Car or bike?

[kingrico]

In terms of making a decision this is one of the hardest, and i still cant decide!! I've had my ER-5 for a year now, stuck 10,000 miles on it but now its slowly dying. I'm about a month away from taking my car test and I have been thinking about nothing else but buying a car. And then this morning I see 3 or 4 bikes wizz past my house; the sight, sound and theatre just makes me want a bike all over again!
I'm covering an average of 10,000 miles (but with this new job probably closer to 15k), so the practical benefits of a car (weather protection, warm, radio etc) seem fairly obvious and therefore the choice should be easy. But the bike is cheaper, more fun and doesn't have to sit in traffic jams. Im sure such a debate has existed LONG before I decided to discuss it but hey ho. Any suggestions guys and gals?

[smegballs]

I doubt an ER5 should be "slowly dying" without some major major milage!

Why not get a shitter of a car for a few hundred quid and keep the ER5 too?

Bike as the primary transport but there is a car (after a fashion ) there for when extreme circumstances need the extra capacity.

[G]

If you get a car you may well decide you prefer that.
I have the kit to listen to the radio and not get cold on a bike, along with really not liking getting stuck in traffic means for the majority of journeys I take the bike.

However, for going distance in non-busy times, I tend to take the car.

If possible, I'd go for cheap car and bike if you can afford the insurance.

[kingrico]

Its seen better days put it that way, just under 50k miles.

Fair point. My partner does have a car which I would use when the weather becomes artic-esque. I would love a brand new bike but one that munches motorway miles (80-90 mph no problem, decent weather protection) but is also light and nimble enough to be a capable commuter tool through 9 o clock traffic.

Got my eye on a couple of Bee Ems, namely the F800GS. Does anyone know the sort of mileage one could expect from such a bike? I want something that is gonna reach atleast 70,000. Fuel costs,insurance, tax etc. Oh and while im on the subject of tax, my bloody ER-5 cost nearly 50 quid a year to tax and I've seen brand new cars (one in particular was a BMW 320D) that cost less to tax! Am I missing a trick or something?

[chris-red]

Check out the TDM900 if you are tall, Perfect commuter for me fairly light bungles of torque and not overly expensive. I travel into london 5 days a week on it.


Realitively few problems apart from coils, mine went at 28k miles I think. I have a new set which and have bagged up and waterproofed and they shouldn't got wrong now. A TDM should last to 70,000 without much going wrong, coils will go unless you bag/tape them up.
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[G]

[MarJay]

My car is a 130k mile 325i which cost me the princely sum of ?800. I can park it anywhere without worrying too much about theft or vandalism, I don't mind that it does 26mpg, it is comfortable and practical. The insurance is reasonable for a car, and it is fun and quick enough.

Tax is on the steep side, but not bank breaking at ?180.

I'd say, buy a cheap car and see if you like it. It is perfectly possible to have a cheap car and a nice (but not brand new) bike.

Although, I think by asking on a Bike forum you want us to tell you to get a bike.
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British beauty: Triumph Street Triple R; Loony stroker: KR1S; Track fun: GSXR750 L1; Commuter Missile: GSX-S1000F; Cheap project: CBR900RR FireBlade
Remember kids, bikes aren't like lego. You can't easily take a part from one bike and then fit it to another.

[Devils Advocate]

[ClaireBear]

I think the car has got a load of practical benefits, nearly too many to list if you think about them without sitting here for ages!
I ride for fun, but for practical journeys it has to be the car for me

[swiftb]

If it came down to it and I had to choose one or the other I would have to choose a car for all the practicality and benefits.
However Id be a very sad puppy without my bike
Both is the ONLY answer to this one

[doggone]

Agree, in the ideal world you really want both.
To be honest if you haven't access to a car when you need one (like parents, wife, friend) sooner or later it will be a real problem although if public transport is good you can get by I suppose.

[G]

[ClaireBear]

[Alex A]

At 25, I've never had a car and don't want one. Whilst perfectly calm anywhere on the bike, I get extremely agitated sat in traffic in somebody elses car - never mind being in control and trying to get somewhere in the ever expanding gridlock that is Britain's urban road network.

I'd love a Lotus/TVR/Caterham/Atom or similar (who wouldn't?), but that's clearly not what you're talking about here. You're talking about a modern, bland, mass produced box on wheels with a wheezy engine, high premiums, with an intention to use it as a commuting vehicle. And you're thinking of buying one new?!

With only a motorcycle you will have to endure freezing weather, relentless wind and torrents of rain, and you have the inconvenience of gear to lug around everywhere and a distinct lack of carrying capacity. But even those often unpleasantries and inpracticalities are infinitely preferable to the mundane, drab, relentless and depressing experience that is commuting by car.

Buy one if you really need one, otherwise stick with the bike. Besides, it's nearly Spring
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Current: Ducati Panigale R / Ducati Streetfighter S / Suzuki GSX-R1000 L5

[G]

I can manage a hell of a lot of shopping on my KTM, then take the panniers off if I need to get between nastier traffic for my next journey.
Also like it because I can park right by the doors of the supermarket and not have the hassle of squeezing into a space at the other side of the car park.
Horse stuff might be a bit more of an issue, but I'd be tempted to get that delivered anyway .

Alex: I'd consider my GSXR a fairly bland mass produced lump on wheels, though the engine isn't so wheezy - but it does what I need for commuting.

Now that I've got a decent selection of kit, have more problem with cold in the car than on the bike (waiting for it to heat up), if I want to not lug kit around, I'll take an appropriate bike/luggage/kit and not do so .

[nasty]

As others have said above, get both if you can and don't buy new. I was thinking about a NEW bike but have now decided against it as I'd rather have a bike that's been bedded in at a fraction of the cost.

I use my bike for commuting to work as it's quicker and more convenient. Currently has around 18.5k on it

I use my car ( X reg Vectra DTI ) for ferrying the wife and kids around, monthly shopping etc etc. Currently has around 263k on it and only cost ?400
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ZX6R F3

[kawakid]

An ER5 is so much cheaper to run than a car. I used to have one and I could get 75mpg out of it sticking to the limits on the motorways. Servicing is cheap as are parts.

But cars have loads of advantages, like the recent weather, it would have been suicidal to attempt to go out on a bike for about a month where I live (Penines lots of hills, we still have over a foot of snow on the sides on my bike route)

Saying that driving a car is really boring, there is no enjoyment, biking for me is leaning and cornering at speed.
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I've a twin and a 4.

[Blau Zedong]

I love both my bikes but I couldn't be arsed to ride every day anymore. Have I grown out of bikes? Not sure, but unless your ride to work is 100% gridlocked traffic I'd take the creature comforts of a car anyday. Bike just too much like hard work, with getting geared up, having to extract the damn thing from the shed, then lock it up at work, get changed, store gear etc. Even doing the sandwich run on a bike would be a fuck about.
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[G]

[hmmmnz]

your asking this question on a bike forum...
what do you reckon the answer from us is going to be???
the fact that you have asked, has pretty much said with out saying it, that a bike is the way forward and thats what you want,
so stop pussy footing about, and either fix your hack up, and or buy another bike,

thats it. end of.


i mean it!!

end of
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