Calling all seasoned motorcycle riders (Help me)
 

So I've done a lot of research on the subject of a sports bike for a daily driver (commuter).

I don't want a cruiser or anything like that, I definitely want a sports bike.

So a bit of background to help.

I've landed a very well paying job, that will end up being 40 miles driving daily (to and from work, 20 each way) with about 16 miles highway each way of course.

So... nothing wrong with the Camaro, but I don't want to put that many miles on my car and gas will get annoying to fill up once a week. Right now my commute is less than 10 miles both ways, so the Camaro is the daily driver for sure.

Now as far as the bike goes. I'm stuck between a Yamaha R3 (300cc) or maybe even a Kawasaki Ninja 250r. I really just want a great commuter that will give me excellent mpg on the highway.

After doing the math, the bike will help pay itself off after a couple of years, but I'm just more concerned with putting SO MANY MILES on my Camaro, I mean 100 miles a week just for work, let alone what I drive on weekends could easily be like 20,000 miles a year.

Any thoughts or opinions on a 250cc vs a 300cc on the highway? I don't wanna go fast, I just want to feel cool on a small sports bike that nets me 60mpg at highway speeds.

I would recommend not riding a motorcycle in daily/commuter traffic....Too dangerous these days....Driver distraction is an all time high epidemic....and you will be on the losing end on a motorcycle...and if motorcycles are new to you, all the more of a risk....

Congrats on the job, but wear and tear on the Camaro would be well worth it in my opinion....good luck.

Tell me about it. My Fiance is an RN in the ICU, she tells me all the time that the last person she wants to see in there is me because of a motorcycle.

You have a valid point. I do appreciate it though.

I'd go FZ-07. You need the power if you're going to be on the highway, and wind wont be too bad with a windscreen.

Pick up a used Suzuki SV650. It's the best starter bike, imo. Good enough mileage, torquey for easy drivability, and cheap. 1000 miles or 7000 miles, it'll sell easily.

WAY too small of a engine for hwy speeds. With a slight head wind you won't even be able to keep up with traffic. My 1st street bike was a 600 V Twin.. what a joke on the hwy. Dangerously under powered.

Go with the R3 . You'll have plenty of HP for what you're looking for . I've been riding for 30yrs now. I also have a Gixxer 750 . I started on a Honda VF500. Road that bike for a long time. Either bike is great for a beginner and perfect for learning on. Also if you ever get board they race these bike in WERA .

That's bull crap.

200 miles a week to drive to work...... I drive about 1000 per week. I drove my 24 year old 1993 F150 supercab this week. I've been working on fixing it up and it seems to be running great. I hate putting that many miles on even a new to me Car.

250-300 CC motorbike reminds me of a monkey and a football. My Harley is a 96" and gets about 40 MPG. I put about 280 miles on it Friday for work.

Congrats on your job. When I first started working in my first teaching job after college I used sport bikes to commute 4 years during all seasons before I had a car. I haven't ridden anything newer than my 2001 Ducati ST-2 so I'm not too current on modern bike's performance though. At first, I had a 250 Kawasaki that was terrible before going to 1988 Honda VFR 400- the best bike IMO and later a '96ish RVF 400.The 400's are quick, fuel efficient and reliable considering that my VFR was built in the 80's and I was riding it until about 10 years ago. I had no problem getting them up to 180KPH on the highways. My Ducati just turns everything up to 11, is bad in traffic (loves to over heat) but is an excellent bike for long rides. It may be too powerful for a commute but the styling looks like a sport bike but the ride is set up for touring (hence the name- ST- sport touring) so it is very comfortable. On my test ride I dumped the clutch and did an impressive burnout by accident.

In the end, I think that 400-750cc would be a sweet spot for commuting. I'd still be riding my 400 if I didn't have a car I think.

Yeah, can't say I ever had a problem keeping up with traffic. :rolleyes:
Maybe too small of a bike if you're 500 lbs... but then what isn't?

How much riding experience do you have? Commuting in traffic is a much different skill set than cruising in the middle of nowhere. There's something to be said for having a bit more motor for commuting, such as the SV650. A little more torque will go a long way over trying to keep a 250 or 300 in the power band.

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I've ridden 125's (dirtbikes) most of my life. Never once jumped on a streetbike though, like ever.

Dirtbikes and quads are different than the heavier streetbikes no doubt, I'm fairly sure with enough practice and patience and just keeping my head on a swivel that I could make it work.

Congrats on the new job. That's amazing news.

I wouldn't get anything less than a 600 if I was on the highway a lot. Anything too light will get blown around by big rigs and wind. Any variant of 600cc sport bike will be fine, though I'd spend some quality time at a dealership sitting on them before committing. Some are MUCH more comfortable than others. Pretty much any modern bike will serve you well though.

That being said, one thing you MUST do is invest in some high quality riding gear. The best stuff out there is the Motoport kevlar gear, but that's not cheap. Get a very nice helmet (going cheap not only is bad protection wise, but also fit and wind noise will be a problem), gloves, jacket, pants (jeans don't cut it) and boots. If you don't think investing in gear is worthy, I'll give you 20 bucks to run as fast as you can and dive headfirst into the street. If you think that would hurt, try it at 70.