#motorcycle commuting

So, I was going to motorcycle tech school in America and there were guys that still didn't get it. (Though for guys in my performance class... ah hah hah! They filmed me doing a hysterically dumb thing and circulated it. It was in retalliation for some filming I did of them in previous classes.) 

That said, please don't worry about what people think. These guys aren't the majority of riders: they are a LOUD minority. Very loud.

Really, the motorcycle community in America (especially in the Midwest) is very supportive. My ex ran my ZX6 out of gas on the highway in Arizona. Twice. Other riders actually went to a gas station, bought a gallon of gas, and brought it back to him. I once had a problem with my Honda CB350 in Missouri and pulled over to check it out. I had a lot of riders (mostly on cruisers) pull over to check if I was okay.

The bike culture in America is mainly different for one big factor: most people don't look at motorcycles as a truly viable form of transportation. They think of it as a toy. A powerful toy. That is changing, but very slowly.

Big, loud, commuters: I can almost guess these are cruisers. You can tell them by the big gas tanks, the lack of plastics, and the way the front wheel sets forward of the bike. (I can explain why they do that, but I don't want to bore you with technobabble.) They are loud because so many riders are obnoxious and they like the roar. I find it rude.

I don't think of big bikes as commuters, because they use a lot of gas. I think of them as highway lounge seats. I'm into speed and sensible commuters (like scooters). That's me, though. If you want to commute within the city, I highly recommend getting an agile and tough scooter like the Yamaha Zuma or (if you like retro) Vino. Yamaha makes quality scooters. The only problem is the lack of power: 50cc scooters aren't allowed on the highway.

If you want a sporty commuter, I suggest the Kawasaki Ninja 250 or the new Honda CBR250. Both are amazingly fun! The Ninja in particular has a LOT of support (easy to get parts and accessories). If you want to get the cruiser style, I'm fond of the Honda Rebel. All true commuters get really far on gas! You can save a lot of money with smaller bikes and scooters.

Just one really important thing when buying a scooter: BUY JAPANESE. Avoid Italian (over-priced, a lot of maintenance, expensive service and parts). And Do Not buy the Chinese scooters that have flooded the market. They are JUNK. There are NO PARTS for the Chinese scooters. Once they break, they are done. Stay away from them.