Dump Car for Bike???

[Cuky_Monster]

Have any of you gotten rid/sold of your car just to have your motorcycle as your only mode of transportation?  What I pay for my car right now (plus insurance) is what I am currently paying for my housing. 

I was just curious how feasable it is to have *just* a motorcycle as my only form of transportation.  I live in SoCal so there isn't a big weather extreme, rains once in a while but nothing too significant.  Plus I have a second bike so I would have a backup if the Duc needs to be in the shop.

Any feedback would be helpful.

[silentbob]

I haven't needed a car in San Diego since 2003.  I only use the truck for hauling the bike to the track.

[Sleeper_I]

Sell your car and acquire a POS pickup that works from craigslist. That's what I did, I only use it when it's pouring rain and you can haul your ride to the track too 

*Edit* Ha, ^^^, guess I'm not the only one! 

[He Man]

i had a car for a very short amount of time, then i got rid of it, or it got rid of me, then i got my bike and its been my main mode aside from public transportation since 2006. no problems.

[DucatiBastard]

I used to work with a dude that rode a BMW about 362 days out of the year. In Missouri. In the snow. In the ice. (BMW dudes are hardcore)

Personally I'm too much of a pansy to ride my bike in the winter.  St. Louis can suck balls in the winter, then with all the nasty salt and chemicals they load up the roads with, yeeeesh...

But in SoCal i would totally try it, seems like getting a beater to use when absolutely have to is the thing to do.  

1. Do It
2. Post Results  

[darthmoto]

I sold my car and one of my 2 motorbikes, so now all I've got is my 696. But I think it's important to see what your needs are and how safe the traffic situations are to your destinations. I work a few miles away and since Im selective of my routes, I thought going bike only would be okay. I can't just go places on whims anymore. If I lived in a place a bit more remote and I had to ride heavy traffic roads that could get hairy, Id probably still have my car. I dont do once a week grocery runs anymore, I go 2-3 times a week. My apartment has laundry. Hauling laundry to a laundromat in a large backpack gets old fast. I can't give people rides anymore(my girlfriend wont ride 2up). I couldnt go bike only if I had to park in an area where my bike could easily get stolen. Sometimes the little things that seem like conveniences with the car can be real hassles with bike only. 

So yeah, I think its feasible but you just gotta make some changes to your routine. You'll smell like asphalt and gasoline wherever you go and youve got your gear to deal with.

I think the best solution is to get a cheap car or truck and park it. When you need it, it'll come in REALLY handy.

[ROBsS4R]

I sold my Jeep over 2 years ago now.

Been on a motorcycle ever since rain or shine. 27k on it so far  [moto]

That being said I am going to make another attempt at buying a car next year. Some sort of 4 seater performance car like a Evo 8, 9 or WRX STI. 

Oh and it sucks when you need to pickup food or carry anything. I have a tank bag, Backpack and when I get really desperate I shove items down the front of my jacket 

[BastrdHK]

My jeep needs a total brake job.  I have let it sit for about 10 months.  I used the monster through the entire winter rain or shine.  Granted this is South Carolina, and the winter was mild(read:  little rain).  Personally,  I felt I made a deeper connection as a motorcyclist with my bike, the road, and my commitment to the sport.  The "convenient" option was eliminated, and I was amazed at what I could accomplish with just the bike. 

I will get the Jeep operational again, but only because I want to haul my bike to the mountains for weekend riding/camping trips. 

[erkishhorde]

Oh and it sucks when you need to pickup food or carry anything. I have a tank bag, Backpack and when I get really desperate I shove items down the front of my jacket 

You're just not hardcore enough.  I can carry just about anything on my bike. I always keep a set of bungees in my seat and usually have a tank bag and a backpack with me. I can do a week of groceries for 2 no problem. Including soda/juice. Just gotta be careful to put the eggs on top. In 5 years of using only the bike to go grocery shopping I've only broken 1 egg on the way home. BUT I can't go grocery shopping with anyone else because they don't like wearing a duffel stuffed full of food. It doesn't bother me to do it alone but I put up with a lot in the name of riding.

Some things to consider though:
1 - What kind of work do you do? Do you have somewhere to hang/ put your wet gear when you ride in the rain? (pants, jacket, helmet) When it's dry I don't mind putting the jacket on my chair and helmet on my table but the pants go on a shelf and when it's wet I don't like to put them there because they cause the shelf to rust.  Also, putting the wet jacket on my chair means I can't lean back until it's dry or my shoulders get wet.

2 - Are you single? Gotta find a girl that doesn't mind riding on the back or you'll be another pussy that makes his lady drive them everywhere.  Either that or you gotta drive her car.

3 - Kids? Along the same lines, if you will ever need to transport more than 2 people you're gonna need other wheels or a side car. 

[weemonster]

yeah dump the car.
I been there paying more for the car than for my house each month.
Its not clever.

[Langanobob]

I haven't needed a car in San Diego since 2003.  I only use the truck for hauling the bike to the track.

And I thought you were a poser for trucking your bike to DIMBY.  Shows how wrong we can be in jumping to internet conclusions.  I think I already apologized, but I was really dead wrong. 

To the original question:  I used to ride my '66 Triumph Bonneville as my daily transportation.  For awhile I had a really bad boss and the  morning bike ride was one of the things that helped keep me sane.   But I had an old beater truck as a backup.  The bike never let me down, but the truck was very useful when needed for carrying things and weekend camping expeditions.   

I don't ride year-round here but even in the summer I keep an old beater truck around, an '86 Toyota, that I only pay the legal minimum insurance on.   And my wife has a real car, a RAV4 that we pay full insurance on, but it's not all that bad considering my talent for backing into things.

For city commuting a dual sport or street legal dirt bike is more practical than a Monster, for things like U-turns over median curbs and agility in negotiating potholes but if you don't already have one then you're back to the money issue again.  And I found that a set of soft bags were almost a requirement to making daily bike transportation practical.

[Cotton]

I only have motorcycles.  Granted, I work in NYC and use subways as my main mode of transportation.  Cars are too much of an expense and if you live somewhere where you can avoid using one, than def. take advantage of it.  The $$ you save can go towards modding your bike.    

[amcloud]

I spent 4 or 5 months with no car, drunk driver hit me.  I rode rain or shine...its not bad as long as it's not too cold.  In So Cal youd be fine.  I did it in Charleston like BastardHK.

[redial]

wow im amazed at how many people are bike only! 

however i could never do that. i just haul too much shit. (oh and i live in the northeast)

cars trucks toys are supposed to make you feel GOOD inside. if you pay so much it makes you feel bad, get a jeep cherokee. they cost 2k-3k
they are rock solid, parts are incredibly cheap. fixing them is easy. you dont have to get coverage to replace the jeep because.... you can just buy another one 

should pay for itself after a year (versus leasing a car) and you can haul stuff, people, and in the case it snows or rains too hard for the bike


-r
and no i dont own one

[somegirl]

I have been mostly motorbike/bicycle for a while but still depend on a car for transporting the dogs, my violin (it's too nice, I need a beater for taking it on the bike) and occasionally things like moving a desktop computer for work.