NYC commuters?

This is now basically a catch-all NYC thread. If you live, commute, ride or think about riding in the NYC area post here. Questions about dealing with the traffic, parking, things to do, places to find parts and service (good luck) rants and raves about pedestrians, whatever, let's hear it!

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How many NYC commuters here? I ride in 3-4 times a week from LIC on an XT225, a KLR650 before that. (I upgraded) I don’t see too many other dual sports so I was wondering who else is out there mixing it up with the evil yellow and black cars everyday.

Karl

I use to until Sat. when an SUV T Boned me and put me in the hospital for 4 days. Be careful! The fucker ran a red light!

Hey Karl--I may have met you to look at your KLR when you were selling it... Kind of behind a bar under the approach to the bridge? I commute everyday there's not significant snow or heavy rain. I freelance, so that usually means the city but sometimes all over--this week has been long island. In the normal riding season, I don't take the KLR into the city b/c I'm too paranoid about it getting ripped off... instead I ride my nighthawk. In the winter the nighthawk is put up and I ride the KLR everywhere, pull the plate and chain it to light posts. I still come back to it each evening expecting to see it missing.

How do you like the XT? They're cool looking little bikes. You should drop by Matchless some Monday night, it's just across the creek. Usually at least a couple folks on dual sports (sometimes only me on a dual sport if you don't count BMWs)

-Luke

I've been commuting into one part or another of NYC for the past 6 years. Down town, Mid town and now in Queens. I find it's the buses that are the most bothersome. They seem to outright hate bikers.

Hey Luke, Yup that’s me. I found somebody that wanted to trade the XT for my KLR. He was touring the Americas on it and already accumulated 10K riding from California and into Canada. He wanted the KLR before heading down to South America.

I’m glad I got the XT, I find myself riding in a lot more with the smaller bike. It’s really a lot more fun in traffic than the 650, more like a mountain bike with a motor. I have to be a little careful not and try to squeeze through every little gap in traffic. And off road it’s a total blast. Not the fastest bike on the trail but compared to the mighty KLR it’s a pure joy to ride in the tight stuff or deep sand. That KLR was way too much like work for me off road.

Busses are scary, I total assume they either don’t see me, or are trying to run me over. And this is true on my XT or a bicycle.

And Jolly705 Damn that sucks. I hope everything turns out OK. What was reason the SUV failed to stop? Heal well,

Karl

i commute daily unless there's snow, ice or temperature drops below 30. almost four years: first on dakar, now on caponord. i use to see few guys on gses in weekdays' mornings. one heading south on fdr. another one in fifth avenue - sometimes with female on pillion.

get well, jolly.

in my experience, busses are the safest vehicles in streets (besides other bikes). they are predictable and simply to heavy and slow to surprise me. yellow cabs are much worse. i don't want to be called a racist which i am not, so i'll stop here.

True, busses are at least predictable. They don’t make left turns from the extreme right lane or any number of otherwise totally asinine maneuvers that cabs pull every day. But busses tend to run red lights and for some reason try and crush me when I am next to them, I think it’s a sport for bus drivers.

Hey Yarrai

I agree, but I think the black lincoln towncars (kind of poorman's limo's) are THEE WORST!!!!

I can generally predict buses, less the cabs.

The worst thing is the J walking pedestrians:huh

The worst thing is the J walking pedestrians:huh[/QUOTE

Yes, peds are the worst. The one thing I worry about the most is hitting a damn pedestrian. When I’m filtering along through traffic I always scan the sidewalk and possible ped infiltration points for one that looks like a potential darter. It is amazing that some people here in the city have no concept of what is using the street other than cars. When people step off the sidewalk mid-block from behind a parked cargo van are they really assuming that if the cars are stopped nothing else is moving? Don’t they ever see the bicycles, motorcycles, rollerbladers, hotdog carts, horses, or whatever other street user that’s not as wide as a car? People just walk on out there without so much as a look in the direction of traffic.
I really do keep it slow, like under 10mph if I don’t have good visibility of potential threats. I figure any speed is better than 0.

Anyone know what sort of blame would be applied for a J-walking incident involving a motorcycle moving through stopped traffic? I know that when a car strikes a ped that darts out from a parked car or whatever the driver is usually not found at fault. It is illegal for a pedestrian to cross if a crosswalk is provided at each end of the block.

I figure you're fucked if you hit one, legally too.

I find loud pipes are the best way to scare the bejeesuz out of the fools who step out in J walk mode.

ipod piercing loud!

It's all about the vibration, resonating. They could be deaf, but they still feel it.

Been commuting 46 mi rt from NW Joisey every day (except snow/ice) since the blackout in Aug '03. Started out on the DR200 and now on the DRZ400s. Got an extra set of wheels for commuting and then change 'em (along w/ front sprocket) on wknds w/ DOT knobbies for dirt riding. I try to avoid using the SV650s for commuting, steer clear of the buses, share the lanes w/ other commuters and keep speed down and 8 eyes out when splitting on the side streets w/ the suicidal peds.

smart

with the improving temps i think some of the hazards will be cyclists and vespa riders.

yarrai, is that your capo i see around madison park?

i don't have far to commute coming from brooklyn but i ride into the city every day.

i live and work in manhattan, so the bike doesn't come out every day. usually when i get on the bike i'm getting out of the city for at least a day or weekend.
between the cone-swallowing potholes, the ipod wearing lemmings, and the various types of cabs, i much prefer riding away from the city.

i'm thinking about getting my old honda road worthy for local use just so my gs doesn't get destroyed.

I'm thinkin the same thing....(Honda 1975 CB750 SS)

you haven't heard my leo vince yet, have you? reasonably silent when off-trottle, but when pushed... you know...

yep, that's mine. adv sticker on rr fender. i use to see a yellow r12gs by 23rd near fdr. recently without fairing. may it be yours?