Short commuting bad for bikes?

[adam277]

Hi,

I live about 2 miles from work and always use my little YBR to get there. Is it bad for the bike to use it for so little length of time?
I was always under the assumption that this is mainly an issue with 2 strokes.
I am also curious if it could cause problems with 600/1000cc bikes as I do plan on getting one soon.
Basically someone told me that using a bike for such short trips was bad for the bike and now I am curious.

[Ariel Badger]

Using a bike at all is bad for it as it will cause wear, cold running is even worse as the engine is tighter before it can expand and oil has not circulated well.
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[covent.gardens]

Exhaust also suffers because the moisture doesn't get chance to clear.

If you have a bike that does short trips then adding in the odd country road thrashing would do it the world of good, IMO.

[bezzabsa]

2 miles really warrents a 125 or less, quicker to heat up and less oil, so services every 1000 or so would be in order..if you use a bigger bike be prepared for shit MPG and huge oil useage..

[iooi]

[Fladdem]

I'm sorry, but for a two mile commute, I would cycle, save on petrol, servicing, and make you fitter, so should make the 125 feel faster at the weekend when you have lost weight from cycling in the week.

Seriously though, like others have said I wouldn't just ride it like that, the engine won't be getting to proper operating temperature, thus thick oil, hard for the pump to send it round the engine, dry top end leads to premature bearing failure and eventually seizure. Although f you must ride it to work leave earlier and go for a spin.

I used to do it on my varadero to school, 3 miles, but I would just leave at quarter past eight to get there for quarter to nine and the speedo would clock up about 15miles a day just going the most long winded way to school.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[JP7]

I'm not so sure about bikes, but certainly with cars, your battery will run down over the winter if you only make short journeys. It might be worth keeping it on an Optimate or something.

[The Shaggy D.A.]

2 miles to work?

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[Kickstart]

[pepperami]

[adam277]

Well just checked google maps. Its 1.5 miles. Odd because I use to commute 33 miles to work each way.
I just love riding my YBR, I look for any excuse to ride it.

If I pass my Mod 2 tomorrow, I will sell my YBR and get a cheap little push bike or just walk until I get my beemer.

[Fladdem]

Good luck in your mod 2

What licence are you going to get afterwards, an A2 or full?

I always look for any excuse to ride my bike, I used to ride my mt50 round the corner to get milk for my mum, I used to ask for weird stuff, I'd look in the cupboard and tell her we were running low on paprika or something, just to give me an excuse to ride the moped.
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Current:1991 Honda MT50 (Soon to be a H100/MTX/MT5 hybrid), 1976 Honda Cub C70, 2005 Honda Varadero 125, 1993 Yamaha TTR250 Open Enduro , 2010 Road Legal Stomp YX140, 1994 Honda CRM 250 MK III, 1999 Cagiva Mito 125, 1992 Honda CB400 Super Four, Stomp T4 230, 1984 Honda H100s, 2009 Sym XS125K
Past:2003 Aprilia RS125, 1982 Kawasaki GPZ550(FREE BIKE!)
I'm having more fun than a well-oiled midget.

[1cyl]

I personally haven't owned a bike with pedals since I got a motorcycle license over a decade ago.
I've borrowed a bicycle once when my only motorcycle was in the garage.
Never again. Pushbikes are for death beggar's. I certainly wouldn't recommend riding one. Ever!

Ride the YBR OP . Or try a compromise of using it 2/3days a week.
Just warm it up properly and spank it on the last leg.
Its a YBR125, not an MT01, which i'd say are more likely to have long-term issues with 2mile per day use.
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[yampug]

shouldn't be a problem as long as you take it for a good ride once a week to warm it up properly. it's only a ybr after all it's not like it's some posh sports bike worth a fortune.

[Andy_Pagin]

Two miles? I'd walk and I'm forty eight and hardly the atheletic type.
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[DMCpro]

Stop worrying! Just ride your bike whenever you want.

If your only doing 3 miles a day just take it for a bit of a ride on the weekend as I expect you do . you don't wanna be walking to work and since it's such a small engine I doubt short journeys would bother it aslong as you keep up with oil changes.
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[ocatoro]

isn't this also what kills batteries and regulators?
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[Kickstart]

[reed]

I live less than a mile from work and I ride my motorbike there.
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[Dave70]

Move house > 10 miles away. Problem solved.

Seriously though, I ride my 125 around three miles to work and never had a problem. But, then I also take it for a good ride, even when I don't feel like it. This morning, for example. just finished a night shift, hadn't slept the day before, goes to ride home and there's my bike saying to me "let's go for a ride Dave....go on, go on, please let's go for a ride, please please please, the roads are nice and quiet at this time and it's a nice morning, let's go for a ride, please Dave can we, can we go for a nice long ride Dave, go on pleeeeeaaaaase"

So I ended up doing 20 or so miles.

[WD Forte]

thats the thing with bikes.
I had to go out for teabags and milk and have corner a shop 60 seconds walk away so I went on my bike and got back two hours later.
I still had to walk up the shop cos I'd forgotten the milk !
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[Walloper]

A 1.5 mile commute will knacker your bike.

You should use your legs you laaaaazy twaaaat.

Or move house/get a job further from home.



ps a 1.5 mile commute won't necessarily knacker your bike but it won't be the best use for a motorbike.
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[-Matt-]

Mechincal-wise i'm not able to comment, but i used to ride my 125 [4 stroke] for a couple of miles most days for 2 years with a good ride most weekends and subsequently used it for over 10k miles over the following year and it was perfectly fine with regular servicing.

I did have it on a trickle charger most of the time so battery-wise it may be a killer, but i personally wouldn't be majorly concerned. I'd be more worried about weather effects and rust than riding in your scenario personally so long as you keep up with maintenance and don't go hammering it to the redline as you pull away every winter morning.

Maybe thats still asking for trouble though, i dont know

In heinsight though, with the fucking about putting gear on and off each end of the journey, i'd of been better off cycling.

[andyscooter]

i use mine for a 3 mile each way commute

but then i ride all over the place at weekends

also ride a mile each way for a pint after so thats 4 miles really each way per day

i also somtimes ride home at lunchtime takes about 5 minutes
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[Rogerborg]

Bunch of Moaning Minnies.

Ride any bike that you like any distance that you like. Take the long way home whenever you want, change the oil as often as necessary.

Heck, leave it running in the garage and gaffa tape the throttle at 5,000rpm until it gets up to temperature, that'll achieve exactly the same as taking it for a longer run.

Right, I'm off to ride my 800cc bike 2 miles in the cold. My "warm up" will be the time it takes to get my thumb off the starter and twist the throttle.
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