Motorcycle Survival/SHTF thread

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PunishedTrover

PunishedTrover

kiwifarms.net
Joined
Jan 19, 2025
With the recent start of the Iran US (Israel) War and the destruction of the will valero refinery near Texas, Gas prices have started to spike both in the states and across the western world. Thus I think its important to talk about motorcycles and motorcycle maintenance. Not only for any commuters out there bleeding from their wallets but as the only SHTF vehicle you should own
 
motorcycles are a fun toy, but not a very useful tool for commuting or general transportation needs

dogshit choice for an SHTF vehicle too. can barely transport cargo or people, can't really go offroad, massive pain in the ass to drive when the weather sucks.
only upside is better fuel economy than a car, but a car more than makes up for that with how much more utility you get from it: huge cargo capacity, passenger capacity, much safer to drive, isolates you from bad weather, easier to drive offroad, serves as a mobile shelter you can sleep in if the need arises.
 
DumbDude43 said:
motorcycles are a fun toy, but not a very useful tool for commuting or general transportation needs

dogshit choice for an SHTF vehicle too. can barely transport cargo or people, can't really go offroad, massive pain in the ass to drive when the weather sucks.
only upside is better fuel economy than a car, but a car more than makes up for that with how much more utility you get from it: huge cargo capacity, passenger capacity, much safer to drive, isolates you from bad weather, easier to drive offroad, serves as a mobile shelter you can sleep in if the need arises.
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Ok, Good luck with 19 miles to the gallon. Keep paying your mechanic and the gas station for your shitbox
 
depending on you local laws and commuting distances i'd look into an e-bike first tbh. I'm planning on picking up a road bicycle next week full carbon fiber only £180 if this dickhead on gumtree is to be trusted. it's maybe only 15 mph but there's a hell of a lot of shit within 8-9 miles of me.

DumbDude43 said:
dogshit choice for an SHTF vehicle too.
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with pannier bags and a back pack you can carry everything you would need on a bicycle never mind a motorbike (assuming you don't live in a desert and need to carry 20 gallons of water to get out) much easier to cross across country trails or blocked roads too.
 
PunishedTrover said:
Fuck, I should of phrased my thread better like SHTF Motorcycles and maintenance
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Well for a survival bike you want something that can handle off road but isnt as temperamental or maintenance heavy as a traditional dual sport.

A shaft driven ADV bike would be ideal.
 
Just got a 2022 KLR650. A little pissed I need to adjust valve clearance already....not looking forward to that. Kind of bullshit for a bike that is mostly described as 'bulletproof'!
Also have a KTM 300 EXC that I need to work on...I stupidly didn't tighten the spark plug down well. Sigh.
 
Preacher ✝ said:
Well for a survival bike you want something that can handle off road but isnt as temperamental or maintenance heavy as a traditional dual sport.

A shaft driven ADV bike would be ideal.
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Most shaft driven adv bikes are either overly expensive UFOs or fuel guzzlers, Most modern dual sports are street bikes with a torque focused street motor, CRF300L KLX300 DR450.
 
PunishedTrover said:
Most shaft driven adv bikes are either overly expensive UFOs or fuel guzzlers, Most modern dual sports are street bikes with a torque focused street motor, CRF300L KLX300 DR450.
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Yeah shaft driven ADVs are rare but I don't like the idea of SHTF bike that needs chain maintenance.

If you want a traditional dual sport and the chain isn't a concern to you then just get a Honda XR650L, its one of the few bikes still made as if it were the 80s. MSRP $7,000 new, and since its been made the exact same way for like 40 years there's a shit ton of them on the used market to choose from.

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Honda Super Cub. Preferably a C125, as it's the most powerful, but anything from a C90 or up would be fine too. Not the fastest thing in the world. but they get ridiculously low gas mileage (around 130mpg) and parts are dirt cheap on account of them being everywhere in the third world. It's the biggest selling motor vehicle of all time for a reason.
 
A SHTF moment is extremely unlikely in the US. The most likely scenario for most people is a natural disaster related scenario like having to evacuate due to a hurricane.

With that said when planning for emergencies you should never have just one of anything, including modes of transportation. Depending on your requirements a motorcycle or e-bike can be a great option. If you live in the downtown of a city an e-bike that you can easily store in your building or apartment could get you out of the area when the streets are congested, perhaps to a secondary vehicle that you park somewhere for such scenarios.

If you have a “bug out vehicle” an e-bike or motorcycle that you stow on a hitch carrier might be a good idea in case of a breakdown or you run out of gas. Just have your most critical items packed in such a way that you can carry them on two wheels.

Don’t forget towing a trailer for gear is an option when relying on two wheels.
 
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