How Do You Know You're a Full-Time Motorcyclist?

[James Burleigh]

I hate cars. I have always hated cars. Well, not cars so much as driving cars. So when I had my mid-life crisis a few years ago and determined that the solution to what ailed me was a motorcycle, it didn't take long for me (like Mr. Toad) to realize that we were made for each other (it only took me 47 years).

Now, anyone who knows me knows I don't like to brag or anything like that :no: , but one thing I know about my motorcycle persona is that, although it's true I have not been riding long at all (only 4 years come late June), I can say with confidence that during that short time I've morphed into a full-time motorcyclist.

The FJR is my principle mode of transportation. I ride every day, whether it's to go to work or to the store for a six pack. If one of our kids has a school performance, I meet the family there on the bike (usually the Sportster when the performance is just across town). This latter example also lets me leave when I'm ready....

But apart from the fact of riding all the time and preferring to ride all the time vs. take a car, I've encountered secondary evidence that I'm a full-time motorcyclist:

• Just today, after not having driven a car for more than a month, when I was forced into one to go pick up a cake for Fang's 50th birthday celebration tonight, I pulled up at Safeway a couple miles away and wondered what that smell was. Oh right! Cars have emergency brakes. Oops.
• I actually feel less safe in a car. They're large and lumbrous, and you can't maneuver them. You've got nowhere to go if you get into a tight situation. If someone's gonna hit you, they're gonna hit you.
• Some months ago, when I drove Fang in our mini-van to go see our son for lunch about 20 miles up the freeway, I had to pull over and give the reins over to Fang because I pulled the muscle on top of my right (accelerator) foot from holding it up at that crooked angle for too long. In other words, my body rejected the car.
• I actually do exercises every day to aid in my riding, including back exercises. I do wrist rolls with a 15-lb weight to strengthen my throttle wrist, and squeeze one of those spring-loaded grip strengtheners, first with my whole hand and then just my two brake fingers.

I know one other full-time motorcyclist, with whom I work. He doesn't own a car. He's 42 and rides his CBR 1000RR everywhere. He lives with his girlfriend, who owns a car; so that's his back up when absolutely needed.
Who else out there is a full-time motorcyclist? I think it probably helps to live in California. :yes:

Jb

 

[dcarver]

Who else out there is a full-time motorcyclist? I think it probably helps to live in California. :yes: Jb

Me, but, honestly, not . The only true full-timers are those who do not own a car. For me, if it's foggy, rainy, frozen, I don't ride. I have the luxury of a 1 ton dually truck to deliver my fat ass to the destination. At one time in my life I had only a bike; no choices, either ride or stay put. That's a true biker. The rest of us are posers. Sorry JB.. don't mean to rain on the parade but...

 

[Silent]

I ride wet or dry reguardless. I'd rather be wet than deal with the agravation of driving a cage in traffic.

 

[James Burleigh]

Who else out there is a full-time motorcyclist? I think it probably helps to live in California. :yes: Jb

The only true full-timers are those who do not own a car.

Probably true. And to be sure, I drove a car today. Maybe a better way to look at it is as a sliding scale, 0 to 100, with no bike on the left at 0 and no car on the right at 100. And the numbers could be percentages of M.C. use when motorized transportation is required. Weekend-only riders are probably somewhere left of center. I'm probably somewhere between 85 and 95.

Stop f**kin' rainin' on my parade, Carver!

 

[dcarver]

Who else out there is a full-time motorcyclist? I think it probably helps to live in California. :yes: Jb

The only true full-timers are those who do not own a car.

Probably true. And to be sure, I drove a car today. Maybe a better way to look at it is as a sliding scale, 0 to 100, with no bike on the left at 0 and no car on the right at 100. And the numbers could be percentages of M.C. use when motorized transportation is required. Weekend-only riders are probably somewhere left of center. I'm probably somewhere between 85 and 95.

Stop f**kin' rainin' on my parade, Carver!

Hey JB, someone has to reign you philosophical ideologists back to reality! It's a simple matter of ratios. Ratios are something anyone can understand, even a person who has been up for two days... simply count the number of miles driven by number of miles ridden and you get the answer.. hmmm. 26k in 12 months on the fjr and 2.8k on the truck... Whooee, I'm a Rider!

 

[James]

Well, over the last few years (actually close to 15-20), I've put less than 1000 on the Bronco ('76, the old style) a year & generally 10-15,000 on the bike. Last year it was 743 to 13,485. But who's counting, right? And a few hundred on the Jeep, as Cynthia won't ride. Oh, and in KS, where we have real weather .

James

 

[dcarver]

Well, over the last few years (actually close to 15-20), I've put less than 1000 on the Bronco ('76, the old style) a year & generally 10-15,000 on the bike. Last year it was 743 to 13,485. But who's counting, right? And a few hundred on the Jeep, as Cynthia won't ride. Oh, and in KS, where we have real weather .James

I have to admit, never knew there was a Manhattan, Kansas.. now off to google maps..

 

[Kaelaria]

I ride everywhere except to haul cargo, which is groceries once a week. I haven't filled the car up in almost 2 months!!

 

[Mississippi]

Technically, I do own an F150 - but when my son started college, I gave it to him. Back when I used to ride a Virago and Vmax, I used to check the weather channel every morning. If the chance for rain was 40% or greater, I wouldn't chance riding - too big a PIA to wipe down the chrome after getting wet. I'm not really into cleaning and polishing that much.

But now, I don't even check the weather in the mornings - doesn't make any difference because I know I'll be riding!

I love it when I am riding to work in the morning on a cold, wet, nasty day and I see another guy riding - now that's someone I will wave too!

 

[dbvolfan]

Full time here as well. Only time I drive a car is when my family goes on vacation or if my family wants to go shopping.

Put less than 500 miles on my own car this year and ~2k last year (1.5k of it on a trip to the Outter Banks), mostly just driving it to drive it. Put 17k miles on the FJR and shadow just commuting to/from work in sun, rain and a little bit of snow/ice (not much fun there though).

I'd sell the car but we use it for towing, besides, my wifes car just sustained $5k in damage when we hit a dog so it's a good thing we kept the 2nd car.

 

[shokdimn]

CBR’s association member wannabe checking in here. :hi:

dc, in defense of the so-called “philosophical ideologists” a question arises from a purely technical standpoint of course. Wouldn’t there be a huge gap of a difference between a “biker” and a full-time “motorcyclist” that is also a part-timer when it comes to autos?

Also, if

It's a simple matter of ratios.

then, wouldn’t $’s spent on each mode (bike vs. auto) of transport also be one of the primary ratios to be considered? Not to mention $ spent/mile!
AIGF :bike:

Wondering if this helped my post count?

 

[donaldb]

The top half of my riding pants (from the hip down to the knee) have faded due to the sun, I just got them spring of last year.......does that count for something?????? prolly not!

I cant ride all the time............but it is my preferred mode of transportation. I usually consider the bike option first................then figure if I have to settle for the pickup. I have had the truck 2 years longer than the bike and it has 46k on the odo.............at least 10k was put on it back last fall/winter due to dad's illness in my travels back and forth. My feej has 16k on it, and I have not had it but about a year and a half.......it only had 1200 miles on it when I bought it.............so's as best I can tell I'm running about 50/50 between the bike and the truck all things considered

 

[worldbound4now]

I have a wife and 18 month old daughter at home. One car and the FJR. Wife doesn't ride. FJR is the only choice. Only in the car for the sunday trip to church with the family. Otherwise it's all FJR.

 

[red2kcbr]

There was a time period, quite a while ago, where for two years all I had was a bike. Rain or shine. And twice on the ice, but I fell down both times. So I took the bus when it snowed or iced. But now, having a little more disposable income, I drive an '03 Mustang Cobra, which is the only car I've owned that approaches the same thrill as riding a motorcycle. I love my bike. And I love my car. So I'd say I'm a full-time motorhead. :yahoo:

 

[Chips]

I'll say I'm a 75%er. I have a car (well, three) and 2 bikes (soon to be three) but unless it's stinking hot, snowing or I have pickup duties for after-school activities, I'm on 2 wheels. I just remembered, I don't ride when I'm ill if I can help it so I guess I'm a poser.

 

[Silent]

This morning when I went out to fire up the lil ninja, I noticed cob webs in the wheel well of my Jeep, and cobwebs going to the ground too :blink: I'm starting to think I don't drive it enough