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Input/Advice on Commuter Bike for I-880?

YellowDart

YellowDart

Nov Smoz Ka Pop
Joined
Mar 11, 2006
Location
Livermore
Moto(s)
BMW R1100S (2004)
Name
Keith
I'll soon be commuting from Alameda to San Jose. My BMW R1100S has been my daily rider for four years, commuting from Alameda to SF, but I want a second bike for the longer ride so I can keep the R11 as long as possible (it's at about 67k right now).

I’d like to spend no more than $5k for a 1999-or-newer bike with a max of 20k miles. Now, before you start laughing, know that I’m willing to adjust my expectations depending on the market, but I’ll also look for a while to find the right bike. I’m considering various Japanese sport and sport/touring bikes (VFR, CBR, and so on). I have a great BMW mechanic, so I haven’t ruled out finding another BMer. Still, I feel like many possibilities exist that I haven’t considered.

First:
Do any of you BARFers commute on 880? What bikes have you ridden on this route, and what’s your input about models/types?

Second:
What are some good and bad things about the 880 commute? I’ve ridden 880 many times over the years, but hardly ever during commute hours.

Third:
Where would you recommend looking for a used bike? I’ve had some success with craigslist, and I’ve had great experience looking with friends at MotoJava in SF. But I’d like to cast as wide a net as is practical.
 
YellowDart said:
...I’d like to spend no more than $5k for a 1999-or-newer bike with a max of 20k miles. Now, before you start laughing, know that I’m willing to adjust my expectations depending on the market, but I’ll also look for a while to find the right bike. I’m considering various Japanese sport and sport/touring bikes (VFR, CBR, and so on). I have a great BMW mechanic, so I haven’t ruled out finding another BMer. Still, I feel like many possibilities exist that I haven’t considered.

First:
Do any of you BARFers commute on 880? What bikes have you ridden on this route, and what’s your input about models/types?

Second:
What are some good and bad things about the 880 commute? I’ve ridden 880 many times over the years, but hardly ever during commute hours...
Click to expand...
I commute the entire length of 880 every day. The only bike I've done it on is an '01 Gixxer. Do not get a gixxer. If you get a VFR, I'm thinking the pre-VTEC ones will be cheaper in the long run. The 250s I see always appear to be straining to keep up.

You say during commute hours, so I'll assume that means including dark (and cold) hours in the winter. 880 is full of surprises, mostly random trash appearing out of nowhere (esp. north of 238). Give yourself plenty of follow distance, esp. in the dark, so when the car in front goes over a five foot long 2x6, you can choose to go around instead of over. Watch for people pulling out into the diamond lane (some just don't comprehend what they see in their mirror, some don't check at all, and some think they're going to accelerate much faster than they actually do). Dress warm, but keep your cool; it'll seem like they (cagers) are gunning for you every day. Granted, these are all standard warnings to any biker. It's just that 880 is full of every danger every day.

edit: people have suggested FZ1, ZRX, etc. While those both come with fairings, I'm used to seeing them with small or none. For commuting, I'd want as much fairing as possible.
 
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i think that bandit is way too expensive compared to better bikes....ive seen that bandit with low miles in pristine shape for 3500
 
I'd not want a chain driven commuter, you spend too much time lubing the chain.

Whats wrong with just putting an extra 10k miles a year on your R1100S, if you're comfortable with it.

So much of what causes bikes to die is not mileage but general corrosion/decay, and that occurs regardless of mileage.

Additionally, does your BMW already have ABS? I really like having ABS on my commuter bike, I've never used it, but its good to have.
 
i would suggest a suzuki bandit. i used to have one for commuting back and forth from work. only problem is doesnt like starting in near freezing temps and the 600 is fairly buzzy at rpm. otherwise great bike!
 
YellowDart said:
First:
Do any of you BARFers commute on 880? What bikes have you ridden on this route, and what’s your input about models/types?

Second:
What are some good and bad things about the 880 commute? I’ve ridden 880 many times over the years, but hardly ever during commute hours.

Third:
Where would you recommend looking for a used bike? I’ve had some success with craigslist, and I’ve had great experience looking with friends at MotoJava in SF. But I’d like to cast as wide a net as is practical.
Click to expand...

First: I've taken an '07 R6 and '07 SV650 on 880 during commute hours; I ride on 880N from 280 to Brokaw during the morning and back. It's a lot shorter than yours, but I do it everyday and it's very congested and require 100% lane splitting. The SV650 is pretty nice and comfy for this task; the only thing I don't like about it is it's lack of good brakes. The R6 isn't as comfortable, but it's braking power more than makes up for its poor ergo for lane splitting. So right now, I don't really have any preference between the 2. If the SV650's brakes can be better, then I'll definitely pick that.

Second: Lane splitting is required on 880. I've ridden it to Oakland and back from San Jose a few times (your commute) during commute hours and traffic flows very nicely between hayward and milpitas. Although I normal commute is between brokaw and 280. 880 lanes are a bit narrow especially under over passes where there is no shoudler for lane #1. This causes cars to veer towards lane #2 and decrease splitting room. However, on the plus side, people don't change lanes too often on 880 for some reason and many cars will move over for you. I guess everybody is a commuter on that road and has a very well definted driving pattern.

3rd: $5k will buy you a nice used SV650. If you add another $1.2k, you can get a nice new one.
 
Heh, that's pretty funny....I have/had a similar dilemma...

I got a '98 K1200RS for the commute and keep the R1100S for the weekends.

I really love the RS for the daily/year 'round commute.

Oh yeah, I ride about 60 miles everyday, roundtrip, Hwy 24 and 880, Pleasant Hill to the OAK airport.....almost every workday (I do chicken out sometimes when I think the road will be really slick, or visibility will suck)
 
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Thanks for all the input.

Point by point:

nazgulnarsil and Sivad87 on the Bandit:
I'll consider that one. That said, I knew a guy who commuted from Vallejo to SF on one, and he said he wasn't that crazy about it. He said it lacked power on the high-end, which is one thing I love about the R11. He also said it was high-maintenance, but that could have been the individual bike rather than the model.

Cygnus on commute hours:
Yeah, I've ridden 880 during dark and cold hours, but not between 5 and 7 p.m. on a weekday. And thanks for the advice about the debris. That was rarely a factor on my stretches of 880N and the Bay Bridge. And thanks for reminding me about the diamond-lane knuckleheads. As for the San Jose-to-Alameda stretch, I know there's a fierce headwind between San Jose and Oakland in the afternoon/evening, and I know where some of the usual slowdowns are. But that's about it.

Cygnus on VFR:
Thanks for that. A friend of mine has had two VFRs (among many other bikes) and she found it to be a good commuter. I'll ask whether they were pre or post-VTEC.

nweaver on chains:
I hadn't thought of that. I've been riding BMW since 2002, so chains have not been a consideration.

nweaver on commuting on the R11:
I'm sure I'll ride it some days (and every day until I get a second bike), but this commute will add 20,000 miles a year -- it's 39 miles each way, so multiply that by 2 (ways), then 5 (days a week) and then 52 (weeks a year). Because (a) I've maintained my R11 so well and (b) it's a BMW I expect this bike to last a good while longer. But it's true that any bike eventually becomes a perpetual restoration project, and I'd rather not depend on that type of bike for a daily rider on a 78-mile roundtrip commute. And yes, my R11 has ABS, which I love.

nweaver on the R11R at MotoJava:
Holy cow! I hadn't even seen that one! I just accepted the job Friday, and I haven't started my bike search in earnest. I'll go in Tuesday and have a talk with those folks -- I don't start my new gig until Wednesday.

sv2007 on the SV, R6 and 880:
Cool. The R6 is on my radar, but I hadn't considered the SV. I like me some good brakes, but versatility is also important. Sounds like the SV has that going for it. The traffic on 880 sounds sort of like my experience with Bay Bridge traffic. Of course there were idiots aplenty, but just as often people would move over to make room for me.

planegray on the K1200RS:
That would be ideal. I've love that bike. Finding one in my price range might be a bit challenging though -- but as I said, I'm willing to adjust depending on various factors.
 
I commuted 880 almost everyday on a VFR800. I found the bike too heavy (2004) to be fully confident in case of a panic stop. The bike was a joy otherwise.
I now commute on a Honda 599 with little windscreen. If you're a bigger person (I'm 5'2") I'd suggest a 919 can be had reasonably, light, upright, and agile.
Keep in mind you will be splitting, sharing, filtering whatever word you choose for much of the commute. You need something narrow, upright (posture), agile, with good throttle response. Tou will need a windscreen othrewise you might feel like you were beaten.

Good luck and let us know your decision
 
YellowDart said:
sv2007 on the SV, R6 and 880:
Cool. The R6 is on my radar, but I hadn't considered the SV. I like me some good brakes, but versatility is also important. Sounds like the SV has that going for it. The traffic on 880 sounds sort of like my experience with Bay Bridge traffic. Of course there were idiots aplenty, but just as often people would move over to make room for me.
Click to expand...
Getting some nice HH pads and SS brake lines does nice things to the braking on the SV. The other thing that helps a bit is to upgrade the suspension. I changed out the springs and oil in the front and it no longer "dives like a spooked trout" under hard braking. I also swapped out the rear shock for a gxr1k shock. While all of that may sound like a lot, it's really not, and it's easy to do.

880 is not my daily commute, but I've ridden it many times on my SV from SJ to Oakland during commute hours to visit my friend. I've been quite happy with my SV for that, as well as my daily commute, which is Pacifica->SJ. Route varies a lot - sometimes it's mostly 280, sometimes it's 84->1, sometimes it's 9->35, sometimes 9->84->1. :ride Couldn't be happier with the SV as a commute and weekend bike as well as a touring bike (I'm even going to try to ride to Anchorage on it!).
 
Do you want a sportier bike? The 2004 YZF600R at motojava would be a good choice. Mine has 50k miles with nothing more than routine maintenence.

http://motojava.com/_wsn/page3.html

I commuted from Fremont down to San Jose State in all types of weather for 2 years on mine. It's slightly sportier than my brother's 2002 non-vtec VFR. It's plenty thin enough for lane splitting with significantly more wind protection than today's race replica sport bikes. If you want more wind protection get a double bubble screen. I got just over 50 mpg in regular commuting and it has a 5.0 gallon tank with a range of about 225 miles with a little gas still in reserve.

Worried about commuting on a chain driven bike? Install a Scotts Oiler.
 
Happy Hornet said:
I commuted 880 almost everyday on a VFR800. I found the bike too heavy (2004) to be fully confident in case of a panic stop. The bike was a joy otherwise.
I now commute on a Honda 599 with little windscreen. If you're a bigger person (I'm 5'2") I'd suggest a 919 can be had reasonably, light, upright, and agile.
Keep in mind you will be splitting, sharing, filtering whatever word you choose for much of the commute. You need something narrow, upright (posture), agile, with good throttle response. Tou will need a windscreen othrewise you might feel like you were beaten.

Good luck and let us know your decision
Click to expand...

Weight makes very little difference in a panic stop. If anything, a heavy bike like a VFR can be a little better because you won't lift the back end.

You should see just how hard the 600lb whale of a Concours can stop with the full ABS cycling, its amazing.

I did commute on a 2000 VFR for about 9 months before getting the Connie. The connie is so much more comfortable, and not having to lube the chain every single F#@)(* weekend alone is almost worth the price of the connie. :teeth
 
Happy Hornet said:
You need something narrow, upright (posture), agile, with good throttle response. Tou will need a windscreen othrewise you might feel like you were beaten.
Click to expand...

V-Strom! :teeth

Seriously, I've been doing the BB commute on mine for the past 9 months (ever since I bought it) and have been very impressed at how well it handles heavy traffic.
 
Pilotimb wrote:
> Do you want a sportier bike? The 2004 YZF600R
> at motojava would be a good choice.

Today that was my choice. After a day of visiting and talking to the MotoJava guys as well as friends who've had many Yamahas (plus doing some Web research), I got on the bus in full riding gear and rode the beast back home over the Bay Bridge. It handled quite nicely in rush-hour traffic. Very nimble.

That said, I have to get used to the four-cylinder vs. twin aspect as well as the 600cc vs. 1100cc thing. I'm not used to riding at such high rpm, and at one point I thought I was still in fifth gear when I was in sixth. I haven't had an in-line four since 1991. I'll also need to get used to the bike's power zones. There were a couple of times in fourth gear when it didn't have quite what I needed. But in sixth, way up past 10k rpm, the thing just flew. I'm sure I'll find what I need as I get to know it better.

With this one I met all my criteria -- a sport/touring bike bought from a reputable person/dealer that had less than 20k miles for less than $5k. And it took 2.5 days.

Thanks again, BARFers, for all the input, and for pointing me (back) to MotoJava.
 
nweaver said:
Weight makes very little difference in a panic stop. If anything, a heavy bike like a VFR can be a little better because you won't lift the back end.

You should see just how hard the 600lb whale of a Concours can stop with the full ABS cycling, its amazing.

I did commute on a 2000 VFR for about 9 months before getting the Connie. The connie is so much more comfortable, and not having to lube the chain every single F#@)(* weekend alone is almost worth the price of the connie. :teeth
Click to expand...

Disagree about weight if you are a shortie like me-ergonomics play a HUGE role in choosing a good commuter. Being able to touch the ground becomes increasingly important as you add weight to a bike I noticed a deadening of the flickabilit I think is so necessary in heavy urban situations. A low center of mass is also important. 550lb dry weight, add a tank of gas a battery oil and tires and you got's yourself a bomb. A lovely long distance runner of a bomb for sure but nothing I ever felt comfortable stuffing between two cars.

As for lubing the chain...that's just a part of Sunday morning wipe down.
 
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