Fiancee wants to get a motorcycle??

Question

Ok, I am a little paranoid about this. He is a very responsible person but the concept of him riding a motorcycle on the I5 (California) for 2 hours every weekend is scaring me. (has to for his job).

He wants one because it would be cheaper (we dont have a lot of money at the moment) and he has to get a new vehicle no matter what. so what I want to know are the pros and cons and can someone help me with my fears of him getting killed on the highway??

Answer 1

Get a car first! Buy a bike later. It's bound to rain, it's cold and dangerous! It would be the sensible thing to do!

Answer 2

Motorcycles are okay as long as he takes the classes and never forgets that the cars don't see him. If he never rode one before, he should stay off the freeway until he has gotten used to how the bike handles and he is comfortable riding in traffic.

Don't learn on a big bike, start small or medium size then get what he really wants after a year, actually freeways are safer than the city streets since cars can't hide or turn in front of you from driveways.

Answer 3

Doesn't matter if he is a responsible people. If people crash into him, which is very likely, what do you think will happen to him at like 65 mph? He will be flying for sure. The pros are that he will get good mileage and the cons are that he will be finished if someone does crash into him because they don't know how to drive. Get a car, period.

Answer 4

Lots of things are dangerous. You're not his mommy, and he's a grown man. If he wants to ride, let him.

Answer 5

I ride my bike on the 105, 605, 10 and 210 freeways at times.  Sometimes, you are overlooked.  It is a hazard of riding, but it doesn't stop so many of us.  Cars are dangerous, too (not to minimize the added risk of a bike).  A motorcycle is a good choice only if you both agree to it.  My wife won't ride because of the risks, but she did not stand in my way of buying my bike, and she wishes me well on my rides.

Talk to him about your fears.  Between the two of you, decide what is best.

Good luck.

Answer 6

I live in Ca and my boyfriend has a motorcycle but it also has a car. Wanting to to get a bike is understandable due to gas prices but weather plays a big factor. Summer is almost over and with fall and winter on the horizon there's bound to have rainy days. My bf never rides unless its clear. Plus another concern I would have is would he really want to ride back 2 hours on his bike after a hard days work? My bf wouldn't because he states it very different driving a car and a bike, in a car you can be tired yet still manage fine, but on a bike you need to be alert at all times. you may be an expert motorcyclist but that doesn't mean the people around you are good drivers. My bf has almost been run over twice because cars don't see him and try to switch lanes. If he gets a motorcycle he has to get the licensing and encourage him to take the motorcycle classes, my bf has been in sticky situations and he credit those classes for giving him the tools for manage on the road. Keep in mind when your in a car you have your car as protection in case of an accident, on a bike all you have is your clothing and protective gear.

The main pro is the gas. It takes my bf 15 bucks to fill up for the week as opposed to 70 and it is faster.

Answer 7

I am a bike rider, and I live in Anaheim and ride the I-5 nearly every day.  I ride instead of drive because it is cheaper on gas, and I can get there alot quicker (motorcycles can split lanes--it is perfectly legal for them to ride between cars, which helps since the I-5 is frequently jammed).

I think a bike is a nice alternative to the car, but not a complete substitute. I still have to have a car.  Heavy rain, really cold out, really hot, or you got to carry alot of groceries, and you really don't want to ride. But whenever I can get away with the bike (about 80% of the time) I will take that before the car--and I enjoy riding more than driving as well.

I understand his concerns about costs, both on gas and purchase price.  Keep in mind however, that a new bike is fairly expensive, at least $6,000 for a decent cruiser, about $9-12,000 for a fancy sportbike, and (nice) Harley's or nice touring bikes are about $15,000 and up.  For those prices you could get a Hyundai or Kia, and the gas mileage on these things isn't that bad either.  

In terms of gas cost, yes, motorcycles generally have an advantage over cars, but not necessarily.  The 3 cylinder Geo Metro had one of the best MPG ratings at I believe 54 mpg; a full dress Harley can suck up gas in the 30-40 mpg range (hehehe they have big engines). The point that I am getting across is that there are alot of alternatives that you could consider.  Frankly, it sounds to me that he just wants to ride, and the gas mileage is an excuse.  This I can understand perfectly.

As to your concerns about safety, my feeling is that you have to be extra extra extra careful on a bike.   You can afford to be a little careless in a car, but on a bike, I am constantly on the watch for other drivers.   On a bike, I have to assume that that car in front of me will change lanes without looking, or a car will pop out of the side street, and be prepared at all times.  If you are careful, then biking can be safe.

As to the I-5, I also want to point out something that you may not have thought about.  What time of day is he going to be riding?  I ask because I think the safest times for a biker on the freeway are during heavy rush hour traffic times, like 7-11 a.m. 3-7 p.m., when the traffic is jammed.  It seems counter intuitive, but when car traffic is stopped, I feel the safest when riding.  Just take a look at the I-5 sometime, and pretty much during all daylight hours, car traffic is jammed and moving along slowly.  It is either stopped, or on the rare occasions when cars can move, you are going like 25-30 miles an hour (for maybe a mile before you have to come to a dead stop again.)  

At these times I ride in the middle of the lanes, between the cars (called "lane splitting").  At these times, I know that the cars are stuck and I can happily go on my merry little way.   When the cars are stopped, bumper to bumper, they can't change lanes in front of you, because there isn't enough space for them to move.  They have to stay put. And when they move, they are moving slowly. So you know you're safe.  And at these times of the day, I am not really going that fast, so on the off chance that I do hit something, it's going to be a relatively low speed collision.  When the traffic is jammed, I get a special warm fuzzy feeling inside because I know that I am managing to go somewhere and all these car drivers are stuck. :)

I personally think it is safe to have a bike (I have one myself), and if he takes the classes, is generally a safe person (not a daredevil personality), and wears good riding gear in case of a crash (good helmet, armored jacket, armored gloves, armored leather pants), then he should be safe. Good luck.  

Answer 8

im a bike rider... he and you better think it over.. a car will be better.. has much as i like my bike.. is does rain and it does get cold.... and yes there are wreaks.. and most of the time if you wreak a bike its only once

Answer 9

If your number comes up, it doesnt matter if you are on a motorcycle or in a tank.  At least, let him go out with the feel of the wind on his face.

Answer 10

...Look in the Classified Ads for a cheap car to use as a Commuter!!

..You may save Gas using a Bike, He may be the safest and most responsible driver around........but there are many careless people on the road....and one serious accident, and he can be in a wheel chair

for life.......Is that worth saving the Gas??