Plate able bikes

[2smoke]

Ive been looking to get into a plateable bike. Due to the forseeable gas (diesel) prices this summer its gonna cost me a fortune to just drive my truck to work. Im figuring roughly $350-$400 a month just in fuel.

Ive been looking around and discussed with my wife, about it. Id like to get a dual sport. Like this one.
http://reno.craigslist.org/mcy/2338756887.html
Im sure it gets great fun to ride, practical and get good mileage.


But Ive also been looking at this one too. Remember, this will be for commuting only too and from work.

http://www.topgearinfo.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/04/Honda-CBR250R.jpg
Its rated at 77MPG, fuel injected, and fast enough to get me down the short distance I travel on the freeway. That and it looks like alot of fun to ride.

 

[cleonard]

If this is primarily a money saving exercise be sure to evaluate all the expenses. Does it really get 77 MPG? Seems a bit high. I'd guess more like 50 or so, but I don't know. At that mpg the tires will be a decent fraction of the fuel costs depending on exactly what kind of tires you buy. Now not knowing what your truck is we can do a bit of gesstimating. For the sake of argument your truck uses 100 gal per month. With the current prices and your $350 to $400 that could be slightly high, but it's a nice round number. Again for easy calculating there are 20 work days in a month so that 5 gal a day. We will adjust a bit and say 4 gal a day. If your truck gets 15 mpg, that's a 60 mile round trip commute or 1200 miles per month. Not too bad really. Using 50 mpg that's 24 gallons of premium and that will come in around $100. Hey you have some savings. Assuming all year you I'd say will go through at least 2 fronts and 4 rears. Call that $50 a month for tires. There will be some for insurance. Then there is paying for the bike which will make the pay back interval at least a year if not more since you really can't ride it all year. Finally the engine doesn't last like your truck and it will need a rebuild in a couple of years at the most.

It does appear that you will save money, but not as much as you think when you just look at the fuel costs. For most I'd say get a bike because you want a bike. If you do this kind of analysis on a sport bike, the economics just don't justify it at all as the insurance and tires eat up any savings.

I picked up an old street bike for my commute and it only cost me about $500 to get it on the road. Even with my 14 mile round trip commute it pays for itself. My truck hardly ever get used anymore other than carrying my dirt bike or the trip to home depot.

 

[Rock Monster]

Actually I can tell you from experience that you will save an average of $2000 or more each year. I bought my Dual Sport 3 years ago when they jacked gas up to $4 a gallon. With the money I saved even after tires, fuel, oil changes, engine rebuild, etc. I was still $2000 in the green at the end of each year. And you can ride all year around if you have the balls and gear to do it. I ride through the entire year, rain, snow, or shine. After two years I had bike payed for and was now actually seeing that extra $2000 dollars in my pocket throughout the year.

Then you have to calculate the fun factor and that all together makes it worth while even if you just break even. LOL

I say go for it. Worked for me and many others I know, but as said above you do need to use it all year round to really make it worth your while.

 

[2smoke]

This is my logic. Im thinking I will likely go with that little Honda sport bike in the photo. Its brand new this year. Its only a 250, its fuel injected, comes with optional ABS, and Honda rates it at 77 MPG per all the info that I have read. Bike cost $3999. So after taxes, doc fee, assembly etc Im looking at probably $4500 or so total bill to buy the bike. Ive got somewhere around $1500 that I will likely be able to put as a down payment. So I'll only finance about $3000. Even if I get a crappy interest rate say 10% and finance over 48 months. My monthly payment will be at or near $100 a month. Bike holds 3.4 gallons and even if gas goes up to $5.00 a gallon its only $15 to fill it. Even if it doesnt get the estimated 77 mpg lets say 60 mpg thats a 180 mile range. This bike would only be used for commuting to and from work. Its 22 miles one way to work and I only work 4 days a week, thats 176 miles a week with .4 of a gallon or so left in the bike. $15 bucks a week x4 thats $60 a month + the payment $160 + insurance say $45 a month thats $205 a month to ride the bike. Compared to the at or near $400 a month to put just fuel in my Diesel truck. Now it was brought up "what about the weather" Im not afraid of the cold or rain. I keep my work clothes at work and have wet weather riding gear. Conservatively I can ride the bike 6 months out of the year. Realistically closer to 7 or 8 months. And our winters are pretty mild here in Nevada, though we do see snow. So total cost to drive my truck year round based on current fuel prices and my driving habits is at or about $4800 a year. Now with the bike figures at $205 a month if I ride year round thats a $2300 a year savings. Even If I road only road the bike 8 months out of the year its still money saved. Sure there will be maintenance cost and what ever, but I would be paying that on my truck also. I figure if I cannot make the tires on that bike last the approximate 8400 miles a year there is something wrong. The chain should last atleast that long if not longer. Oil and filter changes should only be half or less than what I pay to do it on my truck. I still think I will be in the green for money saved.


I have looked at and considered getting a used bike. But it is a USED bike. You just dont know the history and even if the seller tells you its been taken care of never raced or abused. I always assume they are lying, unless I actually know the history of the bike. So buying new in my opinion is the best route just to avoid the hidden costs that typically rear there ugly head. Not to mention the fun factor that Rock Monster mentioned. Even if I only just break even It will still be worth while.


I do truly appreciate the input given. If I didnt want your opinions I would not have posted this. So keep them coming.

 

[cleonard]

I think you left the link out of your first post for the new Honda CBR250R. Kind of like a CRF250 engine in a street bike. It does look interesting. I bet it will get just about the 77 mpg that it boasts. Take some time and read some reviews. This is important because you will be riding it on the freeway as part of your commute. A few things that I found are a little worrysome. A max speed of only about 90 and this paragraph that I read in a review comparing it to the 250 Ninja

The biggest difference is the cruising speeds on the freeways. The Honda has to work harder in order to keep pace on the freeway once you reach that 55-65 mph range, running near top speed and vibrating more than the Ninja 250. This makes it tougher to pass when the time comes, as one isn’t left with much breathing room to get around the faster cars ahead. The Kawasaki isn’t exactly a high-speed racer, but it does give a few thousand more rpm to play with when overtaking slower traffic.

“The Ninja is more suited to riders who will need to log miles on the freeway or go on longer riders,” Hutchison comments. “Same goes for longer commutes – this is an area the Kawasaki has an advantage over the Honda because the engine just feels like it isn’t working so hard over extended periods at 70 mph.”

If you add an uphill and a 35 mph headwind things might get kind of dicey on the freeway. You might be relegated to the right lane because you can only do 65. You can pretty much take the top speed of the bike and subtract the headwind to find you speed. If you go with 90 less a 30 mph headwind you get 60. Not good for the freeway. Seems to me like the Ninja would have the edge as it tops out over 100. Low mileage used 250 Ninjas are everywhere as they are a common starter bike.

If you would consider the green bike be sure to get a 2008 or newer. Several improvements were made with that year.

My work commuter is a 1980 CM400 and it has a top end of about 95. I've had some problems with headwinds, grades, and freeways that were no fun.

 

[rezrider]

All you guys with these plated bikes even if you only use them to connect from OHV - OHV areas via asphalt...Is it still a requirement to obtain a motorcycle license...(class 4 I think it was...)???

 

[2smoke]

I think you left the link out of your first post for the new Honda CBR250R. Kind of like a CRF250 engine in a street bike. It does look interesting. I bet it will get just about the 77 mpg that it boasts. Take some time and read some reviews. This is important because you will be riding it on the freeway as part of your commute. A few things that I found are a little worrysome. A max speed of only about 90 and this paragraph that I read in a review comparing it to the 250 Ninja
If you add an uphill and a 35 mph headwind things might get kind of dicey on the freeway. You might be relegated to the right lane because you can only do 65. You can pretty much take the top speed of the bike and subtract the headwind to find you speed. If you go with 90 less a 30 mph headwind you get 60. Not good for the freeway. Seems to me like the Ninja would have the edge as it tops out over 100. Low mileage used 250 Ninjas are everywhere as they are a common starter bike.

If you would consider the green bike be sure to get a 2008 or newer. Several improvements were made with that year.

My work commuter is a 1980 CM400 and it has a top end of about 95. I've had some problems with headwinds, grades, and freeways that were no fun.

Ive factored in the freeway issues and hills and head winds that you mentioned. I do go down the freeway but its only for like 2 or 3 miles. Everything else is for the most part is surface streets with an average speed of 45 mph to be obtained.

I do however appreciate your article inputs comparing the Ninja 250 to the CBR 250. I have looked at both and they for the most part are identical to inclued price, but with some subtle differences. Both have the same displacement, same riding position, same seat height, close in HP, close in MPG and MPH. The only differences that really make much of a difference is the Ninja has a larger fuel tank 4.8 gallons compared to the CBR's 3.4. The Ninja has transvers twin and dual carbs. The CBR is a single cylinder but has EFI. So really the Ninja sounds like it would be the better deal because of the larger tank and better range. But I will have to likely rejet it for my elevation and syncronize the carbs. The Honda has EFI so its self adjusting to elevation changes etc. And even though it has a little less fuel capacity compared to the Ninja. The bike will only be used as a commuter and will have enough range to get me through my 4 day work week as I only drive 44 miles round trip.