing out there from one stop light to the next. Never had a problem with warm-up (automatic choke) even in winter by the time I get my riding gear on it is ready to go. | ||
| Aeholton |
Buy a scooter. You can carry your lunch under your seat and it's amazing how much fun it can be wringing it out. | ||
| Jaimec |
The real problem with doing short hops like that is that you don't give the battery enough time to recover the charge required to start the bike. Make sure you take the long way home, or keep the bike on a battery tender overnight. | ||
| Ratbuell |
I do keep the bikes tenderized (lol), so that's not a problem. My main concern is things like base gasket / rocker box leaks - I own tubers, I know those well! - and milkshake oil. I love riding...but I don't want to do ill to my bikes in order to get my 'fix'. I just didn't know if the liquid cooled would be more tolerant gasket/leak-wise than an aircooled. And, we have a Blast. It's Kim's, and she won't let me wear...er, ride it (I'm 6'4" - think monkey and football, LOL) | ||
| Patches |
From home to work was about 2.5 miles. It didn’t matter what bike I road Buell Blast, Buell M2 Cyclone or my old Shovelhead I never had any trouble with oil leaks (except for the old Shovelhead everybody knows they like to mark there spot), dead batteries, or warm up problems before starting a ride even in the winter time (I ride even when the temperature goes below 20 degrees F). These are all Air Cooled Engines, I don’t believe you will have any problems as long you ride more than just back and forth to work. I really don’t see any advantage of having a water cooled bike. I like riding the Blast because it is so easy to ride you can make it go anywhere you want it to go with vary little rider input and still keep up with traffic no matter the road conditions. Just my opinion. |
