Ducati Monster Forum

How much weekday riding do you guys do?  Is commuting a regular thing or do you save most of the riding for the weekend?

I have 10 miles of LA freeways to get to work.  Lanesplitting certainly helps with the morning crawl.  I haven't driven my car in two weeks.

i do about 40miles a day commuting. it sucks. i dont think ive had a day where nothing happened, most of the time someone tries to kill me by accident.

My commute is 40 miles each way as well, but on the 405 & 605 in SoCal. I've ridden in to work several times, but I prefer to drive. I'd probably be an easy target in those 80 miles of commuter traffic.

I do almost 40 miles round trip of twisty 2 lane to/from work. Weather permtting of course.

I ride the Monster when it's nice and the V-strom when it's raining.

I commute rain or shine, so long as there is no snow. 8 miles one way. Get's a bit chilly in the early AM but the evening ride is mostly decent.

Due to rain and a few other factors, I haven't commuted much the last year or two. I have a 26 mile ride into work and often take a scenic route back home. I generally commute via motorcycle about 5000-6000 miles per year (abotu 3/4 of my commuting), but last year I only logged about 2000 commuting miles. Since 2001, I've averaged between 15k and 25k per year on bikes, so the majority of my riding consists of 300+ mile days on the weekend. Matter of fact, the weather looks like it will be good this weekend around here and we have a babysitter, so the wife and I are talking about 500 miles as a minimum....I have not commuted the first day, yet, this year.

I ride about 65 miles daily (commuting back and forth to work) . My commute in to work aint so bad cuz its at 5:00 in the morn or earlier. Thank god for lanesplittin on the way home because if i didnt, it would take me about an hour and a half to get home.... and I don't own a car [thumbsup]

Don't have far to commute (6 or so miles one way) but ride my S4 any day possible. 

Not hardcore so don't do much rain commuting and in the winter months it's pretty much out of the question for me here because of cold (usually in the 20s when I leave for work and I'm a wuss), snow and sand on the roads.

70 miles round trip when the sun is shining. I feel bad for my bike. Hwy 99 (Central Valley, CA) is no place for a S4R to be racking up the miles.

I commute April to November in Boston area, but drive when raining.  About 10 miles each way, but many nights would take the long and twisty way home (about 20 miles)

I don't, but I've been considering it... 12 miles, all on the slab, though  :-\

but the parking is better for motos, so I'd be able to leave later in the mornings

Did it the first couple years in cali, took a break, back into it-three days this week. About 18 miles of twisty then 7 or so in the burbs on the way in.

I think between the wifey and I we manage about 20K a year.

I was doing anywhere from 30 to 140 miles a day rain or shine for the past 3 years.
I racked up 36k miles in that time.

I just recently bought a Car and now I have become a fair weather rider  [thumbsup] [moto]

I used to commute on the bike. 40 miles of freeway, usually at 65-75 the whole way.  After a while it got to be really boring. There is only one turn that could potentially be fun to look forward to. (it was usually ruined by slow cagers)  After the back tire started flattening out I decided to save the commute for the semi-econobox Stratus.  Some mornings when I'm feeling feisty I still bring te 749s out for a ride to work.

I have an 8 mi commute on rural county roads,16 mi round trip.  Most times I take the BMW F650 but sometimes the monster just has to go, it is those days that I just want to keep going on the ride home.  On bad days, in the time it would take me to gear up, I could be there so when the weather is bad I drive the pickup.

I commute as much as I can (lack of sleep, lots of stress, or rain-and I'll take the car) as long as it's at least 40 degrees in the morning. If it's much colder than that, it's not worth being frozen when I get to work.  Riding season is March/Apr-Oct/Nov.

15 miles each way, mostly freeway, but traffic isn't bad.

I commute 45 miles each way.  As Austostrada said: 40 degrees and under is not worth being frozen when you get to work. 

10 miles each way, as long as there isn't snow or ice. Lots of rain though.

I commuted until late fall when the deer dodging got a little crazy. I will start again in May when it stops snowing. My commute is about 40 highway miles each way but when I ride the bike I take backroads instead. I also often take the long way home and get a nice ride in after work. Saves me money in gas and makes the commute a lot more fun.

Jim ;D

12 miles a day, rain or shine, unless the wife is feeling charitable and gives me a ride in the beemer

I ride whenever I can here in NY. Not in the winter. Since I am self-employed, I could be doing a 50-mile round trip to Queens one day, and a 180-mi round trip to Connecticut another. Or, working at home.

I do telecom stuff, so I am now heavily into netbooks and multi-tools- less weight to carry. I have a large backpack (an Ultimate model called the "Journalist", now discontinued) so I can bring a rain suit and a snack.

The only negative is there's no lane-splitting in these northeastern states, so getting caught in rush hour sucks.

15 miles each way, march-october.

i want this winter to be over!!!!

7.5 miles each way, here in LA.  Year-round.  All surface streets. 

My rule is, if it's not raining at time of departure (and sometimes even if it is, a little), I ride.  I put zero faith in the weatherman. Worst case scenario, I either ride home in the rain, grab the bus, or get the wife to pick me up.  We own 1 car between us.

If I drove, I'd miss out on great experiences like the one I had last night, where I ran into (not literally) duc750 on melrose on my ride home!

I hate to be a thread-jacker (and will understand if you choose to ignore this question) but for those of you who do it, is commuting in city traffic with a dry clutch a PITA, or is it no big deal once you change the clutch slave / remove springs / etc.  Plan to upgrade from the 620 soon.

I did commute for about 3 years on the bike.  But my commute recently changed from 3 miles (one way) to 19 miles (one way) and I got sick of it.  Made me not even want to get on my bike later.  Almost 20 miles splitting traffic the whole, I was mentally exhausted by the time I got home.

Plus racking up 12k/year was eating into my bike maintenance fund.

So now I take the train most days and take my bike 1 or maybe 2 days a week.  I find my weekend rides are much more enjoyable that way.

changed clutch slave cylinder, commuting in city traffic - no pain at all. and i do not have a death grip either, i am an average guy.

2 Springs removed  [thumbsup] [moto]

No big deal. No need to do anything IMO...you get used to it. The new dry clutches aren't that heavy anyway...at least not compared to the old ones in my experience.

So far anything above about 20 degrees in the morning and not snowing in the afternoon (although ive had more than one snow catch me) is riding weather to me... That being said, I'm rapidly modifying my winter gear to accomodate my insanity...

I used to commute daily, rain or shine, year-ropund.  About 3.5 miles through the City.  Now that I take 'Lil Bastard to day care (and b/c the Blonde won't let me stick the wee beastie in my messenger bag), it's either public transport or the yuppie cage.  I only get to ride when I'm not responsible for beastie transport.


It's fine.  Particularly if you lane split.  The worst I've ever had it was south on PCH in Malibu/Santa Monica in LA during rush hour.  Even splitting, the splitting lanes were so narrow and we had to go so slowly and it went on for so long that my hand nearly fell off.

4/2003-10/2006..55,000 miles.  Approx. 80% of those miles were just riding in the East valley of PHX for work.  


Only 23,000 since 11/06.  Obviously, I'm not a traveling therapist anymore but still my main mode of transportation.  I ride about 4 miles to work now.

Until this past week, almost every day, rain or shine, the last year has been mostly twisties + freeway with a bit of city (depending on where I'm going as I don't have a fixed commute).  Since our commute involves so many twisties I typically don't ride as often on the weekends, that's my bicycle time.

I already miss it, my 1.5 hour one-way commute to Berkeley by moto turns out to be a 2.5 hour one-way commute by car (driving + walking from the parking spot). :(


For my smaller/weaker hands and a stock dry clutch (MrI's S4R) it really sucked. :P

thanks to all those who responded to my question about the dry clutch!  good to go!!  [moto]

BTW..mine is an '03 620..like yours DofWW   [thumbsup] 

What dryclutch bike you upgrading to?

Who dares to threadjack my topic!   ;D  Imagine a big booming giants voice and it's funny.  That was a good question, my bike is a wet clutch, so learn something new everyday.

I only go 10 miles one way to work on the 405 and 10 LA freeways, but it isn't a very enjoyable ride.  I am envious of you guys who get some twisties or pleasant views on your way to work, I get trucks and drivers middle fingers as I lanesplit. 

I've been trying to get a job at a place up North for 4 years now, and now that I have a bike it's actually a HUGE motivation to get hired.  It'd give me an amazing 10 miles through the hills of Marin, that's a commute I'd love to have.

hey IZ - i've spent the better part of the last couple months combing ads for an S2R1k.  several available, only a couple around LA.  haven't pulled the trigger yet but i'm sure enjoying the hunt!  how 'bout you?

i commute on my bike as much as possible.  20 miles each way in dallas (heavy) traffic.  i like it to be at least 50 degrees in the morning, but have suffered through plenty of colder days.  as long as it's not raining when i leave for work i don't mind getting wet on the way home.  i recently chopped the fender off the back of my duc, so now i have to take any sort of wetness more seriously.  here's wishing i hadn't done the tail chop.   [bang]

My commute is a bit too long and I typically need to carry a bit too much stuff to allow for a reasonable commute on the bike. I did do it once (kinda fun and had to threaten to tear off a taxi's mirror only once). Maybe might do it again at least once this coming summer but for the most part I view it as a waste of tires.

I commute when the weather is good.  In New Hampshire, it's a short season.  I don't have winter/heated gear so I like it to be at least mid 40's and no rain.  40 miles each way (about an hour), no interstate, 3-4 traffic lights and 1-2 stop signs depending on the route, but school busses and traffic slow things down a in the morning.  The ride home frequently takes longer as I have some nice alternate routes.  I also often get better than 60mpg with my 620 if I'm not hammering.

I work from home (not too profitably these last few months). After work, if the temp is above 38F and its not snowing, or storming (I'm a wimp for bad weather, been in two tornados and been hit by lightning (probably explains a few things)) I take a 30 - 100 mile spin.  If I encounter more than a dozen vehicles in that trip, I'm complaining about the traffic. 

I commute 7 miles each way every day that is nice (above 45F and not raining).  Nice twisty ride for a couple miles then bumpy ride and poor road quality from then out.
The gas savings is great because my other vehicle is an F-150.
But really, the cager circus on the roads is worst during regular commuting hours and I hate dealing with everyones frustration, road rage, rushing and not paying any attention.  Can't lane split here (shouldn't) and off commuting hours the roads are much better.
For me, a few years from now I want to have the bike and an electric car to commute. 

From August to late November and late march through June, I commute to work 38 mi each way. I have a seasonal layoff from early June through late August and don't commute then. The best riding months are (fortunately) rarely filled with work commutes.

About 40 miles roundtrip and I try to commute every day. The ride is a mix of city/highway.

i used to commute by bike on nice days. then i started doing it almost every day.
then i just started riding to work every day.
about 2 years later i finally got the correct gear for winter commuting and i rarely have to call off/work from home or get a ride into work now.

my ride these days is about 14 miles to get to work and when the danger of ice on backroads drops it's around 25 miles to get home. some days i kind of wish i had a car, but then i get over it and rip past the guy going 40 in the leftmost lane.

My commute takes me 130 miles round trip each day.  East Bay Area to Sacramento.  I ride whenever it's dry and cage it when it's not.  I'm getting 50 mpg on the bike, don't pay bridge toll and don't wait in traffic.  I've got a heated jacket liner and some nice winter gloves so I've got no excuses when it's chilly outside anymore. 
It's sad, I went and looked at new bikes this past weekend and I found myself more interested in the mpg and maintenance intervals than the look or feel.  I had to check myself and hoist a leg over the Super Duke just to bring me back to reality.
Me likey the KTM   [thumbsup]

I used to ride every day, all day 365 days a year come rain, snow or shine. After a "biggie" on the HP2 Sport I stopped commuting.. I've been using the car for the past year. However, as Bloomberg is closing one of our offices and taking away our parking spaces at the other office I will HAVE to start commuting by bike with crazy Spanish drivers again.

I will have to buy a Goldwing or another GS1200 ADV so the careless drivers can see me.

20 miles of twisties every day. [moto]