It's legal to split lanes in only one state, California.

@tsume: Its also legal to "white line" when at a red light. Could just be a CA thing as well.

That won't stop me from fantasizing about opening my car door as they drive by, though.

Hopefully these stats will get some bikers off the road. The road is for real vehicles. But if you do bike or cycle, please, please, PLEASE obey the freaking rules of the road. Don't be like 90% of all bikers and cyclists I see.

Presumably insurance will set you back more as well?

They should also account for the added likelihood of getting hurt in an accident, cost of medical bills, lost wages, etc.

I save a TON by using my motorcycle... I used to fill up my car 3x a week, now I fill up my car once and my bike maybe twice every three weeks.

@dbshaw: My bike is 500cc, and here in Wisconsin, insurance is around $100. Of course our riding season is pretty short and very inconsistent.

@LupusGray:

This is so ignorant. Motorcycles have every right to be on the road. Attitudes like yours are why cages continue to kill cyclists at very high rates.

@LupusGray:
Too many car drivers and bike riders fail to understand that bikes ARE real vehicles.

The calculation is about buying an extra motorcycle when you already have a car, not comparing the cost of buying a car and buying a motorcycle.

I am more concern about the safety issue. I came from a country where motorcycles are popular. Two of my friends lost their life to motorcycle related accedent before their 20.

@xthexlanternx: Motorcyclists who expect everyone around them to accommodate their unsafe choices are ignorant.

I commute by bike, it saves a fortune. Of course, I only paid $69 for my bike at Target. Counting helmet and chain, I've got less than $100 into it for 15 years of use.
When it gets to nasty (this is Iowa after all) to bike, I walk down to the nearest (free) bus stop and ride it from there.

I was all set to argue, but then I saw that the entire premise of this argument is based on the possibility that one gets a motorcycle in addition to keeping the car. Sure, an additional vehicle won't save much (if any) money.

But, talk about replacing your car with a motorcycle, and you'll save a ton. Not only on gas, but also on insurance and mental health treatments. In fact, multi-car families should certainly consider replacing one car with a motorcycle.

Cyclists (bicyclists, not motorcyclists so much) where I live routinely ignore pesky traffic distractions like stop signs and red lights. If they're going to be morons, they could at least wear helmets, but they don't bother with that either.

I spotted one college-age cyclist pedaling down a city street with no shoulder wearing no helmet and headphones. Brilliant.

I am most likely losing money with my bike. I live in a state with a short riding season, my commute is only 3 miles, by the time I gear up myself and warm up my old bike, I could have driven to work (it's a 5 minute drive).

I don't ride enough for errands, travel and work for it to be a money saver, but it is definitely worth the extra cost for the recreation factor.

I'll stick to my 30 city/40 hwy Civic, thanks.

@madog: No doubt. I used to sit in traffic on the 15 shaking my fists at the bikers splitting lanes. They'd ride so freaking close to my car... more than once have I had that same fantasy of throwing the door open as they pass.

@LupusGray: Yeah, because that's how most car-meets-motorcycle accidents happen. It's not that drivers are only watching for other cars (and not looking for motorcycles, bicycles, or pedestrians). Um, yeah.

Funny, if I'm not in a steel box, I'm more careful than those with nice safety cages. Because, you know, I'm the one that will probably die in case of a crash. That tends to put me on my toes. Maybe you're different.

@LupusGray: @xthexlanternx: This is so ignorant. Motorcycles and bicycles have every right to be on the road. Attitudes like yours are why cages continue to kill cyclists at very high rates.

FTFY.

@witeowl: I'd consider it if I didn't have a small child to transport daily. :-)

My dad had a motorcycle, and I loved riding it with him as an (older) kid. Hanging onto his belt as we whipped around town on sunny weekends for a fun ride. He only took it out a few times a year, but those were some of my happiest memories of him.

@madog: It was incredibly common on Okinawa when I lived there a few years back, and I actually did see one guy get a face full of door. Even if it wasn't intentional it was still pretty damn funny (the guy was fine).

@LupusGray: Cyclist/scooter rant - not about motorcycles: It's the bikers who don't follow the rules that get me. If I'm in my lane waiting for the light to turn green, I don't appreciate some jerk biker zipping past me, smacking my mirror and flipping me the bird on his way through the red light, and this in an area where it's legal to use bikes on the sidewalks! Sorry for keeping my car in the lane, jerkface. I don't feel like swerving wide and getting hit by on-coming traffic to accommodate some wad who can't wait his turn in line like the rest of us.

Hahaha, I used to pass a bicycle Nazi daily on my way to work. He had a very visible sign safety-pinned to his backpack that read "FUCK MOTORISTS" (all caps, red letters) and the son of a bitch purposefully rode close to the center of the left lane so that you had to go in the right lane to pass him. A cop must have stopped him eventually because 1) there was a station on the route and 2) he stopped wearing the sign.

For years I had only a motorcycle. Kawasaki Ninja 250 which cost $3000, and got 50MPG.

I saved a ton of money versus... anyone else, in any car, period. The post above glosses over the detail: they assume you'll own a car AND a motorcycle.

And besides, you're saying that the motorcycle would pay for itself enough that you're only behind $100 a year? And you get a motorcycle out of the deal? That sounds like a sweet bonus, not "oh my gosh, I'm out a hundred bucks!"

Motorcycles rock and don't you ever forget it. ;)

Haha. Fat chick and a moped.... Reminds me of a joke:

What does a fat chick and a moped have in common?
They're both fun to ride until your friends see you on one...

@tsume:

Wanna see panic in their eyes?

Drive with an open window after visiting the home improvement store and allow your fence posts to hang out the window.

The oh sheit expression is priceless.

This article is about owning a car and a motorcycle.

If you just own a motorcycle, you will save quite a bit. Especially in time and money wasted on parking.

Bought a moped for college. The big saver for me was time. I could park right next to class without hunting/stalking for a car spot. At 110mpg I rode it everywhere around town. I did have a car and took that to work several cities away.

Insurance for a ped, near $100 year, gas for the month $6. No need for a cycle license and had fun whenever I rode it. I recommend it for any college kid

@Slave For Turtles: Yeah, I bet you get pissed off when they have the nerve to take the lane, too. (Which is allowable by law and is expected if you want them to "wait in line".)

Everyone riding moto knows we're saving money cause riding is conducive to emotional health so we don't have to pay to go whine to a therapist like you cagers!

@pinecone99: ...was that supposed to be English? Or coherent? ;)

Remember the law of the biggest always wins the war of high speed impact.

I have a scooter from college. Paid about $2500 new. Parking pass at Texas A&M for a car on campus was like $350 and a motorcycle was $40 and you could park at any building. So between the cost of parking, gas and time saved I think it more then paid for itself

@LupusGray:
While I agree with you that they should follow the same traffic laws, they have as much right to be on the road as those of us in cars.

@tsume: It's also legal in the District of Columbia.

@witeowl:
I'd consider it if I weren't afraid of getting stuck somewhere in a rain storm. We don't get a lot of rain, but during monsoon season it comes out of nowhere. And there's no public transit where I live. No way I could rely solely on a bike for my mode of transportation.

@kwjayhawk:
I think that's fine if you're staying around campus. If you have to ride on an actual road, I'd be afraid to do son on a moped. Maniac drivers scare the crap out of me when I'm in my SUV, for crying out loud.

@LupusGray: That's a completely ignorant and shitty attitude. It's a well known fact that way more accidents between cars and motorcycles are caused by inattentive car drivers who can't see past the end of their cell phone/makeup compact/Big Mac.

When I took the MSF course, they took great pains and were very elaborate and explicit in telling us that we had to behave as if everyone in a car was actively trying to kill us. Because asshole drivers like you don't care, don't look, and don't pay attention, they hit motorcyclists at an alarming rate.

@witeowl: THIS.

I started biking to work 4.5 years ago, but still kept my truck. It was handy, and sometimes I needed to haul stuff. A couple times a month, I'd come up with some excuse to drive to work instead of biking. Stayed up too late, wanted to sleep an extra 30 minutes, etc.

Then about a year ago, someone couldn't stop talking on their cellphone for long enough to pay attention to the road and rear-ended me at a stoplight. Bent the frame, and totaled it. We decided to not replace it, and went down to one car, and I started biking to more places than just work.

Between the gas and the lack of insurance, we're saving a bundle. I still miss not being able to haul sheets of plywood, but I'll get over it.

@xthexlanternx: do you live someplace warm? my neighbor has a motorcycle but he also has his hyundai accent, since you know the motorcycle is ill equipped for new england winters

@Nakko: well in a portion of this country, you do tend to own them both, if only because motorcycles + snow/ice/winter = donorcycles

@LupusGray: Bikes, Cycles, Scooters, are all REAL vehicles, pal. If you can't get down with sharing the road, get on a bus.

@failurate: yeah, is it may to october (on the optimistic side depending on how far north you are).

Safety is a concern, but if you make yourself a slave to safety you will live a boring life. It's possible to motorcycle safely--especially if cars realize they have to share the road with other legal vehicles. Yes, LupusGray, I'm talking to you. Get over your passive-aggressiveness regarding other people's freedom to make different choices from your own.

Of course motorcyclists have an obligation to follow the rules of the road too. The guys who do wheelies on the freeway should be arrested for reckless driving. Just as a car driver would for stupid, aggressive stunts behind the wheel.

As for commuting, it's legal everywhere in the US for motorcycles to use HOV lanes as a single occupant vehicle. Depending on where you live that can save you a lot of time in your daily commute.

Finally, ever notice that you never see motorcycles parked outside the office of therapists and psychologists? ;-)

@witeowl: As an avid bicyclists I could not agree more (although I do most of my riding on dedicated bicycle trails where I share the road with joggers and rollerbladers), however, as some have pointed out, bicyclists will often act like they are a motor vehicle, however when the come to an intersection will assume the role of a pedestrian. All bicyclists should obey the rules of the road at all times, wear a helmet. Likewise, motorists need to respect that bicyclists are allowed on most roadways, and allow sufficient room when passing them.

As I typically ride on trails, the biggest hazard that I face are other bicyclists who are traveling at a higher rate of speed than I am and do not announce themselves when passing (as is customary). This creates potentially dangerous situations if I veer ever so slightly from my path.

I have a scooter and a full size bike and have been riding both for about ten years. There are some real savings to be had, and I'll tell you about them after the jump.

[Jump]

Paradoxically , it can cost more than you think to use a motorcycle or scooter (like the Honda Metropolitan in the above picture). In just about every state ,they have to be insured , tagged and titled just like a car. Some savings there ,but not a fortune.Also , if you live in an area with harsh winters ,you may find yourself paing for insurance 12 months a year and riding just 6. The big killer with two wheelers is other upkeep items. Tires and brakes wear out faster and don't lend themselves to DIY replacement (especially on big bikes because you need a stand to do the job right and lots of space) Scooters have a relatively weak driveline (typically just a drive belt) and need maintenance before and after the winter months and its not unusual for a routine brake and tire replacement to run $200- $400 for a bike thats only worth about $1200 or so.

The big savings that you will see come from the ability to get around all week for $2-5 worth of gas if you live fairly close to work or shopping.This can be a lifesaver during times when gas prices defy gravity (like the summer of '08).Also ,while you can't put a price on it in dollars ,the ability to park hassle free (and in some places cost free) is immeasureable.Something else that is priceless: being able to avoid a lot of surface street congestion.

@DeeJayQueue: i drive a 4 door sedan and I assume that every car wants to kill me. although i do admit i get insanely freaked out near motorcycles. i may be in the steel cage, but i don't want to hit the person who's not in the steel cage.

my aunt works in auto insurance, and she does say that most car vs bike (motorized or otherwise) accidents occur because of the person in the steel cage.

@kwjayhawk:

Great advice. For a shitload of grins ,try to find a 1980-1983 Honda Passport C70.(They go for about $900 on Ebay in excellent nick)and are the ultimate campus cruiser. They will fit everywhere that a bicycle will fit and get over 100 MPG easy. They have a 3 speed semi-automatic transmission that anyone can learn.I use mine daily.

@witeowl: I don't. Because if they're taking the lane, they're obeying the rules of the road. Running red lights, yelling at drivers for obeying the law and generally being an asshole is not suddenly OK if you're on two wheels instead of four.