Opinions from motorcycle owners

[Dfeeds]

TLDR. Those of you who own a motorcycle and the Mustang, do you find yourself riding the bike less or appreciating it more?

Long version. I'll start by saying I know this is only a decision I can ultimately make, but I want opinions from those who own both. My insurance is totaling my car (illegal to buyback in IL). I'm bummed. It's my first new car (2 miles on it when bought), my vice (cruising back roads when stressed does wonders), and my daily for the last 4 years. I don't want a used s550 and don't want to go into debt for the exact same thing. I'm looking at the s650 (might even test drive a camaro) but it's hard to get excited for it. Granted, that could just be because I'm depressed over this whole thing.

I'll need another car regardless, in the meantime, so I started humoring the idea of getting a motorcycle. I've never ridden one. I've flown planes, autocrossed and tracked my old car, driven stick my whole life, but literally have never even been on the back of a motorcycle. I've always wanted one but between the plethora of idiot drivers and me not trusting myself in my younger years, it never happened.

https://powersports.honda.com/motorcycle/cruiser/rebel-1100 that caught my eye. It has the styling I love, just as quick (maybe quicker) than my Mustang, and also comes with plenty of features that'll help a first time rider who doesn't want to start small. Not to mention I can get this and a commuter without taking out a loan (which I'd have to do with the s650).


I just don't really have a way of knowing if I'll end up missing the v8 and the comfort/safety a car brings.


EDIT: Here's the details of the accident if anyone is curious. https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/well-at-the-ripe-age-of-30-i-had-my-first-accident.182345/

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[Wingnutzz]

I’ve ridden motorcycles most of my life. Almost 300k miles all over the country over the past 23 years (retired early and spent lots of time traveling all over the US). Lots of miles also in my earlier years, balanced with work and life! Sportier bikes in the early days! Wonderful times with lots of friends, but especially with a buddy for many great trips! Would not trade those times for anything! Most on 99 Honda Valkyrie, 02 Honda Gold Wing, 06 Yamaha FJR1300, and 16 Honda Gold Wing F6B. Comfort, power, and reliability!

I’m 73 now and with bad back and stuff that goes with that, I decided it was time to go to 4 wheels instead of 2 wheels. It was time and I have not looked back. Mine is a 22 Mustang convertible, so I still have the views, fresh air, and just about everything you get on the motorcycle. A little less thrill, but the Mustang feels pretty good in the twisties. Definitely much safer! More protection in case of accident (had a couple of those on the motorcycle - one was almost fatal). When weather turned bad I managed well on the bikes. As I got older went with bikes with windshields, fairings, bags, trunks, great protective clothing, and heated gear! In the Mustang I can turn on the heater, ac, roll up windows, and put up the top as needed. It is really nice!

Example: In September I was driving Beartooth Pass Wyoming into Montana — had ridden 5-6 times on a motorcycle, which was always great. Near timberline (~10,000 feet). 38 deg. Overcast. Cold drizzle. Wet snow now and then. Road construction with long wait for pilot vehicle. Two motorcycles in front of me. Been there - done that. They were having a great adventure and will talk about it for years. But I rather enjoyed being in my warm Mustang, top up, heater on, music loud! I’m glad I was in my Mustang. Later that day top down, warm sunshine, and soaking up the sunshine in my sun cruiser!

They’re both great. Glad I’ve done both! But only you can decide. But there are many more dangerous, inattentive drivers these days unfortunately, so dangers on a motorcycle have increased.

 

[Dfeeds]

I’ve ridden motorcycles most of my life. Almost 300k miles all over the country over the past 23 years (retired early and spent lots of time traveling all over the US). Lots of miles also in my earlier years, balanced with work and life! Sportier bikes in the early days! Wonderful times with lots of friends, but especially with a buddy for many great trips! Would not trade those times for anything! Most on 99 Honda Valkyrie, 02 Honda Gold Wing, 06 Yamaha FJR1300, and 16 Honda Gold Wing F6B. Comfort, power, and reliability!

I’m 73 now and with bad back and stuff that goes with that, I decided it was time to go to 4 wheels instead of 2 wheels. It was time and I have not looked back. Mine is a 22 Mustang convertible, so I still have the views, fresh air, and just about everything you get on the motorcycle. A little less thrill, but the Mustang feels pretty good in the twisties. Definitely much safer! More protection in case of accident (had a couple of those on the motorcycle - one was almost fatal). When weather turned bad I managed well on the bikes. As I got older went with bikes with windshields, fairings, bags, trunks, great protective clothing, and heated gear! In the Mustang I can turn on the heater, ac, roll up windows, and put up the top as needed. It is really nice!

Example: In September I was driving Beartooth Pass Wyoming into Montana — had ridden 5-6 times on a motorcycle, which was always great. Near timberline (~10,000 feet). 38 deg. Overcast. Cold drizzle. Wet snow now and then. Road construction with long wait for pilot vehicle. Two motorcycles in front of me. Been there - done that. They were having a great adventure and will talk about it for years. But I rather enjoyed being in my warm Mustang, top up, heater on, music loud! I’m glad I was in my Mustang. Later that day top down, warm sunshine, and soaking up the sunshine in my sun cruiser!

They’re both great. Glad I’ve done both! But only you can decide. But there are many more dangerous, inattentive drivers these days unfortunately, so dangers on a motorcycle have increased.

Thank you for your opinion! I do love having all the creature comforts the Mustang brings, while still being an absolute joy to drive. From what I'm getting out of this, though, is having some seat time on a motorcycle doesn't disappoint. I don't think I'd be unhappy with either choice, which doesn't help the decision. The safety factor is definitely something I'm trying to weigh out. My best friend has been talking about getting a motorcycle for a couple of years but I had my Mustang so it wasn't something I considered. I think I may have to revisit this conversation now! Your mention of going on trips with your buddy has me thinking about some great possibilities.

May I ask about your near fatal accident? Only if you're comfortable sharing on an open forum, that is.

 

[Balr14]

I rode motorcycles for about 20 years. I had to quit due to severe vertigo; I could not turn, still can't, not even on a bicycle. I switched to convertibles, too. My Mustang GT is my 6th and I would not go back to motorcycles, even if I could. But I have many fond memories of those days. I started with a Honda 450, then 750 and a Suzuki 1000; all sport bikes. I tried cruiser bikes like Harleys and absolutely hated them, because your balance is poor and all your weight is on your ass. With a decent sport bike it's almost like being weightless at speed and it's an incredible feeling. Ultimately I ended up with a Yamaha Venture because my wife wanted to ride. We took a few trips with it that we enjoyed very much and I rode that bike about 10k miles per year for 3 or 4 years. I would not discourage anyone from trying a motorcycle. But there are downsides...

First and foremost is they say there are two kinds of riders, those that have been down and those that will be going down. Unless you are very lucky, it will happen to you. I went down twice through no fault of my own. Once when I hit an oil patch in the middle of an intersection while I was turning and once when I had no choice to avoid an accident that was occurring in front of me. I'm 79 years old and I still suffer the effects of those accidents. In the first, the bike and I slid for about 50 feet on our side, the bike hit the curb funny, went straight up in the air and came down on top of me. In the second, I went over a car.

Second, you really should get lessons from a pro. If you don't know to counter steer and it doesn't become instinct you are going to suffer a nasty accident. A riders school will teach you a lot of little things you wouldn't think of on your own. You also have to learn extremely defensive driving; every vehicle near you is a potential threat.

The last major point is it is incredibly inconvenient. The helmet and other clothes are a pain in the ass, there's no place to store much and you always have to be aware of the weather. You don't really think about it that much while you are riding, but once you switch to convertibles it's the first things you notice.

 

[Wingnutzz]

I’m guessing you’re a little younger. I knew the dangers when I rode and I would not trade those experiences and good times for anything! A consideration is if you have young kids, so that responsibility vs the risks must be balanced.

My bad accident was a cut tire in a turn, which resulted in heading over a bank. Probably ~45mph. Bike and I separated, and unfortunately I landed on a rock that crushed 6 ribs into multiple pieces. I did have a collapsed lung and fortunately I have big ribs and none of the pieces pierced the other lung, diaphragm, heart, or other essential organs. Am amazing surgeon opened up my entire right back, put the pieces (4 of 6 ribs) back together with titanium straps. A few days after the surgery I started bouncing back pretty quickly. A weakened right shoulder from the two ribs he could not fix, but generally fully recovered!

Ridden in 49 of 50 states (not Alaska) and visited most national parks. It is truly the best way to see the country!!! If you have any specific questions just send me a PM. Just a few pictures from the past few years.

 

[Wingnutzz]

Really great points about the training!!! And agree completely about the proper riding gear, and it can be a PITA when you want to walk, hike, or do most anything other than ride!

I rode motorcycles for about 20 years. I had to quit due to severe vertigo; I could not turn, still can't, not even on a bicycle. I switched to convertibles, too. My Mustang GT is my 6th and I would not go back to motorcycles, even if I could. But I have many fond memories of those days. I started with a Honda 450, then 750 and a Suzuki 1000; all sport bikes. I tried cruiser bikes like Harleys and absolutely hated them, because your balance is poor and all your weight is on your ass. With a decent sport bike it's almost like being weightless at speed and it's an incredible feeling. Ultimately I ended up with a Yamaha Venture because my wife wanted to ride. We took a few trips with it that we enjoyed very much and I rode that bike about 10k miles per year for 3 or 4 years. I would not discourage anyone from trying a motorcycle. But there are downsides...

First and foremost is they say there are two kinds of riders, those that have been down and those that will be going down. Unless you are very lucky, it will happen to you. I went down twice through no fault of my own. Once when I hit an oil patch in the middle of an intersection while I was turning and once when I had no choice to avoid an accident that was occurring in front of me. I'm 79 years old and I still suffer the effects of those accidents. In the first, the bike and I slid for about 50 feet on our side, the bike hit the curb funny, went straight up in the air and came down on top of me. In the second, I went over a car.

Second, you really should get lessons from a pro. If you don't know to counter steer and it doesn't become instinct you are going to suffer a nasty accident. A riders school will teach you a lot of little things you wouldn't think of on your own. You also have to learn extremely defensive driving; every vehicle near you is a potential threat.

The last major point is it is incredibly inconvenient. The helmet and other clothes are a pain in the ass, there's no place to store much and you always have to be aware of the weather. You don't really think about it that much while you are riding, but once you switch to convertibles it's the first things you notice.

 

[Balr14]

Really great points about the training!!! And agree completely about the proper riding gear, and it can be a PITA when you want to walk, hike, or do most anything other than ride!

Your Wing is a really nice bike! As much as I enjoyed the "crotch rockets", the big touring bikes are hard to beat. My Venture was the basic model so it didn't have some of the extras that the Venture Royale had, like the intercom. But, it was lighter and still had full fairing, storage box, bags and nice seats. I'm pretty sure it would have been faster than my Mustang GT.

 

[NGOT8R]

I have a Mustang and two bikes (a Harley Sportster and Street Glide). Believe it or not, my motorcycles haven’t received very much attention in the past year and a half. I attribute that to focusing on never ending Mustang mods.

Motorcycles are a lot of fun. Do you foresee yourself taking long trips on a motorcycle? If the answer is yes, consider getting a touring bike instead of the Rebel, you’ll be glad you did. They’re like riding in a luxury car. I’ve done several long distance rides and had a blast.

Maybe consider enrolling in a motorcycle safety course and receive the necessary paperwork to take to the DMV and get your license. The courses usually supply the motorcycles, so it gives you a chance to see if you like it well enough to get your own.

 

[Wingnutzz]

Some of my early street bikes were Honda CB-550, Kawasaki KZ-1000, etc. My Yamaha FJR-1300 was a sport-tourer, with emphasis on sport. It was fast and handled beautifully. But, I ended up selling it after about 18,000 miles as I was just riding my Gold Wing most of the time.

Your Wing is a really nice bike! As much as I enjoyed the "crotch rockets", the big touring bikes are hard to beat. My Venture was the basic model so it didn't have some of the extras that the Venture Royale had, like the intercom. But, it was lighter and still had full fairing, storage box, bags and nice seats. I'm pretty sure it would have been faster than my Mustang GT.

 

[NGOT8R]

Some of my early street bikes were Honda CB-550, Kawasaki KZ-1000, etc. My Yamaha FJR-1300 was a sport-tourer, with emphasis on sport. It was fast and handled beautifully. But, I ended up selling it after about 18,000 miles as I was just riding my Gold Wing most of the time.

Love the KZ-1000!

 

[Jimmy Dean]

I have broncos, mustangs, and motorcycles (cruisers). unfortuantely, all of the driving I've been doing inthe last year is interstate. most of mylocal errand runs are in the bronco, as the bikes and cars are not meant for wet roads...and yet the broncos are meant for sunny days too.

I will say, commuting on a bike takes much of the joy out of it, vs pleasure riding, but the same can be said for the mustangs.

also, bikes suck in cold weather, even when dry, whereas the mustang is at least just fine there (except with the current cup 2 tires that is)

also, when commuting, the bike is stressful, you are basically the entire ride looking around wondering which one of thse idiots is going to kill you today, and trying to avoid them. much diff than cruising on open roads where you can relax some.

 

[Dfeeds]

I rode motorcycles for about 20 years. I had to quit due to severe vertigo; I could not turn, still can't, not even on a bicycle. I switched to convertibles, too. My Mustang GT is my 6th and I would not go back to motorcycles, even if I could. But I have many fond memories of those days. I started with a Honda 450, then 750 and a Suzuki 1000; all sport bikes. I tried cruiser bikes like Harleys and absolutely hated them, because your balance is poor and all your weight is on your ass. With a decent sport bike it's almost like being weightless at speed and it's an incredible feeling. Ultimately I ended up with a Yamaha Venture because my wife wanted to ride. We took a few trips with it that we enjoyed very much and I rode that bike about 10k miles per year for 3 or 4 years. I would not discourage anyone from trying a motorcycle. But there are downsides...

First and foremost is they say there are two kinds of riders, those that have been down and those that will be going down. Unless you are very lucky, it will happen to you. I went down twice through no fault of my own. Once when I hit an oil patch in the middle of an intersection while I was turning and once when I had no choice to avoid an accident that was occurring in front of me. I'm 79 years old and I still suffer the effects of those accidents. In the first, the bike and I slid for about 50 feet on our side, the bike hit the curb funny, went straight up in the air and came down on top of me. In the second, I went over a car.

Second, you really should get lessons from a pro. If you don't know to counter steer and it doesn't become instinct you are going to suffer a nasty accident. A riders school will teach you a lot of little things you wouldn't think of on your own. You also have to learn extremely defensive driving; every vehicle near you is a potential threat.

The last major point is it is incredibly inconvenient. The helmet and other clothes are a pain in the ass, there's no place to store much and you always have to be aware of the weather. You don't really think about it that much while you are riding, but once you switch to convertibles it's the first things you notice.

I've actually already been looking into safety classes. And I have read that the gear can get annoying. I distinctly remember a mini cruise I went on to show my coworker some fun roads to cruise down on his bike (I was in my Mustang). Everytime we'd stop to walk around he would stash his gear in my trunk and I kelt wondering what he'd do otherwise.

When you say you still suffer the affects; do mean you suffer from then mentally, physically, or both?

 

[Dfeeds]

I’m guessing you’re a little younger. I knew the dangers when I rode and I would not trade those experiences and good times for anything! A consideration is if you have young kids, so that responsibility vs the risks must be balanced.

My bad accident was a cut tire in a turn, which resulted in heading over a bank. Probably ~45mph. Bike and I separated, and unfortunately I landed on a rock that crushed 6 ribs into multiple pieces. I did have a collapsed lung and fortunately I have big ribs and none of the pieces pierced the other lung, diaphragm, heart, or other essential organs. Am amazing surgeon opened up my entire right back, put the pieces (4 of 6 ribs) back together with titanium straps. A few days after the surgery I started bouncing back pretty quickly. A weakened right shoulder from the two ribs he could not fix, but generally fully recovered!

Ridden in 49 of 50 states (not Alaska) and visited most national parks. It is truly the best way to see the country!!! If you have any specific questions just send me a PM. Just a few pictures from the past few years.

I'm 30 so old to someone who's 20 and a kid to anyone older than 40 haha. I also don't have kids. I have a girlfriend who's actually considering getting an M class permit with me, now that I brought it up. Definitely not helping the counter argument.

Dang, dude. I'm glad you're okay! That's a gorgeous bike. I'll definitely keep that in mind! I'm sure I'll have a couple as I look into this. I appreciate the insight and experience!

 

[Wingnutzz]

Agree. I never commuted on any of my bikes. Maybe ride to work now and then, but in my 300k miles or so most of them were out cruising or touring the country. I guess I was fortunate. Hoping that will be the way with my Mustang! So far so good. 6,300 miles since August, and only about 500 were
interstate and almost no city. Just wide-open country roads in Colorado, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Washington, Oregon, and Utah. Blessed! And retired!

I have broncos, mustangs, and motorcycles (cruisers). unfortuantely, all of the driving I've been doing inthe last year is interstate. most of mylocal errand runs are in the bronco, as the bikes and cars are not meant for wet roads...and yet the broncos are meant for sunny days too.

I will say, commuting on a bike takes much of the joy out of it, vs pleasure riding, but the same can be said for the mustangs.

also, bikes suck in cold weather, even when dry, whereas the mustang is at least just fine there (except with the current cup 2 tires that is)

also, when commuting, the bike is stressful, you are basically the entire ride looking around wondering which one of thse idiots is going to kill you today, and trying to avoid them. much diff than cruising on open roads where you can relax some.

 

[Dfeeds]

I have a Mustang and two bikes (a Harley Sportster and Street Glide). Believe it or not, my motorcycles haven’t received very much attention in the past year and a half. I attribute that to focusing on never ending Mustang mods.

Motorcycles are a lot of fun. Do you foresee yourself taking long trips on a motorcycle? If the answer is yes, consider getting a touring bike instead of the Rebel, you’ll be glad you did. They’re like riding in a luxury car. I’ve done several long distance rides and had a blast.

Maybe consider enrolling in a motorcycle safety course and receive the necessary paperwork to take to the DMV and get your license. The courses usually supply the motorcycles, so it gives you a chance to see if you like it well enough to get your own.

I'm looking into courses nearby for exactly that. The plan to get a bike is a bit impulsive at it is. To be honest, I'm not really sure what kind of riding I'll do. I was never a roadtrip person until my 2019 Mustang GT. Then I found myself taking spontaneous trips to who knows where. One of which took me across a couple of states.

I don't doubt I'll want to take some trips but 90% of my riding, if I am to guess, will be mostly local. I'm not dead set on the rebel. I just know I don't want a sportsbike but I want something that has the potential to outpace my outgoing Mustang. I've never been interested in chasing triple digit top speed thrills, mainly due to it just not being safe, but I do love quick acceleration. I'll keep a touring bike in mind, though! It definitely would make sense. I just worry one might be too big for a newbie.

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