Motorcycles

[LadyJaye]

double post

[LadyJaye]

No music. When you're on a bike, you are at the mercy of the people in cars around you, and you can't depend on them be alert to your presence. You're at a serious disadvantage, so you need all of your senses working.

[Jack Flak]

Originally Posted by LadyJaye

No music. When you're on a bike, you are at the mercy of the people in cars around you, and you can't depend on them be alert to your presence. You're at a serious disadvantage, so you need all of your senses working.

(Ha, yeah, holds true for the unmotorized two-wheelers as well)

[Anja]

One more thought. Not everybody finds biking to their liking. It looks like fun, feels like fun on those rides you get with others. And gives a sense of freedom I've seldom found elsewhere. But it can frequently be a real pain in the pocket.

It depends on where and how much you ride, of course. But if you want to be hardcore, you're going to get stuck in hellacious storms, encounter icy roads, those dang hostile drivers, dogs who think it's funny to take a bite out of a passing snack or just bark enough to distract you. People sometimes won't notice you and cut you off - plan at least one unexpected trip to the ditch.

The clothing in order to be safe, if you care to have it, will cost you a small fortune. You'll probably discover that you'd like good eyewear and it doesn't come cheap if you want something that stays on and works well.

You'll get sore, wind- and sunburned. And a long ride is guaranteed to tire you out by the time you get there. It takes some energy to ride and pay attention.

There was a time when I just got tired of the hassle.

But, yes. It gets in some people's blood!

[LadyJaye]

Originally Posted by Jack Flak

(Ha, yeah, holds true for the unmotorized two-wheelers as well)

Heh, yeah! True. I marvel at the bicyclers that decide to ride on the street, because there's no way I'd do that on something without a motor. Too dangerous.

[spirilis]

TBH, the music is a sketchy topic with motorcycling, and it's definitely one of those "do so at your own personal risk" kind of things. Just like riding a motorcycle in the first place. I keep the volume on the low side and hit the pause button the moment I know or detect I need utmost heightened attention. Sometimes you don't have the luxury of knowing that ahead of time, and that's where music becomes a problem.

Wearing earplugs (w/o music), OTOH, is pretty much mandatory if you're going above 45MPH. It will seriously degrade your hearing if you don't wear them. When I first started riding I tried my daily commute a few times without earplugs, and I had concert-ear for 3 days afterward. You need to make sure the plugs aren't *too* effective (to the point that you can't hear cars coming up from behind) but they need to protect well enough. Around 20dB is ideal for me. 30dB makes me feel like I'm in an isolated bubble but ~10-15dB still hurts after 2 hours worth of riding.

[LadyJaye]

Originally Posted by spirilis

Wearing earplugs (w/o music), OTOH, is pretty much mandatory if you're going above 45MPH. It will seriously degrade your hearing if you don't wear them. When I first started riding I tried my daily commute a few times without earplugs, and I had concert-ear for 3 days afterward. You need to make sure the plugs aren't *too* effective (to the point that you can't hear cars coming up from behind) but they need to protect well enough. Around 20dB is ideal for me. 30dB makes me feel like I'm in an isolated bubble but ~10-15dB still hurts after 2 hours worth of riding.

The earplugs are great. I have a big bag of them. They really are necessary, you're right. Especially if you're going to be doing a lot of highway riding. There are several bike catalogs that sell earplugs at the right decibel rating.

[Trinity]

Originally Posted by LadyJaye

Pink and I both ride. What sort of bike are you looking for?

You two just got even hotter!


Like others have mentioned, start smaller till you're comfortable. Go test ride different bikes, when it feels right it just feels right.

[millerm277]

I just finished fixing up a 1980 Honda CM400T that had been sitting for 4 years. Nice bike, changed the sprocket on it so that it cruises on the highway at a lower RPM (lost a little bit of acceleration, but it's got plenty). I want to get new tires though before I trust it for more than a ride around the block, as rubber degrades over time, and these are 11 years old.

[spirilis]

Originally Posted by millerm277

I just finished fixing up a 1980 Honda CM400T that had been sitting for 4 years. Nice bike, changed the sprocket on it so that it cruises on the highway at a lower RPM (lost a little bit of acceleration, but it's got plenty). I want to get new tires though before I trust it for more than a ride around the block, as rubber degrades over time, and these are 11 years old.

very cool!