Topic: Bike as a daily driver

[DaveBarbier]

Hey guys and girl (Marissa that means you),

This is mainly just a mental vomit and wanted to get your thoughts.

So I’ve got a pickup truck as my daily driver (‘94 Toyota Pickup 22re 4WD) and I love it but it has a rusting away frame. Not real bad but will eventually need something done about it. If anyone knows these trucks then you know what I mean.

The weather is getting warmer and I’ve been considering keeping the truck for Home Depot runs and as a project (eventually fixing the rust I guess, maybe new frame) and getting a newish bike (like 2014-current) as my main vehicle. I live in CT and work in Brooklyn taking the train to work everyday so I don’t really rack up the miles. I’m thinking I don’t really need to have a car as my daily. But not sure what to do during the winter, maybe the truck in the winter only...who knows. Winter might not be a problem though as I’m thinking of moving into the city eventually, unsure though.

Would love thoughts on the whole thing. What to do during the winter, what bikes do you guys like for commuting, something very reliable, with a comfortable seat position, etc.

I was thinking at first of doing a stock SOHC4, but I don’t want anything to tinker with. I have my project bike to do that. Or IS a SOHC4 a better option due to it’s simplicity and the fact that I really know them?

Anyway, I’m single and have no kids so I don’t need anything with a car seat just yet. Maybe get saddle bags if I have a child. Kid in the right bag, mistress in the left bag and wife on my back.

[Lostboy Steve]

Well... Firstly, check safetcap and see if they have a kit for the yota. I've used several of their kits on wranglers and although it's a lot of work, they turn out nice and strong.

Second, in the warmer months I tend to commute on my motorcycle. It's about 60 miles a day but a lot of it is in #$%*hole NJ traffic. This is why I bought a new scout. The 550 wasn't liking extended idle times as you can imagine. I was shutting it off but NJ traffic never seems to just stop, it's  always sort of a crawl. So you'd be pushing your bike down the  road. Also using it as a commuter was making me feel bad in general. I advise not using your lovely classic as a daily unless you're daily riding it for fun. That's my .02 anyway. Keep the 22r. Best engines ever made.

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[Lostboy Steve]

Oh and btw Dave, I have two young kids and a wife.... The mistress is the easier one to ride with, she doesn't complain and it doesn't take a debate to get her on...

Kidding... But not really.

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[flatlander]

over here (netherlands) quite a few people commute by bike. it beats being stuck in traffic jams or at red lights.

what type of bike really depends on your commute.
a friend of mine uses his r80 (1980) on the peripheral highway to get to work. but for around town he uses a van van. i myself visit an office of my company that's about 130km away, every week or two, and there i take my 550 on the highway (and partially backroads on the way back, for entertainment!). the only times i would not use it is when there's salt on the roads in winter.
so using a vintage bike for commuting is possible, i would say. and as you mention, if you're already familiar with it technically that's an advantage. but if you have to cross a city with lots of slow moving traffic or idling time, i would not do it with an air cooled engine like ours.

personally, if i had to commute on the bike every day and wouldn't want to ruin a nice classic over it, i think i'd buy a second hand thumper or maybe something like a v-strom if longer distance is involved. put some ugly hard plastic bags on it for your kids or dogs stuff and a windscreen for #$%*tier weather and you're all set.

[strynboen]

i have used bikes for ride to Work..there is more problems...first is all the safty gear..and riding boots..you need a pair of Shues jackets..and stuff at vork to thange over...NeXT is rain...Honda cb fours..have some braking and ignision problems..specily on a non shovcase bike..also a road dirty and vet bike..and your bike vill be a dirty road bike..used daily..so a veekly heavu kleaning and lubing..is the rutine..but it vill vear on it..scratches and rust..

thirth is the safty issue..use the bike daily..vill give atleast one near death thing happend pr 14 daus..also a bigger thance to be hurd..specily in smov or rainy kondisions..hvere your speed,, vill be lover the cars and heavyes.and you vill be a dog on the road....but it depends of the roads you are riding

this is my..idea of use the bike daily..

ve have a bad clima in denmark..so it ca´n only be better elsvhere..exept norvay and russia...

as
flatlander says get a transalp or v strom for daily riding..theu perform better then a four..heiger topspeed and vatercooling fairling..just great bikes

[Yamahawk]

If your commute is normally on city streets and traffic jam traffic on the e-way, you may want to consider a Honda Elite 250 scooter. They have a nice truing, and you can strap on a set of bags ofer the rear of the seat, and they will cruise at 70mph all day long. Another more modern option would be a Suzuki 400 Bergman scooter, they would suit your lifestyle well, and can be accessorized also! Why waste a bike on what a scooter can do well.
I have a friend who has a 650 Bergman, and he was down at the Tail of the Dragon in N. Carolina, and he was passing Joe racer guy on his crotch rocket, on the Bergman in shorts and flip-flops lol... so they handle pretty good. I guess it depends what you like to do, but in urban areas, scooters really shine.
Charlie

[DaveBarbier]

Thanks guys, the bike I’m looking for isn’t going to be a scooter or small bike. It’ll be probably a 600 or something. This won’t be strictly a commuter bike to go to the train station and back, it’ll be a daily driver.

It would be something similar to the Yamaha MT-07. I’m just saying that because it’s sporty while having a good riding position...and someone at the train station had one today so that’s in my memory. NOT saying this is the bike, but something similar in style.

[DaveBarbier]

Well... Firstly, check safetcap and see if they have a kit for the yota. I've used several of their kits on wranglers and although it's a lot of work, they turn out nice and strong.

Second, in the warmer months I tend to commute on my motorcycle. It's about 60 miles a day but a lot of it is in #$%*hole NJ traffic. This is why I bought a new scout. The 550 wasn't liking extended idle times as you can imagine. I was shutting it off but NJ traffic never seems to just stop, it's  always sort of a crawl. So you'd be pushing your bike down the  road. Also using it as a commuter was making me feel bad in general. I advise not using your lovely classic as a daily unless you're daily riding it for fun. That's my .02 anyway. Keep the 22r. Best engines ever made.

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Definitely not getting rid of the truck, haha. And safetcap doesn’t have anything for my truck unfortunately. Planning on just welding in some 3/16” steel. Some other mods too to help keep the rust away.

[Stev-o]

...the bike I’m looking for isn’t going to be a scooter 

Oh good, I did not like the sound of that! Sorry, cant help with a recommendation, I use and need my Tacoma as a daily driver for work.

[markreimer]

I have an XR650L I use for riding to work. It’s dead simple and reliable. Cheap too. In the city it has loads of low end grunt for zipping in and out of traffic and getting out of the way of distracted drivers. I hate riding my cb750 in town now hat I have this.

A friend uses a drz400 as his city bike. Advantage is liquid cooled and a bit lower. Also cheap. Basically get a thumper, they make awesome commuter bikes.


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[Lostboy Steve]

My wr250 is actually a really great dualsport. If the seat were a bit more comfy and it had about 10 more hp I wouldn't have much bad to say about it for long trips.

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[eigenvector]

My daily commuter/rider is my R1200GS.

I have a new truck, has about 6 thousand miles on it, but that's only because this year the winter was particularly bad - otherwise, I hardly ever drive.

I wouldn't use the SOHC personally, I've had too many problems with those dang carburators to trust it and I've never found a good set of saddlebags that will fit it - just not built for them in my opinion.

[seanbarney41]

Just recently got to try out a friends fz07...amazing motorcycle for any purpose you can think of, especially considering the low price.  Beware, once you have ridden one, you will not want to stop.

I don't enjoy city riding, but if I do it, I gotta have the biggest, brightest turn signals available, excellent vision rear view mirrors, and a LOUD horn.

[Yamahawk]

Yeah the Yamaha MT/FZ07 is a great bike. The Elite 250 however, will out-accelerate just about any SUV out there from a stoplight lol... I have surprised a few drivers, as they wanted to race my little 250 Elite, but the variator drive is pretty torquey and accelerates up to 50+mph very well, which is city commuting. But, I understand that a scooter might not be the thing for some.
Charlie

[Yamahawk]

The Elite 250 however, will out-accelerate just about any SUV out there from a stoplight lol...

Great way to get run over by a driver blowing through a stop light.  I’d rather let the big, heavy, SUV lead and clear my path before I leave, thank you very much.

Remember kids, always look both ways before crossing the street... me too, Cal but that isn't my norm  to race SUV's lol it just happened that day, and he pulls up at the next stoplight, and is all like, Wow man that things fast, I couldn't catch you and I had this thing floored lol.
Charlie

[DaveBarbier]

A modern Street Naked bike (like the Yammie you cited) is a great daily rider. Comfortable riding position, semi-upright for great handling, vision, visibility. EFI and solid state electronics make for dead reliability. $5-$8k for a daily rider is very reasonable and you can safely keep your SOHC for weekends or evenings when you ride for soul-evoking time.

Other choices would be KTM 690, BMW F800, any of the new Japanese 700-900 bikes, and even the recent Honda CB5xx could be worthy candidates.

Awesome, that’s what I want to hear. Thanks Cal, I’ll check out those other bikes.

[MikeSimon]

It probably makes a difference considering how much you want to spend. My suggestion would have been an older BMW RT (R1100/1150RT).
You can find some that do not have as much mileage as 1200Gses and they are very practical, having bags. They run around $ 4000-5000
This being said, one of my all-time favorites has always been a Honda ST1100/1300. This porbably would have been my choice if I would have only been able to have just one bike.
A bike with integral hard cases would be a must for me if I would use it as a commuter on a regular basis.

[BomberMann650]

FJR1300.  Fast, Reliable, Respected, and affordable.
They made good cop bikes for a while.

[DaveBarbier]

FJR1300.  Fast, Reliable, Respected, and affordable.
They made good cop bikes for a while.

Too big for me. My brother calls me petite. I do like the smaller naked bikes with the more upright riding positions.

[DaveBarbier]

Little Davey, if you want a neat and tidy commuter, also check out the new range of 300cc street nakeds. BMW, KTM, Kawi all make very good, small modern bikes. Easy to maneuver, 80mpg, and plenty of heart to hit the highway for short trips. I think the BMW is $5k with ABS! Brand new, warranty, EFI and trouble free. Fricking deal!

I know, that is a deal for a new great bike. Might be a little small, even for me though. I’m thinking in the 500cc range, but still for under 8k I can get a nice ride.

Still trying to decide if this is the way to go. I may be moving to Brooklyn so if that’s the case I’d keep my truck at my brother’s or mom’s house and I wouldn’t have a vehicle with me. Mainly waiting on seeing where I’ll be living in two years.

[Yamahawk]

Just saw the latest GSX250R at the Honda East dealer here in Toledo. It is like $3795, and will top 100mph. And handle like nobody's business. Now that bike should get good mileage, and produce a lot of grins when you want to take it in the twisties, and have great commuting ability, add a tank bag and you have storage too. It also won't break the bank! Looks like a good fit for the 'petite' crowd also, Dave!
Charlie

[70CB750]

The Elite 250 however, will out-accelerate just about any SUV out there from a stoplight lol...

Great way to get run over by a driver blowing through a stop light.  I’d rather let the big, heavy, SUV lead and clear my path before I leave, thank you very much.

Yes,  saw it in Prague, long time ago.  The bike was the fastest and got hit in the middle of the crossing.

[DaveBarbier]

Just saw the latest GSX250R at the Honda East dealer here in Toledo. It is like $3795, and will top 100mph. And handle like nobody's business. Now that bike should get good mileage, and produce a lot of grins when you want to take it in the twisties, and have great commuting ability, add a tank bag and you have storage too. It also won't break the bank! Looks like a good fit for the 'petite' crowd also, Dave!
Charlie

That’s nice and damn, that is super cheap for a new bike. I’m thinking of this bike as less of a ‘commuter bike’ and more of an all around bike. Like, good on hour long highway rides, back twisty roads, good to strap a slightly more petite female on the back...etc. If it can hold 4x8 sheets of plywood and half a cord of wood too then that’s a bonus.