Living in ATL with just a motorcycle (Atlanta: car insurance, school)

[msandli]

How long is the riding season in ATL? I currently live in Tulsa, OK, and I can ride roughly April through October (no heated riding gear). I will be attending Georgia Tech this fall and I'm wondering if it would be possible for me to only use a motorcycle? Its a cruiser with a big windshield, and it would also be possible to put some sort of wind blocks down low near my legs. Or should I just try to invest in some sort of heated gear for the winters?

I will be living with someone else with a car, so I would have access to one if I really needed it. But I own the bike free and clear, and I'm making payments on the car, so you can see the appeal for a student....

I'm also trying to read up on MARTA and trying to see if using it to get to/from school makes sense, so that will take a lot of travel time off of no matter what vehicle I use.

Any comments from 2 wheelers and/or yellow jackets welcomed!

[brook2ga]

A friend of mine uses his bike all year long, except for the few snow/ice days in winter. I think it can be done. Good luck!

[ATL Golfer]

You should change the thread title to..."I'm looking to die just as soon as possible".

[DTL3000]

You can easily ride year round here with the right gear. This past winter was a lot snowier than usual and even Marta shut down during the big snow days. Of course GT was shut down as well so you wouldn't have had to worry about missing classes. All you really need are a good set of thermals( I recommend a set of Patagonia, aka Patagucci, Capilene 3. Expensive but worth it.), a full-face helmet, and a wool scarf. Oh yeah, decent gloves are probably the most important thing to have.

You'll rarely want to take a long ride into the mountains in January but as long as you have a reasonable commute it's manageable.

[xavier132487]

Baby, don't do it. We're horrible drivers, and the rain here is monsoon like in nature.

[Miss Deep South]

I have no motorcycling experience, but I did live in Atlanta twenty-seven years before moving to Tennessee. I'm 30 now, so it hasn't been long. Plus, my family is still there, so I still visit several times a year.

I'm not sure what kind of weather you're used to in Tulsa, but if you're looking to use your motorcycle most of the time in Atlanta, you may want to look into some winter gear. The winters in Atlanta are relatively short, but the temperatues can be brutal. And, believe it or not, Atlanta gets more rain than Seattle, especially in the winter. I'd say you could possibly ride comfortably (assuming you have the right gear) between March and October.

But just a word of caution: Atlanta drivers are MANIACS, so you'll want to be careful. And, traffic is horrible.

And, be forewarned: You can't depend on MARTA--it is far from efficient. Actually, they were better several years ago, before they underwent all those so-called "improvements". But, where exactly will you be commuting to school from? If it's not too long a distance, it might be okay.

Sorry to be such a downer, but "commute" and "Atlanta" spell trouble, no matter what type of vehicle you drive.

[tdatl]

Originally Posted by msandli

How long is the riding season in ATL? I currently live in Tulsa, OK, and I can ride roughly April through October (no heated riding gear).

fwiw, these are the exact months I consider 'riding season' here. March has some days that are OK, but not enough to count...

[arjay57]

Oh, you can do it. I rode bikes around here for years and I know at least one guy who rides as his main means of transportation. If you're an experienced rider I'm sure you know what to do. Obviously you'll have to deal with rain but we've got excellent public transportation if you live and work near MARTA. Having a roommate with a car will also be a huge help, since you'll need it on occasion.

And the weekend rides here are awesome. There's spectacular scenery both north and south of town, and lots of folks to ride with.

[son-house]

I get a solid 9 months a year of 2-wheel commuting.

I typically retire the bike around early January and put 'er back in action around mid-March

The drivers around here lose their minds when the road is wet so be careful out there. If it's an option, consider MARTA on the wetter days.

Seriously, the drivers lose their ever-lovin' minds.

[msandli]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. I'm still just looking at possibilities, and it is highy unlikely that I'll come to the city with just a motorcycle as transportation. But its nice to know that it would be possible.

As for bad drivers....well, I got some quotes on my car insurance for Atlanta (I think I used 30312 just to have a number), and insurance for me would be cheaper than what I currently pay in Tulsa. I know there's plenty of variables that go into setting insurance rates, but its food for thought....