CG_Ops

The battery lock is for your peace of mind. The lack of an integrated lock is so you're more likely buy another one.

It may be more expensive but at least they didn't update/improve it, too!

You're not wrong - I recently picked up a CPO [2023 M340ix](https://i.imgur.com/eTu1OZt.jpg) for about $7-8k more than I was finding new WRX sT's. The WRX was one of my top choices up till that point and probably would've gone with one if the STI was still an option. I love the way they look, even more so than my 340 (to my own surprise). But a knee-jerk reaction to the war/gas-prices had me go with the BMW. 6 weeks and 3k miles (of commuting but most of which has been joy-riding) later, it still blows my mind that I **average** 28-31mpg while the WRX tops out at 26.

Mine is a little shy of fat tire at 2.8" but between being a 65lb bike, the fatty tires, and the trailer... it's not exactly ideal for pedal-only. That said, as long as I don't have a headwind, I can hold 10mph for 5+ miles as long as my tires are over 30psi. On my 26lb hardtail acoustic 29er, I can average 16-17mph over the same distance.

I think they're almost fully ready to commit to dialing everything to 11 and release a Hellcat Neon - 40% of the car's mass in motor. Hell, just fire-up the original assembly line/process and sell it for $30k. Or make it RWD and kick every other mfgr out of the drift scene. Note: I don't actually believe/want any of this, but would love to see it play out. If the US it gonna go keep going full regard*, might as well make it worth watching

Counterpoint, the sales person will never know the situation/use-case of the buyer. Why did I buy my BMW M340i over the i4? Among the reasons: * 450-550mi vs 225-300 miles of range per 'fill up' * I frequently road-trip/travel - I've traveled in/with EVs and fill-ups can take hours, especially if the destination (motel/hotel, homes, camping) doesn't have on-site charging * Typical trips from the SF Bay to: Tahoe (200mi), Yosemite (200mi), San Luis Obispo (260mi), Santa Barbara (360mi). * I have a lead foot. The impact doesn't factor into my driving on gas, in an EV, the impact can be substantial * We have limited mains power at our home (Main house + rental ADU with all appliances in each) - adding a 220/240v 50a line near where I park will be very pricey * I don't want current gen batteries. I want the vastly superior solid state tech that's (finally) just now starting to hit the market * Lots of other reasons that I shouldn't have to "defend" to a sales rep. I say all this while ALSO being STOKED to one day, soon, own an EV. I've driven several and they ARE superior to ICE in many ways, but not every way... **yet... for my situation/use case**.

To be fair, it's in the title, "Car & **Driver**" not "Car & **Masses**" No, no... I'll see myself out

Too many people discount the pump factor. I keep my cars for 7-10 years and recently cross shopped TLX-S and M340i's. Since I do ~18k miles/yr, ~15k of which is freeway, at an average of $5/gal (california) the TLX would be $850-900/yr more on gas. More impressive is that it gets better mileage AND has an extra 30hp/15ft-lbs of torque (with the torque available lower). Yes, yes... BMW maintenance... but I got a screaming deal on my CPO M340's maintenance package; OTD total of under $60k on a 2 yr old car with 24k miles, including ~$7k for the platinum (unlimited mile) 7 year warranty AND 7yr full maintenance plan... I fully admit that the $4k (dealer price) brake jobs scared me into the maintenance plan, considering the 2023's eat brakes like candy.... but my only costs above my $400/mo payments (I put a sizeable DP on it), until late 2030 is gas, tires, and insurance.

...and right!

I feel like this article/study isn't factoring in the absolute degeneration of general driving skills, road manners/etiquette, and highway patrol presence/enforcement that happened during/after the quarantine. Between 2013-20, I used to love doing between a 1/4-1/2 of my 15 mile commutes on my motorcycle. Since 2022, that dropped to less than 5% and since last year, when my commute grew to 30 miles, I've ridden in 5 times. Why? Post covid freeways feel like the gold rush of the wild west. * I see people passing on the shoulder, 2-3x a month. Never saw that in my prior 25 years of driving/riding. * The speed deltas are far, far higher than they used to be - the slow cars are going slower and the fast cars are going faster. * People follow much, much closer together now. They don't want to let someone 'get in front of them' * There's a significantly higher occurrence of hostility between drivers now. Unfortunately, that goes doubly so for motorcyclists. I've had people try to door or veer into me/others while (legally) splitting between traffic doing 15-30mph on the freeway.

Great way to mis-read, mis-math, and mis-interpret things. Not that I expect you to understand, something tells me your poorness isn't purely related to "societies unjust laws". Just a hunch. My parents came from nothing, father/father's side were field laborers and could only join the baseball team by finding/repairing thrown away gloves. Things didn't change much till I was a teenager. After things improved, years later, I still ended up homeless in my 20's for a year at one point, after medical bills and job loss from an accident cost me everything. I busted my ass, getting to work 11 miles away on roller blades for 6 months. I'm doing damn well now and vividly remember the days of eating every other day. Your argument is no different than people bitching about seatbelt/safety equipment laws, smog/emissions laws, ebike regulations, etc. They're there b/c of the net benefit to society. Bitching and whining about it on reddit isn't gonna change the laws or how US capitalism works. At the end of the day, OP could've found a thousand legal, equally viable options... even just a cheap class 1-3 ebike... and not have had their bike taken.

Since we're being pedantic to OP's situation: $2,099 (x2, to replace the repo'd one) > $3,999 I simply quoted the first one I found. If you can't find a road legal bike in your budget, it's on you, not the laws. For **new** bikes, [Belmont](https://www.belmontebikes.com/collections/california-approved-motorcycles/electric-motorcycle?srsltid=AfmBOoq5wT0MuBYcp_9z5Z73qWVQGwCW3g2vlJcLhGWKW9eWSQIGDqZH) offers CA street legal motos for ~$2k, [as do other manufacturers for $2-4k](https://electrek.co/2022/12/28/these-are-the-low-cost-electric-motorcycles-that-americans-can-buy-now/) ...but, if you're in a position where you need a bike as your transportation for income/living, it's irresponsible to buy new, anyway... At that point, we redirect our attention to the used market, where there's tons of 2-wheeled, CA-legal options at/around $1-2k. I'm familiar because I've been there, I've had motorcycles that ran great for $500 and my nephew commutes on a $800 used/modded Super73 (plated as a scooter, with some finagling with the DMV)

Your concerns are valid but aren't really about eBikes/eMoto. It does suck that policing is unfairly focused on the have-nots. Unfortunately, our country's hard-on for capitalism and disdain for "socialism" (more accurately, socialistic policies) means that fewer and fewer options are viable as one looks further and further down the social/financial hierarchy. Worse, still, the less one has, the more prone to (most) crimes they are for a variety of sociological reasons. In the country and reality we live in, we must operate within the (increasingly unfair) rules that apply to us or risk the consequences. Had OP been on a class 1-3 eBike or a registered eMoto, they'd still be doing their thing. In my case, I de-restricted my class-1 to class-3 and ride accordingly - I stay away from class-1 areas or ride within class-1 speeds. It sucks, but I play the game so I can keep my bike/money from overzealous enforcement.

The crawlers/rollers are (were, from factory at least) legal for road use from day 1. These bikes are sold as off-road only. NIU XQi3 Street Edition is CA legal and only ~$1k more than the Throne 60v Shadow that OP was riding. Sometimes laws suck, but, we have to deal with them or work to change them. OP could've ridden an actual eBike (class 3) or gotten a properly registered new/used eMoto, knew the risks, took them, and lost.

I grew up as a mountain biker, mostly charging up/down the local mountain (never cared for road bike feel/limits, personally). Since those days, I was in an accident that severed my left arm... so, [I'm an adaptive (1-armed) rider](https://i.imgur.com/5T0T1G2.jpg). I had a 29er for about 7 years, until 2023, when I got my [Bulls Adventure Evo](https://i.imgur.com/UxX04lp.jpg) and set it up for long, on/off road rides. It was over my initial budget of ~$3k but, being a fairly niche setup (65lb all-mountain with a dual battery totaling 1100wh) had been marked down from $7.5k msrp to $5k otd... the extra $2k included several upgrades I'd have made anyway (mid/high tier brakes, bigger/2nd battery, higher end derailleur). If I were to get another one, I'd love to stick with Bulls... just as good as the major players but, usually at a lower price point. Outside that, Aventon on the lower/mid end, Trek/Specialized or Pinion (with gearbox) on the mid/high end.

Lightening... the appeal of the Mustang brand

> Forget full suspension (expensive, fussy) You lost me there - FS is awesome (and often worth it over seat suspension posts, too). FS used to come at a high premium but it's marginal, at most, these days. And "fussy"? How so? Maybe on the cheap, no-name brands... but, in that case, the rest of the components would be, as well. In the ~3 years I've had it, I've put about 3k miles on my FS eMtn bike and have **needed** to perform 0 maintenance on it. I've done proactive maintenance myself, but literally nothing has broken or gone out of spec on the front/rear air suspension (Fox float DPS evol). Several friends/family have FS eBikes with similar experience - we mostly use them for x-country riding and the FS setups make it a much better experience on longer, bumpier, or urban rides.

> My more unpopular opinion: nobody should be riding these, unless it's offroad on private property or approved OHV trails. Depending on the local, it can be damn near impossible for people, especially kids, to enjoy hobbies on private land. I'd be much more in favor of licensing/insurance requirements, allowing for use in public spaces, than outright bans. A similar/parallel example/use-case is (gas) dirtbikes/quads. Being active in the industry, community, and legal circles, I STRONGLY maintain that the proliferation of the hooliganism on them is because they're effectively ~~banned~~ prohibited (using the word for a reason) in urban/suburban areas. As anyone with a basic grasp of history understands, **prohibition does not work**. Period. In nearly all cases of prohibition of a given activity, it doesn't have the intended effect, rather, it creates a criminal element/subculture. The better option is almost always regulation AND providing places for the activity to be performed safely. Here in the SF Bay, there's basically no easily accessible dirt riding areas available to the masses within a reasonable driving/riding distance... and the few places you CAN go to are prohibitively expense or far for the masses. We simply need more space for people to enjoy their toys. Yeah, bans are great, in theory... but providing local, legal, safe places is almost always going to be superior, overall.

It really is though - that kind of climb is stressing the motor above and beyond what anyone would reasonably expect to do on a cargo bike... just, add weight, reduce incline = similar net power requirement. To put it a more apt comparison, my Bulls Adventure Evo has a class-1 Bosch Performance Line CX Gen 4 (e.g. 250w mid-drive). It weighs ~65lbs, I'm 160lbs and [with my trailer fully loaded, it adds another 85lbs (trailer+load)](https://i.imgur.com/UxX04lp.jpg). That "250w" motor allowed me to easily run all around lake Tahoe with (relative) minimal effort, unless I wanted to get my cardio in on the uphill climbs. I can't really see anyone making the argument that that isn't a transferable parallel to a cargo bike.

Based on your flair, I see you're rocking a Supra - that was my #1 choice, actually. I even had an offer on one (that sadly got out-bid). THOSE are the sexiest (reasonably attainable) cars on the road IMO. It was the only 2dr I'd drive (having kept my truck) b/c it's just so damn gorgeous.

Those M2's are so badass, too! Given the near price-parity, I allllllmost opted for one but, instead , opted for the [M340](https://i.imgur.com/uwXa4El.jpg). Reason being, it's my daily and I'll never forget the limitations of my first and second cars, both 2-doors; an RX-7 and Integra GS-R. They looked great but sucked (for me) as an everyday/only cars as someone that likes to be the driver for trips with family/friends.

I'm curious how this sub feels about setups [like my C1 eMtn Bike](https://i.imgur.com/1wMOelX.jpg). I got my eBike b/c we moved just outside city limits with lots of roads [like this](https://i.imgur.com/PLxMX2M.png) with strong head winds and traffic whizzing by at 60mph (50mph road). I'm an adaptive rider, only have use of 1-arm. Between the physical challenges and the roads/conditions, I got a volspeed to uncork the motor to 28mph. I use it to spring through sections without shoulders, as well as to reduce the delta between me and traffic coming up on me. I usually forget to turn off the higher limit when I riding in town, but I still maintain 17-24mph max-average. My bike is technically "illegal" in several of my riding spots but I've gotten passes from rangers since I'm using it for adaptive purposes. On the other hand, subs like this lean towards a hard-line of "the law is the law". Nuance is dead to many, sadly. I won't stop riding with my (un)limiter. But I also try not to abuse the situation - I give pedestrians notice and berth and generally respect traffic laws while on the road.

I'm not sure of your point... inflation skyrockets, wages don't, and somehow that isn't supposed to impact buyer behavior? I worked as a market analyst for Total Customer Connect for a few years, we worked closely with 5k dealerships across the US - one of the first things I learned is how the used market is as important to the industry as the new. New is sexy but used keeps the doors open and the lights on. And your point is just as moot if you think the used car market doesn't impact the new car market. They're HIGHLY interconnected. Covid proved this - supply chain timing/costs increased new car costs and decreased availability, which had an exponential impact on used car costs. When the used market peaked, it accelerated the new car market b/c it was no longer price advantageous to buy used for 90-95% of new. In a strong used market (many options, cheap prices) the new car market must react... via pricing, function/features, or adjusting production. If a new car depreciates substantially due to weak used market, a significant portion of the market takes notice and will shop for a slower depreciating asset. But, for the sake of ending the conversation... you're right. The secondary market doesn't impact the new market. There's no such thing as nuance or macroeconomics in the overall auto market. All other things being equal, a new that depreciates 50% after one year will sell just as good as one with 10% depreciation, thanks to the secondary market having no impact on the primary.

Interesting point, and one of the few that've focused on the disclaimer rather than the counter-hive commentary... I've simply found that certain comments/clarifications in certain subs steer conversations differently (e.g. you [probably] wouldn't have replied, otherwise). I simply enjoy discourse, debate, and understanding people. I was a psych major for a few years in college before realizing I didn't want to work in the field - now, I'm an analyst (with ADHD) by trade and have killed time doing A/B comment testing on reddit a few times (particularly early on, when I created my username; CycleGear_Operations). It's kind of a funny phenomenon - by addressing an unpopular opinion and adding commentary on the hive-contrary nature, it generally triggers more discussion and, ironically, an upward lift on vote count (internet points are useless but the increased visibility generates increased discourse). When I'm having slow days at work, I've kept myself entertained by tracking some trends in this sub: * If I mention I drive a Ram, particularly as a daily/commuter, comments/votes skew starkly negative * ...unless I address that it's [not just a grocery getter](https://i.imgur.com/ZNBwOgY.jpg). I've even had votes/comments do a total reversal when amended with an edit to amend/address the utilitarian use case * When I comment about commuting via motorcycle, there's typically condescension * Even in the face of statistics like [up to a 40% drop in traffic if just 10% of the population commuted by motorcycle](https://www.tmleuven.be/en/project/Commuting-by-motorcycle) rather [than car](https://maeving.com/en-us/blogs/news/how-motorcycles-reduce-traffic-congestion) * The negativity roughly triples if I advocate for (safe, legal) lane splitting. Even if I provide [sources](https://www.ots.ca.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/67/2019/06/Motorcycle-Lane-Splitting-and-Safety-2015.pdf) to [confirm](https://news.berkeley.edu/2015/05/29/motorcycle-lanesplitting-report/) it's safe and [legal](https://www.chp.ca.gov/programs-services/programs/california-motorcyclist-safety/) when done within the outlined guidelines. Further, I participated in the study during my time as a motorcycle instructor and am still baffled by the general disdain for it that most people have in the US.

Not really, I don't buy new cars regardless of type, only 1-2 year used to avoid the depreciation hit. That might've changed had the post-covid prices not done what they did, however, these prices are a bit nutty. The M340ix went from ~58-61k to ~70-80k between 2020 and 2026. My Ram went from ~45k in 2015 to 48k in 2020 to 65k in 2026.

I see it the most on r/cars and r/bayarea. I used to commute half time by bike and miss it, but since covid, the roads are just too Mad Max-like. As for the truck, yea, I couldn't afford a car and a truck at the time. I'm glad i kept it though, i'm not keen on taking the dogs anywhere in the new ride, especially with our 4mo old puppy

After 8 (happy) years with my Ram 1500, I recently changed jobs and my commute went from 20 to 60 miles round trip. Given the mileage tripled and commute time quadrupled, I've been wanting to swap it with something newer, nicer, and easier at the pump (15mpg overall avg as long as keep my commutes ~65-70mph) Given the insane cost of comparable models now, instead of swapping out for a new one, I kept it and picked up an M340i xDrive. I hadn't realized how much I missed having a sporty car. As much as I loved/love my truck, I haven't reached for its keys once since getting the car unless the wife and I are taking the motorcycles to the race track. ...most of my posts/comments on r/cars are downvoted because my opinions generally don't align to the hive mind here. Hell, it's risky-enough *just mentioning* I drive a Ram or motorcycle (fully expecting this comment to get shat-on, too)

Nice setup! I've got ~1,500 miles on my [Bulls Adventure](https://i.imgur.com/UxX04lp.jpg) that I setup as a do-it-all commuter/exercise bike. Still running all of the original equipment after 2 years. The last 600 miles have been added since adding my Volseed tuner, unlocking 28mph speeds for sprints down [sketchy, shoulder-less roads with cars that zip by at 50-60mph](https://i.imgur.com/PLxMX2M.png) - the reduced speed delta also helps my peace of mind. I tend to run the trailer attached simply thanks to the additional berth cars provide when they see it, vs when it's just me and the bike

I think the core of the post is equally about the frustration of overall income inequality rather than the spoiled kids themselves. If middle-class wages had kept pace with GDP/Business growth, I'd wager most of the core-users of r/cars would be able to afford **most** of the sub-supercars we all dream about. Sadly, the way things turned out, inequality grew and the "haves" can rummage through the couch to buy their kids M-cars while the rest of us (relative) "have not's" have to decide between a midlife crisis M car and being able to retire before our bodies give out.

Absolutely! It used to be relatively easy to find those niche or obscure how-to or repair videos for almost anything. Now, they're all buried several pages in, seemingly dog-piled by influencer content; * Unboxings - some of the dumbest content I see is videos that are nothing more than well-edited videos of someone slowly, meticulously opening a product. If it ended with a review, fine, whatever, I can skip it... but, no, the vid ends with the person plugging-in, powering-up, or starting to use the product just before... "Fin" * Product overviews - much better than unboxings but still not super helpful, usually. They'll give you their (sponsored) take on the product. It's almost guaranteed to be a glowing evaluation lest they risk losing that sponsor. * Comparison videos - these CAN be beneficial, but more often than not, the videos are only addressing the products at their peak performance and/or assume you, the viewer, has a PhD in [field related to the product], therefore instructions or guidance is unnecessary And many more, but we all are stuck with it, sadly. I miss the wild-west days of the internet, when sites were ugly, competition was fierce, and local moms had *just* figured out how to find me in my area and reach out to me via ads on questionable websites

I'll never forget how excited I was to get my first sportbike, an R6, a year after my first bike, an SV650S, back in 2001. A racer friend gifted me his Yoshimura pipe and it sounded AWESOME! [Bike tax](https://i.imgur.com/OA8Nfl9.jpg) , after I converted it to street fighter after someone took me out at a track day went A few years later, my racing buddy got a brand new 2009 R1 and it embarassed my "awesome" sounding R6. It was like hearing a civic try to rev on a Mustang with the Coyote V8 (not-coincidentally, also cross-plane). Many years, and one severed arm later, I still perk up at the sound of those R1 motors, even though I prefer my [890 R](https://i.imgur.com/XFjQHFi.jpg) more

I just got my 2nd choice for a "truly-realistic" dream daily driver on Tuesday!! An [M340 xDrive](https://imgur.com/a/new-car-who-dis-Xri0hjF)! My #1 choice is a Supra 3.0 in that sapphire blue color!! Hnngggg!! But, if we're talking money is almost no object, it'd be an [M5 Touring or RS6 Avant](https://doubleapex.co.za/wp-content/uploads/2024/08/BMW-M5-Touring-vs-Audi-RS6-Avant.jpg)... there's just something so goddamn sexy about those over-muscled wagons...

Then that's true for ALL bikes, not just eBikes, also, the question wasn't about rust, it was specifically about electronics that won't get damaged by rainy commutes. Rust can be made a minimal, if not non-issue with a bit of effort - keep parts well cleaned and protected by some form of hydrophobic coating like [Boeshield T9](https://www.amazon.com/BOESHIELD-Corrosion-Protection-Waterproof-Lubrication/dp/B001447PEK). Also, when rain is likely, simply toss an electric can of air to blow it dry and a couple rags to wipe dry in a backpack or bike-mounted carrier

> No such thing. Submersible? Maybe*** > **its the rainy season**, which i love but also have come to hate since ive had 2 ebikes now ruined because as **im riding them to work or a friends place it just starts storming** and it ruins the power systems making them start accelerating without my input or just turn off at random So, for "Waterproof" in OP's use case (using the reasonable assumption that they mean "rain-proof", not "traversing-rivers-proof") there's absolutely rain-proof/resistant eBikes. My [Bulls Adventure Evo AM](https://i.imgur.com/1wMOelX.jpg) is IP56 rated: > * IP56 Rating: This rating indicates protection against high-pressure water jets from any direction and limited dust ingress. * Rain Compatibility: According to Bulls Bikes USA (no longer active product listing), the drive systems are tested to withstand heavy rain, and every electrical plug in the motor is secured with a waterproof seal. * Submersion Warning: Although the bike handles wet trails and rain well, it cannot be **submerged** in water. As it's now a 5 year old model, Bulls has archived/removed the bike's product page, however, based on the [EBR review that initially spurred my purchase](https://electricbikereview.com/bulls/adventure-evo-am-27-5/): > **Bicycle Details** > Other > Locking Removable Donwtube-Integrated Bosch PowerTube 625 Battery Pack and Top Tube Mounted Bosch PowerPack 500 Battery Pack, ABUS Plus Keys and Cylinder, 1.7lb 4 Amp Bosch Standard Charger, Motor Support Continues Pedaling up to 120+ RPM, **IP56 Durability Rated (Drive Unit and Display)** ***And it's only a "Maybe" rather than "That's nonsense" because, in this word of crazy product variety, it wouldn't surprise me if some nutty niche brand DID offer a submersible eBike. But, I digress... Per OP:

I appreciate the FYI, I hadn't even thought about using my plebian obd scanner, an [OBDLink MX+](https://www.amazon.com/OBDLink-Bluetooth-Professional-Grade-Diagnostic-Performance), in the bimmer - it's been in my truck for like 4 years, getting used for towing mpg tracking and once in a blue moon for diagnosing minor issues. Even looks like it plays nice with BMWs... unlike my KTM motorcycle, which needed a custom-ordered euro spec plug adapter and would only read like 1/5 the available codes

I wouldn't feel TOO bad, last I understood, as an Ag graduate from CalPoly, most of the farmers using JDeere are corporate conglomerates anyway. I only feel bad for the little guys, of which there aren't many left, particularly those ponying up for JD

I just got a new (used, 2023) BMW M340 literally yesterday and, just coming from a 2015 Ram 1500, it's insane how techno-forward (...and backwards, sideways, up/down) it is. I've read just enough posts on this sub to have an idea but it's still crazy. The finance guy was telling me that I can schedule an appt with the service dept and the car will automatically tell them like 80% of what a typical MPI would cover/inspect. ...I wouldn't have purchased it without the screaming deal on the CPO Platinum Warranty Wrap + Maintenance package that I got. Reading over the various service costs, even as someone that usually does their own fluid changes, I wasn't about risk the warranty by DIYing my maintenance AND pony up for the dealer service prices ($3k brake jobs, $400 oil changes, etc). Even as someone who's usually pretty tech-geeky and willing to do basic wrenching like me (rebuilt the motor's top end of my track motorcycle) it's a bit much to process -but to have access to all the software would be a huge advantage for people a little more DIY savvy with modern car technowizardry than me.

Just stumbled upon this post while looking at reviews for this bike for my wife and needed to say... Put the chem trail crack pipe down, bro. The whole comment is just nonsense. I say that as someone with a high specced, full suspension $7.5k Bulls Adventure Evo AM

Same! I spent more than I originally wanted to on my [Bulls eBike](https://i.imgur.com/TGZyqeN.jpg) but there's literally not a single shop near me that I've spoken to that has even hinted at being unwilling to do any maintenance/repairs that I've requested. Just about the only tweaks it's needed in the 10k km's I've put on it is derailleur adjustments. Hell, even with the 28mph unlock (via Volspeed) it hasn't had a single issue. NOTE: Before the "modding bad" comments pour in - [I live in the country, with high winds and [high speed traffic zipping by](https://i.imgur.com/PLxMX2M.png). I only exceed 20mph on sprints to get out of shoulder-less stretches of road, to minimize sections of 50-60mph cars buzzing me at... less than 3ft

> Lol. No motorcyclist wrote this. [Uh huh...](https://www.revzilla.com/common-tread/by/136-zack-courts) > As newlyweds, Zack's parents rode motorcycles around Morocco in the Peace Corps and two-up across Europe. By the time they had a son, his future was written. Zack got his first dirt bike at eight years old, tearing through the Green Mountains of Vermont and racetrack paddocks across the eastern seaboard while his father roadraced. By 16, he was dragging his own knees, and after 10 years of roadracing everything from a 1971 Honda CB350 to a 2006 Suzuki GSX-R600, he headed west. There, he was reunited with childhood friend and paddock buddy Ari Henning on the staff of "Motorcyclist" magazine. With a head full of wild ideas and a contagious passion for motorcycles, Zack spent six years writing for the magazine and hosting the video series "On Two Wheels" and "MC Commute." After creating two seasons of "Throttle Out" for MotorTrend, he joined the staff of RevZilla and Common Tread in 2020. After 100k+ miles ~25 years as a rider/racer/instructor, I might be [down to "just a couple" bikes](https://i.imgur.com/H62xgfD.jpg) but, I'm still pretty active in the moto community. Hell, the "CG" part of CG_Ops is from my days working as an analyst at Cycle Gear's HQ, back when it was in Benicia CA. I still know a lot of people who work there, even after the merge with Revzilla a la [Comoto](https://ridecomoto.com/) and move to Vegas. All that is to say... many of us forego the cliches when sharing this kind of wisdom/warning. Cliches are more easily dismissed, particularly when addressed to a peripheral community, as is the case for this eBike post in a motorcycle site's article section. Even if all this was untrue and the dude wasn't a rider..... what's your point? That it diminishes the validity of the article?

The number of people who've gotten irrationally mad at me while on my mountain bike and eBike is practically nill compared to on my motorcycle. On the moto, living in the greater SF Bay, I've had cars try to aggressively pinch me off while splittiing on the highway.... while avg speed is under 20mph! It's like, "Hey, dipshit, if I were in my car, I'd have left earlier (i.e. be in front of you already) and contributing to this clusterfuckery. **I'm on my bike to reduce both of our commute times**!!" These kinds of drivers are why I ride to work 1-3x a month rather than 10+. Pre-covid it wasn't nearly as bad. Drivers (and riders) just became dumber, less skilled, less patient, and angrier since. It sucks because my commute is 25-35min by bike 45-75min by car. I'm losing 1-2hrs of my day because I don't trust people not to be assholes just because I'm "cheating" on my commute... it's legal AND studies have shown that if just 10% of metro commuters traveled by bike instead of car, ALL commute times would drop by 15-25% I'm sad that https://lanesplittingislegal.com is now all-but-defunct. I used to share it a lot when I was an active motorcycle instructor.

Good p😘int

Refer to my point about reading comprehension. I didn't and still don't need AI to point out how ineptly condescending you sound. But, keep defending your take, we're having fun, yes?

lol, i aint reading that. Too late after the first

>If you're in a position where you could have a "bad month" that keeps you from making a payment unless you're in an 84+ month loan, then you 100% cannot afford that car. Ahh, yes, Reddit... where pedantry is treated as favorable to nuanced critical thinking, especially when one's pedantic shit-take is worse than the one you're shitting on. But, since we're tossing around assumptive hot-take pedantry here.. **Reasonable take**: They obviously meant that leaving payment flexibility is a good thing. But you focused on the "one month" part... as if getting laid off and having one particularly tight month, among several not-ideal months never occurred to you as a possibility others are hedging against. **Your response**: "They said **one** month, so they only meant **ONE** month! How was I supposed to understand 'generalities' when they use such specific numbers! What am I, some kind of critical thinker?? **Reasonable take**: 18, 24, 36, 48, 60, 72, 84, 96, N...-month loans aren't an automatic good/bad financial decision. Where are YOU drawing the line for other people's finances? Hell, if I saw a 0% 96mo loan, I'd probably make a stupid purchase decision because it's SO ridiculously lopsided in the buyer's favor... so, why not? **Your response**: Anything over 60 months is just bad financial sense. You'll never find a 0% 96mo loan, so I'm going rant about that rather than admit that other people's finances are none of my businesses. I'd rather talk down towards people on the internet anyway!

I'm sure it's just an urban legend at this point but aren't Acura-equivalent models already made in Japan, just branded as Hondas? Or perhaps it's just certain models?

If we're treating it like a spectrum, I can see what you mean. If that spectrum looked like this: (**U**nder ------| **B**alanced |------------ **O**ver) Then, from the guys I've talked to, the result is like this: **U**|----------------|**B**|-------RWD----------|**O** **U**|----------------|**B**|Xdrive----------------|**O** I'm a motorcycle racer but do a lot of mixed car/bike track days and used to race shifter karts. Having dreamed of a owning a proper M-car for years, I love chatting up the cars guys and comparing course-tactics notes at each of the tracks - The few M+Xdrive drivers I've talked to usually indicate that the system's heavy rear-bias helps reduce oversteer, which, I suppose "adds understeer"... but none I've spoken to have said it causes the cars to inherently start shoveling the car straight into the dirt on exit.

Holy hell... same terms/mileage??

It's an outdated law keeping the situation as-is. It's one of the biggest reason Tesla and other upstart EV brands had a snowball's chance in hell of breaking into the US car market - they're the only ones that can sell direct to consumers. Dealers simply add a huge middle-man cost to the transaction. And, worse still, they NEED the service departments to keep them lucrative. Without a decent-volume service department, most dealers would go bankrupt. If manufacturers could setup direct to consumer "dealers" (retail stores) huge cost savings would happen for OEMs and customers... better yet, service centers at those locations would MILES better, b/c they'd be tied directly to the OEMs service systems/catalogs. Most dealers are given much less, and less helpful specs/manuals/records than the OEMs could provide... if they were integrated into the same systems. Source: Was an analyst for a couple years for Total Customer Connect, a (ridiculously fast growing) service company for dealer service centers. I visited and got to know TONS of dealers in the SF bay, and spoke to hundreds of GMs and Service managers around the nation. (It was also cool being a top-tier partner with AAIA/ACES database - we sent corrections to their catalog constantly, based on dealer feedback)

As a customer that's now interested in using brokers, thanks to this article, if a dealer and I were ever to communicate about why I used one, I'd just send them the email below: > Dear Dealer, I used a broker because I cannot buy the vehicle from the manufacturer directly and the longstanding dealer/customer (social) contract has been broken. By greedy dealers... like you. >[Several images of vehicles on their lot with several thousands in "market adjustments"] > Warm regards, A customer that would've dealt with you directly if you'd even considered making the same offer to me that you provided to my broker.