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From: kev@voder.UUCP (Kevin Hoskins)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Which motorcycle to purchase?
Message-ID: <2339@voder.UUCP>
Date: Thu, 21-Aug-86 15:37:09 EDT
Article-I.D.: voder.2339
Posted: Thu Aug 21 15:37:09 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 28-Aug-86 03:23:41 EDT
Organization: National Semiconductor, Santa Clara
Lines: 48
Keywords: 120 miles a day, 40 to 50 weeks a year.


     First I want to thank all of you that responded to my recent 
questions concerning time of year to make a purchase and insurance.
Now let me fill you in on some other elements that go into the 
equation that determines which motorcycle I finally purchase.

     As you saw in the 'Keywords' heading above I'll be doing about 
120 miles a day round trip from my home to work. Given the minimum 
number weeks as 40, or 200 days, the total miles per year is 24,000.
50 weeks brings the total to 30,000. None of this takes into account 
trips to the gas station (there will be MANY) or fun rides in the 
hills/mountains that surround the area where I live. 

     Is this still a good idea? I mean am I still operating in something
that resembles rational cognitive processes? Can a modern motorcycle engine 
(or the whole motorcycle for that matter) hold up to that kind of 
high mileage and last for three years or longer? 

     Another item that concerns me very much is that to make this 
purchase I probably will have to sell one of our cars. That leaves us 
with one car and the (newly purchased) motorcycle. Well that's okay 
between April and September when it's not raining. But when it IS 
raining I might have to take the car, which leaves the rest of my
family without transportation. That may not be to good. And if I don't
drive the car, should I even be trying to ride in the rain?  

     I have gone to some of the dealers in my area (all four major Japanese
manufactures were represented). First to fall from the list of possible choices were the 'did-I-make-a-wrong-turn-trying-to-get-to-the-pits-boy-racer-
eat-up-the-canyon-road' type of vehicle (which I do like). But I cannot 
quite see myself sitting in that bent-over position for over an hour while
I travel to work. So that, unfortunately, seems to remove them from 
my list.

     Most of the dealers seem to be in agreement with the suggestion that
I purchase a large displacement machine (1 litre or >). The large engine 
will not have to work as hard as .75 litre and therefore should last 
much longer. These seems reasonable.

     After all the above verbage my question is simple: (and assuming
that you answered yes to my question about "...rational cognitive...")
what motorcycle would you recommend that I consider purchasing that will
give me very good reliability and VERY long mileage?

     Thank you! 


P.S. I have placed the 1985 Honda V65 Sabre on my possibility list. There
are still some new non-current models available.