Motorcycle vs Car for Long Distance Travel

[Lorne34]

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....

Which is driving this ridiculous push toward self-driving cars and all of the "safety" features on new cars that keep you in your lane, break for you, adjust the distance of the car in front of you....etc...
Whatever happened to using our eyes, ears and brains....
A related thread:
https://www.mustang6g.com/forums/threads/motorcycles-to-mustang-convertible.77771/

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[Hack]

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....

Makes sense to limit times. The last time I had a close call it was on a Saturday morning, though. She saw me and stopped before she hit me and I didn't dump the bike, but I was super pissed after it happened. I would say limit to weekend afternoons - avoid morning or evenings.

But I had a long gap in my motorcycle riding, so when I picked it up again in my 40s I had a real clear vision of my own mortality. As a teenager I never worried about getting hit by somebody, but later in life I was even concerned about pot holes and other road hazards. As a teen I rode without a helmet - not a care in the world. Fun, but I much prefer the convertible now.

 

[hlh1]

My wife and I have been riding motorcycles, and taking long trips, for 38 years but my back just can't take it anymore. My wife said "why don't you buy a nice new Mustang GT and we'll take that on trips instead". Great idea! I still have 3 bikes in the garage for short rides, but we use the GT now for "sport driving" trips.

 

[Dominator961]

Im 48 and getting to the point where I’m losing interest in cars. I’ve been working on cars since I was a kid. Starting out in my family’s body shop and fabrication business, doing everything from body, metal work, paint, mechanic etc.
I eventually started my own business just over 20 years ago as a mechanic and to be honest I’m to the point that I’m not having fun working on my own car anymore.
I used to love it and couldn’t wait to modify and wrench on my own stuff, but working on cars every day 12 hours a day 7 days a week, the last thing I want anymore is to come home to another one.

I find more enjoyment in my bikes more so then my GT350R.
Don’t take me wrong, I love my car and will never sell it. But at this stage in my life I find more pleasure riding my bikes.

 

[Mustang_Lou]

I could Like just about every post here and echo just about every one ... rode my '14 Guzzi California home from storage recently and before getting it, the thought of putting it up for sale for the 3rd time was on my mind. It didn't take long after starting off home until I said to myself "HELL NO!".

It is a weekend toy though except for the once or twice a year ride into work but the morons behind the wheels of cars keep that 4th attempt niggle there in the back of my head...

 

[DCShelby]

Took my 1299S out today instead of the GT350. I think it was giving me stinkeye as I left the garage. I don’t drive during the week as I take the subway to and from work. I’ll be nice and it will come out tomorrow

 

[DCShelby]

Took my 1299S out today instead of the GT350. I think it was giving me stinkeye as I left the garage. I don’t drive during the week as I take the subway to and from work. I’ll be nice and it will come out tomorrow

 

[Lorne34]

Im 48 and getting to the point where I’m losing interest in cars. I’ve been working on cars since I was a kid. Starting out in my family’s body shop and fabrication business, doing everything from body, metal work, paint, mechanic etc.
I eventually started my own business just over 20 years ago as a mechanic and to be honest I’m to the point that I’m not having fun working on my own car anymore.
I used to love it and couldn’t wait to modify and wrench on my own stuff, but working on cars every day 12 hours a day 7 days a week, the last thing I want anymore is to come home to another one.

I find more enjoyment in my bikes more so then my GT350R.
Don’t take me wrong, I love my car and will never sell it. But at this stage in my life I find more pleasure riding my bikes.

sounds like you need a vacation from your work/hobby :-)
I know the feeling...I've worked in IT for the past 30 years and the last thing I want to do is come home and fix the wife or kids computers... or a buddy's computer.
it's nice that you have the option of the bike and GT350R.. both different experiences.... I think I may personally take up long distance road biking (pedal bike that is...)

 

[hlh1]

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.

These are some really good points about the benefits of a motorcycle. You can go fast on a motorcycle and people tend to expect it and either ignore it or get over it quickly. A car on the other hand will get other drivers wound up.

Another thing I've enjoyed about motorcycles is the performance "bang for the buck". Most sport bikes can spank most cars in any area of performance and cost less than 25% of a new sports car. But, I love my Mustang GT when it's raining, cold, hot, or when my back hurts, or if I really need to carry anything.

 

[Hack]

Another thing I've enjoyed about motorcycles is the performance "bang for the buck". Most sport bikes can spank most cars in any area of performance and cost less than 25% of a new sports car.

0-60 is what motorcycles excel at. Turning and braking - usually cars are better if the rider is an amateur.

 

[CAL Captain]

My old ride:

Maybe looking at a Honda Goldwing or the BMW K1600 for the future.

 

[DCShelby]

Go with that big Victory cruiser. Much more stylish.

 

[hlh1]

0-60 is what motorcycles excel at. Turning and braking - usually cars are better if the rider is an amateur.

Agreed. It's hard to beat the power to weight with sport bikes.

 

[Strokerswild]

Makes sense to limit times. The last time I had a close call it was on a Saturday morning, though. She saw me and stopped before she hit me and I didn't dump the bike, but I was super pissed after it happened. I would say limit to weekend afternoons - avoid morning or evenings.

But I had a long gap in my motorcycle riding, so when I picked it up again in my 40s I had a real clear vision of my own mortality. As a teenager I never worried about getting hit by somebody, but later in life I was even concerned about pot holes and other road hazards. As a teen I rode without a helmet - not a care in the world. Fun, but I much prefer the convertible now.

Agreed.

Especially the bold. I clipped a deer (there were two to choose from) on a fall evening in 2009, and was lucky to have escaped more or less unscathed. Despite full gear, I still got a hell of a concussion and got to spend a night in the hospital. The ER staff said I would have been dead if not for the helmet. I felt like I took on a football team for a week after, hitting pavement at highway speed and tumbling on it a few times is hard on the body - who knew? I still have the helmet, but the insurance company kept my Vanson armored textile jacket, which was equally destroyed.

I'd rather ride at night than dusk or dawn. I knew I was pushing it that night at sunset, and sure enough. Live and learn. I got lucky.

 

[Mustang_Lou]

Yikes! I've got a full face and an open face helmet but will ensure I take the full face when the risks are the highest (higher than they already are of course).

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