After a certain point atgatt is actually cooler than wearing a t-shirt and shorts, since the air starts to feel like a blow dryer. It'll depend on how well your body deals with heat aswell. My preferred temp is around 20C, I sweat like a pig in 40C weather, but 40lbs of leather jacket and jeans didn't really make it much worse.

>>21553
In Vegas, we hit 100+ (37.8C+) an average of sixty days per year. The hottest day I've ever seen was 117 (47.2C). Not sure what traffic will be like coming from my new job, but half an hour coming back home in it ain't too bad, right?

White textile gear will be your friend. Read reviews on what is actually well ventilated (lots of expensive gear either doesn't flow air well or only at speeds you wouldn't reach on a road [Helmets are especially bad for that last part])

>>21556
>Helmets are especially bad for that last part
Can you elaborate?

>>21557
Hot as fuck, not enough airflow.

>>21558
So, open face helmet?

>>21559
Depends, how much do you like your face? Enough that you might want to cover it in the event of a crash?

>>21560
>not realizing your face is only there to make sure the front of your skull doesnt go anywhere

>>21557

What I actually meant is that there are a number of high-end helmets that only generate sufficient airflow to ventilate the helmet when you're riding at 75mph+ (because mah MotoGP inspired gear makes me look more legit), so city driving in them turns them into a soup bowl. Considering your environment, I was suggesting you do solid research into that specific issue with whatever helmet catches your eye.

And solid full face is the only way to go imo. The clam shells have been shown to break under accident conditions, and open face is even worse. Most motorcycle accidents will result in your chin hitting the ground at some point. Like, 90% of them. It's wise to have something that's going to reliably protect the area most often making contact with the ground. A helmet is a better shock absorber than a jaw.

>>21559

>riding a motorcycle

>>21566
I was certainly lucky when I got in a bad motorcycle crash (16 year-old shot across an intersection where I was going) that totaled my Honda CB-750 and ruined my USAF arctic parka and US Combat Vehicle Crewman's (CVC) helmet, but I did not get a scratch.

Best ten bucks I ever spent.

I got a visored full face motorcycle helmet after that.

My motorcycle in that crash was a 1978 Honda CB750 with a fairing, similar to this 1981 CB750 Custom.
http://www.operatorchan.org/v/res/1.html#14619
The old CB750s were really good bikes, back in the '70s & '80s, but I like the smaller bikes.

Motorcycles in the 250cc to 500cc range appeal to me. They're very cheap, even when brand new, and the MPG is phenomenal. Problem is I am 6'1". Using cycle-ergo.com (cool site, check it out), and plugging in my height and inseam for a Rebel 250 shows that I would feel not unlike a circus bear while riding one. I suppose ape hangers and highway bars would be one solution to let me stretch out, but are highway bars practical for commuting on surface streets? Something like a street legal dirtbike would get me higher off the ground and let me stretch my legs at stops.

Or just screw it and buy a big cruiser. Thoughts?

>>21582

I'm 6' and 220 lbs. My first motorcycle was an 84 Honda CM250C. In 85 They rebadged it to the Rebel.

Yes, it felt like I was a circus bear most of the time. But I also rode that thing like it was a motogp bike. Great thing to learn on, even if uncomfortable for any longer than half an hour.

A Shadow wont necessarily be any better either, I upgraded to a 750 Shadow Aero, wound up still basically with a half hour time limit. I did ride it longer distances, a few 2 1/2 hour long highway rides, and it was miserable. Mini-apes would likely have fixed a lot of those issues, but I wound up trading it for a 400 horse Camaro before I could test that theory.

Shop around and sit on a bunch of bikes. I wound up sitting on a Suzuki Boulevard C50 and it was much more comfortable than what my Shadow had felt like. Yet it was also a good size for my girlfriend, so it's a bit of an interesting bike.

>>21582
I drove an old (1982?) Honda 250cc and had a problem with it breaking the wide rubber drive belts. Those things were expensive.
Picture is a Honda CBX-1000, a straight-six catastrophe-waiting-to-happen. But it's fast, fun, and looks great.

>>21584
Thanks Bat, I think you just found my next bike.

>>21552
They are way cheaper. Having both my truck and bike paid off. My Expedition averages 125 a month, motorcycle is about $20 just gas and insurance.

Don't forget the cost of gear, expect at least $600. You should honestly price this out before you buy a bike if it's part of your budget.

Also remember that your riding in significant wind chill, so what's comfortably cool at night might be unpleasantly cold at 50mph without proper gear.

I highly recommend the MSF course as well. It will teach you safe riding habits on the street.

Pic of the helmet I just ordered.

You can always look around for a 1960 Aermacchi Chimera 250.

Or a Triumph.

>>21582
klr250. do it.

>>21692
The US military used the Kawasaki KLR250 for recon and messenger duties. As well as the KLR650 converted to diesel.

1995 Kawasaki KLR250 (M1030) Canadian Army motorcycle

JGSDF reconnaissance motorcycle (Kawasaki KLX250), 1st Airborne Brigade. In Camp Shimoshizu, Japan, 29-Apr-2012.

I like the idea of a motorcycle, but I am a bit paranoid about safety. Plus air conditioning. So my dream bike would be a Monotracer.

>>21810
I actually saw one of these on the road in the DC area once. Surreal as hell to watch in motion, but the sponson-mounted wheels for low-speed balance are apparently turbo-awkward.

Right now I'm resurrecting a Honda Cub from 35 years being stored in a barn, but once that project is done I'll probably get some small adventure or dual sport bike like the Versys X 300, CRF250L, or the CB500X