Motorcycles for SHTF
With a new bike purchase comes a sorry attempt to justify it. Everyone knows that they're dangerous. Cargo space is at a premium and if you've got a whole family to worry about then you won't be packing them up on the back and hauling them anywhere. They do have several advantages over other forms of transportation, though.
Improved gas mileage is the most obvious advantage over cars and trucks. The biggest, baddest, most gas guzzling bikes get gas mileage that's on par with "economy cars". With the price of gas on the rise and the likelihood of it getting much more expensive the economics of riding a motorcycle is only getting more appealing.
Motorcycles can go places that your car can't. As long as you're not riding an 800 pound cruiser you'll have plenty of maneuverability. If there's a real emergency then one of the worst possible situations could be getting stuck in traffic. In an emergency getting around a traffic jam is a lot easier on a bike. If you're on a dual sport you could even just take it off road. Taking railroad tracks and people's yards to get out of town isn't out of the question on some motorcycles.
When you're on a bike you tend to be more aware of everything that's going on around you. Something about being in the cab of a comfortable car or truck takes a toll on your attention span. When you put yourself on the back of a two wheeler that's completely exposed you tend to be a bit more careful and paranoid. Go figure. You'd be surprised how many things you suddenly realize that you've been taking for granted when you go from a car to a bike. After riding on the street for just a week I've already noticed some improvements that I can make to my driving.
Being more in the open also makes it easier to see what's going on on the road. You need to bug out? Let your wife drive the truck/car and just follow her on your bike. If someone messes with her then you will SURELY be the first to know and you'll be in an excellent position to react. If you get stuck and her vehicle can't go any further then throw her on the back of your bike, grab the bare necessities and keep going.
Bikes can go just as fast or faster than cars. Obviously, you can't carry as much on the back of a bike as you can in a car but a decent set of sadle bags and a good touring bag will go a long way. If you need to go offroad you can. If paying for gas starts to become impossible then you've got a toy to fall back on that will get you home if it's really necesary
Improved gas mileage is the most obvious advantage over cars and trucks. The biggest, baddest, most gas guzzling bikes get gas mileage that's on par with "economy cars". With the price of gas on the rise and the likelihood of it getting much more expensive the economics of riding a motorcycle is only getting more appealing.
Motorcycles can go places that your car can't. As long as you're not riding an 800 pound cruiser you'll have plenty of maneuverability. If there's a real emergency then one of the worst possible situations could be getting stuck in traffic. In an emergency getting around a traffic jam is a lot easier on a bike. If you're on a dual sport you could even just take it off road. Taking railroad tracks and people's yards to get out of town isn't out of the question on some motorcycles.
When you're on a bike you tend to be more aware of everything that's going on around you. Something about being in the cab of a comfortable car or truck takes a toll on your attention span. When you put yourself on the back of a two wheeler that's completely exposed you tend to be a bit more careful and paranoid. Go figure. You'd be surprised how many things you suddenly realize that you've been taking for granted when you go from a car to a bike. After riding on the street for just a week I've already noticed some improvements that I can make to my driving.
Being more in the open also makes it easier to see what's going on on the road. You need to bug out? Let your wife drive the truck/car and just follow her on your bike. If someone messes with her then you will SURELY be the first to know and you'll be in an excellent position to react. If you get stuck and her vehicle can't go any further then throw her on the back of your bike, grab the bare necessities and keep going.
Bikes can go just as fast or faster than cars. Obviously, you can't carry as much on the back of a bike as you can in a car but a decent set of sadle bags and a good touring bag will go a long way. If you need to go offroad you can. If paying for gas starts to become impossible then you've got a toy to fall back on that will get you home if it's really necesary
Comments
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Another thing that I forgot to mention is the maintenance involved. A bike is MUCH easier to work on than a car or truck. You can do most of the work yourself with very few tools and you don't need a big shop with things like lifts and cherry pickers. Bigger vehicles have more to break and everything is a lot harder to get to.
Piaggio 3 wheeler 395cc diesel gets 36 km per litre (0.2642 US gal)
or roughly 144 mpg
Want it motorized? There are tons of kits out there for that, and many folk simply roll their own in that department.
Picture it - a massively over-built Flying Pigeon with a little gas-sipping two-stroke engine. Stealthy when the engine is off, and still able to move when there's no fuel.
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- Light weight.
- Indestructable (practically).
- 100+ mpg.
- Availability of parts.
- Easy for even the most novice mechanic to work on.
- Secondary 'hi/lo' gearbox. (In low gear it can climb/pull anything)
I wish Honda still offered these versatile bikes in the U.S.
My $.02