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New I thought so too
back when I was working @ Macy's in NJ - but insurance for my bike turned out to be $75 a year.

Insurance was the whole reason I started riding - I couldn't afford car insurance - even though I had a car!

Imric's Tips for Living
  • Paranoia Is a Survival Trait
  • Pessimists are never disappointed - but sometimes, if they are very lucky, they can be pleasantly surprised...
  • Even though everyone is out to get you, it doesn't matter unless you let them win.

Nothing is as simple as it seems in the beginning,
As hopeless as it seems in the middle,
Or as finished as it seems in the end.
New That's weird.
I would think that riding a motorcycle, which is inherently less safe than driving a car, would carry a much higher insurance rate if you aren't insuring the vehicle.

Besides, I'm allergic to road rash. Seriously, with the way my life is going right now, I'd get hit in about three days, and probably turned into a paraplegic.
Hurt me if you must, but let the duckie go!
Expand Edited by inthane-chan July 8, 2006, 11:21:46 AM EDT
New Consider a used Vespa.
Might be tough in the rain, but they're slow and should be cheap to insure.

New Make sure it's not a Druish Vespa

[link|http://kevan.org/brain.cgi?Amy%20Rathman|Pics of the Family]
New Risk assessment
A motorcycle will just put a scratch on the opposing vehicle - so the amount of damage inflicted will be minimal.
New Unuzeer Reesk Essessment (now with SUPER translation)
A muturcycle-a veell joost poot a scretch oon zee ooppuseeng feheecle-a - su zee emuoont ooff demege-a inffleected veell be-a meenimel.
Tu be-a soore-a it'll elsu leefe-a a foo eddeeshunel flesh smoodges tu.

Sorry, I'll translate from Swedish Chef.

To be sure, it'll also leave a few additional flesh smudges to.
[link|http://www.iwethey.org/ed_curry|REMEMBER ED CURRY!] @ iwethey
Freedom is not FREE.
Yeah, but 10s of Trillions of US Dollars?
SELECT * FROM scog WHERE ethics > 0;

0 rows returned.
Expand Edited by folkert July 11, 2006, 09:50:02 AM EDT
New Yeah! What he said!
whatever it was he said...
Stephen Colbert, at the White House Correspondent's Dinner 29Apr06
New Paranoia Is a Survival Trait
Never more so than on a motorcycle.

Bicycles are just as prone to being hit if you are on the road as motorcycle (I had a coupla buds in Edison without cars OR motorcycles - they were both hit multiple times over the years); if you need transportation and are on a shoestring, a motorcycle is the way to go.

That doesn't mean you have to get some kind of ninja death-machine, or some hulking brute of a bike - [link|http://www.imrics.net/publish/Steed/|mine] was soley for transport, not for showing off - it was only a little 250. I was told from early on that you always wear the gear (helmet, jacket, jeans, gloves, boots MINIMUM) to minimize the 'road-rash' effect. The kids you see screaming down the road at 100 miles an hour wearing shorts, sneakers and a tee shirt simply aren't long for this world.

Now, they ARE more suceptible to the weather than cars, it's true - and riding requires more attention than driving a car.. but I don't see you being careless with one.

There are intangible benefits, too. Riding is WAY, WAY more pleasurable than driving - in ways it can be hard to describe to someone that has only driven.

And, of course, many 'chicks' dig motorcycles.

Imric's Tips for Living
  • Paranoia Is a Survival Trait

Nothing is as simple as it seems in the beginning,
As hopeless as it seems in the middle,
Or as finished as it seems in the end.
New Difference in the usage.
If I'm bicycling, it's in my local neighborhood, on back streets, going to the grocery store.

If I get a motorized bike, I'll ride it over to friend's places, etc. - increasing my exposure to accidents. Better stick to metro for now.
Hurt me if you must, but let the duckie go!
New Chicks don't dig motorcycles. They dig the LEATHER!

New Ummm...
Some chicks dig the bikes. (The leather is just a bonus).
New ICLRPD (new thread)
Created as new thread #261088 titled [link|/forums/render/content/show?contentid=261088|ICLRPD]
a very rich person should leave his kids enough to do anything but not enough to do nothing. -- Warren Buffett
New remember its either raining or snowing 340 days a year
Any opinions expressed by me are mine alone, posted from my home computer, on my own time as a free american and do not reflect the opinions of any person or company that I have had professional relations with in the past 50 years. meep
New Not quite that bad here.
New Boy are you naive
You think they care about you? All they care about is how much they're going to have to pay. Like someone else said, you're much less likely to hurt the other guy if you're on a bike. The exception is the stupid-fast bikes that will go through a school bus if you want to.

You can probably find a used bike and insure it for the year for the cost of three or four months worth of bus passes. And at 40-50 MPG you won't be putting much into the tank either.

Purveyor of Doc Hope's [link|http://DocHope.com|fresh-baked dog biscuits and pet treats].
New Snark much?
For what it's worth, I get free bus passes through work.
Hurt me if you must, but let the duckie go!
New The scooter/bike drill, then -
First - glad too! that The Meat wasn't processed in this little prang.

Sorta second A Scott's suggestion re a scooter, but only as a first thought.
Modern ones are much more roadworthy (but not nearly as Great Art as was my Lambretta LD-125.)

but then.. summarizing the usually lengthy dissection of scooters VS cycles:
(And the same argument via which I traded by Lambretta for a 500 cc Matchless Twin, as led to ___ and __ __ __ )

On the off-chance that you might ackshully seriously consider pocketing for yourself.. the US Car Tax for a period [??] herewith a few short-form comments on the idea.

The physics of the matter muchly favors the CG, overall handling and other attributes of a large-wheel real cycle. Whatever inherent skillz you discover you have (or.. find out you lack, somewhat) - a competently piloted, properly maintained cycle wins all the Issues of handling, stopping, bumps, cornering yada.

Trouble with modrin scooters too, is that the entry price has moved Upscale to match the dilettantes. Used but clean - even several years old - can be Just Fine. IMhO - Imric's solution is (was?) almost exactly what I'd have recommended for someone who's interested in reliable, safe simple operation.. and not so much in sailing through the swervery for sport and consciousness training. But it will do that nicely, too.

The size of his 250 cc is just Right, as it keeps the WEIGHT down - you really do not want to learn, from tyro-status - on something 400+ pounds. Not that you couldn't learn the basics as well: but less weight gives you more meat-power (literally) to manhandle the plot - thus more confidence - on the rare occasion where that might matter. This specially, if you find self trying out some simple off-road trails sometime.

Dunno what a Kawa as clean as that would cost today, but I'd opine that you need nothing more exotic to be a happy camper, break 50 mpg, go as fast as you want, and Yes: even find that getting caught in the rain (with a poncho/rainsuit along) is not what every weeenie imagines.

I'd have considered offering my cherry '81 KZ-550 to you at IWE-rates, but.. it is set up more as a 'cafe racer', thus monkey-on-stick riding position, special floating-iron front brake disk, etc. ie kitted out for fun and games. You just don't need 52 BHP. The Kawa or other brand 250 would be a much better fit, would be more maneuverable at v-slow speeds, especially while learning. Any 4-cylinder machine would present less lo-speed torque and will never be as suited to just plonking around as.. that cute, well-designed twin.



PS BTW - in case you dont't know shit: it's fucking FUN!
Cycles keep the little grey cells tuned up, the synapses defragged and overall.. cancel out the negatory effects of spending far Too MUCH time in a body-numbing sedentary CRT-mind-meld.

(And the new 'cars' are simply that exact same Couch, outfitted for the road, for potatoe comfort \ufffdber alles.)

This plethora of transistor$ has already crippled the youngest folks, now tethered 20/7 to endless sound-alike sound clips - but many of you soon-to-be geezerlets were not addicted in the cradle: you still have a chance ... to refurbish your badly abused psyches. Done both. This ain't theoretical... werd.
New "Fun" isn't the issue any more. :(
The other week, I was talking to an old friend I hadn't talked to in a while. I realized that I was going on about my problems, so I apologized for monopolizing the conversation.

Her response?

"No, not at all, your life has been MUCH more interesting than mine!"

The sad thing is, she meant it.

I know the universe doesn't mean things personally, that it's not just out to get me - but lately, I've begun to feel like my life exists solely to give other people an excuse to say "there, but for the grace of God go I." I don't TRUST the universe to give me a break any more. If I get on that motorcycle and drive across town, I'll wake up in a hospital. Hell, I'll probably get shot riding the bus, or something like that...
Hurt me if you must, but let the duckie go!
New Re: "Fun" isn't the issue any more. :(
Only You know about your own general er, 'coordination' - of course. If say, 2-wheel intuition has always been kinda lacking? ... bummer.

Still, remember too -- from your vantage, not within a steel cocoon -- you also See clues instantly, about where nearby cars are heading; you can notice a tire tracking a dime-width in one direction or another. At freeway speeds.

The moving-brain is really Quite Ept in catching such hints, but the 'fastest-brain' we have: the Instinctive center makes the instant-judgments, sometimes almost miraculously. (Notice how.. when you're walking near a cliff-edge, that Something which is making you Very Alert about your inner-ear balance, second-by-second. That's an experiment which anyone can make.)

Ask any psych major who's learned to ride - about that 'noticing'/ awareness-level..

Anyway, the fun part is optional. As practical matters -
Parking is usually a breeze.. all aspects (including insurance) are simply, Cheaper all around. BUT, so long as your psyche were convinced that you'd be dead meat in a trice -?- well ... we do seem to create self-fulfilling prophecies. For whatever 'reason'.

Luck on the coin toss. :-)

New I'm glad you're allright, Thane.

"When you take charge of your life, there is no longer need to ask permission of other people or society at large. When you ask permission, you give someone veto power over your life." -- By Geoffrey F. Abert

"Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind, don't matter - and those who matter, don't mind." -- By Dr. Seuss

"Sometimes it takes a whole lot more strength to walk away than to stand there and fight." -- By the character of John Abbott: said on Young & Restless on 5/19/06
     I was in a car wreck today. - (inthane-chan) - (47)
         Wow. :-( - (Another Scott)
         Sorry to hear it, Thane. - (a6l6e6x)
         5 years? - (broomberg) - (25)
             I'm already nearly broke. - (inthane-chan) - (24)
                 OK, understoood - (broomberg) - (22)
                     What part of "I can't afford insurance" did you miss? - (inthane-chan) - (21)
                         Untrue, at least here. - (Steve Lowe)
                         I thought so too - (imric) - (19)
                             That's weird. - (inthane-chan) - (18)
                                 Consider a used Vespa. - (Another Scott) - (1)
                                     Make sure it's not a Druish Vespa -NT - (imqwerky)
                                 Risk assessment - (ChrisR) - (2)
                                     Unuzeer Reesk Essessment (now with SUPER translation) - (folkert) - (1)
                                         Yeah! What he said! - (jb4)
                                 Paranoia Is a Survival Trait - (imric) - (6)
                                     Difference in the usage. - (inthane-chan)
                                     Chicks don't dig motorcycles. They dig the LEATHER! -NT - (imqwerky) - (1)
                                         Ummm... - (bionerd)
                                     ICLRPD (new thread) - (ben_tilly)
                                     remember its either raining or snowing 340 days a year -NT - (boxley) - (1)
                                         Not quite that bad here. -NT - (inthane-chan)
                                 Boy are you naive - (drewk) - (1)
                                     Snark much? - (inthane-chan)
                                 The scooter/bike drill, then - - (Ashton) - (3)
                                     "Fun" isn't the issue any more. :( - (inthane-chan) - (2)
                                         Re: "Fun" isn't the issue any more. :( - (Ashton)
                                         I'm glad you're allright, Thane. -NT - (Nightowl)
                 OK, understoood - (broomberg)
         Ouch, I hope nobody is hurt! - (ben_tilly)
         Refrain echoed - (imqwerky)
         Sorry to hear, glad everyone's ok. - (Steve Lowe) - (1)
             No whiplash as of now. - (inthane-chan)
         OMG! - (bionerd) - (2)
             My current line of thought on this is that I should... - (inthane-chan) - (1)
                 IME, avoid Critical Mass - (Yendor)
         Glad you're OK. - (pwhysall) - (1)
             Yeah, learned one thing. - (inthane-chan)
         Glad to hear you're ok. - (Yendor)
         totalled or butt ugly? -NT - (boxley) - (4)
             Re: totalled or butt ugly? - (inthane-chan) - (3)
                 What about a replacement wheel from the scrappy? - (pwhysall) - (2)
                     Axle is bent too. - (inthane-chan) - (1)
                         Ya might not have to donate it - (imric)
         I'll just echo the main sentiment - Glad you're ok. -NT - (jbrabeck)
         Wow, that sucks -NT - (JayMehaffey)
         yikes - (cforde)
         E-comma-gad! - (jb4)

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