Talk me out of/into a motorcycle

[45Doll 5,881]

My job just transfered me to Mt. Olive so my commute has practically tripled. I'm living in somerville and this move will put me dangerously close to being over my leased miles. figure this could be a good excuse to buy one. Is this feasible or a really dumb idea?

I'll let others with direct experience comment on the motorcycle option. About your lease:

 

Divide the total cost of your lease by the number of allowed miles to get cost per mile. For one of my leases that comes out to $.43/mile. And on that same lease the overage cost per mile is $.15. About 1/3 of the cost of the lease miles. So don't assume that going over your lease miles is a bad thing, if the money is your concern. (Although the total sum might be more than you care to spend.)

 

Do the math.

[High Exposure 5,669]

I ways thought of you more as a Vespa kind of guy

[1LtCAP 4,264]

i used to love riding. last time i was on a cycle was about 4 years ago. i felt like i spent way too much time dodging, and looking out for inattentive, ignorant, and careless/reckless drivers. this was even when i got out into the country a bit.........i sold it, and haven't looked back. i can't afford to wake up in the er due to some jackhammer.

[MedicYeti 96]

20 years in EMS. Off the top of my head I can think of over 100 motorcycle accidents. Maybe 15 were dead on scene, maybe another 20 with injuries that were going to kill or debilitate the rider. Very few of the crashes were the riders fault.

Sign an organ donor card before getting one.

I'm not anti motorcycle but in NJ there are a lot of bad drivers in big vehicles.

[Golf battery 1,223]

How about a prius. I hear the new models arent coming with the obama sticker anymore. Yeah for your sake and your families. Give it a long good second thought. Been a rider for about 27 years now. I just helped a guy in s jersey on a rural road last fall. I was the first one to see him. A deer ran right into him in the middle of the day. He was laying in the middle of the road with his bike next to him. Deer came outta nowhere. Lotta skin and blood all over. I kept him calm until ems got there about ten minutes later. His harley was f 'd. Fiat ? Just kidding. There are some cheap new cars you can buy. Good luck. Work sucks.

[msokad 3]

former rider here. If you are going to get the bike for leisure/weekend riding, go for it and be safe. I personally wouldn't get one to commute with during regular rush hour. Too many distracted drivers and not worth the risk in NJ.

[Budasac 13]

..........Oh, and ride a little faster than the cars around you. It really helps.

 

+1. Definitely helps.

[67gtonut 847]

Have we talked you out of it yet?  ( based on making it a commuter vehicle )

[DeerSlayer 241]

The Lowe's on international drive

 

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That's my local Lowe's store. I'm in there on occasion when all the supply houses are closed. I'll have to stop in and say hi one day. I've lived in this area most of my life been riding dirt bikes since I was about 6 when my dad got me a Honda 50 for my birthday. Got my first street bike at 17 and have always had a bike until recently. With that said I've been hit by car's riding around Morris county 3 times since 1994 when I got my license. Somehow I'm still alive, (some nerve damage in my leg and shoulder) but alive. 206 and 46 are pretty busy roads. People don't pay attention during commuter hours. If your looking to live a long life I recommend getting a Honda Civic instead, for a commuter vehicle.

 

Or just move up here closer to work. It's a Republican area and some really nice places to live surrounding Mt. Olive. Long Valley, Flanders, Chester, Roxbury Twp. All great towns. Taxes are a little on the high side but good schools, low crime, and close to everything.

 

[Frank Rizzo 59]

Been riding streetbikes 20+ years.  I am not thrilled with the idea of commuting to work on one though, too much stop and go and overall craziness out there.  I did it when I was younger, really no interest now.  If you have not been riding as long as some of us here, I would say dont do it. 

[DeerSlayer 241]

Is it just Murphys law? I've been driving up there a week and haven't seen a one

 

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Believe me the deer are everywhere here! I've shot them with the bow in the retention pond across the parking lot from your store (probably just incriminated myself). And all up and down both sides of 206 all the way to the end of Chester. Lots and lots of deer! The property next to and behind Walmart is a gun club, they drive the crap out of that place. I've seen literally hundreds of deer throughout that entire 206 coradoar.

 

[Silphidae 33]

I sold my bike after 2 years in NJ. Had a truck at the time and was rear ended twice in those two years in the truck. If I was on my bike it would have been much worse.....don't care how much experience you have NJ can be a really bad place to ride regardless of your skill. ALL OF THE ACCIDENTS WERE DURING RUSH HOUR.

 

Truth be told I've been read ended 4 times now (I was complete stopped each time in rush hour traffic). This is over 25 years and around 350k miles. Still not worth it in this state dhring commuter hours.

[Maximus 16]

Like most have already told you, it is going to be the jackass who doesn't even know you're anywhere near them. In 10 years of riding, I probably had about 10 to 15 incidents with other drivers. Anywhere from them making a left turn in front of me from the right lane, to someone not realizing they were in a left turn only lane and continuing straight through the intersection. And these were all during "pleasure" rides. Not too pleasurable. Again as someone mentioned, it's not if you're going to lay the bike down, it's when. All compounded by the fact that most soccer moms in their oversized SUV's are more intent on talking or texting or watching what their kids are doing in the back seat. Either way, be safe. Keep the rubber side down.

[WhiskeyTangoFoxtrot 358]

Riding a motorcycle in NJ is a lot like playing a video game.  Constantly trying to avoid people/things always trying to take you out.

[Golf battery 1,223]

So i think by now youve come to a conclusion. Prius or bust. Seriously though youre a smart guy. Weekend riding is ok but as a commute we'd like to see you around for a while longer. Typing with your tounge while being paralyzed can really suck.

[PeteF 1,044]

Just as a point. The traffic on 206 sucks. I worked in the trade center for 10 years and commuted to union county. 206 was my fallback route to avoid 24. I lost 2 windshields due to rocks kicked up going thru 206 construction zones. I would imagine that would not make a biker happy catching a 1" rock in the visor.

[DeerSlayer 241]

Just as a point. The traffic on 206 sucks. I worked in the trade center for 10 years and commuted to union county. 206 was my fallback route to avoid 24. I lost 2 windshields due to rocks kicked up going thru 206 construction zones. I would imagine that would not make a biker happy catching a 1" rock in the visor.

Nevermind the helmet visor, they stop most rocks. Try one in the throught, I thought my esophagus collapsed. It was bad!

 

[InFamous 311]

That's my local Lowe's store. I'm in there on occasion when all the supply houses are closed. I'll have to stop in and say hi one day. I've lived in this area most of my life been riding dirt bikes since I was about 6 when my dad got me a Honda 50 for my birthday. Got my first street bike at 17 and have always had a bike until recently. With that said I've been hit by car's riding around Morris county 3 times since 1994 when I got my license. Somehow I'm still alive, (some nerve damage in my leg and shoulder) but alive. 206 and 46 are pretty busy roads. People don't pay attention during commuter hours. If your looking to live a long life I recommend getting a Honda Civic instead, for a commuter vehicle. Or just move up here closer to work. It's a Republican area and some really nice places to live surrounding Mt. Olive. Long Valley, Flanders, Chester, Roxbury Twp. All great towns. Taxes are a little on the high side but good schools, low crime, and close to everything.

 

Mt. Olive is a great community. If you get the chance to move up here I would. Also, I can attest to the quick turn around on P2P or FID apps. I currently live there and wouldn't move out of the "Mt Olive" area. As far as a bike is concerned. I thought once I moved out of my parents almost 20 years ago I'd be able to have one...still never was "allowed" to get my bike or license

[SuRrEaLNJ 294]

You can take a lot of things from me before you take my bike. Any reason is a good reason, but watch every cager like the idiots they are.

 

I commuted more with it when I didn't work so close. Now I'm like 15 min from work, which means it's like a 2 hour ride home on the bike...

[W2MC 1,699]

Riding a motorcycle in NJ is a lot like playing a video game.  Constantly trying to avoid people/things always trying to take you out.

 

Exactly.  Its a game called Keep Away.

[Silence Dogood 468]

"Sign an organ donor card before getting one ..."

 

So few of them are actually usable afterwards ...

[Sota 1,191]

JERSEY DRIVERS. 'nuff said.

That's the reason I gave mine up after only 4 years of riding. Final straw was when some dumb teenage cunt nearly killed me 3 times over the space of 10 minutes. I wound up getting so mad I stopped her in the middle of traffic and was mere moments away from smashing her window, dragging her out and beating her to a pulp. Decided a couple days later 2-wheeling in NJ is just too fucking dangerous. I understood that day why bikers ride like total assholes in this state: you have to to survive.

[M1152 713]

former rider here. If you are going to get the bike for leisure/weekend riding, go for it and be safe. I personally wouldn't get one to commute with during regular rush hour. Too many distracted drivers and not worth the risk in NJ.

Some good comments and thoughts but this comment sums it up for me. I got my MC DL in or around 1976 and eventually made the bike my full time vehicle. After a couple of years commuting year-round I finally threw in the towel and gave it up all together (so I thought) because of some of the above negative reasons cited above about the NJ & Tristate A-hole drivers, but mostly I just got worn-out by it.  In 2005 I got the itch again and went out and purchased a new Harley for pleasure only, it was one of the best decisions I made for myself. Like guns and everything else for that matter bikes aren't for everyone.

[bhunted 887]

This thread is getting depressing. Anyone want to buy my 2011 HD Ultra Limited?

[siderman 1,138]

This thread is getting depressing. Anyone want to buy my 2011 HD Ultra Limited?

whats depressing is how little I ride anymore around here. Tired of being on hi alert all the time, no fun in that. NJ is the most densly populated state= more knucklehead drivers per sq mile than anywhere else. Not to mention us older folk aint gonna heal as fast/well as we used to if we get hit or go down. cant give it up been riding over 45+ yrs if you include the mini bikes a lifetime ago just need to take a sabbatical till i move to more open country.  OP- paying a bit more  for over mileage has to be a lot cheaper and safer than the cost of a bike, ins. etc.....

[bhunted 887]

For sure.... My bones always hurt... Getting old sux. I've gone on sabbatical here and there and find I miss it. But I'm beginning to think I should just get rid of it and get my bills paid off faster so I can get the hell out of NJ before I die. Not riding that long, (Just over 23 years), but enough to know I hate driving in this state. I either go out early after rush hour, or weekend mornings to be back by mid afternoon. Running out of places in NJ to explore and even hate the road conditions especially this year. Ugh. I need to buy another truck instead of the bike. (Thinking out loud: 2015 F-150 Ford Raptor)...

 

whats depressing is how little I ride anymore around here. Tired of being on hi alert all the time, no fun in that. NJ is the most densly populated state= more knucklehead drivers per sq mile than anywhere else. Not to mention us older folk aint gonna heal as fast/well as we used to if we get hit or go down. cant give it up been riding over 45+ yrs if you include the mini bikes a lifetime ago just need to take a sabbatical till i move to more open country.  OP- paying a bit more  for over mileage has to be a lot cheaper and safer than the cost of a bike, ins. etc.....

[Joe P. 4]

agree with previous posters, i give riders plenty of room on the road , but most drivers in NJ could care less,  I always said i would get one when i grew up , but seeing how riders are treated with disregard around here convinces me otherwise. 

and sitting on the NJTP in traffic, in the rain.

[1LtCAP 4,264]

That's the reason I gave mine up after only 4 years of riding. Final straw was when some dumb teenage cunt nearly killed me 3 times over the space of 10 minutes. I wound up getting so mad I stopped her in the middle of traffic and was mere moments away from smashing her window, dragging her out and beating her to a pulp. Decided a couple days later 2-wheeling in NJ is just too fucking dangerous. I understood that day why bikers ride like total assholes in this state: you have to to survive.

i rode for about 25 years. even taking jersey drivers into account, it didn't used to be as bad as it is now. it used to be enjoyable.

[raz-0 1,259]

Then deer is what you need to look out for. I see more deer at those hours on my bike than I ever did in my car. Two more things to consider. One is that they are recently finding that starting to learn to ride a motorcycle in your 40s and later is actually a pretty bad idea. I don't know how old you are but I figured I would put that out there. This is been found because the muscle memory and eye scanning that you've done all the time in your car is very hard to unlearn as riding a motorcycle in traffic it's very new to the body. The other is the flip side to that. people that commute regularly are actually found to have fewer accidents

 

 

1) At approximately 40, your visual reaction time peaks. There's some variance, but that where the median is. 

 

2) The stat for greatly increased accident demographic is new rider at for and a displacement of 1000ccs or larger. They are disproportionately represented in accident stats. 

 

So you have older new riders buying either a REALLY fast bike, or a REALLY heavy bike. Both of which are rough on new riders skills (or lack thereof). 

 

Other things that are disproportionately represented in accident stats are. 

 

a) alcohol involvement. I know a few people who have wrecked and some who have even wrecked bad (buh-bye leg), and many of them involved alcohol.... but not a DWI. While I do question when I drive past on of the local bars popular with riders and see the same few bikes out front for HOURS, I also think that there's a disconnect in reasoning/judgment about how much drinking is too much if you are riding on two wheels. Riding can ask a LOT more of you than driving a car. 

 

b) Left hand turns. These are jsut plain old dangerous for bikers. I argue it is because the human brain is good at processing certain things. Two of those things are motion and faces. Cars have faces that can be seen for quite a long distance, and someone waiting to turn left doesn't really move much. This means you are seriously disadvantaged regarding oncoming traffic when making a left. 

 

c) excessive speed into curves for road conditions. This can be speeding, or this can just be unexpectedly bad road conditions. After this winter, between the pot holes, patches, and piles of sand/grit in the corners, I'm sure NJ will be offering up lives and limbs to this one. 

 

Those are the big risks, and you are not in control of a significant portion of them. Others, you are fighting your habits on. Act accordingly. 

 

NJ is a rough place to drive a car, much less a bike. 

[Njbanshee 9]

I sold my all my bikes when my son was born. In the few years of riding I went down hard one time and my back will never be the same. Buy a little $2000 Honda to commute with. I also like drinking a coffee on the way to work and you can't do that on a bike.