A bike or an STi

[HighwayUFO]

So, I have come to an ends about what my next purchase will be. As a few of you know, my options are this.

Get a sportbike that will ultimately save me money but will only be a seasonal deal...

Or get an '04 STi that will make me stretch my budget a little and may cause me to continue to live at home rather than get my own place.

The way I see it, if I get the bike, I will be saving a boat load of money and thus affording me to get out on my own. Will cut down on the gas that I will consume everyday to work in the summer as well as a more general affordability.

If I go the STi route, I will most likely live at home( I am 21, and that doesn't sit well with me). Granted I would be trading in the SVX for the STi. But why would I want another car that gets close to the same gas mileage as well as a much higher insurance rate to boot.

In my mind the most reasonable option would be to get the bike come spring and keep the SVX for the colder winter months. Any thoughts and opinions are welcome. Best part about getting a bike is that my insurance would cover it as an add on to my plan for one hell of a low price.

Keith

[Red SVX 92]

The main question is, how willing are you to die? That's the only thing stopping me from getting a bike.

Of course, my case may be a little different. I live in LA, and riding a bike here as regular transportation is a death wish.

[Seraph]

Yepp. How quickly do you want to die? Quick, get a STi, a hell of a lot quicker, get your bike.

I always thought about getting a bike but never followed though (yet).

[HighwayUFO]

I have a lot of self control. Owning a bike isn't about the speed and the stupid stuff associated with owning one. I guess the other reason for me wanting a bike is due to a friend of mine. His dad was a big Harley guy, as well as a motorcycle junkie all together. His Dad passed on Halloween of this year. They used to go out riding alot, and we all became really close. I guess I feel it would help mentally if he had a good friend to go riding with every now and again. Just to keep the spirits of his Dad alive in his mind. There is my two cents.

Keith

[ensteele]

Don't get a bike just to make your friend feel better. I would go with the 04 STI.

[pavanbabut]

I would vote for Yamaha if u r not going for suzuki. But owning a bike and riding it is not an easy thing over here, so you should be really careful and make sure not to use it more often. I vote for this, keepin in mind that you are not going to trade SVX for it .

Of course both are my favorites. Yamaha is my first bike and Subaru is my first car, both of them are having the same rally color (BLUE ). Both are having good reputation and their own loyal customers and followers. They both are having almost very near similarities in many departments.

It would be great if you own both without letting SVX go.

-pavan

[Red SVX 92]

Riding a bike and surviving isn't just about you being an idiot. It's more about other drivers around you being idiots and hitting you.

Guy I know was killed by a lady who ran into him. He was stopped. At a red light. Kinda hard to break speed limits when you're stopped, if you get my drift.

[SilverSpear]

I have a solution for you, get something in between a car and a bike. Quad ? it is not safer than a car but it is way safer than a 2 wheel bike

[Manarius]

Originally Posted by SilverSpear

I have a solution for you, get something in between a car and a bike. Quad ? it is not safer than a car but it is way safer than a 2 wheel bike

I think he's looking for cheap transportation...and a quad isn't exactly something you can drive to work everyday...

My vote goes to keeping the SVX and getting the '04 STi as well

[n00b on demand]

I have fallen off a bike before. I would hold off on the bike and go for the STi. At 21 using a bike as regular transport isn't really practical. What if you need to lug some crap around....gonna toss it on the bike? The STi and SVX might get similar mileage and similar insurance rates but the performance is completley different. STi= more power and rally inspired.

You say you have self control now but trust me you will be going very fast before you know it.

[thumper_svx]

I'm a little bised... but I'd say get the bike and keep the SVX. I would do the same except that I currently need a sedan rather than a coupe... hence I bought both a bike and a Volvo this year.

Anyway, Power on Demand "What if you need to transport stuff"... or something to that effect. Personally I found that having a bike encouraged me NOT to carry crap around. I have two laptops I typically carry around... and when I need to carry them both I can get them both nicely in my Axio Tekno backpack. I have a pair of small saddle bags (Chase Harper Stealth) which I use to carry the gloves I'm not wearing, a bottle of water and my rain suit. Works like a champ on my 1991 Nighthawk. If I'm going to the gym after work, I have a soft, small collapsible tail bag that I strap to my bike.

On the flip side, I will point out that initial investment on a bike is higher than you might think at first. First there's the bike... then there's the equipment. As hinted above there's a lot of gear inolved in biking that you don't think of when you first buy the bike. First there's a good helmet... a couple hundred bucks will get you a really decent one. Don't buy used helmets!!! Then there's safety gear. Boots that protect your ankles... padded jackets to protect your torso... padding for your knees or "riding jeans" (I don't do this yet... all of this is really optional except the helmet!).

Then I've got both summer and foul weather gear. That means two pairs of gloves; one for summer, one for colder weather. Rain suit... not the type you buy at Home Depot either... good riding rain suits are made of THICK material. Cost adds up quickly.

Oh, and if you're in an area like Missouri where the weather can change quickly, you need to get yourself warm weather gear as well as cold... leathers are cool-looking but miserable when the temperature hits 80 degrees or above. A good mesh jacket would be a good investment.

Then there's the stuff I mentioned above; the saddlebags to carry my rain suit... the tail bag for my gym stuff (with integrated bungees!)...

You see? Initial ivestment is higher. True, total cost of ownership is a lot lower than a car, but only over time. I just stopped riding my bike for the year since it got cold and occasionally wet. I will probably start riding again in late February or early March... so three months with a higher fuel bill I will just have to live with. Getting 55mpg has been nice during the summer... I've gotten VERY used to it.

Looking at the positives though; you can park pretty much anywhere you can fit the bike (and legalities allow). The sense of being out in the environment instead of trapped in a cage is just incredible, especially daily at work. Even on a bad day at work I can look forward to riding my bike that evening, or even going out for a ride on my bike during my lunch hour. My friends can't look forward to driving their cars that much unless they drive a REALLY nice car.

Also, as a biker you become part of a community that's even better than the SVX's. I know, heresy. Seriously though... you ride a bike and it doesn't matter if you ride a Harley, Suzuki, Honda... whatever... you can pull up anywhere bikers congregate and you're immediately "in the club". Bikers always wave to one another on the roads... and there's a certain respect you earn just for riding. I wouldn't have it any other way.

And yes, I've come off a bike before; wiped out a few years back on a Ninja when I hit gravel on a cloverleaf. I was injured... but not severely. I was able to get up and push the remains of my bike and myself the mile and a half back to my apartment. I wasn't afraid to ride again... I just didn't have the money to buy another until this year. I can't say that I've been unhappy with that decision... I've loved it. Just make sure you're realistic about your goals before you buy a bike... don't think it'll answer all your problems... it will probably cause new ones... but I wouldn't trade the experience for the world.

Besides, even as a pilot I can't afford to fly often enough. Riding my bike is the closest I can get to the feeling of flying every day of the week... it satisfies my need for flight without the incredible expense of renting a Cessna

i say sti over the bikes listed but i would of chose bike if maybe a hyabusa or a yamaha r1. the 2004 yamaha r6s got a good look out of the 2 listed. i plan on grabbing one of those up for my wife this winter. but the sti is hella safer.

[SilverSpear]

Originally Posted by Manarius

I think he's looking for cheap transportation...and a quad isn't exactly something you can drive to work everyday...

My vote goes to keeping the SVX and getting the '04 STi as well

You think a bike is classier than the quad? come on, the quad is a four wheeler, i have a head of dept in my company who comes on a quad in the summer, our friend here is 21 and even though i love the STi, i still love more the SVX. If he wants to get that STi he will loose the SVX which is something not acceptable , and a bike is dangerous for a 21 year old... so my vote is for the quad (which is a bit safer than the bike) and he can still keep the SVX

[HighwayUFO]

I think by now you are finally grasping my situation. Keep the SVX and get a bike, or just have the STi which will hurt financially. And a Quad is out of the question. I have a 30 mile commute and a quad isn't an option to take on the freeway. I think I am going to get the bike. I do have years of credentials and just because I'm 21 doesn't mean that I am going to get in over my head.

quad in the US of funking A means country not city. those are for the woods, hills, mud and stuff. bikes great on gas for a summer commute. u just got to start slow and know your limits. and get what u want if you have riden before even if it is to fast for a beginner. u can adjust the throttle down on any bike so u dont kill your self. then when u are a big boy take the trainning wheels off (readjust it). plus the svx and a sports bike is a kick azz combo. im planning on the bike thing this next summer. i will pick up a bike over the winter for the wifey. ride in the spring and by a new one for myself at start of summer. my wife leaves to quatar (quate) in jan. to july for the Air Force.