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Motorcycle vs Car for Long Distance Travel

CaptainUnderpants

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I just took my motorcycle (Yamaha FJR1300) from SoCal to Dallas and back with my wife on back. My preference is desolate two lane twisty back roads. We were debating taking the GT350, as it is the shiny new toy. My FJR is a 2006 and has 50k miles, not so shiny.. Part of me wanted to take the GT350 as it require less planning and is the shiny new, but my wife actually prefers the motorcycle, so we took it out of the mothballs and I prepped it for the trip.

While a car is certainly more versatile regarding almost everything....., switching drivers, freeway comfort, eating while driving, talking to one another, being able to handle hot, cold or rain.... Just about anything that doesn't involve driving. the car is a better choice. But the motorcycle blows away the car for pure driving experience. This motorcycle trip, first one in 3 years, reminded me of why bikes are so special.

The Western part of the US has some of the most amazing back roads. Many of these roads are desolate, but this holiday weekend things were a little busier with the large 4 corners motorcycle rally in Durango, CO and many RV's on the road visiting national parks.

The biggest issue I have, and why a motorcycle works so well for me, is that I tend to travel at a very good clip. I used to road race motorcycles. And while my first love was cars, as a young lad growing up, cars were not only much more expensive but the early 80's was also a time of smog choked under performing cars. Bikes during this era where exciting, fast and cheap. Plus there is such a purity about sport bikes. Starting in 1986 with the Suzuki GSXR the bike industry started producing pure race bikes. This is what I find exciting about the GT350. There is a purity of purpose with this car.

Both my GT350 and my FJR want to travel at an elevated speed relative to the legal speed limits. The GT350's natural speed is even greater than the FJR, even thought the FJR is fast. The GT350 is more comparable to a pure sportbike. When I am in my Shelby or on a bike, it seems like everybody is in my way. It just isn't reasonable to expect the average driver or car to maintain a GT350 pace. Herein lies the special gift of a motorcycle. The ability to navigate traffic with little fan fare. Being able to quickly and effortlessly get by other traffic allows me to travel at my pace, while not upsetting the rest of the driving community. And it all comes down to the ability to effortlessly pass.

On the motorcycle if I....

Pass somebody at a high rate of speed they might think, "boy that guy is going to kill himself". If I were to pass under similar circumstances in the Mustang they would think, "That guy is going to kill me or somebody else". In the first instance they leave me alone, in the second they could call in the behavior.

Traffic never completely blocks a motorcycle. The Mustang is maybe 15' long, so two cars in adjacent lanes must leave me at least a 20' - 30' gap. The motorcycle needs almost no gap as long as the lanes are wide enough.

Lane changes are almost imperceptible. When I do pass while driving the Mustang I need to swing at least 10' into the next lane. The motorcycle only requires me to go a couple feet into the next lane. This attracts a lot less attention.

On two lane road there are many more passing opportunities on the bike. It just takes a lot let distance to get by a car on a motorcycle than it does in a car, even a fast one like the Shelby. And a somewhat questionable passing location doesn't freek out an adjacent motorist while on a bike, making me a better travel citizen.

For all these reasons, on a motorcycle, I get to travel at a comfortable clip which is truly relaxing. A car is much more easily held up by traffic and is under much more scrutiny if it travels at a speed much beyond the existing flow. Not knocking the Shelby, it is the closest thing to my motorcycles and as I said upfront does almost everything else better regarding travel. If I do decide to take the Shelby on such a trip, I will have to make sure it is not on a holiday weekend.
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Mustang_Lou

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California has lane-splitting as legal right? Not many places allow that and certainly none up here that I'm aware of.

Either way, you're braver than I'd be (I'd likely choose the car on a long trip but do envy you taking the bike).

I do enjoy the Mustang but yes there is something special about being in the open and leaning in those corners when on 2 wheels.
 

Socalrugger

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Undies- are you in South Bay? I was in my black 4Runner not long ago and ran into a guy with the same car as you....we chatted for a bit on Inglewood blvd then the light turned and went in our own directions....I havent seen another GT350 in the area since....wasn't you was it?


I just took my motorcycle (Yamaha FJR1300) from SoCal to Dallas and back with my wife on back. My preference is desolate two lane twisty back roads. We were debating taking the GT350, as it is the shiny new toy. My FJR is a 2006 and has 50k miles, not so shiny.. Part of me wanted to take the GT350 as it require less planning and is the shiny new, but my wife actually prefers the motorcycle, so we took it out of the mothballs and I prepped it for the trip.

While a car is certainly more versatile regarding almost everything....., switching drivers, freeway comfort, eating while driving, talking to one another, being able to handle hot, cold or rain.... Just about anything that doesn't involve driving. the car is a better choice. But the motorcycle blows away the car for pure driving experience. This motorcycle trip, first one in 3 years, reminded me of why bikes are so special.

The Western part of the US has some of the most amazing back roads. Many of these roads are desolate, but this holiday weekend things were a little busier with the large 4 corners motorcycle rally in Durango, CO and many RV's on the road visiting national parks.

The biggest issue I have, and why a motorcycle works so well for me, is that I tend to travel at a very good clip. I used to road race motorcycles. And while my first love was cars, as a young lad growing up, cars were not only much more expensive but the early 80's was also a time of smog choked under performing cars. Bikes during this era where exciting, fast and cheap. Plus there is such a purity about sport bikes. Starting in 1986 with the Suzuki GSXR the bike industry started producing pure race bikes. This is what I find exciting about the GT350. There is a purity of purpose with this car.

Both my GT350 and my FJR want to travel at an elevated speed relative to the legal speed limits. The GT350's natural speed is even greater than the FJR, even thought the FJR is fast. The GT350 is more comparable to a pure sportbike. When I am in my Shelby or on a bike, it seems like everybody is in my way. It just isn't reasonable to expect the average driver or car to maintain a GT350 pace. Herein lies the special gift of a motorcycle. The ability to navigate traffic with little fan fare. Being able to quickly and effortlessly get by other traffic allows me to travel at my pace, while not upsetting the rest of the driving community. And it all comes down to the ability to effortlessly pass.

On the motorcycle if I....

Pass somebody at a high rate of speed they might think, "boy that guy is going to kill himself". If I were to pass under similar circumstances in the Mustang they would think, "That guy is going to kill me or somebody else". In the first instance they leave me alone, in the second they could call in the behavior.

Traffic never completely blocks a motorcycle. The Mustang is maybe 15' long, so two cars in adjacent lanes must leave me at least a 20' - 30' gap. The motorcycle needs almost no gap as long as the lanes are wide enough.

Lane changes are almost imperceptible. When I do pass while driving the Mustang I need to swing at least 10' into the next lane. The motorcycle only requires me to go a couple feet into the next lane. This attracts a lot less attention.

On two lane road there are many more passing opportunities on the bike. It just takes a lot let distance to get by a car on a motorcycle than it does in a car, even a fast one like the Shelby. And a somewhat questionable passing location doesn't freek out an adjacent motorist while on a bike, making me a better travel citizen.

For all these reasons, on a motorcycle, I get to travel at a comfortable clip which is truly relaxing. A car is much more easily held up by traffic and is under much more scrutiny if it travels at a speed much beyond the existing flow. Not knocking the Shelby, it is the closest thing to my motorcycles and as I said upfront does almost everything else better regarding travel. If I do decide to take the Shelby on such a trip, I will have to make sure it is not on a holiday weekend.
 
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CaptainUnderpants

CaptainUnderpants

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California - Lane Splitting yes, but no other state allows. But still if a two cars in adjacent lanes are pretty much nose to bumper, I can still get through that gap and it isn't really lane splitting.

The Shelby GT350 is really such a joy to drive and has been part of the reason the bike has not seen much use. But there is a time and place where the bike does shine. It is great to have both.
 
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CaptainUnderpants

CaptainUnderpants

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Undies- are you in South Bay? I was in my black 4Runner not long ago and ran into a guy with the same car as you....we chatted for a bit on Inglewood blvd then the light turned and went in our own directions....I havent seen another GT350 in the area since....wasn't you was it?
I live in Long Beach, South Bay adjacent. I don't think that was me. I have an AG with no stripes and black roof. Just noticed another of my exact same color combination in Long Beach show up. I was like WTF????? Haha Maybe it was him? Or maybe it was me and I don't remember since I am old and feeble, not really. I am 56 years old, bald and fit. Was it a bald dude?
 

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I stopped riding motorcycle because drivers either don't pay attention or don't respect the rights of other people to share the road. I like having metal around me.

Plus around here there are only a handful of days where a motorcycle is comfortable. It's almost always too hot or too cold.
 

Mustang_Lou

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I stopped riding motorcycle because drivers either don't pay attention or don't respect the rights of other people to share the road. I like having metal around me.

Plus around here there are only a handful of days where a motorcycle is comfortable. It's almost always too hot or too cold.
I totally hear ya there! I keep my riding to weekends in the country as a fun toy and not much more.
 

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The Western part of the US has some of the most amazing back roads. Many of these roads are desolate, but this holiday weekend things were a little busier with the large 4 corners motorcycle rally in Durango, CO and many RV's on the road visiting national parks.

For all these reasons, on a motorcycle, I get to travel at a comfortable clip which is truly relaxing. A car is much more easily held up by traffic and is under much more scrutiny if it travels at a speed much beyond the existing flow. Not knocking the Shelby, it is the closest thing to my motorcycles and as I said upfront does almost everything else better regarding travel. If I do decide to take the Shelby on such a trip, I will have to make sure it is not on a holiday weekend.
I came back from my annual bike trip from Colorado on my ST1300 4 weeks ago and I know exactly where you are coming from. There is an element of freedom and challenging mother nature that you get on a bike that you can't get in a car. This trip this year was a short one to join my friends at the Top of the Rockies rally in Paonia, CO for a week. I have ridden through 42 of the 48 states on various trips over the past 15 years and would like to hold my activity to adventure trips limited to about 600 miles per day. Coming home is a different story as I have done 1100+ miles per day on some of these trips. I have a few friends that are Iron Butt riders, and you won't see me close to that level of riding.
 

live2ride90

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Well, it looks like we did both things. I agree on a all the points you listed. I road raced for about 9 years, but man I would need to get a different bike to do a long trip. I ride my GSXR750 for longer than an hour or so and l am definitely ready to get off it, lol, might b because I am older now... I guess my thoughts would be different if I had a more comfortable bike that was set up for travel but right now I enjoy my car as much as my bike. Yes, it sucks when people hold you up in the 350 but I can just relax until I find a way around, on the bike there isn't much relaxing since I am always watching out for idiots, not that I don't in my car but you do have to pay more attention on 2 wheels.

I recently took my 350 to Sears Point for my first track day in a car ever and I felt pretty good but I definitely not as comfortable as I am on the bike in that scenario. So thanks, now I need to get another bike that is comfortable and then come back to this post and see what my thoughts are, lol.
 

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Just rode 3000 miles on a bare bones Harley Softail Street Bob with arthritis in my lower spine and both hips but got heavy drugs before I went lol, it was an awesome ride to Prague and back from South Wales UK over the Swiss alps
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Lorne34

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I currently own a GT Convertible and one of the draws is the open air experience that you get with it vs a coupe. A lot of bike guys seem to gravitate to the Verts...
Honestly It's part of what keeps me from getting a 350.. Too bad the S550 was not designed for a sun roof or glass roof option.. would have really liked that...
I ran into a Dodge Challenger guy at a local dealership last month. He and his wife were big into the Harley Scene and did many cross country trips. They have since sold the Harley and bought a hellcat. I asked them why and they said the roads were getting way too dangerous.. every other driver they passed or came up next to was looking down at their phone, applying makeup, etc...... totally distracted. He could feel his wife flinch regularly on one of their last road trips... He asked her is she was having fun and she said "no...not anymore"....
 

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honeybadger

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I currently own a GT Convertible and one of the draws is the open air experience that you get with it vs a coupe. A lot of bike guys seem to gravitate to the Verts...
Honestly It's part of what keeps me from getting a 350.. Too bad the S550 was not designed for a sun roof or glass roof option.. would have really liked that...
I ran into a Dodge Challenger guy at a local dealership last month. He and his wife were big into the Harley Scene and did many cross country trips. They have since sold the Harley and bought a hellcat. I asked them why and they said the roads were getting way too dangerous.. every other driver they passed or came up next to was looking down at their phone, applying makeup, etc...... totally distracted. He could feel his wife flinch regularly on one of their last road trips... He asked her is she was having fun and she said "no...not anymore"....
Unrelated rant: I really hate what smartphones have done to us. And social media.
 

Strokerswild

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I stopped riding motorcycle because drivers either don't pay attention or don't respect the rights of other people to share the road. I like having metal around me.

Plus around here there are only a handful of days where a motorcycle is comfortable. It's almost always too hot or too cold.
This, although I haven't quit riding altogether. I save it for weekend backroad fun on nice days.

Gave up riding to work since everybody is too preoccupied with their damn phones....
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