Last year about this time I decided gasoline was too expensive, so I started the journey toward biker-dom. I bought a Honda 230 dual sport and spent last summer doing a lot of trail riding to develop some skills. Last weekend I completed the basic riding safety course, passed, and got the indorsement on my driver license. Am I now ready to start commuting? Read on past the orange u-turn test.
First thing I gotta say is how indisputibly fun it is to tool around on a small motorcycle. My daughter is also working on getting a motorcycle indorsement, and we already bought her a Honda Rebel 250. I had it out today for a shakedown ride. The bike handles exactly the way I'd expect a Japanese motor vehicle to handle: smooth, predictable, precise. It dealt with 220+ lb me with aplomb--mostly.
The first order of business is the annoying engine miss. I stored it for a year without running it enough, so it wants lots of choke until it's good and hot. Roll off the choke and the engine stumbles every so often. I'm an experienced mechanic, but not so much with motorcycle engines, but I'd guess "sticky carburetor component" or maybe a fouled spark plug. I'm open to advice here.
I just put gas in the Rebel, a whopping $3.18 for a fill-up. I could learn to like this. The Rebel gets about 60 mpg, but my dual-sport gets more like 80 and I can't wait to get all smug about cheap commuting. But first I gotta get brave enough to get on the highway with what amounts to a street legal dirt bike.
I feel fairly safe on the neighborhood roads, but the commute to work is on a stretch of 55 mph state highway. I find that a little intimidating, mostly because I have never ridden on pavement, in traffic, at that speed before. My brother is an experienced rider though, and we are supposed to pal up and do some highway riding together soon.
I was surprised at how cold one gets at 25-35 mph. I had on the gloves and leather jacket, but it felt like a windbreaker. I need to make the jump to a heavy armored jacket much sooner than I'd figured. Ditto for the pants. Levi's aren't really smart protection in the first place, and they are dang frosty riding gear. I've got a top-notch helmet but it's a dual sport helmet and wearing goggles kind of sucks. I need me a street helmet.
Which brings me back to the issue of cost: it's going to take a season of dedicated riding before I hit the break-even point between operating costs and fuel savings. The bike was about $3,000 and my gear will--all told--run at least $500. Same for my daughter. Someday I'll want something bigger than the Honda 230, and that is an entirely different can of economic worms (I have my eye on a BMW 800 GS, but that isn't going to get past my wife).
So what's next? Advanced motorcycle training? Join a club? Fart around on my own? I'd like to hear anyone's motorcycle thinking from economics to safety.