Location Transport - Should I buy a motorcycle?

Should I buy a motorcycle?

Okay, here it is. I'm 32, and I'm thinking hard about selling my car and buying a motorbike, for the following reasons: I live in London, and only use my car about once every three weeks, mostly for short hops, and occasionally longer ones (that I could use the train for) I have a pig of a commute, which involves a bus, a walk, a train, and another train, then a walk. The whole thing only takes an hour, but it's always crowded, and no leg is more than 10 minutes, so I can't even read. I cover eight miles in total I like the idea of a motorbike I've been cycling in London traffic for 10 years and never had an accident - I'm road-aware I've got a nice car that I used to need, but which is now depreciating at a rate of about £2000 per year I've never had an accident in 14 years of driving, so I consider myself pretty safe and sensible I've already passed my CBT - so I'm road-legal. I'm thinking about getting something classic - most likely a Triumph Bonneville - not a crotch-rocket. Money is a non-issue - the bike would pay for itself over three years, with the money saved in public transport fares. So what would you do? Honest answers please!

Public Comments

What the hell is the guy above smoking??? Obama? The question says london.... Edit] Obama is not a god and the world will not look up to him and he has nothing to do with a british man who wants to purchase a motorcycle...there is a politics section, use it Get a bike you only live once
It sounds like you can use public transportation in any instance you need a car instead of a bike, so I'd say go for the bike. I'm guessing this isn't a whim, since you've already gotten road legal. By classic do you mean classic styling, like the new Triumphs, or classic as in an older Triumph? I like the Bonnies, old and new, but be aware older bikes need a lot more upkeep than a new one. A LOT more. That being said, you may even find the bike good for pleasure trips. I cover a lot more miles per day on my bike than my car, because I usually take the long way home on the bike to just enjoy the ride. I've got two bikes and a car, and the bikes are my primary transportation. So yeah, if you can do without a car, I'd go for the bike.
Get the bike Bro its fun to ride and you can go any where on it. plus you save money just on gas. And might I say the ladies love bikers.
i live in the us i have been riding for 30 yrs i am 43 know i have learned 1 thing you have too be awear at all times they really do not see you. here anyway it is a great way to save money and fun at the same time just be alert be safe have fun and when you look at cars make eye contack be sure they see you
yes buy a bike but concider a stepthrou scooter, better for london traffic and they give you more shelter.themn buy a decent bike for rideouts on thr weekend.
With only 16 miles in total per day you certainly don't need to go as big or depreciation-attracting as a new Bonnie, and you probably won't want to spend the time to maintain an old Bonnie. I would look at slightly more than basic (but still exciting) commuters like the Fazer, Hornet, ER6, SV650 or the bog standards Deauville, GS500, NTV. To be frank you could go for a scooter and be in credit against the fares quicker.
A few wise words there from the last two posters!! Well done chaps. My thought would be for a scooter, no gears (so you're not up and down the gearbox every few seconds), more storage capacity and more weather protection. I don't have a car and just use a scooter for work, shopping and just for going out for a ride when I feel like it. Ultimately you've got to decide what right for you. Good luck.
go for it if you dont get a big bike ur gunna get like 50 MPG
For older styling and decent fuel economy, I would suggest two bikes. If you're looking for better fuel economy than power, I'd say the honda 250 nighthawk. Now before everyone goes bashing the vintage-style cb, let me say this. The series started somewhere around 30 years ago, and has gone almost completely unchanged since. This is actually a surprisingly GOOD thing. The series has been tried and proved to work. Sure, there are some things that aren't perfect. Drum brakes in the front is a little... cheap, but considering it gets 90 miles to the gallon, certain faults can be ignored. If, however, you're going to need enough power go, say, for a fun ride through the country, the Nighthawk won't do. In this case I would suggest the Harley XL883 Sportster. Again, I know everyone's going to want to go off on how unreliable and expensive HDs can be, but this one gets 55 miles to the gallon and can go over 100 miles/hour. That might seem excessive, but once you've been riding for a few months it'll instead be intriguing and exciting. Also talk about vintage, the Sportster design has been around since the 80's. And believe it or not, it's alot cheaper than getting your Triumph worked on (Triumph parts can cost up to twice as much as DUCATI parts). These two bikes are old-style, and provide enough confidence that you can learn on them. (The Honda because it's so small, the Harley because it's so low to the ground). But if I can make two more suggestions, the Suzuki SV650 has a huge fan base, gets 51 miles to the gallon, and pumps out 67 horsepower for a top speed of 125 miles per hour. It's a great commuter and is a twin so it won't overwhelm you, even if it can spit out pleanty of power. The only draw backs to the SV in your case are that it's a little tall, so you'll have some trouble learning on it, and it's not quite as retro as the first two. Also the Suzuki GS500E is a great starter-bike and is bullet proof. It has enough power and torque to wheelie and to really race, but you have to take it there. The only real problem with the GS500E is that they stopped making them a couple years ago and switched to the GS500F, which is a full-fairing version of the same engine and chassis. Those are my suggestions, and in case you couldn't tell, the answer to your initial question is a definite YES!
If you got your CBT give it a try, get used 125 good brand motorcycle just to start off with. Get some good protective waterproof gear and always ride with your headlight on in London. If you like it and can cope with getting wet now and again, decide then. I'm 33, have a 10mile 20 -25 min trip on my 125 including filtering time, in a car it would take around an hour to get to work. I have textile armour plated gear as it's waterproof to a certain extent but have a change of clothes in work if i get too wet. My gear can be washed and re-waterproofed at a little cost. Personally I love it even if other bikers don't see 125 learners as real bikers, but I will say one thing, theres not many weather conditions that would stop me riding it. Don't forget, your CBT only allows you to ride a 125cc with max power of 14.6bhp or 11kw.
By all means, get a motorcycle or a scooter. You'll enjoy your trip to and from work much more.