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I think your opinion of bikes has been coloured by what you've owned. Of course there are plenty of bikes that will fuck with your wrists and your back, or that will die in the cold or fail to start.
There are also lots of cars with bad seats (see Dammit's own recent experiences) and that will not fit shopping or start when it's cold.
My ownership has been: Honda NC700s, MT07, MT09, Tracer 900, Tracer 900GT, 1250GS
None have failed to start first click. Ever.
None have fucked my back or my wrists.
Some couldn't fit shopping but Dammit owns a van.Currently, my 1250GS (17k value, garaged) is £350 a year fully comp, including commuting.
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Idk man. My scrambler is basically the same bike but with a different exhaust and higher handle bars. And I haven't have very different feelings.
As for shopping. I bet souls gs WITH ALL THE METAL PANNIERS can get more back from Waitrose than dammit's porsche.
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Sort of agree with you.
Vespas are great. But then I am bias. Quite like a souped up ciao or si.
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@bq
Motorbikes do have a sensation of speed that it's hard to achieve in a car (The Aston was the only car that came close to the level of acceleration), but, and it's a big but, they are shit.
They are statistically the single most dangerous vehicle to its own driver, terrifying at speed, you're always either far too cold or far too hot, and far too often too wet, they break down in the rain and overheat in traffic, you have to wear a gimp outfit to ride one, they are uncomfortable and unlike a car you can't really adjust your position, so you're going to need a new back, new wrists and a new neck if you take them anywhere, you can't fit your shopping into them, and they are uninsurable in the UK because they are constantly being stolen. The vast majority of them are pig-ugly, and once you go above about 250cc they are too heavy to be nimble. Once you go above 600cc they are just too heavy full stop. The only places you can use the performance are places you wouldn't want to, such as motorways. Bikes are horrible on the motorway. And in the countryside you will crash because they never sweep the roads there.
In town the better, faster vehicle is a bicycle, and outside of town it's a car.
My old Triumph Thruxton 900 is by no means considered a big fast heavy bike but it would wheelspin even in 3rd gear at the slightest hint of damp, the engine cooked my legs in traffic, it scared the hell out of me rather too often, and apart from the looks and the sound, I grew to hate everything about it. I was glad to sell it and gave up motorbiking altogether when I did.
I can promise you, if you want fun on two wheels (and don't need reliability, admittedly), nothing beats a Vespa.