I will be moving out to the countryside and commuting to work in the city. The commute will be on mostly open roads and not in the city. Right now I have a 125 scooter but it isn’t going to be comfortable enough for the 35+ minute commute.
I was thinking about getting a [strike]dink[/strike] Dink (or similar) or a motorbike. I figure on spending about 30 grand.
Having not spent a lot of time on big scooter or motorbikes I would like to hear some opinions, especially in regards to comfort and fuel efficiency and anything else I haven’t thought of.
If you want to see above traffic and ignore small potholes, you need a motorcycle. If you want comfort, nothing beats a sofa scooter, but generally they are slow and thirsty. Then there’s the hundreds of standard scooter models in between. I suggest searching the C&M forum.
Most days i cycle to work 60km total but if i feel lazy or running late and don’t want to drive car, i take wife’s 125cc if she doesn’t need. It is really bumpy and sometimes i find my ass getting some air time if i am over 60km/h
I ride the friends SYM wolf or legend and it it much comfortable and uses a little more than the brand new scooters.
@nazmikarakoc -I thought about doing this but I figure that I will end up all sweaty at work. Do you have a gym membership and shower just before you get to work?
@nazmikarakoc -I thought about doing this but I figure that I will end up all sweaty at work. Do you have a gym membership and shower just before you get to work?[/quote]
My company is at the Taichung port so there is nothing around except some other companies. It is so windy here you don’t need to worry about sweat. Just 5 min cool down will be enough to stop sweating.
I wash and change clothes at work, take dirty ones back home on a small bag.
Comparing motorcycles and scooters, at similar engine sizes motorcycles are:-
(a) generally more comfortable because of the larger wheels and longer suspension travel.
(b) more economical (but harder to drive) because of the manual gearbox
Sports-style bikes (with low clip-on handlebars and a slightly to very crouched riding position) are less comfortable than the high bars found on “farmer bikes”.
(Most?) people will tell you that “cruiser style” bikes (eg Kymco Zing) have a more comfortable ride.
This is tosh.
The “low rider” style reduces suspension travel and clearance compared to a street bike and does my back in after a while.
I’d guess an enduro/trail style bike like the Hartford VR would be good for the opposite reason, but I havn’t ridden one.
Actually that was what I was looking for! I am basically looking an appliance to get to work on.
I’ve ridden some of those enduro type bikes but I never found them to be all that comfortable. Kept sliding forward on the seat with predictable results.
Personally I very much like my commercial SYM wolf for commuting after increasing the ratio between the front and rear sprockets to provide greater speed and lower torque. Its unassuming and so easy to park without worrying it will be stolen. The purchase price used is approximately half that of the non commercial type, and there is little difference between the overall bikes. I prefer its upright handlebars and comfier seat. It also comes with rear rack for immediate fitting of a rear box for rain-gear and stuff. It also has a complete chain guard as opposed to the thin plastic strip on the non commercials which cause very early wear and lack of sufficient lubrication to their chains. Personally aside from looks and a fifth gear on the top models, I don’t see any advantage in the non commercial versions when commuting. There is one perhaps…The non commercial wolf comes with a front disk brake which requires less maintenance and adjustment. The later commercial bikes came with a larger front drum brake, which is surprisingly good I have to say when fitted with good shoes and maintained. The fuel economy is phenomenal.
I purchased my immaculate Wolf for just 25,000NT. It is extremely cheap to run and maintain. In two years I have had a new voltage rectifier pack, and a fuel gauge, which weren’t parts normally expected on service. Today I have confirmed that I need a new throttle cable as the old one is letting rain water down it and into the carb which is always flooded after a rain storm. I practice oil changes every 600~700km. I had it on the emissions meter today after the carb was cleaned and the engine is still as clean as a whistle.
I love my SYM Wolf!