I used to be bike only too, especially in when I was in the UK. Shopping wasn't as much of a big deal though - just did a big online shop once or twice per month (they deliver to your house ... freaking sweet), then just go to the shops for bread etc. The only time you really CAN'T ride is when there's snow on the ground, but that's what motards are for i guess :thumbup

 

OMG I am in the same shoes as you my car insurance ends end of march and bike is still stored. I cant afford insurance for the bike (1000 for 6 months) and the car (1600 for a year) at the same time. I cant decide what too do. I commute from surrey to alex fraser to bcit for school mon to fri.

the sunny hot days want me to insure the bike and store the car but the rainy days vice versa. I DONT KNOW? WIN THE 6/49?

 

Also whats great about commuting to work with a bike, you might find secret areas to fit through that will avoid a ton of traffic.

For example there are cement barricades blocking all the small streets by my area because they want to direct traffic to the main streets, a short hop on the sidewalk thats never used and you save yourself 10mins of being stuck in traffic plus safety as there are no cars.

 

:laughing :laughing :laughing

If you ever get pulled over doing that, you should totally tell the officer "You see sir, I was doing it because I was concerned for safety.".

 

You get the bonus of using HOV lanes...

You get experience in traffic...

You are awake when you finally get to work...

You can take the long way home after work and you aren't pissed off...

You figure out ways to improvise or compromise on gear and packing...

There are all sorts of benefits.

You wear out your bike quicker, so you get new bikes more often....

 

Sadly, no HOV lanes on King George Highway.

Awake, and SMILING when I get to work. I LOVE getting in after a brisk morning ride to work.

 

I rocked 2-wheels-only for a couple years back to back. Frankly, it sucked.
Sure it seems cool cuz you're riding all the time. But, it became not cool... because I was riding all the time. I STILL refuse to join the 'tank purse' crowd, no matter how 'useful' or fashionable these 'European hand-bags for bikes' may seem... so I relied exclusively on backpacks, trunkspace (my SRAD gixxer shined in this area - fits a 6 pack!).. and whatever else I could precariously balance on the bike all the way home... so grocery shopping was several small loads per week - plus an exclusive run for TP - a 24pack in the backpack doesn't leave much room for anything else! Then of course there's bad weather to deal with. Highlights included one new years day, hungover and drifting sideways on black ice, as I attempted passed a slow moving car... all in all... it's good to have options some times ... you sound like a lamer asking girls if they wouldn't mind driving since it's raining and you only have a 'toy' vehicle... unless you're CorvetteBoy and just plan on never bringing them back to your trailer anyways...


Pros:
1: you're riding all the time.

Cons:
1: You're riding ALL the time. Believe it or not - it looses appeal after a while.

 

Pros:
1: you're riding all the time.

Cons:
1: You're riding ALL the time. Believe it or not - it looses appeal after a while.

Oh, I believe it! I fully intend to insure my car soon. I've got another car as well, which is collector plate elligable, and will be on the road by summer. This is more of a temporary thing for me, and kind of an experiment. Plus, being in my business, I've always got a car at my disposal if I truly need it.

Al

 

Ashamed to admit it - but i went back to public transit, only because its a 2min walk to the train, and I don't have a car. But as soon as its ~+5 consistantly even overnight - then its back to the bike. As for groceries.. I don't have a family or anything so I eat out for 99% of my meals so it hasn't been an issue.. grab some milk for coffee once in a while..yeah its cheaper to train but I hate people.

 

As for groceries.. I don't have a family or anything so I eat out for 99% of my meals so it hasn't been an issue.. grab some milk for coffee once in a while.

SIngle guy with no family here, too. I can stuff an amazing amount of KD in my tank bag. Only real drawback, is kitty now gets the small bags of cat food, rather than the 14kg "value sized" bags.:laughing

 

Get yourself a Kayak Dry Bag and some straps. Just roll it up and stuff it into a jacket. After purchasing grocs take the rear seat off the bike and strap the bag down.

I find the calipers on the bike take the most abuse from the salt. Remove them and use a tooth brush and brake clean to scrub the grimme off.

I do enjoy working on the skills early in the season. Interesting testing how much grip there is.

Good on you. :rockon

 

I'm the opposite. I sold my car 2-3 weeks ago and I hate the inconvenience of not having one around. It'll be another 3-4 weeks before I go and pick up another one. I have the bike insured, but right now I'm not riding it since it's for sale.

I was going to post the exact same thing as DNA did. I don't ride my bike that often, so when I do, it's a blast. Having to ride it everyday just annoys me. Last year I averaged 650km/s for every day I rode, and that's the way I like to keep it.

Thank God I work from home and don't have to commute, my grocery store is a block away and everything is convenient. I think if I HAD to ride right now, I'd kill myself. But to each their own.

 

Hey man, if you wanna roll around in the ultimate 90's German baller wagon, you can borrow my 750iL! lol, not like I'm using it. $90 in gas, 280km, its a GREAT commuter.

Al

 

ive been 2 wheels since i was 16. never got my N for the car. The only way it gets boring and frustrated. is when you ride your nice/big bike during the shit weather. I used to have a scooter then got the cbr125. used the scooter for shit days, and the 125 for good days. now its cbr for shit days and kawi zx-7 for nice days. winter sucks the big one tho. usually take transit for 2 weeks till its gone.

 

Even my 911 was better than that! 85 liter tank, so it was usually $90-125 to fill and I'd get about 500-650km a tank.

Now I'm getting an SUV since I already locked down a woman and have no need for a hot car. So the Jeep should be sufficient to get us to the mountains for snowshoeing in winter and mtn biking in summer.

 

85L, 600km thats not bad! Was it a 964? They were about the most efficient 911's built.

My 750 is 4200lb, 300hp 5.0L V12, gas guzzling slut. :laughing

I'm actually considering selling it later this year, and replacing it with an X5 4.6is. SUV's are handy as much as I hate to admit that, and the 4.6is is still a cool hotrod, but more efficient than my 750.

Al

 

It was an '87 3.2 Carrera. Best looking car ever made.

My parents have a 4.6is. I'm personally not a fan of them, or any other SUV's out right now. I think the FJ is my favorite looking, but too big.

 

Mmmmm, yes the 3.2 Carreras were excellent cars. I personally prefer the smoother "world" bumpers of the 964, but an SC or Carrera could happily live in my garage. I did my apprenticeship with Porsche, and had the chance to fix and drive allllll kinds of P cars from the 70's, 80's and 90's back then. The 993 turbo was just being launched when I left that dealer.

I HATED the X5 for a long time, until I started working at Auto West. DOn't get me wrong, the E53 X5 is a complete and total shitcan, probably the worst BMW ever built(aside from the current E65 7 series), but the 4.6 and 4.8is really does it for me. Imola Red over red/black interior. Yummy.

Is your 911 a Japanese import? Just noticing the side markers.....

 

Switzerland actually. Came over in 2002. And it's no longer "mine"

I used to like the 964 but after owning the 3.2 it grew on me... after a while the 964 looked like shit in my eyes.

 

Cargo nets hold a lot of groceries on the back seat...squishes bread though

needless to say i couldn't see life with only a bike...but sort of explains things that your single... i dont think chicks would dig it too much, as you toss her a helmet in the pouring rain for a dinner date and movie

no car = no girl... plain and simple

 

Yeah, if I decide to start dating again, I'll put one of the cars back in service. I mean, I plan to anyway, just figured I'd wait a bit, and use the bike exclusively. Just something to do....

Al

 

lars if you are only getting 3 km per litre on an m70 there is something wrong with your motor.. either that or you have a REALLY heavy right foot

i ride year round.. living downtown it saves a lot of time for parking etc. not to mention that you don't waste your car starting it up to drive only a couple km

 

It needs 02 sensors. I've had it on GT1, and there are no other faults. Only fault is 02's not heating up on my short commute. Going to change them, and the coolant temp sensors.

My car also has a 3.91 M5 diff, and software. And yes, I DO have a heavy right foot. How the hell can one NOT want to spank M3's with an old man sedan. :laughing

Its not as bad on the freeway. I get about 500km/tank.

 

for your big shopping trips just call a cab, or get a girl friend with a car

 

I'm in year 2 for riding daily without a car now. I just plain hate cars...

I remember riding in cold weather and using my engine as a heater for my frozen fingers at every red light that came. I would hope to get stopped by a red light, just so I could get the feeling in my hands back. Riding while it was snowing meant having to wipe your visor every 3 seconds. Gliding the back tire during those massive rainy weeks was always interesting too.

Would I drive a car? Hell no. If we keep getting bad winters like how it was last Dec, then I'll invest in a third wheel (Ural).

As for groceries, just get some saddle and tail bags. I've got the whole deal (for trips). Course sometimes it's just easier to use a big backpack.

 

Just use a hockey bag & bungy cords.

 

Pingel's new wheelie bar ??

 

ah yea.. i was thinking of swapping in an lsd (can't believe they would mate anything but that to the motor). if you've got a spare kickin around in good condition i might be interested in buyin it from ya

 

I've broken up with a girl for refusing to ride in my '69 Volvo 145. Just the way she said "I'm not riding in that" kinda set me off. It may have been a ratty looking possible death trap, but it was my ratty looking possible death trap.

 

Wow, a 69 145 is a sweeeet ride. My ex LOVED my Volvo wagon. Granted, it was an 06 V50 T5. lol

That said, we nearly bought her a 68 142, but we missed it by a day. She was upset. We wanted that car sooooo badly.

 

I was bike only year round for 5 seasons and found the best way to do the grocery thing is just bring the nights dinner back in your pack and get them to deliver the rest of the stuff. Safeway does it for like 6-8 bucks, Stongs was real cheap too, just a few bucks. We're high rollers right, don't carry your own shit
I got a car finally this winter but I still insured to ride in Jan.

I always liked the looks I got when I had to stuff the bread down the back of my jacket, Baguette Samurai!

 

I rode year round on the Island, and the winters aren't as bad as Vancouver, I never owned a car for a few of those years.

Like DNA was saying Novelty wears off real fast when you can't feel fingers, your gear is continually soaking wet (still damp in the morning), wet seats, wet back pack....then it snows and your riding the bus with a bunch of snot nosed mouth breathers.

We have two vehicles and one bike now between us. I ride the bike to work cause it's free parking, but we car pooled to work, she dropped me off and she has free parking at her work.

Back in the day I did buy a winter car....72 VW Type 3 wagon, rusted out, no heater, but it kept the rain off of it, and my g/f rode in it....even if it smelt of exhaust fumes....(did I mention rusted?)

Looked like this but Orange and Rust.