I Sold My Car
 

Just recently I sold my car, and I may be back in the market to buy an STi sometime in the near future. Another thing I am considering is buying a streetbike, maybe a CBR600rr or an R6. Any thoughts?

-Chris

I may know someone looking to sell their R6... at least he said he was last time I talked to him. Let me know if you're interested, I'll ask him.

Seems like a horrible time of the year to buy a streetbike, it it's going to be your only mode of transportation...

Last time I checked an STi and a sport bike didn't cost anywhere near the same. What's the motivation for either?

Do you have motorcycle experience?

renorex, what year and how much does your friend want for the R6? It's definitely not a good time to buy a streetbike if it is the only way to get around, but it's the financially friendly time to buy one. It will be my only mode of transportation, but during the winter time I dont need to get around much. I am a full time college student. And, yes, a street bike and an STi are much different in cost. If I end up going with an STi I plan on saving a bit more. (I pay for my cars in full) I have experience with bikes (both street and dirt) but I would need to get my motorcycle license.

As for the motivation.. I love bikes, but I probably loved my rex more.

How do you have experience with street bikes if you don't have a motorcycle operators license?

DK might have a cheap winter beater available if you do want a winter option in addition to the bike.

I have never really understood crotch rockets for anything but the track... Most performance cars are remotely comfortable on the street, but performance bikes do not look comfortable for more than 5 minutes at a time...

On the rare occasions When I see one on I-80, I laugh a little thinking about them being scrunched over for hours... Does not look like fun.

They aren't comfortable and you're right, there exactly like owning a performance car. However, the price-to-performance ratio makes them accessable to a lot of people that really shouldn't be riding them.

Huh? Dean said performance cars ARE remotely comfortable on the street. They're nothing like a sport bike in that regard. But mostly sports cars nothing like sport bikes because if someone in an SUV on their cell phone pulls out in front of your sports car, you can probably turn or stop to avoid them, and if you don't, you're not a splatter on the side of the road.

Bikes are fast, no doubt, but they only go fast, they don't stop or turn fast. I've got my M license, but I'll never ride a bike on the street. Maybe on the track or trail... but the street is not a place for a 200mph crotch rocket if you enjoy a reasonably safe life. If you've got a death wish... go have fun! At least bikes only tend to kill the rider, not the cager that causes the accident.

I will never own a bike, I've just heard of and seen way too many horrible accidents with motorcycles. I heard about a guy who was driving on the freeway, and a motorcycle flew past him doing about 90. A couple seconds later, he felt something rear end him. He pulled over, and realized that a second motorcycle had gotten stuck under his car, and the guy died trapped under the car.

Also, I saw a bike wreck in Dayton when I was working out there. The guy had to be careflighted, because he had to stop quickly, lost control, and slammed into the median at about 40. I guess his arm bone was poking through the skin, or maybe his leg. I didn't see him, but I heard from people I worked with that saw him.

I was commenting more on the word "remotely" and I guess you could convince yourself that sport bikes are remotely comfortable, but I wouldn't call them that.

Again, I meant something different. Sport bikes are like performance cars in the idea that they put performance above practicality and comfort. In your comment sport bikes aren't exclusive because that's the case with all motorcycles.

You should invest in health insurance. Preferably one that covers ambulance rides and intensive care :)

I'm training to be an ultimate fighter!

To be back on topic.. Sure, I am interested in a street bike because of the fun factor, but my primary reason to purchase one is because I need something cheap and economical (on gas and initial price.) I would prefer to have a car, but they tend to cost more. I have gotten over the whole "look at me, look at me" phase (partially why I sold the WRX), and I am not an idiot. I don't street race or drive like a maniac. I just want something that is exciting and economical.

-Chris

then it sounds like you want a 2.5i with cams and a protune... an '08 with those two things puts out almost the same power as a WRX and I'd do it if I had the money to drop on it. With other bolt-ons (and maybe increasing the displacement), you could easily make the power of a WRX with the economy of the 2.5i.

The trouble with bikes is not that you may or may not be an idiot while riding. Like Scott said, it's unlikely you're going to wipe out a family of 5 on their way home from church no matter how retarded you got. The problem is that even if you are 100% non-idiot on your bike, your day can be pretty much ruined by the multitudes of phone-talking, burger-chomping, coffee-swilling, asshat drivers all over the road. Then there's the practical consideration of the fact that we live in the shadow of the Sierras and it's winter.

There is just something about forced induction that makes me silly. I actually saw you on Friday outside Costco. Your car sounds nice. I like the rims too. :)

You totally need a not too pretty mid-'90s Neon with a set of studded snow tires for a cheap to operate winter car and then get whatever bike you want. :)

Dean, are you trying to sell me a car? Even though I would love to say I wouldn't be caught dead in a Neon, that doesn't sound like a completely terrible idea.

Debbie has one she needs to unload. Not the prettiest, but 1/2 decent and cheap.

Dean, you totally rocked in that car. You should autoX it to death.

It would be the definition of a "winter beater". And it would be a million times more comfortable than a bike on a cold day.

I too have been there and thought about being a 365 motorcycle rider but in the first few weeks of having my motorcycle license I had at least a dozen close calls and none of them were my fault. That scared me enough to stop riding for a while and really re-think buying a bike because I was borrowing one at the time. That was five years ago and I've ridden a motorcycle maybe five times since.

Bob Danger is a somewhat new motorcycle rider. Talk to him about how stupid people are. I know he has had a few close clalls too.

If what you said is honestly what you want get a lightweight economical car and put good brakes, tires, and suspension on it and learn how to drive it fast around the autox courses and RFR. It may cost a bit more but you'll be way safer and you can drive it year around.

On a serious note, I can tell you that riding a bike on today's overcrowded and increasingly ignorance-filled roadways is a recipe for disaster. I do not know *any* regular riders who have not had an accident with a larger vehicle. Many of these individuals were seriously injured in the dust-ups. Some of these were *OK* riders, a couple were very good. You are simply at the mercy of anybody that weighs more than you.

IMO, a bike is something for occasional entertainment, where you are focused on riding and leaving yourself plenty of escape routes. Daily riding is likely to get you too complacent and eventually you will not have left yourself enough leeway in space or reaction time when some dumbass makes a mistake.

Now that I'm moving back to Reno, I expect to be riding my bicycle to work/school daily again. I did that for like 5 years from Sparks before, and it would get hairy enough. I've digressed on my own experience on the road driving delivery for years before, but man it can teach you about how random people are and the probabilities of accidents.

I appreciate all of your inputs, and although I have not made my decision on what I want to get, I have decided against the bike. Maybe I'll get one after I am settled down after college and I can use it at the track or something. So, now I have to make a decision on what car to buy. Anyone have any ideas?