Anyone live moto only?

[theAmazingKickstand]

K first i didn't like moto's anymore now i dont like my car too much.
Thinking of getting a nice bike and going moto only. How do you guys do in real life.....rain, job interviews, girls, trips, carrying shit.
In real life is it a hassle? If you used a car before do you wish you had it back?
I don't want to keep my car and pay for insurance and not drive it for the next 8 months till it starts to rain again.
Biggest concern is i like to go for multi day trips but also like to bring my bicycle with me

 

[sckego]

As of about 3 weeks ago I'm moto-only. I put maybe 3,000 miles on my car in the previous 4 years. I took the car when it was snowy/icy, when I was taking the bike wheels to the shop for new tires, when I had large packages to pick up, and when I had to pick someone up. I have an Olympia Phantom one-piece suit for when it's freezing cold and rainy... I can dress up, put the suit on, head off to where I'm going in a downpour, arrive and shuck the suit and still look professional. A topbox gets me through 99% of day-to-day stuff... grocery shopping, etc. If I need to get something oversized, I'll make my wife do it in her car. And I figure if I *really* need a car, hell, I can go rent one for about the cost of my monthly insurance bill on my old car.

 

[sixtytwo]

Went bike only for about a year and a half. In all, I wouldn't recommended it because it is more of a hassle. By that I mean that you have to plan things out ahead of time, like how much stuff you can carry and what you're going to do after that. I found that I had to make trips home a lot more often to drop things off and pick things up.

In my experience regarding the issues you've mentioned,
Rain: Not a big deal - jeans can stand up to a light rain, leather jackets are pretty much waterproof. If it rains too hard, just wait a couple minutes for it to get lighter
Interviews - everyone dresses casually in my line of work, but I had to dress up a couple times - I just ride there in my suit, then lock the helmet+gloves to the bike
Girls - bike scores you more girls than any crappy econobox. if they don't want to ride with you, they're not worth dating.
Trips - on longer trips, always took someone elses' car/truck
Carrying stuff - Since my bike has no storage capacity, I use a huge camping backpack. Weeks worth of groceries fit in there no problem. Kept a couple tie-downs and a cargo net for securing bigger stuff to the backseat

My biggest complaint? Having to carry gear around with me. The thing I like the most about driving (there aren't many) is that I can just jump out of the car and do whatever without wearing a heavy leather jacket and carrying a bulky helmet.

 

[hitman5532]

went moto only for about 5 years

pros and cons

i still rarely drive a car

 

[Yakoo752]

I am

in SSF I wouldn't hesitate to do it and get zip car

 

[garciawork]

I am moto only. Get a Givi trunk. I sold my car because I didn't touch it for a month straight. The only issue I have is getting large amounts of toilet paper and paper towels home, and that is what friends are for!

 

[motopsyco59]

I owned a car for about a year and a half. It sat mostly, collecting parking tickets and getting vandalized by the neighborhood brats. Now I rent when I really, really need to.

All moto here.

Cheers!

 

[sckego]

I am moto only. Get a Givi trunk. I sold my car because I didn't touch it for a month straight. The only issue I have is getting large amounts of toilet paper and paper towels home, and that is what friends are for!

Yeah, I don't think I'd consider doing it on a bike without at least a lockable trunk. As someone else mentioned, it sucks to get somewhere and have to haul your gear around with you... much nicer to just stuff your helmet and jacket into the topbox, lock it, and forget about it.

 

[theAmazingKickstand]

I bought me a Volvo wagon so i can put lotsa hookers and bikes in it. Then got a gig in SF.
The few times i dont bicycle to SF I take the volvo 2 miles to Caltrain. I only take Caltrain cuz i cant park the Volvo downtown. Im in RC now so the weather is better than SSF......and im trying to move to SF proper.

 

[gp125racer]

Was moto only for almost 2 years and thank god that's over! It started off kinda cool, everything was an adventure ..... You know Doing the drive thru on a bike, grocery shopping on a bike etc, etc.

Parking rocked, and not dealing with traffic was a huge bonus, but I just got tired of preparing for going someplace every time I left the house. And to top it all off, the rainy season just sucked. If you ride enough (and I was doing about 150 miles a day) you are bound to get wet and cold. Showing up to work and drying out your socks on your monitor just sucks after a while lol. Summer time is awesome, except those 100 degree days where being wrapped in leather cruising down a black top slab in grid lock traffic can just be agonizing.

At the end of the day I learned you've gotta be pretty committed to having just a bike as a solo means of transportation anywhere outside of a major metro area.

Hope that helps!

 

[Jabberwocky]

+1 on the luggage case.

I dont live moto-only, but once I got a top case for my bike, it became really practical, since i live within a very short walking distance of a grocery store I think i could live without the car - it is more of a luxury at this point.

 

[two wheel tramp]

I'm moto only, unless you count my bicycle. Then again I'm a newbie so my opinion probably doesn't matter much. Sometimes I kind of wish that I had a car - for a minute.

 

[Gnarly Cranium]

rain

I get damp.

job interviews

Change before going in.

girls

Am one, don't need em.

trips

Haven't done much of this yet, mostly I do craigslist rideshare since I'm visiting family in snowy months anyway.

carrying shit

Bungee-fu, grasshoppa. ....Or, fuckit and a zipcar.

In real life is it a hassle? If you used a car before do you wish you had it back?

Hells naw. Keep that thing away from me. I live in the city, a car is a fuckin liability around here.

Biggest concern is i like to go for multi day trips but also like to bring my bicycle with me

Bike rack, dawg.

 

[theAmazingKickstand]

I'm moto only, unless you count my bicycle. Then again I'm a newbie so my opinion probably doesn't matter much. Sometimes I kind of wish that I had a car - for a minute.

What pathetic is that Ive been riding moto for ten years and dont know the answer......cuz ive always had a car too. Now i just have too much expensive shit to wash and keep running and pay for and move and drive around to properly warm up.

Ive seen those bike racks in pics. How much are they? theres also a ton of shit you have to bring to properly road bike.....even more for mountian.

 

[two wheel tramp]

Nice rack!

[/QUOTE]

 

[Roadstergal]

I sold my car and went moto-only for many years. It was fun, and definitely something to at least try.

rain

Rain gear.

job interviews

Givi top and side cases; take your good shoes in the box and put a 'stitch over your interview clothes, then put your riding shizz in the box when you get there. I got the job I have now (a rather good one) in my moto-only days.

girls

Still a girl.

trips

See Givi luggage, above. Trips are fun.

carrying shit

I don't carry shit, I flush it and leave it...

But again - Givi (or factory bags, if your bike is so equipped). I keep bungees and a cargo net in my hard bags. If I buy something particularly big, I strap it down. That's how I handled the Costco bundles of TP and pop and the like. It's worked for pizza and cake, too.

 

[revnort]

Yeah I suggest you get a bike that has some luggage options. Not that solutions can't be found for every bike but some bikes ares easier than others in that dept.

I am basically moto only although I have a car. I never drive it and it is a pain in my ass. I do everything by moto. I drive car to work on Mondays because that is when street cleaning is and it keeps it running. Rain or shine every other day of the week I am riding.

I will probably get rid of it soon.

I will say that you will get wet and you really should like it. Not everyone does. I personally like riding in the rain (I have scared myself a few times), but ultimately there isn't a time I wouldn't rather be riding. Make sure you feel that way.

 

[rodr]

Suggest you get a used car that's not worth much and carry just basic liability insurance on it. Shouldn't cost very much, and you have a way to haul stuff and get around when the bike's being serviced. Or if a car rental place is convenient to you, go with that instead as needed.

 

[Karbon]

Good info and experiences here.
http://bayarearidersforum.com/forums/showthread.php?t=278104&highlight=car+bike

 

[theAmazingKickstand]

Suggest you get a used car that's not worth much and carry just basic liability insurance on it. Shouldn't cost very much, and you have a way to haul stuff and get around when the bike's being serviced. Or if a car rental place is convenient to you, go with that instead as needed.

Umm thats what I have now....im really just that cheap.