Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP
Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!allegra!princeton!caip!topaz!ll-xn!nike!lll-crg!lll-lcc!pyramid!amdahl!pag00
From: pag00@amdahl.UUCP (Pria Graves)
Newsgroups: net.cycle
Subject: Re: Which motorcycle to purchase?
Message-ID: <3561@amdahl.UUCP>
Date: Fri, 22-Aug-86 11:28:51 EDT
Article-I.D.: amdahl.3561
Posted: Fri Aug 22 11:28:51 1986
Date-Received: Thu, 28-Aug-86 06:05:13 EDT
References: <2339@voder.UUCP>
Reply-To: pag00@amdahl.UUCP (Pria Graves)
Organization: Amdahl Corp, UTS Products Group
Lines: 42
Keywords: 120 miles a day, 40 to 50 weeks a year.

In article <2339@voder.UUCP> kev@voder.UUCP (Kevin Hoskins) writes:

>      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?
 .....
> That may not be to good. And if I don't
> drive the car, should I even be trying to ride in the rain?  
> 

The only motorcycle I know of which may be counted upon to last 100,000
miles or more without (usually) major surjury is the BMW.  They are
barely broken in at 20,000 while most motorcycles are worn out.  I
gather that some of the larger water cooled Japanese bikes last longer
than their predicessors but I don't have personal knowlege of that.
I do know a large number of BMWs, however, that run quite well as they
approach the century mark (my husband's for example - mine only has
75,000).
Another point is that bikes with a shaft drive (including BMW) are far
less wearing to ride.  On a 550 Honda the farthest I could manage
in a day was 450 miles.  I have done 700 on the BMW and still been
able to walk.
As for rain, yes you can do it.  It gets a bit old but it can be done.
I can commute by train which leaves our one car for my husband most
rainy days but we have both had to ride in a fair bit of wet on vacations
(Oregon and Washington are ALWAYS wet).
My advice?  Do it.  Just make sure you always have good tires (Metzler
or Continental) and replace them frequently.  And get a good rain suit.
-- 
Pria            ...!{ihnp4,hplabs,amd,nsc}!amdahl!pag00
                (408) 746 7539


(Disclaimer:  even I don't necessarily agree!)