Motorbike or Truck?

D

Dr. Thor

Joined
Mar 30, 2004
Messages
1,151
Hi guys.

I'll be finishing high school soon, and starting a full time job. So that means I'm gonna need a ride, preferable a sweet one. Now here is my dilema.

Part of me says: get a truck or SUV. Its practical, you can use it all year, and haul around lots f friends and other junk.

Part of me says: get a motorcycle. I've always wanted one, since I was a llittle kid. I would love to have a BMW, but I would probable start with an older Honda. My dad had a bike back when he was young, so he could teach me some stuff. But the downside is that it couldn't be used in the winter, wich around here is from November to maybe May. So that limits its practicality.

But it would be soooo sweet. I would love to just go out crusing around on a Saturday. And you only live once, right? So why not have some fun. And no, I'm not a crazy teenager who would kill himself. I have a friend like that, but the $400 fines and the higher insurance really put me off that kind of driving. :D

So what should I do? What do all the wise old sages of BFC have to say to a young knife knut heading into the world of motorized transportation?
 
You'll need reliable transportation year-round for your job. Some folks can make due with only a bike, most can't. Think about it long and hard before you decide.

Consider the worst-case weather conditions where you live, rain, wind, snow, cold, heat and humidity. Consider that you'll need to buy groceries and consumer goods, and transport them from the store to your house. Consider that your job may not be a nine-to-five deal, want to ride a bike home at 3 a.m. after a long work shift? Will you have to carry work gear? How about when you're feeling under the weather but have to work anyway?

Some very motivated people make the sacrafices necessary and pull it off. I doubt I could...

Personally, I enjoy my motorcycle more knowing that I ride for fun. I couldn't possibly drive it to work for multiple reasons.

Best Wishes,
-Bob

One quick comment on this:
My dad had a bike back when he was young, so he could teach me some stuff
Click to expand...
Riders who are self-taught or taught by family or friends are more likely to be involved in an accident. Take a rider course if you're serious about riding, if at all possible. It may save you $$ on insurance too.

And don't forget to budget for riding gear, $500 - $1000. And use it. ATGATT, All The Gear All The Time. Of course everyone has different definitions of "All The Gear", but to me it means full-face helmet, boots, jacket, gloves, and kevlar-lined jeans.
 
It's not the crazy teen that will get you killed it's the OTHER crazy people who can't drive, talk on the phone, eat dinner, put on make-up. Get a pick-up and observe the bad drivers for a few years so when you do get a bike you will be aware of the dangers. 2c from a Dad.
 
Dr. Thor said:
But the downside is that it couldn't be used in the winter, wich around here is from November to maybe May. So that limits its practicality.
Click to expand...

Do you need to carry a lot of gear? If you got a bike, how would you get around from November to May? :confused:
 
I spent three years at university with two wheels. British winters, struggling to carry loads of stuff around, cadging rides from firends. It was character building. However, a bike is great so long as you don't have to use it for everything all the time. Choosing when you ride and when you drive - much better way to go. You can always carry a beatup trail bike on the back of a beatup truck and get the best of both worlds. YMMV
 
I'll throw one in for the truck.

Once you are living on your own, have real dispossable income, etc., then get a bike for daily commutes and babe trolling, etc.

For over 6 years I rode mostly, but when I needed to do my monthly food run, four wheels were needed. Approximately 100K on bikes, less than 6K on the car. But, when it snowed/iced over, that car was great.
 
Let me start out by saying right off that I'm totaly queer for two wheel vehicles. I started off not quite 40 years ago and I've had Japanese, German, Italian, and American bikes. Started off on a Honda 90 and finished on a Harley, with three BMW's, three hondas and a Moto Guzzi in between. The Beemers were the most interesting bikes I had, but the '73 Honda CB750 was the most reliable. I still like to screw around with Italian Vespa's in my old age.

Having said that, I'll tell ya to get a good car or truck first. When I was 16 I made the mistake of getting a bike first. It got old real fast when you freeze your ass off everytime you have to go someplace between thanksgiving and springtime. You can't carry much, Your girlfriend is not going to want to ride with you most of the time, and the pavement is so damm hard when you go down because you can't see "black ice"

As much as I still love them, a motorcycle is a toy for grownups when they get enough money for a second vehicle that will be a fair weather play toy. And I live a hell of alot farther south than you do. I can't imagine a bike as my main transport up there in the north.

And ditto on the taking a saftey course. Self tought motorcycling is a lead to going down. It's not you, its the other drivers will get you killed if you don't know what to watch out for. The school will give you knowledge that will bypass the painfull method of learning by experiance. By the way, the most common motorcycle fatality is when an oncoming car in the oposite lane makes a left turn right in front of you. You can be doing everything right, and some idiot in a car will ruin your day in a heartbeat.
 
Go the safe way. Buy a truck with all the airbags, the seatbelts, side crash protection, roll bars, all weather capability. Take no risks.

Spend the rest of your life wondering and/or regretting what you missed.
 
Dr. Thor said:
But the downside is that it couldn't be used in the winter, wich around here is from November to maybe May. So that limits its practicality.
Click to expand...


That not only limits its practically, it answers your question. In your area, a bike is not practical as primary transportation.

Trucks and SUVs also have practical problems for a student. They have lower milage and are harder to park. My suggestion is that you look for a small car, something like a Honda Accord. Look for something which consumer reports (and the big car issue is out right now) give high ratings for reliability, which gets good gas milage, and which your insurance company will give you a good rate on. Hatchbacks are very practical.
 
Geez Gollnick. Why not just tell him to give his penis to science, so he'll never have any fun again! hehehehehehe. Monster truck, crotch rocket, or a little hatchback. Screw complete practicality. Screw the hatchback. You're too young to start thinking like an old person yet.

Get the truck and enjoy some small amount of good judgement. It has as many downsides as it does benefits, and they are all rather extreme. You'll love it and hate it trice every day. The bike is just a bad fit in Canada. You'd just end up loving it, and then hating it 8 months straight out of the year. You'd hate the hatchback, as it only attracts women who already need a car seat for their kids.
 
You can't get by with just a bike in your climate (or mine) so the choice is either to get the best 4-wheeled vehicle you can afford (which probably means the coolest, at your age ... not necessarily the most practical :cool:) or to drive a cheap beater car so you can afford to get a bike too. Bike insurance is cheap and the more you ride the bike the less gas you'll use, so having two vehicles doesn't necessarily cost more -- not much more, anyway....
 
Get yourself a big ol' full sized pickup truck with a few dents, some rust, a big ol' cow-catcher front bumper. (that way, no one will mess with you on the road!;) ) Put a decent stereo, a quality cap on the back, and start thinking of all the necessities you need to carry in your truck. (truck knife, first aid kit, fire extinguisher, etc.) There will always be girls that are attracted to a "truck guy", and those are usually the good ones.... they bait their own hooks, go hunting with you, aren't afraid to go camping etc.
good luck
 
I'll put my vote in for the truck as well. Bikes are great until it rains, it is cold(like below 50..wind chill is no fun), it snows or something has to be moved. A truck will provide much more versitility and in the long run after you have worked a little and saved some money maybe get a bike to play with.

Do not let anyone but a trained instructor teach you how to ride, that is the biggest mistake you could make because they will just pass on all thier bad habits. And dont be cheep on your saftey gear, I bought a $3000.00 bike, and spent $2000.00 on gear for all seasons because if your not wearing it it will not save you.

billyp
 
Buy a Honda Accord, if you fantasize of becoming someone's very old and very boring Grandma. Blech! Ugly on the outside, ugly on the inside, and as much fun to drive as a hearse. The new ones aren't too bad, especially the coupe, but I assume you're shopping for a used vehicle.

There's no way that driving a car is as much fun as riding a bike, but there's no reason it has to totally suck either. Have you considered a convertible? Fun to drive, they look good, most have sporty interiors, and open-air like a motorcycle but with the safety and all-season practicality of an automobile.

How about a 4-wheel-drive mini-truck, like a Tacoma? Maybe not fun to drive, but useful for hauling around camping gear and party supplies.

Best Wishes,
-Bob
 
Truck for now. Much more practical, and especially where you live, much more useful.
 
Bob W said:
How about a 4-wheel-drive mini-truck, like a Tacoma? Maybe not fun to drive, but useful for hauling around camping gear and party supplies.

Best Wishes,
-Bob
Click to expand...

Or do what I did, take my 2002 Tacoma and add the chip kit, some exhaust work, some new wheels and tires in addition to some custom touches and you have a good looking vehicle thats also fun to drive.

Check out some of the magazines dedicated to mini-trucks. Once you find a good clean used Tacoma, the sky's the limit.
 
I've been missing my old S-10. As soon as I get rid of my Baja Bug I'm getting another truck, probably an older Toyota. Trucks don't have to get rotten mileage. Get a 4cyl/5spd. You'll do pretty good on gas. A V6 with an automatic won't do as well but not too bad on the highway. Maybe a bit of a guzzler in town if you're a lead foot. And forget about the big V8s unless you need to pull a boat or a horse trailer. YMMV

Frank
 
I'd go for a Jeep(and did)! Four-wheel drive convertible. Hard to go wrong there. Take the carpets out, get a spray-in liner and go with the top off as much as possible. I'd take my roof off in April, snowing or not, and wouldn't put it back on until after I could no longer wear shorts. Throw on a set of 31's for good on/off road manners and you're good to go! It's been nine years since I got rid of mine and have missed it every day since. Now that my little guy is old enough to be in the back of one, I'm in the market for one again.Like your legs the way they are(without road rash)? Stay away from the bike. You also have plenty of time to be practical with a truck(I own one now). Honda Accord:barf: ? Why not just take the bus!!! GO FOR THE JEEP!
 
Thanks for all the advice guys, and girl (s?). I appreciate it.

First off, I will most definitly be taking a safty course to learn to ride. That's a give. Also, safety gear is a must have.

For now, it looks like I will be getting a truck/Jeep/SUV (man I hate that word...) Maybe next summer I'll get a bike. I like the look af a Jeep YJ/TJ, but I kinda want a Japanese car. My dad told me he will never buy another North American car, and I like the reliability of the Japanese vehichles.

Also, do I want a truck or a SUV type vehichle? I cousin has a nice 2000 Chevy truck, not sure the model, but its not an S10. It is not to big, 2WD, with a nice hard tonneau cover on it. He said he would sell it to me, but I'm not sure if he was joking...

Or go with the Jeep? I always like the look of them, and they look totaly bad ass with 33" tires, or even 31's. But how are the reliability? I'm also worried about having no top. Isnt that just asking people to steal your stuff?

Or get an older Toyota 4Runner. I found some sweet ones around here, not to pricy, some even had leather interiors...

Or get a Tacoma? I like the look of them, but the cheapest one in my area is $9,995.

Again, thanks for all the help!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top