Motorcycle riding for commute to work (Seattle, Bellingham: to buy, living in, price)

[Lin19687]

So coming from Mass it's all new to me the drizzle most days.
I am looking to move somewhere along the Rt 5 corridor south of Olympia down to Longview.



Anyone here ride a motorcycle for their commute to work every day ?


I'm kind of a fair weather rider over here, not in the cold and not in the Spring till they street sweep the roads from all the sand/salt.

Rain hurts your face, with full helmet it would just be the rest of your body


If you are in an area that doesn't get snow, do they use Sand if it gets chilly out? No I am not riding during your 'Winter'. Just wondering how to be ready for the spring



Rest of the year how are the roads as far as Debris goes? Main highways and back roads.



I have been riding for about 35 years but I stopped riding 8 years ago. I was just about to buy a Burgman 650 for my short 4 mile commute here and then just bring it with me when I move to WA... now I wonder if I should just skip it all together and stop riding.


Thanks in advance

[Diana Holbrook]

I imagine it's fun to ride a motorbike between June and September.

For the fall/winter/spring, though I dunno, it would be a crap shoot. Not only because the wet, but when it's wet you're less visible in traffic. We have the shorter days in winter, so you'll be commuting both ways in the dark many times.

I did some serious commuting up and down I-5 for a long while, and I wanted a truck around me because I felt it was too dangerous out there in a little car.




In answer to your actual question, though, You won't see frequent sanding unless there is snow. At least in Thurston County, it seems like they use a lot more of the chemical de-icer than sand.

[StealthRabbit]

I commuted daily for 15 + yrs while living in Colorado (all weather, including snow)

PNW, I have several friends who commute, even 40+ miles. The rain is not pelting, as it is drizzle / road spray. I found it too dark on country roads for night or morning dark-30 motorcycle or bicycle commuting. (No shoulders on rural roads)

PNW Drivers do no see motorcycles or bicycles because they are a rare occurrence. (3) friends killed on each in WA, about the same in Colorado, but far more exposure (daily).

Used Motorcycles are quite cheap and low mileage in PNW.

Personally.... I keep most of my (9) Motorcycles in other pristine riding areas of USA and fly there for fun sun-breaks. For commuting I make GTDs.... Turbo diesel GTIs,. Very fun and sport driving @50 mpg on free homebrew fuel. Same economy and similar fun to motorcycle, but with wipers, heater, radio... DRY (sorta) and a lot easier to 'suit-up' for a quick commute / errand. My GTDs have trailer hitch for Quickly and easily getting my motorcycles to fun destinations.

There is quite a bit of great ADV riding in PNW, Idaho is superb. Canada and Oregon each are very close by.

A friend living north of Seattle has ridden to Alaska 3x on his 50 year old motorcycle. I would be happy to take the Alaska Marine Highway departs from Bellingham. WA ferries are pretty cheap for motorcycles last I remember.

So.... Bring something cheap and fun. Use non-ethanol fuel, and don't expect to use it daily.

If you bring a motorcycle.... Leave it in Colorado, and enjoy it frequently there ($40 flights when on sale)

[Lin19687]

@stealthrabbit
Thank you for that info, it all makes sense.
My other Vehicle is an F-350 (gasser) and I just had GM buy back my Bolt EV so I was looking for cheap commute.
Maybe I will just get another small EV used.


Thank you

[MechAndy]

I used to commute every day on a motorcycle to San Francisco.
It is just to dangerous now especially since I am getting older.

Can you legally cut lanes in Washington?
CA is ok with it but I only do it in the worst gridlock.

I just don’t see me riding my big bikes in Washington because of the strict speed limits.
A couple of my bikes don’t like to go slow.

I am not a racer type rider on the street.
I do track days.

I only have had one ticket in the last 20 or so years and that was in Washington for going 10 over the limit next to Fat Smitty’s at 4:00 am on a Sunday morning for an airport pick up run in my CR-V.

Being that I have Cali plates on this car I think it was a case of revenue enhancement.

[Blondebaerde]

Originally Posted by Diana Holbrook

I imagine it's fun to ride a motorbike between June and September.

For the fall/winter/spring, though I dunno, it would be a crap shoot. Not only because the wet, but when it's wet you're less visible in traffic. We have the shorter days in winter, so you'll be commuting both ways in the dark many times.

I've had a bike in my garage or carport continuously since 1987. Only exception was summer last year, and I had another fairly quickly all things considered though I didn't ride much 2018-19 for various reasons. I do now, again, mostly in fair weather which means it's on the trickle charger c. 6 mon/year.

Commuting in heavy traffic here is a complete crap shoot, you're right about that. So much so that I quit doing it after about four years of obstinance, c. 1998-2002, at least regularly. I remember being an inch from hypothermia one day during my then-commute, Mill Creek to Redmond, and correctly concluding: "this is for the birds, and will get me killed." That was a bad day. I then started carpooling, mass transit, and flex hours. Or dealt with hours in the car/day back when things were really bad. No idea how they are now in terms of traffic, having not commuted much since 2017. "Never say never" but I have no intention of ever dealing with a job like that again. In IT, "I think" the bit has flipped bad pun intended such that those like me can WFH full time or nearly.

I'd lived 7 years in the Bay Area prior, where you can mostly get away with riding c. 9 months/year. More if you're hard core, as I surely was: no car for years, bike only. Los Angeles and the US SW, perhaps you can go 11 or even 12 months. Metro Seattle sure isn't Cave Creek AZ in terms of climate.

You'll get killed doing that here. The dark going and coming makes it extra hazardous. Now add rain. Rain riding is a huge pain, it's like going into space: your gear must be 100%, it's all right or it's all wrong and that is hard to do. Traction and stop distances are affected. You're cold more often than not, and gearing up takes time. You look like a vagrant when you get to work, hair all screwed up and often as not dirtier than when you started. People can say what they want, but it's viewed as uncouth and/or amateur-hour that an engineer does, not a manager. Which means gear-up/gear-down at both ends meanwhile the clones are looking at you like you're some kind of outlaw biker. Forget doing in that in a professional role. Ask me how I know....I didn't give a ____ for years and have the feeling I paid the price career-wise.

[rkcarguy]

I've got several years of seat time on the street, as did my dad. About 5 years ago we both hung it up because car drivers simply don't pay attention to motorcycles or their surroundings in general. As our area grew population rapidly, we were having close calls nearly every day with people on their cell phones not paying attention, or just plain not seeing us on our bikes. Between those on their phones, the elderly, and those that seem to drive in a mentally challenged tunnel vision oblivious to everything around them, it's a death trap here for the motorcycle commuter. My dad got hit twice in a two week period at the same intersection, waiting to make a left to go home. Rear ended once and hit from the side by drivers both on their phones. Luckily he saw it coming and had time to jump off both times, the instance where he was rear ended he actually had time to put the kickstand down (just in case she stopped in time or swerved and missed it-but she hit it anyway) and ran out of the way.
I'd still ride for fun, but I'd stay off the busy main streets at peak times and only ride in nice weather for sure.

[Hemlock140]

In addition to the rare snow, we will sometimes get freezing fog, or just heavy frost that makes for hazardous driving. The liquid de-icer that is applied to many roads before such an event makes the road really slippery when first applied. I wouldn't consider a motorcycle commute unless both dry and above about 38F. Then as others have mentioned, with so few of them here, car drivers are not used to them and that makes it more dangerous.

[Lin19687]

Thanks all, I've decided a bike is out.
We have issues with peoplemnot paying attention ut sounds like it is worse out there....and that's why I stopped riding to begin with.

Thanks for all the HONEST words

[FLcycler]

Originally Posted by Lin19687

Thanks all, I've decided a bike is out.
We have issues with peoplemnot paying attention ut sounds like it is worse out there....and that's why I stopped riding to begin with.

Thanks for all the HONEST words

I'd say you made a good choice. I spent 10 years in western WA and honestly I only rode my bike in May-Sept because the fall/winter were just too gloomy and/or cold. I never even considered my bike as a commuter vehicle due to the weather conditions. When I did ride I didn't have any problems... it's like anything else nowadays... gotta watch out for distracted drivers and ride safely.

I received a nice offer on my bike prior to moving to Florida last month but all my friends told me I was an idiot if I sold my bike prior to moving to the Sunshine State so I didn't.