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SuzukiSavage.com
/cgi-bin/YaBB.pl General Category >> Rubber Side Down! >> First Commute /cgi-bin/YaBB.pl?num=1130982827 Message started by SeeAPierce on 11/02/05 at 17:53:47 |
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Title: First Commute Post by SeeAPierce on 11/02/05 at 17:53:47 Well after a few weeks of playing around, I finally put my bike to work...or took it to work more correctly. The commute was not the longest ride I've taken (22 miles each way - no freeway) but it did involve the most challenges. Lots of traffic, semi trucks, hondas wanting to race (no thanks), cars suddenly stoping or turning without warning, and so on. But I did learn a few things: 1) There are some nice drivers out there - this was surprising to me having driven in the Los Angeles area for 20+ years now. I assumed everyone was mean or indifferent. 2) The mean and indifferent drivers have more of an impact on the scooter than they do on the cage - not a surprise, but it's one thing to know it and another to experience it. 3) I need gloves with fingers if I'm going to ride at 5am. 4) I like my "no fog" googles a lot. 5) I need to commute on my scooter more often. Do most of you have a Savage commute daily, or do you mix it up? |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by sluggo on 11/02/05 at 18:13:03 I did 15 years on the l.a. freeways and roads. have both good and bad stories. it was fun, wait till you lead a 30 bike snake heading on the 405 over mullholland. sweet ride. |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by mornhm on 11/02/05 at 18:44:49 I commute everyday. Rain, shine whatever. At least so far, I've taken a couple of longer rides when it was cold and it got tough. |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by Paladin on 11/02/05 at 19:42:52 The wife has a '72 Camaro and an '03 New Beetle. The girls share an '04 New Beetle. I have the Savage. I only have a 4 mile commute, although on nice days the bike may wander much further. I only take a car if it is actually raining when I leave the house in the morning. Not more than a dozen times last year. That I can remember. Rain coming home is no problem; except that I have a half helmet and raindrops hurt at any speed above 40 mph. Where abouts in L.A. are you? Close enough to the South Bay to meet at Bike Night at Ricky and Ronnies? (http://www.dslretorts.com/Paladin/archives/000846.html) |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by Trippah on 11/02/05 at 19:47:29 22 miles each way, Mon, tues and fridays..occasionally weds also. Too much to carry on thursdays, I do take the car if its raining in the am, don't like working in wet clothes. :) |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by Kaishaku on 11/02/05 at 22:09:06 I ride to school every day unless it's really pouring. I drive to work though, because it's only a mile and I'm worried about a disgruntled customer kicking over my bike or something.... |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by SavageDude on 11/02/05 at 23:26:59 Right now I ride on Monday and Saturday to work. Want to ride more, but how the heck I'm going pick up my 2 boys from my Mom's house after work. Have to wait til the boys can get home by themselves then I can do daily scooting and enjoy splitting lane each way ;D ;D ;D(God, I love California!) |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by jbrough7 on 11/03/05 at 03:25:52 I got a 25 minute commute through country each way and ride for about 7 months of the year. then i take my 97 tj so it's almost like riding a bike, still! SavageD: My nephew tells me splitting hairs is legal in CA but it's a definite no-no north of the 49th! Cops look at it as worse than murder!! |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by Savage_Rob on 11/03/05 at 07:23:04 Mine is a daily round-trip commute of 48 miles with about half on Dallas freeways and the rest city/suburbs. I ride the bike most of the time but opt for the Suzuki SUV in particularly harsh weather or if I have errands to run requiring greater carrying capacity. It seems to work out to 3-4 days a week most weeks... 4 this week. I use the same philosophy on weekends. If I need greater carrying capacity, I use the cage. Otherwise I prefer the bike. Riding keeps me sane - or at least less insane. |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by RadarORiley on 11/03/05 at 13:12:22 In the early 70's I was a legal secretary & rode my bike to work every day. Parked on the sidewalk next to the law office, and had to change into heels when I got to work. Now the only work I do is on this computer. |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by kikuchiyo on 11/03/05 at 14:06:34 My commute is 24 miles each way. Sometimes it is 70+ mph, other times it is 15-20mph riding between the lanes in heavy traffic, cursing the long mirrors on SUVs. But I get to school on time and cagers do not. This is my revenge time on cagers for all the times when they put me in danger. (I had an accident years ago on yamaha535. The driver made a left u-turn out of the parking space right in front of me, I did not even brake I think, it was so fast!) Now I am much more careful on Savage (because it feels horrible to see you bike smashed and oh yeh! the pain of course) |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by Paladin on 11/03/05 at 14:39:19 kikuchiyo wrote:
The pain is negligible. Many of us need the proverbial 2x4 before we understand the need for defensive driving/riding. Mine was in my '61 Bugeye Sprite in '65. As I was headed into the retaining wall my thought was "I don't have collision insurance." It was '67 before I could buy another car. |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by mhh4 on 11/03/05 at 15:13:32 I ride 5 days a week unless it is raining when time to leave. It is a 4 mile one way commute. Usually ride home for lunch. In Arizona if it rains during the day, it will usually clear up by quiting time. We can pretty much ride year round. Weather is nice. If I did not ride to work, I couldn't get nearly as much riding in. Last year I caught a little rain only twice. Summers at times the asphalt sort of melts under the tire. When parking in the summer, I usually put a metal lid under the kick stand. I find wearing a helmet is actually cooler than not wearing a helmet. Would not commute without a helmet. |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by SeeAPierce on 11/04/05 at 20:29:13 Paladin wrote:
I'm out in the San Gabriel Valley area and commute to Anaheim...Ricky and Ronnies might be a bit far for me on a Thursday night right now, but maybe after some more riding time... |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by DianeS. on 11/05/05 at 17:13:35 Hi! I am a beginning rider, and I just picked up a 2000 Savage on Tuesday. I am trying to ride it as much as possible before the weather gets too cold, and the snow flies. (I live in Canada). I also took a safety course, so I do know the basic safe riding techniques. Plus, I figure just time on the bike will give me the best experience. So far, I've ridden the Savage on four one hour rides to different appointments, and I did a shorter ride today. I will try doing the hour drive into work on the sunny days next week too. Ironically, the bike only had 7,415 kilometres on it when I bought it, and I've put on @ 400 just this week. Yet, I bought it for commuting to work. Glad to have this website to get ideas about Savages, and meet fellow Savage riders. DianeS. |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by [Rob] on 11/06/05 at 09:47:41 Welcome Diane! |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by jimbrough on 11/06/05 at 13:43:33 Welcome, Diane!! ;D Whereabouts you from? I live in southern ontario...this IS a great site take care! |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by PerrydaSavage on 11/06/05 at 14:11:28 Welcome Diane from a fellow Canadian ... well, I'm a Newfoundlander, so I guess that sorta makes me a Canadian ;) Where abouts ya hail from? Good luck with the commute and Ride Safe! |
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Title: Re: First Commute Post by WavJamR on 11/11/05 at 22:52:19 Watch out for those left turning cages! They are public enemy number 1 for motorcyclists. I commute 46 miles a day. It includes stop-n-go's in the morning, ( the back way in to work) and freeway riding on the way home. One good thing about stop-n-go driving is that you get to practice balancing the motorcycle as long as possible, before dropping that left foot :P |
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