The case for motorcycles. Why not use one?

[GasSavers_JoeBob]

I used to ride bikes...rode from 1978 to about 1987. I had several, listed in order: a '66 Honda 90 (about 70-75 mpg, IIRC), a '78 Yamaha XS-400 (about 60 mpg), '72 Triumph 650 (60-70 mpg), '81 Honda GL1100 (naked Goldwing, about 40 mpg but like riding a two-wheeled limo), '78 Honda 750 (about 50mpg), and a couple others in the mix also.

The upside...great fuel economy (especially when my other car was a '65 Plymouth Wagon w/a 383...about 10-12 mpg...got 18 once!). During the gas shortage in '79, I filled the Plymouth once, then siphoned out the gas for my Yamaha. Also, most of the girls I dated then liked the bikes. (A few liked the Plymouth wagon also, but that's a story for another time!)

The downside: Riding in winter, even in Southern California, can get cold! You don't know how warm 32? is until you've been riding for a while and then you stop! Or stopping in a rest stop on the way back to the San Gabriel Valley from 29 Palms, and crouching down by the engine to get warm.

If the engine leaks oil, SOP with the Triumph, you make sure you're not wearing light colored clothes, or anything you want to keep clean.

Riding without eye protection isn't a good idea, either. I tried it riding through the desert, and really tore up my eyes. Rain w/o eye protection isn't much fun, either. Or rain with eye protection, either.

Then there is the rod in my right femur from where I ran the Yamaha into a stopped car on the freeway at 60 mph. Of course, I learned a couple valuable lessons...pay attention to the road, not the cows on the side of the road, and STEER, rather than BRAKE when there is an obstacle. After I started riding again, I trained myself to go around obstacles...saved my butt several times in the car.

Big reason I gave up riding was money (insurance ate up all my gas savings). Now my wife is afraid of me hurting my self on a bike...maybe some day I'll convince her....