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Opinions from motorcycle owners

Balr14

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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?
Just physical. Damage to both arms, neck and right shoulder. I was fairly easy to deal with when I was younger, but those things have a way of coming back to haunt you as you get old. The repairs need a redo, but unfortunately, I'm too old and it wouldn't help.
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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.
I actually am provided a utility van for service calls so I don't have to use my own vehicle to commute. This is a newer arrangement so I did use my mustang to commute 5 days a week.

Good point about the weather. It may not be ideal for a sports car but, with the right tires, the Mustang can at least manage. I enjoyed using it as my daily because my fun toy doubled as my daily necessity. A motorcycle just can't be that. Although I'd be lying if I said I didn't giggle thinking about riding a motorcycle in the snow.
 

Wingnutzz

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Not really a giggle — more of a pucker on a big bike. Monarch Pass Colorado.
I actually am provided a utility van for service calls so I don't have to use my own vehicle to commute. This is a newer arrangement so I did use my mustang to commute 5 days a week.

Good point about the weather. It may not be ideal for a sports car but, with the right tires, the Mustang can at least manage. I enjoyed using it as my daily because my fun toy doubled as my daily necessity. A motorcycle just can't be that. Although I'd be lying if I said I didn't giggle thinking about riding a motorcycle in the snow.
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Balr14

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I actually am provided a utility van for service calls so I don't have to use my own vehicle to commute. This is a newer arrangement so I did use my mustang to commute 5 days a week.

Good point about the weather. It may not be ideal for a sports car but, with the right tires, the Mustang can at least manage. I enjoyed using it as my daily because my fun toy doubled as my daily necessity. A motorcycle just can't be that. Although I'd be lying if I said I didn't giggle thinking about riding a motorcycle in the snow.
I have ridden a motorcycle in snow on the freeway. There was an unexpected snow storm while I was at work. The freeway was the only way I could get home, because there were decent tire tracks I could follow. There's nothing like riding a 700 lb. touring bike in freeway traffic on a slippery road, trying to stay in an 8" wide tire track! If that didn't give me a heart attack, nothing will.

There was another time I got caught in an ice storm while on a trip. There was no way I could ride in that and I saw a motel about 500' away. So, I pushed the bike to the motel. I didn't realize I had left it in gear the whole time. I thought it was kind of hard to push!

You bring back a lot of memories. There was the incident I had with a drag bike, but that's another story...
 

Earlsays

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I have never been into motorcycles, so I can’t speak to that…but I’ve had a 2004 V6 Mustang, a 2013 V6 Mustang, a 2014 GT, a 2015 GT, my current 2021 GT, and I made a bad decision and had a short lived 89 5.0 convertible Mustang - that car was a basket case and a mistake - my only refrenis not having a nice crew convertible Mustang….

i hace loved all my Mustangs, and this one will likely not be my final example - these cars are GREAT - go get another Mustang 2015-2023 is an excellent car - and get a cheap used bike to go with it.
 

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NGOT8R

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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.
I have been riding street bikes since 1992 with a valid MC endorsement. The most important thing I’ve learned is, protective gear works. I’ve seen it firsthand when a buddy of mine fell on the interstate at 70 mph. This was during rush hour traffic. When I looked back and didn’t see him, I took the next exit, pulled over and got my phone out to try and call him. Just as I was doing this, two ladies in a car pulled along side me and told me that he had just fallen. I turned around heading back up the interstate afraid of what I was about to see. Thank God, he was wearing his helmet, thick jeans, a leather jacket and gloves, because they protected his body. I was so happy to see him standing up on the shoulder near the center median, as I approached from the opposite direction. He ended up with a broken collarbone. His helmet and jacket had scrapes all over them and his jeans held up. He actually refused medical attention at the scene and i sister on riding his bike home (which he did and then went to the hospital).

I personally wear a leather jacket, boots, helmet, gloves and in most cases, kevlar lined riding jeans (never shorts or sneakers), no matter what the temperature is outside.

If you get something along the lines of the Rebel, you might want to consider a backpack to carry your helmet and jacket whenever you stop. Touring bikes usually have saddle bags and/or a tour pack, so there’s plenty of storage for those items. My Street Glide weighs about 900 lbs, and I’m 5’7” tall and weigh 165 lbs. I don’t know what your physical build is, but don‘t let the idea of a touring bike being bIg, cause you to think it’ll be too challenging.
 

Inthehighdesert

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Like many here I’ve been riding almost my whole life. I did stop a few years back when my twin boys were born. Agreement I made with my wife. I’ve always had sport bikes, first was 85 Gsxr750 brought in to the US from Canada, and my last was an Aprilia Tuono V4. I’m going to go a different direction then proper training which goes without saying. What I would ask you is how attentive(and defensive) of a driver are you. An actual very honest assessment. For me that’s what has kept me safe for roughly almost four decades on a street bike. If you think you are then move forward. I can honestly say I don’t get the itch to ride on the street any longer. Still love motorcycles but enjoy my cars and family even more. The very hard part to acknowledge about riding for so long is how many very good friends and acquaintances I’ve lost over the years. Best of luck with whatever path you choose. My apologies if this came across like debbie downer, wasnt meant to.
 

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Something else I forgot to suggest was, you can rent a few different models to try out before you decide on a specific model or even partake in demo rides at various dealers. All that is required is a valid license with a MC endorsement. A few years ago, I rented a Harley Street Glide for my brother (unlimited mileage for 2 days), $160. He ended up buying one shortly thereafter.
 

tom_sprecher

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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.
The above is the advice I would give you. I was big into motorcycles in my teens, and was a bike mechanic for a while after graduating early from high school. It had been 17 years since I last rode a bike before I took a Harley motorcycle safety course to see if I really wanted to buy another bike.

The 2001 Night Train I bought new has over 17k on it, and I stopped riding it when I bought the Jeep in 2012. It needs to be gone through and the carb replaced, but it's more fun driving around with the family than riding alone on the bike. I hope to put it back on the road next year...or the year after that...or maybe the year after. ;)
 
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My Street Glide weighs about 900 lbs, and I’m 5’7” tall and weigh 165 lbs. I don’t know what your physical build is, but don‘t let the idea of a touring bike being bIg, cause you to think it’ll be too challenging.
I'll keep that in mind! Definitely why it's important for me to try things. I love the look and idea of the rebel 1100 but it's possible I'll hate actually sitting on it.

I'll definitely be looking into wearing a good amount of protective gear. I just saw someone riding their Indian, in 30° F temps, without a helmet or gloves. That just doesn't seem pleasant. It did have temp plates so maybe it was an impulse buy haha.

If you get something along the lines of the Rebel, you might want to consider a backpack to carry your helmet and jacket whenever you stop.
I've seen these and want to look into them. I've started to use backpacks quite a bit. I use a backpack for my range gear and lug around a 30lb backpack full of tools all day so I'm used to it, at least.

Something else I forgot to suggest was, you can rent a few different models to try out before you decide on a specific model or even partake in demo rides at various dealers. All that is required is a valid license with a MC endorsement. A few years ago, I rented a Harley Street Glide for my brother (unlimited mileage for 2 days), $160. He ended up buying one shortly thereafter.
Is an MC endorsement the same as an M class rating on a license (differences in state lingo), or is it a step above? I tried googling it and couldn't find the answer.
 

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Like many here I’ve been riding almost my whole life. I did stop a few years back when my twin boys were born. Agreement I made with my wife. I’ve always had sport bikes, first was 85 Gsxr750 brought in to the US from Canada, and my last was an Aprilia Tuono V4. I’m going to go a different direction then proper training which goes without saying. What I would ask you is how attentive(and defensive) of a driver are you. An actual very honest assessment. For me that’s what has kept me safe for roughly almost four decades on a street bike. If you think you are then move forward. I can honestly say I don’t get the itch to ride on the street any longer. Still love motorcycles but enjoy my cars and family even more. The very hard part to acknowledge about riding for so long is how many very good friends and acquaintances I’ve lost over the years. Best of luck with whatever path you choose. My apologies if this came across like debbie downer, wasnt meant to.

I'd say you're being pragmatic. I want real opinions, not something coated in flowers. So I appreciate it. If I wasn't torn then I wouldn't have bothered asking. The safety concern is very real, especially for those of us who are past the "I'm invincible" phase of our life.

I'd say I'm offensively defensive, if that makes sense. Basically I'm not the type to try and force an opening. Instead I like to sit back, read a situation, watch driver behavior, and make a move when an opening forms. It can honestly be mentally exhausting. I'm never relaxed, in traffic.

Something else I do, but no one else seems to (that I know) is to watch the wheels. The wheels can tell so much more information than just watching the car itself. Just noticing the subtle roll of a wheel, before a car actually darts out from a side road, has allowed me to avoid a few T-bone accidents by giving me an extra second to process the information and react. Granted, the entirety of this post is a result of me wrecking my Mustang, but I did avoid the collision!

It definitely gives me something to think about. I can see being on a bike advantageous, due to providing mobility I sometimes wish I had in a car. But there's definitely a trade off, and no one is ever always at 100%. A lapse of judgement can cause an inconvenience in a car (losing the back end of the Mustang), but can be fatal on a bike.
 

Wingnutzz

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Watching the wheels always a key part of my driving and riding. The driver of a car can look right at you and never “see” you, so wheel movement is important!
 
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The above is the advice I would give you. I was big into motorcycles in my teens, and was a bike mechanic for a while after graduating early from high school. It had been 17 years since I last rode a bike before I took a Harley motorcycle safety course to see if I really wanted to buy another bike.

The 2001 Night Train I bought new has over 17k on it, and I stopped riding it when I bought the Jeep in 2012. It needs to be gone through and the carb replaced, but it's more fun driving around with the family than riding alone on the bike. I hope to put it back on the road next year...or the year after that...or maybe the year after. ;)
Haha I get your point. My old Mustang sat for a similar reason. Although that was more due to me being burned out fixing it, and I didn't feel like tearing into it for the umpteenth time.

That's one reason why I am heavily considering this now, though. I've always kind of wanted to get a motorcycle. Right now I think I'm in a decent spot. I have experience but no kids/family that depend on me. It would be better to get it out of my system now, when I can afford to be more selfish, than if I had a family and had a midlife crisis.
 
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Watching the wheels always a key part of my driving and riding. The driver of a car can look right at you and never “see” you, so wheel movement is important!
Good to know! If people can miss my loud, pig of a Mustang then it's a guarantee I'll be invisible on a bike haha. It's a bit unsettling how inattentive people are driving 1.5 tons of steel.
 
 




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