hmmwv15

Definitely will have a full riding "outfit" not to sound wierd or anything. and a full face helmet if I get one. I can't understand why I won't save money. Most everything on a beater car that goes out will cost a load more than regular things on a bike I would think. Believe me, every vehicle I have had was at least 20 years old and I have had to replace stupid little things that cost a lot. So far I have full brake system (4runner & 4x4 p/u), radiator(2wd p/u), battery(2wd p/u), alternators(two 2wd p/u's), starters(2 2wd p/u's 1 4x4 p/u and the 4rnr), a CARBURETOR REBUILD(2wd p/u), TWO ignition control modules(2wd and 4rnr), and a FULL TIMING job plus the Front cover(2wd p/u) . All of this before I could drive them, a lot of money needless to say. I figure if I get a reliable bike that's easy to work on, I will be saving money for gas as well as maintenance. The only "accidents I have had was being stupid on a dirt road and rolled my truck, my first black 4x4 pride and joy, needless to say I have learned my lesson

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__________________
I haven't failed, I've just found several different ways NOT to fix this truck. :D

Sean

Elton

may wanna look into a motorcycle safety course i took one when i was 17 it lowers your insurance a little bit and is educational ..... also my 06 dr-z 400sm cost me like $30 dollars a month for insurance instead of like $200 or more for a sports bike plus i dont really care all that much for them

__________________
My Truck 98 4runner SR5 3.4L 5spd 4x4 E-Locker Mods
Mom 07 Tundra d-cab limited 5.7L 4x4 auto
sister 92 pickup SR5 X-cab 3.0L 5spd 4x4
Papa 89 Pickup SR5 X-cab 4x4 3.0L 5spd/98 4runner SR5 4x4 auto 3.4L
R.I.P 91 4runner SR5 4x4 3.0L 5spd Totaled 5/13/06 My Wreck

87TurboYota

Buy an old 1st generation Ford Probe with a manual transmission. Or an older Civic. I'm getting about 35 mpg city 38 highway with my Ford. Insurance in cheaper. It's a lot more inexpensive investment wise. Don't have to worry about the weather. And you don't have to worry about idiots on the road.

__________________
Aaron

1989 Ford Probe GL 2.2L, 4 cly. ~240K
1991 Toyota Truck Extended Cab, 22RE, 30'' BFG ATs, 5 spd, 183K SOLD!!
1987 Toyota Pickup std. cab, 22ret, 31'' BFG ATs, 5 spd. , 155K SOLD!!

Pictures
http://community.webshots.com/user/volsg8rh8r

EWAYota

I just started looking into possibly purchasing a bike for the warmer months. I don't know how big you are but for starting off, the Ninja 250 would be something to look at, especially with the 55-70 mpg aspect of it. I'm pondering a 250, guy at work just got one and he's bigger than me (I'm 5'11, 190). I have yet to sit on it and see how it feels compared to my buddy's old 500.

__________________
DJ
1994 Pickup
22RE, Engnbldr 261 cam, 5 speed. Tires that go around and around...
Preping for SAS......

Originally Posted By Tacoclimber
"My two year old better get a job, soon..."

Reply Posted By Oly884
"I hear coal mining is a great career."

Myspace

CJM

If you at all plan on riding on a hwy with a speed limit over 55 a 250cc wont cut it, you need a 400cc or better for that imho.

__________________
96' T100 SR5 4x4, ISR mod, Custom ABS snorkel, KC 57's Hella optilux el cheapo backup lights. Cobra 19III CB, Firestick 4ft antenna, Bilstein shocks.

Be polite. Be professional. But, have a plan to kill everyone you meet.

EWAYota

I'd agree for the most part, though plenty of people on the 250 have done long distance trips (just read a story about a guy doing a Fl to Ca trip). It can hold 70, tops out just over 100 miles per hour, but I would agree that if I were to do long hwy trips, I'd get atleast a 500 more for a comfort factor.

I only mentioned the 250 as a starter bike and one that is commonly used for the reasons he mentioned, starter, commuter and mpg. Can't beat the 55-70 mpg.

Another added bonus is the 250's are cheap, so if buying new (under 4k) or used, it's a low entry cost on something that will most likely see some road rash. Granted, you can get a used 500+ for the same price, sometimes the extra hp isn't needed.

I'd be torn between the 250 and a 500. While I know the 250 would be a great place to start, in time, I'd more than likely have the itch to jump to a larger bike, sacraficing 15-30% mpg. So if I started with a 500, I wouldn't miss the mpg lost, lol.

__________________
DJ
1994 Pickup
22RE, Engnbldr 261 cam, 5 speed. Tires that go around and around...
Preping for SAS......

Originally Posted By Tacoclimber
"My two year old better get a job, soon..."

Reply Posted By Oly884
"I hear coal mining is a great career."

Myspace

olharleyman

If you do it right you only need the clutch lever to start out

__________________
1990 4 runner 5 Speed
Pro Comp Stage II 4" Lift 6" coils rear
Aussie Locker front
5.29's Front And Rear
35 x 12.5 x 15 MT's Micky Thompson Classic II Wheels
Super Charged 3.4 on the way

1993 SAS 4runner 22re 5 speed
4" front 5"rear
5.29's
35 x 12.5 BFG KM'S
Dick cepek DC 1's

88 stock 4runner
3.0 auto
for now

1955 Harley Davidson Springer
Stock 1955 Hardtail Frame
4 Speed
Kick Start Only


1998 Harley Custom Dresser
107 rwhp
139 ft.lbs.trq.

pattycakes77

i've been tossing the idea of a scooter or motorcycle around for summer commuting for a while as well. i've never driven anything with 2 wheels before so i'd like to get something that i wouldn't be torn up about laying down on occasion while learning. this is a good thread to read as i've wondered a lot about this and read a lot of good things to consider as well.

i don't know anything about how they run or ride but there is a set of Honda CB360s for sale locally to me for $300, one running and a parts bike. thinking of picking them up, not much investment if i decided to ditch them later. they are cool and old school looking (which i like):



or i would love to get a little Dnepr with the side car for the dog!

__________________
The PATYWGN: 1998 4Runner Desert Dune Pearl.
PATYWGN show-off thread
Sport Hood FAQ

tj884Rdlx

i've been riding motorcycles in the atlanta metro area for the last 7 years. My advice is like this:

1. if you want a more economical commuter option, get a used Toyota Tercel. The insurance will be cheaper to add a vehicle vs. a new policy for a bike, the mileage will be similar, and it will be much, much, much safer.

2. if you really want a two-wheel vehicle for commuting, a scooter will give you the best mileage. I don't recommend it if your commute is farther than 20 mins.

3. if you want to get a motorcycle because you want to "get into riding", AND you can ride to work, well right on. For v-twin cruisers, a Yamaha V-Star 650 is probably the cheapest of the "looks like a Harley"'s. Or a Yamaha Virago. These are both great bikes you can find for about $1500-2500 bux. For racebike style, an older ninja 600 is a good bike cheap. And of course, you can get any 70's honda or kawi like the CB360 pictured above for $500-1500.

the insurance in GA for my 4runner, with liability, comp, and uninsured motorist is about $450 annual. for my V-Star 1100 with the fullest practical coverage, its the same. I recommend Dairyland Insurance.

4. That all said, I've totalled my first two V-Star 650s thanx to poor GA drivers running me off the road or hitting me. GA commuters are accustomed to yappin on the cell phone and paying attention to anything but the road. IT's DANGEROUS TO COMMUTE HERE ON A BIKE. It's not even a matter of keeping your eyes open. Sure, you'll have your eyes right on that vehicle that suddenly goes where they don't have right of way. Unless you have the skills to jump a moving vehicle, they'll get you and you're just a spectator in your own wreck.

5. DEFINITELY TAKE THE MSF SAFETY COURSE. Even if it teaches you one good thing, its worth it.

6. When I ride, I have one thing I try to remember: Don't misoperate the controls; and everyone is trying to KILL ME.

if you do get a bike, lemme know, i'll ride with ya anytime! but i really recommend a Tercel for cost-efficient commuting purposes. People are tired and distracted in the morning, and distracted and hurried on the way home. They will run you down then act like its your fault for being in their way.

Bikes really should be a leisure vehicle AWAY from traffic, not a target within it.

good luck in your decision

__________________
88 4Runner DLX, 15x8 soft8s w/ BFG 33x10.5 A/Ts. 1.5" SDORI spacers, OME CS009s, 1" 4crawler b.l., original Canback top

KellyKel

I’m one of those “Start Small and wear your Gear,” advocates when it comes to people with NO experience. Motorcycles are inherently dangerous and newb riders can get themselves into trouble easily. Even if they have some experience it’s the anticipation of what’s going to happen next that takes a long while to develop.

Here are (IMO) a few good first bikes:

Suzuki GS500



Suzuki SV 650



Kawasaki Ninja 250R (This is a 2008 - SICK!!!)




The Ninja is well known for being an excellent learning bike. All across the country you can snag them up for about $2,000 and resell them for the same price, obviously not the 2008s, but they too are highly desireable. I don’t know of any other bike that can hold that value.

My advice is:

1) Take the MSF course (they basically give you an endorsement - plus valuable information)
2) Buy the best gear you can afford, and use it!


Good luck – enjoy.

hmmwv15

Wow, forgot about this thread. It's still up in the air, I figure if I find something decent for a good price, I'll snatch it up and ride it. I live in Winder, not Atlanta, so I think you're crazy for riding there anyway! I hate driving in Atlanta! I will be looking for anything between the 1970's-1990's bikes. I will not be on the highway a lot, just going through the city, to and from school/work. Just a commuter. We have our fair share of crazy drivers here, I would be worried about to and from school the most.

Like I said, I'm inexperienced!

And "kellykel" you must be new to YT. Welcome! What kind of toyota do you have?

__________________
I haven't failed, I've just found several different ways NOT to fix this truck. :D

Sean

hmmwv15

One of my buddies has a little dodge sprint 3 cyl. That thing gets like 45 mpgs. I'm jealous and am trying to buy it from him!

__________________
I haven't failed, I've just found several different ways NOT to fix this truck. :D

Sean

tj884Rdlx

ah, if you're out in winder you should be ok. yes, i am crazy for riding here. after the second wreck, i pretty much conceded that i wouldn't ride while i lived here. so i moved back to nc and got the bike i have now. but work brought me back to atlanta so i just be extra careful. while i had to take GA 400 i would not commute with the bike except really nice days. it just increases your odds of a dumbass yuppie running you over tooooo much. but now my commute is 15 mins, no highway, so its not too bad. but still, too many soccer moms driving kids to school while everyone is phone yappin. dangerous.

if you can score a little honda CBanything for a few hundred bux, you got a nice little scoot to buzz around on. aside from the msf course, the BEST thing to do when learning is spend hours in a big empty parking lot. use tennis balls cut in half as "cones" and practice learning how to throw your bike around like you were born on it. practice your right turns from stops. really one of the easiest times to drop a bike and get run over.

and tip #1: your eyes will take you where you want to go. look there, go there. (look down, go down) always keep looking up to where you want to go and your hands will steer you through. on a bike, as long as you're upright and moving, you're still alive. (who cares if you're on the sidewalk!)

oh no kidding, kellykel? new? where have YOU been all my life? oh, the other side of the country.

the world needs more ladies into yotas AND cycles!!!

__________________
88 4Runner DLX, 15x8 soft8s w/ BFG 33x10.5 A/Ts. 1.5" SDORI spacers, OME CS009s, 1" 4crawler b.l., original Canback top

jarheadpike

dude look for an old CB400 or something..who cares if you dump it and you can always keep it to screw around on!! ALso I agree with avaryone else WEAR A HELMET !!!!!!

tj884Rdlx

and leathers!!! my first wreck was at 70mph, my second at 50mph. no road rash from either. (yes, multiple broken bones tho)

both wrecks i had on leathers and an HJC CL-12 or SY-MAX. Yeah, the paramedics cut them all off me so they were useless, but i sent in the pieces to Dairyland and they reimbursed me 100%! hah!

the sy-max is an excellent full helmet with the flip up front, offers nice relief at stop lights in high temps where you can get some fresh air, or grab a swig from a water bottle. good price: ~$215

oh-keep in mind a motorcycle DOES NOT save you money!

just like your yota, you will want to start customizing, and now you have two things tugging your purse strings. if they could talk, my bike and truck would argue over how i'm going to spend my money on them! (yep guess that's why i'm still single too! hahhah!!)

__________________
88 4Runner DLX, 15x8 soft8s w/ BFG 33x10.5 A/Ts. 1.5" SDORI spacers, OME CS009s, 1" 4crawler b.l., original Canback top

hmmwv15

Like I said, I would buy it to save money, not customize. That's what my 4runners for! By the way I saw some guy on a little honda moped the other day, and some jack off was riding his arse in a two lane. Got in between them (somehow) and gave my brakes a hard tap to get that guy to back off. I can't stand it when people do that to me, let alone cycles or mopeds. Maybe next time he won't be such an

__________________
I haven't failed, I've just found several different ways NOT to fix this truck. :D

Sean

tj884Rdlx

yeah some people can be real *sses when they find you riding on the road that THEY obviously own. when i first started riding i remember being fairly heavy handed with the middle finger. but after the shock of how awful people can be to bikers wore off, i reverted to my standard practice that if someone's THAT stupid by the time I cross their path, nothing i can do is going to enlighten them.

have fun bike shopping~

__________________
88 4Runner DLX, 15x8 soft8s w/ BFG 33x10.5 A/Ts. 1.5" SDORI spacers, OME CS009s, 1" 4crawler b.l., original Canback top

Psalm 112

picked up an older bike a few weeks ago. my new DD....
Hope the pic works (cellphone shot) can't resize without losing clarity.

__________________
'98 4Runner Lmtd 4WD - Lifted - Factory Locker - 285's -Rola Roof Rack -Ruger w/in Reach

tj884Rdlx

nice RWL on front! heh

__________________
88 4Runner DLX, 15x8 soft8s w/ BFG 33x10.5 A/Ts. 1.5" SDORI spacers, OME CS009s, 1" 4crawler b.l., original Canback top

Psalm 112

__________________
'98 4Runner Lmtd 4WD - Lifted - Factory Locker - 285's -Rola Roof Rack -Ruger w/in Reach

hillbilly

I just posted this on another forum, so here my $.02:

I have some experience in this department too.

My parents would never let me have a bike (motorcycle). I begged them for a bike. The only answer I ever got was, "You'll get one when you buy it yourself." As a 10 yr old, I worked a paper route and mowed lawns for years hoping to save money for a bike. I got my first "real job" at about 16 as a service/gas station attendant in high school. The first thing I did shortly thereafter... bought a bike. A nice, slightly used Honda XL 200 from a friend. Great bike and super cheap on insurance and gas. Mom wasn't happy about it, but she kept her word even though she probably never that it would happen.

I traded up to a Honda XL650 (similar to the KLR650) a couple years later, toward the middle of my senior year of high school. Still a great low budget bike for a high school/college guy. I eventually went away to college and left the XL650 at home the first couple years to ride during the summers. I eventually got a job near school at end of my second year of college, so having many years of riding/road experience, I brought the bike down to tool back-n-forth to work.

On a clear, sunny afternoon, a taxi ran a stop sign in front of me. I T-boned the late 80's Chevy Caprice square in the drivers side door at about 40mph, sending me hurling over its roof and crashing to the pavement about 25-30 yards down the street. After tumbling to a stop not one block from my apartment, I only recall people standing over me. I recall seeing the helmet that likely saved my life, broken in the street behind those trying to comfort me till the ambulance arrived. I can recall only small segments of the events immediately after the wreck.

I had road rash all over my elbows, forearms, legs, knees, and the top of my right hand was ripped to open in several places from shattering the drivers door window on impact. There was a large hole at the bottom of my right knee cap. I was strapped to a spine board in agony and unable to comfort any of my pains while being X-ray from head to toe. The pain of a betadine scrub brush in open wounds is indescribable.

Since then, I've had three surgeries on my left wrist/hand to repair a completely fractured Navicular. I've had "permanent screws" implanted, only to have them removed after they failed. About 4-5 years ago I had to have a PRC (Proximal Row Carpectomy) procedure on the same hand after it was discovered the entire bottom row of carpals were broken/dead. I now have 4 few bones in my left hand than my right. The PRC procedure will fail in about 10 years. My only option is a wrist fusion, at which point they'll take a bone graph from my hip and permanently lock my wrist in place.

The summer of my accident, I worked at Calgon Carbon in KY with a guy that lost his long term memory due to injuries suffered after being whipped out by an unsuspected motorist. He literally drove to work everyday, whether he was scheduled to work or not, just so he wouldn't forget how to get to work and back home. He lost all memory of his childhood, his parents, family, and his children's childhood. Ever seen the movie "50 First Dates"?? That was his life. I wish I had seen the writing on the wall a little sooner.

This obviously doesn't happen to everyone that rides a bike, but it does happen. The point is, on a bike you have little to no protection from the several ton vehicles traveling just a few feet away. Someone else's seemingly little mistake, which may have only been a fender bender if another car were involved, can quickly change your life just because you're on a motorcycle.

Motorcycles can definitely be cheaper. But you need to evaluate your driving environment. If its even fairly congested with traffic or in an urban setting, you might be wise to go the econo car route and save yourself a great deal of trouble. Rural roads can even present wildlife hazards.

HTH.

__________________
-Scott
'01 Black SR5 4x4 w/ Black Pearl's: Detroit Truetrac | Tundra/OME 890s w/ Tokico Trekmasters | SS Diff Drop/Panhard | Tundra rotors/calipers | Rear Diff Breather Extension | Hayden cooler | K&N | ISR | Deckplate | Jet Black PC'd LC 16x8's w/ LT265/75R16 Cooper S/T's

"He who wants to protect everything, protects nothing." -Lt. Gen. Adolf Galland, Luftwaffe
"There is no instance of a country having benefited from prolonged warfare." -Sun Tzu, The Art of War

hmmwv15

Wildlife and the occasional a-hole would be my biggest concerns. Since I may be able to deal with the gas if I get a raise this summer and am able to get up fairly early enough to ride the bike (bicycle) I just got for free, and combine bike riding and driving that would be *the* most effective way of saving gas right now. Since it looks like I will have to get a new engine and wiring harness for my 4runner, a motorcycle would be out of the question for now. Oh well. I was almost looking forward to finding something.

__________________
I haven't failed, I've just found several different ways NOT to fix this truck. :D

Sean

fleurette

In my case, my DD for the non-snow months is a 70cc yamaha scooter (officially a 50 cc). Overall, its the best: 50mpg, free parking, in traffic, you get to point B faster than a car, low cost (1500$), insurance is 80$ a year.

Anyway, I am hooked on 2 wheels.

Attached Thumbnails

 

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93 4runner, 3VZ-E, 352000km