What's the Best Bike for Commuting?

[gsxrrider]

Always a Honda Gold or Silverwing for commuting and reliablity and all the other traits u listed

[flyin_ryan]

first post! and my first post too!



This is based on what I use to cummute to and from work. Granted I live six miles from work and am in the country, but I have used this for cummuting in the past in a semi-major metropolitan (Minneapolis) area. A '99 YZF-R6. It is the perfect bike. On trips I get between 40 and 50 mpg. The bikes' breaks are better than I am so stoping is quick in traffic. Fun wise the bike sounds awsome with a leo vince pipe and is quick. Finally, I have all the weather protection I need with the rain suit I always have under the passaner seat. If it's cold, just wear more layers. I have ridden when the weather was in the 40's and once my chin got used to the cold (numb) the ride was fine. Actually kind of refreshing.



Oh yeah, and for storage space I have a really stream lined Tumi back pack that feels like it is not even on, even when it is full.



Now, I know people will complain about comfort, but cowboy up. Spend about 5 min. stretching every morning and the improvment in flexability will make this bad boy totally comfortable. Do some ab work and hold your weight with your mid section instead of your writs and you will be able to ride all day.

[mnmmelanson]

Light is right. Small nimble bike and a good set of rain gear in a tailbag on the back. My favorite commuter in my garage is my 1993 DR650 kickstart only. With the jcwhitney $59 tail trunk life is good. Easy riding for sure!

[Dr_Sprocket]

Ducati Multistrada or Buell CityX, either with hard luggage.

[DaveZX6]

I think you need to add another reason to commute by motorcycle: being able to ride in the HOV lanes even without a passenger.

In Virginia where you cannot split lanes, the size of the bike isn't too much an issue. Perhaps the more comfortable 600 sport (YZF, F4, ZZR, etc) with GIVI luggage, corbin seat, taller windscreen, and aftermarket heated grips - or maybe the new FJR?

[Fenton]

Watch the "big" bags on the duc.(don't ask)

[Fenton]

There is a few fans of the inline 600s and staying fit to be comfy on the bike around MO.

[Fenton]

made that plural at the last minute. "are" a few fans.

[fastoldman]

Could you help me with that one? I always see it on the back of shiny new pickups driven by the kind of folks I have no respect for: cell phone yammering fake cowboy bad driving a-holes. Yet I assume that no popular trend could be all bad, even the Macarena. Do you have any idea how the whole 'cowboy up' notion got started?



Otherwise, I completely agree, concept-wise, anyway. I haven't ridden an inline 4 in about 11 years, but my idea of a good commuter is a Monster, and I am one of the few who took off the uncomfortable handlebars and put on clip-ons precisely for comfort. I believe the lighter and more fun to ride, the better for anything, including commuting. All the whining about uncomfortable bikes you read in the moto-press strikes me as coming from a bunch of yahoos who don't know how to take care of themselves.



Nice first post.



PS If you get one of those Turtle Fur or whatever the hell they're called neck warmers, your chin needn't be numb.

[sv1000rider]

The Suzuki V-Strom 650 would be high on my list for all the reasons you mentioned. Have you seen the MO comparo on it against the Honda 599 and the new R6? Good stuff!