My new job is only about 10 miles from home, and I have been using the MB5 to get back and forth for the last year.
In Ohio, the MB is registered as a motorcycle, and I don't have a title for it, so it will be difficult to begin the transfer process. I am going to try, but it may not work.
An alternative thought was electric. I just saw one of those Zero motorcycles this weekend, and it looked like it would work great. It's a bit bigger, a bit sportier, fairly light, and kinda futuristic looking.
I liked it!
The range is about 40 miles, so i could definitely get to work and back on a charge, and I will have a garage, so there is a place to charge it.
What is the downside? The silence of it is a bit unnerving, but I think I could get over that with judicious use of high viz clothing...
In reply to Maroon92:
Have you checked on the price? I think they're quite expensive. However, it would be a cool commuter. Put a light weight trailer behind it and use it for a short haul grocery/parts runner too. Make it pay for itself.
If you come home almost out of juice, all you do is plug in overnight. Very different than coming home on an empty tank. I love the idea of an electric commuter motorcycle, the price has been too high so far.
Last I checked they are in the $10000 range. Not cheap considering what a new CBR250R costs which is what I'd personally use a a commuter.
Brammo Empulse, very sexy:
This is GRM, you're supposed to build your own 'lectric bike. 
build thread on ecomodder
(not the one linked to above)
I actually considered looking at the Zero bikes when my commuter bike gave up the ghost, but for me both price (around $10k) and the limited range with IIRC no regenerative braking (yet) put that idea out to pasture. Well, mostly the range and the shortest commute is around 50 miles round trip and I'd have to recharge the bike at work just to make it home.
That said, for a 10 mile commute I'd definitely look into one if you can stomach the cost.
You son of a bitch, I was about to make a similar thread.
That said, I ran the numbers, and there's no way I could come out, even versus the WRX, much less a WR250X (10 mile commute).
10 mile commute? What about electric motoring a bicycle?
foxtrapper wrote:
10 mile commute? What about electric motoring a bicycle?
60 mph zone most of the way for me
Maroon92 wrote:
In Ohio, the MB is registered as a motorcycle, and I don't have a title for it, so it will be difficult to begin the transfer process. I am going to try, but it may not work.
If it was registerable as a moped it could be easy and cheap.
http://www.motorecyclenow.com/title-service.html
It looks like it is $250 for a motorcycle though. 
pinchvalve wrote:
If you come home almost out of juice, all you do is plug in overnight. Very different than coming home on an empty tank. I love the idea of an electric commuter motorcycle, the price has been too high so far.
I have used the lawn more gas in my bike on more than a few occasions.
To me, in 2011 or 2012, a electric motorcycle will never be more than a gee whizz toy (like a iPad) for people who like to be early adapters of technology.
There is no way to make a case for it economically.
Maybe in 10 years from now.
We haven't gotten to the point where an electric motorcycle is the cheapest distance between two points. It'll happen fairly soon - but fairly soon is 5-10 years out. For that, there's a reason the Honda dealers can't keep CBR250s in stock around here.
On the other hand, I'd think the electric motor would make very pleasant power - easy to ride, low vibration.
Yeah, there is the price difference (about double the aforementioned CBR which I would cross shop), however, there is a 3000 dollar tax credit on 100% EVs...
I dunno, maybe, maybe not... we'll see.
A shop called Vintage Velocity in Richmond VA had a used Zero recently, but I didn't ask for a price. Interesting as a commuter, though I would want at least a 100 mile range.
