Motorcycle/Scooter in Medical School

[trunksvegeta]

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I was looking at bikes to ride to and from classes since I'm not allowed a parking permit since I live relatively close to campus. However, it got me wondering...does anyone have a motorcycle/or scooter they use to make it to classes when they are running late? I love the fact of riding a bike to class, but the idea of flying to campus in like 2 minutes on a scooter seemed pretty fun, and I could still park close to class. Though I am a little paranoid about getting in a major wreck...Also, though she couldn't say much...my mom would be pissed at the thought of me on a "riding coffin" as she likes to call them.....any input from biker ppl?

 

[prav]

Most states require that you get your motorcycle operator permit, which is usually an addition to your regular driver license. I recommend an actual motorcycle over a scooter, mainly because I feel they are safer. Generally, they are larger (better visibility to other cars), brake better, accelerate better (accident avoidance), and definitely have better traction (larger/thicker tires).

If you do get one, I absolutely positively recommend taking the MSF (motorcycle safety class), as it has taught me how to ride safely and properly and has saved my butt many an occasion. In my town, they are held in the summer at the local community college, and are very cheap ($25).

Also, don't ride like a "squid", and make sure you wear proper thick-soled shoes with ankle support (i.e. no sandals), full sleeves (or some sort of jacket), eyewear (bugs in the eye at 40 mph are no fun), proper gloves and of course a helmet.

 

[amy2003uva]

However, it got me wondering...does anyone have a motorcycle/or scooter they use to make it to classes when they are running late?

i bought a HD sportster in may and i love it - i also plan to ride it to class when the weather is nice. one thing i have learned, however, is that it takes MORE time to get from A to B on a motorcycle than in a car!

this might not make sense at first, but consider this: in a car, you basically just hop in and drive over to class. on a motorcycle, it physically takes time to walk your bike out of the garage, put on your helmet, gloves, and boots, and warm up the engine (in non-fuel injected bikes). when you park the bike, you have to dismount and take off all said gear. it may not sound like a big deal - and it's really not - but it does add trip time.

a note on the helmets: wear them even if you're just going a few miles to class. it's true that it's great to feel the wind through my hair, but i don't ever want to feel the asphalt on my face.

good luck and have fun - my fiance and i bought harleys together (much to the dismay of our families) and we've had a blast on them all summer.

 

[thackl]

Get the proper instruction and WEAR YOUR GEAR. I ride an Aprilia SL1000R (fromerly rode an R1) and wouldn't think about leaving without helmet, gloves, boots, jacket and jeans.

And Amy, even EFI bike need to warm up. You're right though. By the time all the gear is on and the bike is warmed up, you've lost some time.

Ride if you love riding. It's too dangerous for someone who does it just as a matter of convenience.

 

[TheFlash]

vespas are all the rage in manhattan.

 

[TheFlash]

i bought a HD sportster in may and i love it - i also plan to ride it to class when the weather is nice. one thing i have learned, however, is that it takes MORE time to get from A to B on a motorcycle than in a car!

this might not make sense at first, but consider this: in a car, you basically just hop in and drive over to class. on a motorcycle, it physically takes time to walk your bike out of the garage, put on your helmet, gloves, and boots, and warm up the engine (in non-fuel injected bikes). when you park the bike, you have to dismount and take off all said gear. it may not sound like a big deal - and it's really not - but it does add trip time.

a note on the helmets: wear them even if you're just going a few miles to class. it's true that it's great to feel the wind through my hair, but i don't ever want to feel the asphalt on my face.

good luck and have fun - my fiance and i bought harleys together (much to the dismay of our families) and we've had a blast on them all summer.

amy? as in gayatri's friend amy from uva?

 

[amy2003uva]

amy? as in gayatri's friend amy from uva?

how funny - that's me. who's this? 🙂

 

[trunksvegeta]

Thanks guys, well assuming now I get a scooter/moped/ I will definitely wear a helmet at all times and the roads to campus are pretty much sideroads. Would I still need to wear moto boots, gloves, jackets? I dont plan on going anywhere but to and from campus...motorcycle does seem like a lot of preparation and I have ridden Honda Elites when I was 16 hehe...with helmet of course.

 

[skypilot]

Whatever you get, try to get a four stroke engine as they pollute a lot less than two strokes and are quieter too. Honda has some nice four stroke scooters.

Electric scooters and e-bikes can be pretty convenient too. I used to have an E-bike from Giant bicycles which was great for rides up to about 10 miles. The electric assist keeps you from getting tired and sweaty on hot summer days.

 

[Supadupafly]

Naw, get a two stroke!! I had a Vespa for ten years and loved that damned thing. Funnest motor bike ever. Too bad I wrecked it right when I started med school.

Whatever you get, try to get a four stroke engine as they pollute a lot less than two strokes and are quieter too. Honda has some nice four stroke scooters.

 

[daisyduke]

Not to be a downer but.... I just spent a month of q2 call in the Trauma ICU and saw more complete and incomplete quads and massive closed head injury patients in their mid-twenties than I care to remember... most of them from motorcycle and ATV accidents. Just something to keep in mind 🙁

 

[liverotcod]

I have a moped at UW-Madison and it is one of the best purchases I've ever made.

Can you park them in the bike parking by the med school? A co-worker just gave me his mountain bike, which I'm intending to use as a commuter from Middleton. But earlier I was considering a moped.

Funny story: Way back when, I got picked up at 4 AM riding the wrong way down a one-way street, with an illegal passenger, weaving back and forth across the street making fire truck siren sounds. And that's how I got my DUI!

 

[trunksvegeta]

I've decided there's no way I would get a motorcycle...but I'm starting to think that mopeds/scooters are equally as dangerous....it's just that I don't hear about those accidents as much. Wrecking at 40-50mph is deadly either way you look at it. However, having a moped would limit the types of roads/speedlimits other drivers would be sharing with you, so i guess somewhat "safer" So far it doesn't seem like too good of an idea...maybe ill stick to the bus route

 

[GiantGiantsFan]

I've decided there's no way I would get a motorcycle...but I'm starting to think that mopeds/scooters are equally as dangerous....it's just that I don't hear about those accidents as much. Wrecking at 40-50mph is deadly either way you look at it. However, having a moped would limit the types of roads/speedlimits other drivers would be sharing with you, so i guess somewhat "safer" So far it doesn't seem like too good of an idea...maybe ill stick to the bus route

dude, just get one of those pairs of roller-skating shoes. i see little kids wearing them all the time, and they are able to get around pretty fast.

 

[trunksvegeta]

that's a pretty good idea, but my quads would kill me going uphill.. 🙂

 

[viostorm]

Look, if you are attracted to the scooter culture, get a scooter. Don't get it because you think it is safer. If you have friends who ride scooters or would like to meet friends to go ride scooters with then that is the bike for you. A lot of motorcycle riding is a group event, meeting your friends out, taking trips together. Motorcycle riding is also about clearing your head riding solo on some back road.

For me, I rode a sport bike for years then recently upgraded to a Harley v-rod. Since then, I haven't touched my car in 3 months.

If you are attracted to the "call of the open road" then you probably want to look beyond a vespa. Its the whole "Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul" thing or "only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window."

As far as the safety issue "you ride 'em, you wreck 'em" Motorcycles aren't logical from a safety standpoint, a comfort standpoint, or a financial standpoint.

Find a bike that expresses who you are, or who you want to be.

See ya around and until then keep the paint up, and the rubber down!

 

[amy2003uva]

Look, if you are attracted to the scooter culture, get a scooter. Don't get it because you think it is safer. If you have friends who ride scooters or would like to meet friends to go ride scooters with then that is the bike for you. A lot of motorcycle riding is a group event, meeting your friends out, taking trips together. Motorcycle riding is also about clearing your head riding solo on some back road.

For me, I rode a sport bike for years then recently upgraded to a Harley v-rod. Since then, I haven't touched my car in 3 months.

If you are attracted to the "call of the open road" then you probably want to look beyond a vespa. Its the whole "Four wheels move the body. Two wheels move the soul" thing or "only a Biker knows why a dog sticks his head out of a car window."

As far as the safety issue "you ride 'em, you wreck 'em" Motorcycles aren't logical from a safety standpoint, a comfort standpoint, or a financial standpoint.

Find a bike that expresses who you are, or who you want to be.

See ya around and until then keep the paint up, and the rubber down!

i think the OP was looking for an alternate means of transportation when running low on time in the mornings. motorcycles and scooters alike require parking spaces, so i don't think this will solve the parking permit crisis.

as you can tell from this post, motorcycling (specifically with the Harley Davidson brand) can become part of one's lifestyle or culture. this poster happens to be my fiance and though we both own HD's we do not fit the sterotypical mold of motorcycle owners (you know, badass outlaw bikers with a chip on their shoulders). we love to travel on our bikes when we get tired of our cars, and i would recommend a motorcycle to anyone for this purpose. however, if you're just looking for a two-wheeled machine to get you to class, a Vespa will surely do the trick.

disregard the quote "you ride em you wreck em"; it drives me crazy when bikers act haphazardly and blame unfortunate events on inevitability. you CAN prevent collisions and you can minimize risks by taking an approved MSF (motorcycle safety foundation) course (i'm still trying to get him to take one). they teach you how to anticipate factors than contribute to wrecks as well as physical techniques to better handle your bike. one thing is for sure: thinking you're invincible will get you nowhere when it's you vs. the pavement or you vs. the SUV.

safety implies a situation "without risk", and motorcycing inherently involves risk. since we can't "safely" ride, the best we can do is MINIMIZE risks involved.

ALWAYS wear your safety equipment, even on a moped. i have seen people on pedal road bikes in wrecks because they were hit by cars. don't disrespect the helmet.

be safe and have fun!

 

[thackl]

"you ride em you wreck em"

That's a new one to me 🙂 Mine has alway been "you wreck it, you own it" 😉

So when we going for a ride?

 

[Snelgrave]

Can you park them in the bike parking by the med school?DUI!

For all med students in Chicago - as long as the engine is <50cc the scooter falls under all the laws of bicycles. So you can park it on the side walk and lock it up to a bike rack. Just make sure you have a form letter prepared to contest the tickets that the idiot cops give you for parking a "motorcycle" on the sidewalk. Many riders have a sticker that quotes the municipal code on their scooters to cut down the tickets.

As for actual speed - my best friend rides everyday and can get from A to B much faster than a car because he can zip around the stalled traffic. For distances less than 5 miles I find scoopter>bicycle>car.

 

[viostorm]

That's a new one to me 🙂 Mine has alway been "you wreck it, you own it" 😉

So when we going for a ride?

Amy said you are going to TTU? We may hit the streets today there is some bike thing in the depot.

I checked out the aprilia website, those bikes are awesome, I had never heard of them before.

We should go out riding before class starts. I'll PM you, we are in and out of town this last week before orientation.

 

[thackl]

Amy said you are going to TTU? We may hit the streets today there is some bike thing in the depot.

I checked out the aprilia website, those bikes are awesome, I had never heard of them before.

We should go out riding before class starts. I'll PM you, we are in and out of town this last week before orientation.

Sent you PM.

I love the Aprilia's. Japanese reliability with Italian styling. Coming from an R1, I wanted something a little more exclusive with Italian styling. I'm too poor to maintain a Ducati Deso, the Guzzi's weren't quite sporty enough (would love to have one as a 2nd bike) and the the other Italian brands were too much $$$ for me. I have the only Priller in town..... so, I guess it's pretty exclusive. The downside is that I have to take it to Austin or Dallas if anything major goes wrong.

 

[amy2003uva]

Sent you PM.

I love the Aprilia's. Japanese reliability with Italian styling. Coming from an R1, I wanted something a little more exclusive with Italian styling. I'm too poor to maintain a Ducati Deso, the Guzzi's weren't quite sporty enough (would love to have one as a 2nd bike) and the the other Italian brands were too much $$$ for me. I have the only Priller in town..... so, I guess it's pretty exclusive. The downside is that I have to take it to Austin or Dallas if anything major goes wrong.

we went to that rally in the depot last night - there were more bikes there than we'd expected and the weather was great. we'll have to go riding some other time, though i suspect your aprilia is built more for speed than for comfort cruising. we'll be out of town this week but after that i'm sure we'll be back on the bikes.

 

[SanDiegoSOD]

Forget a scooter, get a small motorcycle. They are nearly as cheap (you can get a good used one for $1500-$2500), they are more stable and, if need be, you can take them on the freeway, as they go over 100mph. Scooters are nice, but most top out at 35 mph, so you can't take them on main street or any other street where flow of traffic is 40mph+. Plus motorcycles just look a whole lot cooler 😎
Good choices are the Kawasaki Ninja 250 (my first bike!), Ninja 500, Suzuki Gs500, and Honda Nighthawk 250. You can get a mid 90's version of any of these bikes for very cheap and they'll run forever. If you want to go a bit bigger, but you still want a beginners bike, check out the Suzuki Katana 600, Suzuki Sv650, Honda Nighthawk 700, an older Honda VFR, or an older Yamaha FZR400. PM me if you have questions (or better yet, post them here!)

 

[trunksvegeta]

Honestly,
I'm scared to go much faster than 55mph on a bike...or more so hesitant. I think 35-45mph is comfortable for me on a scooter...I think one that is around 50cc would be suitable since i want to limit myself to going to school and back...and maybe to nearby stores occasionally. Knowing how clumsy I was on my bike when I was a kid, I don't even want to think about getting in a simple "accident" on a motorcycle. I know that once I get a motorcycle, the upgrades will never end...I've seen that with cars etc...eventually u keep wanting to get more and more powerful haha. Plus having a scooter will keep me off the main roads....on those occasions I'll just take my 2005 porsche gt2.. 😛

 

[viostorm]

Honestly,
I'm scared to go much faster than 55mph on a bike...or more so hesitant. I think 35-45mph is comfortable for me on a scooter...I think one that is around 50cc would be suitable since i want to limit myself to going to school and back...and maybe to nearby stores occasionally. Knowing how clumsy I was on my bike when I was a kid, I don't even want to think about getting in a simple "accident" on a motorcycle. I know that once I get a motorcycle, the upgrades will never end...I've seen that with cars etc...eventually u keep wanting to get more and more powerful haha. Plus having a scooter will keep me off the main roads....on those occasions I'll just take my 2005 porsche gt2.. 😛

Before you make the decision to "scoot" about town, why don't you go take a safety course and get your license?

 

[madcadaver]

I second the comment about reconsidering the motorcycle... I used to have one in high school and thought I would probably move on to bigger and better bikes later on in life, but a month of trauma at a busy trauma center made me reconsider. I couldn't believe what a large percentage of the fatal and near-fatal motor vehicle collisions involved a motorcycle (around 50% at the center I was at). When you see that many brain bleeds and DAI it makes you think twice about hopping on a motorcycle.

If you do buy one, be careful!!

 

[trunksvegeta]

what about scooter wrecks...are those common as well?

 

[Dr Who]

Dude try out the Vento Phantom R4. Lots of people drive them around here and they look awesome! They have four stroke engines and are super quiet, with a top speed of around 65 MPH. Oh and did I say they look great.

 

[dbutz02]

I loved my moped during my undergrad and I was torn on whether to sell it or keep it. I just found my apartment only 1.5 miles from the med school and I'm going to keep it. I don't care how funny I look when I'm the only mopeder...all I know is that I'll be laughing at them as I fly by them walking from the new parking lot 15min from the school because of construction.