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Thinking It's time for a motorcycle: Any thoughts
BigGun74
Member Posts: 189 ✭✭✭
Gas hit 2.79 where I am today. I am thinking it is time to get a Motorcycle for around town driving. Any bike guys out there who can recommend a good cheap ($2000 tops) beginner's bike. New or used. All informed opinions welcome.
Comments
Only problem is,how many miles would I have to make to pay for a $2000 bike?
BW
IT'S WHAT PEOPLE KNOW ABOUT THEMSELVES THAT MAKES THEM AFRAID.
For me back when gas was ONLY $2.50, it cost $65.00 for a full fill up, with about two fill ups a month if I am VERY careful. Figured a payment on a motorcyle worked out to be about $50-75$ a month assuming 36 month financing. CNN says $4.00 gas is on the way and so far they have been on the money. I don' know if I can afford NOT to get a bike.
I bought a bike a month ago and have not been in a car since. And my pocket book has been enjoying the savings at the pump.
Whatever you decide on, if it is a used bike it has already depreciated and the 2000.00 spent will mostley be recouped if and when you sell the bike so don't worry about how long it will take to make you money back in gas saving.
ALL AMERICAN INFIDEL
Long live General Lee
badwrench has the idea as to what you can find oin that price range BUT one thing to keep in mind is iF gas stays at the $3+ a gallon mark, bikes will go up as well.
Education is nothing if common sense and manners are not in the curriculum!
R 1200 GS [;)]
NRA Life Endowment Member
Let us know what you get.
cbxjeff<P>It's too late for me, save yourself. <br>
I have found that there was little difference in mpg between my old 550/4 Honda and the 1050 CBX. Both are 40-45. Look for a 250 twin. Need not be Honda but a 4 stroke twin would be my advice.
Let us know what you get.
cbxjeff<P>It's too late for me, save yourself. <br>
Jeff, thats the 6 cyl 1050 CBX?
NRA Life Endowment Member
cbxjeff<P>It's too late for me, save yourself. <br>
You better get it tuned!!!
My Beemer at 75mph gets 45 mpg. Really. Cooking at 85 gets still over 30mpg.
FrancF That 1200GS is a sweet machine. I test drove one in Sturgis this year. It may have to be my next bike.
Hey BigGun the suggestions on Honda or the others are right on. Don't be afraid of a used bike. There is more to a motorcycle than a good gas mileage. They are FUN!
FWIW, my 883 Sportster got around 50mpg.
Assuming gas cost $3.00, your car got 20mpg and your bike got 50mpg and rode 150 miles per week, it would take almost 3 years for the bike to pay for itself. This isn't figuring the cheaper cost to insure a motorcycle.
But, you also get the fun of riding a motorcycle.
Very cool!! My friend restored a R75/5 and he rode it from Baltimore to Montreal to Quebec City, back to Baltimore a few years back. What was really cool is every place we stopped people would flock to the bike. He was wearing the BMW leather jacket he bought in 1975 on the entire trip. In 1975 he could not afford the bike just the jacket. Very Retro!
My friend is one... who takes me for what I am.
Henry David Thoreau
"If you do not allow yourself to find a positive way to get through the difficult times, you will become bitter. If you stay bitter, you do not get better." -- Joan Brock
WARNING:
the crumsumpten of alcahol may mack you tihnk you can tipe real gode.
Look at it this way...
Motorcycle payment 125.00 monthly
Insurance 250.00 annually
At the end of the year you have a motorcycle or something of value to show for the money you have spent.
Gas 2.50...3.00 gallon=250.00-400.00 monthly, (depending on how much or far you drive). At the end of the year, you have nothing to show for the money you have spent.
I like getting something material or tangible for my money.
Bode
Otherwise GS500E or Kawasaki 500 Ninja are good suggestions...
Daniel.
You can easily find one of these with low mileage.
They are very reliable as one right now is about to finish the eleven day IronButt Rally and it will probably have put in 10-11,000 miles in that eleven days.
Another good suggestion is a Suzuki GS 500.
Stone reliable,air cooled,easy to work on.
These get around 50-55 mpg.
Both of these are two of the very best beginner bikes around because of their performance and durability that so many other beginner bikes lack.
As a matter of fact i had a thread going on a motorcycle site a few months ago that i was considering getting one of these bikes if gas hit $3.00 a gallon.
I really dont want to push my BMW k75S into commuter mode as i use it for long distance riding.
Still it gets 45-50 mpg.
But someone mentioned bikes only getting 40 mpg.
Well some really big engined bikes do but if ridden a little more judiciously,they will get even better.
Besides that they go 0-60 in 3 seconds or less and still get over 40mpg and no car can or will ever do that.
mike