| Motorcycle rides and riders in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, British Columbia | |||||||
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08-30-2007, 07:56 AM
| #1 |
| Newbie Joined: Aug 2007 From: North Portland I Ride: The Blue Meanie | Commuting Bike in PDX Question for the experts. If you had to choose a Motorcycle for commuting in Portland, what would it be. I currently own a '00 Kawi ZR-7. For the SF bay area it is perfect - but for Portland? I plan to ride everyday. I have been doing that for quite awhile and dont plan on changing. Also, do you have any tips for the new to Portland moto-commuter? Thanks.. |
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08-30-2007, 08:02 AM
| #2 |
| Superbiker Joined: Sep 2006 From: the other side of midnight I Ride: '08 SV650S | BMW Dakar, with the way the streets are always torn up, rail tracks, hippies and college students you'll need something you can hit obstacles with plenty of torque. |
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08-30-2007, 08:04 AM
| #3 |
| MotoGP Champion | I commute most days by motorcycle that I don't ride my bicycle, or, on really bad-weather days, the bus. I have a sportbike, and the fairing is nice to have when the weather turns bad, because for my short half-hour commute, even when I'm wearing leathers, so long as I'm not stuck in stop-and-go-traffic, the rain stays off me. It also makes it nicer when it gets cold. But, even a scooter would have a fairing to do that, and it has better storage space. So, really, anything is good. Depends on your distance, your route, and what kind of bike you like. I like commuting by bike because it only costs me $2.50 to $3.00 a day to park in most garages downtown, you can zip around easier than in a car, and it just makes the commute so much more fun. Plus, it keeps you sharp (not rusty), so when you want to do joy rides, you don't have a learning curve to overcome. The riding becomes more second-nature. |
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08-30-2007, 09:36 AM
| #5 |
| Pit Crew  Joined: May 2007 From: Portland, OR I Ride: Bandit 600 | Why would a bike that's perfect for commuting in SF be less than perfect here? You have a lot of the same terrain... windy bridges, rail tracks, beat-up pavement, occasionally bizarre traffic patterns. FWIW, I commute daily on a '84 Nighthawk 650. It's old enough that I don't really care about the cosmetics or resale value, it's powerful enough that I never feel like I need more (while commuting, that is), efficient enough that I don't spend much on gas, it's got a luggage rack for my stuff, a sissy bar for taking my daughter to school, and a small windshield for keeping some of the wind and rain at bay. Also, it's not particularly flashy, so I don't worry much about getting it stolen. Finally, it's incredibly cheap to insure, so if it DOES get stolen, I've got ridiculously good coverage. |
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08-30-2007, 10:00 AM
| #6 |
| Post Whore (In Training) Joined: Jul 2006 From: Portland OR I Ride: 89 Transalp, 06 DRZ400SM | Transalp, not quite as good in the dirt as a KLR or Dakar, but cheaper, less vibration, easy to maintain, lasts forever, (good for at least 100k miles w just oil changes) and 50 mpg.  with any of the dual sports, you can wander off the beaten path.  |
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08-30-2007, 10:16 AM
| #7 | |
| WMRRA Qualifier | 
(  ing Honda, bring back the vtr!) | |
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08-30-2007, 10:20 AM
| #8 |
| Training Wheels | I live downtown and ride a DRZ400SM and it makes getting through portland very, very easy. Up and over curbs and flowerbeds no problem, takes drops and all the nasty roads around here with ease. It handles very well and gets around 55mpg. The only limiter is that it tops out gear limited at around 90 mph, so its pretty much a city-only commuter, it doesn't like the I5.  Last edited by StankDRZ; 08-30-2007 at 01:00 PM.. Reason: image |
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08-30-2007, 12:57 PM
| #9 | |
| Newbie Joined: Aug 2007 From: North Portland I Ride: The Blue Meanie |
I agree with you 100%. I was just looking for justification for my decision to keep the Blue Meanie as my commuter. Thanks  | |
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08-30-2007, 02:56 PM
| #10 | |
| Training Wheels Joined: Feb 2007 From: Lynnwood, WA I Ride: 750cc of jagged plastic bits and twisted metal held together by duct tape and zip ties. |
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08-30-2007, 05:21 PM
| #11 | |
| Post Whore (In Training) Joined: Jul 2006 From: Portland OR I Ride: 89 Transalp, 06 DRZ400SM |
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08-30-2007, 05:57 PM
| #12 | |
| MotoGP Contender Joined: Jul 2007 From: Camas, Washington I Ride: 05 zx12r |
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08-31-2007, 08:18 PM
| #15 | |
| Post Whore (In Training) Joined: Jul 2006 From: Portland OR I Ride: 89 Transalp, 06 DRZ400SM |
Yes my son, as a true master of every joint and limb of the body, I BEND MY KNEE so the leg passes in front of the trunk. | |
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08-31-2007, 08:34 PM
| #16 |
| Zone Head Joined: Jan 2007 From: Washington County I Ride: Harley custom | I was thinking that, in line with all that "keep Portland weird" line of thinking, you might want to choose something a little more eclectic. Something that would stand out, that would keep people from merging into your lane. You know...something like this  [watch out where you put that left foot though] |
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09-01-2007, 01:03 PM
| #18 |
| Training Wheels Joined: Jul 2007 From: MILWAUKIE?PORTLAND I Ride: my wife when the bikes not looking | yeah  transporter my sv is great for commuting, and after the fairings your golden, just watch out in the rain everyone forgets they're in the northwest!!! and welcome to the area |
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