Before you upgrade...

**R6_kid:Me** · 18th January 2007, 16:56

It's been just over a year now since i got my full licence and purchased a 600cc sportsbikes (my 1999 Yamaha R6) and i've been thinking about costs etc and just generally how things are different to how it was when rode my 250's.

Basically just wanted to open you all up to the things that you might not think about before you upgrade, or possibly ponder but not look into properly, mainly the cost side of things.

Tyres... a CHEAP set of decent tyres for a 600cc and bigger sports bike starts at around $550*. Now unless you were the type that was riding the balls out of your 250 sproty then this is probably a shock to you. As you get faster on a big bike tyres can start to get worn out quite quickly, and if you get fast enough you wont want to settle for less than what you need to keep you on the road (for some people this means $700+ for a set of tyres)

*based on a set of Michelin Pilot Powers from Cycletreads in Auckland.

A good chain on a 250 will cost you about $120 for an X/O-ring, and probably $70 for a set of sprokets... For decent grade wares on a 600 you're looking at 530 type chains... cheaps ones start at around $100 and the top ones are creaping over the $200 just for the chain. Mid-range kits are around $250ish for a set of sprokets and chain.

You should possibly consider how much you will be using your new bike. I stacked up more than 30,000km in the first 12 months of riding my R6. This lead to needing two 'big' services within the year.

On top of this i pushed a bit hard at the start and bit the dust. That led to just over $1000 in damage. Lesson learnt, sort of. I did it another time late last year but got away scott free with nothing more than a bit of lost pride and the nickname 'the rustle in russel' (for rustling the trees on the side of the road)

At the end of the day if you are sensible and dont use your bike too much you'll get away with it. If like me you put the km's quickly you might find yourself spending money on your bike more than you'd like to. To some extent sportsbikes are meant more for the track or weekend openroad riding, not particularly high km's built up commuting. In all honesty i wouldnt mind having an FXR150 or similar for commuting a big sportsbike for trackdays and weekends but budget doesnt allow.

I try to save about $50 a fortnight to cover bike costs, doesnt always work out, but its good to have some money set aside so that you dont find yourself leaving things til you can afford to pay for them.

Of course there is the extra power, different handling etc, which you can really only truly discover by getting out and riding a bigger bike. Someone else can go into those details if they wish. My main point is that modern sports bike dont only cost more to buy, but in general they cost more to maintain too, so just keep this in mind so you dont end up like me, working to pay for bike upkeep!

**MidnightMike** · 18th January 2007, 19:34

Ahh, great, very eye opening info. Thanks.

**doc** · 18th January 2007, 19:51

Originally Posted by R6_kid

It's been just over a year now since i got my full licence and purchased a 600cc sportsbikes (my 1999 Yamaha R6) and i've been thinking about costs etc and just generally how things are different to how it was when rode my 250's.

Basically just wanted to open you all up to the things that you might not think about before you upgrade, or possibly ponder but not look into properly, mainly the cost side of things.

Tyres... a CHEAP set of decent tyres for a 600cc and bigger sports bike starts at around $550*. Now unless you were the type that was riding the balls out of your 250 sproty then this is probably a shock to you. As you get faster on a big bike tyres can start to get worn out quite quickly, and if you get fast enough you wont want to settle for less than what you need to keep you on the road (for some people this means $700+ for a set of tyres)

*based on a set of Michelin Pilot Powers from Cycletreads in Auckland.

A good chain on a 250 will cost you about $120 for an X/O-ring, and probably $70 for a set of sprokets... For decent grade wares on a 600 you're looking at 530 type chains... cheaps ones start at around $100 and the top ones are creaping over the $200 just for the chain. Mid-range kits are around $250ish for a set of sprokets and chain.

You should possibly consider how much you will be using your new bike. I stacked up more than 30,000km in the first 12 months of riding my R6. This lead to needing two 'big' services within the year.

On top of this i pushed a bit hard at the start and bit the dust. That led to just over $1000 in damage. Lesson learnt, sort of. I did it another time late last year but got away scott free with nothing more than a bit of lost pride and the nickname 'the rustle in russel' (for rustling the trees on the side of the road)

At the end of the day if you are sensible and dont use your bike too much you'll get away with it. If like me you put the km's quickly you might find yourself spending money on your bike more than you'd like to. To some extent sportsbikes are meant more for the track or weekend openroad riding, not particularly high km's built up commuting. In all honesty i wouldnt mind having an FXR150 or similar for commuting a big sportsbike for trackdays and weekends but budget doesnt allow.

I try to save about $50 a fortnight to cover bike costs, doesnt always work out, but its good to have some money set aside so that you dont find yourself leaving things til you can afford to pay for them.

Of course there is the extra power, different handling etc, which you can really only truly discover by getting out and riding a bigger bike. Someone else can go into those details if they wish. My main point is that modern sports bike dont only cost more to buy, but in general they cost more to maintain too, so just keep this in mind so you dont end up like me, working to pay for bike upkeep!

Sensible post. The other day there was a thread about how much people were prepared to spend on their bike per week. Add into this the cost of finance which some do and its pretty expensive then trying to have a life outside bikes you are looking at big numbers. That's why you see a lot of posts of guys returning to bikes after a few years absence. Post sensible stage.(ie Mortgage, school/uni fees, fleet maintence once they learn to drive etc....). Once you get that first experience on a bike its addictive, you can't explain it to people who haven't been into them before they get sensible. Hope this makes sense I'm drinking a cheap wine but it has a high alcohol content which is important. The rest of my money now goes into bikes again and heaps of petrol tax.

**Flyingpony** · 19th January 2007, 10:07

Thanks for the post. Very good to read.

Hmm,,, well,,, that clears up some things I was pondering about. Mr Wallet wouldn't like such big surprises after being used to coughing up cash to feed Mr FXR.

Seems my next big upgrade won't be so big after all. Maybe I'll jump up to 250 cc V-Twin or some thing sensible around there. Still keeping it thrifty but with a little more power.

**awesker** · 19th January 2007, 10:22

fank joo mr decon!

**ZeroIndex** · 19th January 2007, 10:28

good post Gareth. Thanks for the insight... Just moved from the GPX250 to a RG150, and I'm already complaining about the added petrol usage, nevermind the price of 2-stroke oil. Might have to search for an inbetween... like a 400...

**Wasp** · 19th January 2007, 10:36

thanks for the knowledge, much appreciated and will be considered when choosing my next bike in a month or so

**steved** · 19th January 2007, 10:37

If you get away with $25 dollars a week, you're doing well. My bill is more likely double that. Bikes are an expensive hobby.

**Crisis management** · 19th January 2007, 10:58

Very good post!
I tend to forget how much I spend on bikes but a quick add up goes something like this:
GSXR 1100: not much, cause I service it myself and nothing major has fallen off, but about $400 in the last 6 months.
DR 650: Chain & sprockets @$250, Bark busters $150, Oil $80 various bits etc $200 Total: $680.
But its due a new rear tyre soon.

So... about $1000 in 6 months or $40 per week

Thats not counting other gear that gets damaged, boots, trou, gloves etc. and especially not counting a previous DR that cost me $1500 in engine work 3 months ago

Remember thats with me doing the servicing, no tyre replacements and not a lot of Km's being clocked up.

Must admit, it gets expensive quick when you write it down, eh?

**Squiggles** · 19th January 2007, 11:09

i've recently got a gsxr750 and im feeling the bite that comes with it, i also have a gn250 though... i ride that to uni instead, and keep my gsxr for the longer trips (and for showing off of course)

**Grub** · 19th January 2007, 11:33

Good thread ... and right on the money.

I upgraded from my g/f's FXR150 to the CBR600 because I didn't have a bike of my own and an FXR just don't push well against the Welly NWsters.

I guess I had the choice of any sized bike but for similar reasons to the original post ... why would I?

I have an old CBR that goes like the clappers, that has been maintained by a fanatic, that is low, light and handles like it's on rails. It has 93hp (67.9Kw) @ 11,000 (which is way more than I need) and a top speed of 227kmh (which I can never use - even on Manfield). We just toured the Nth Is over xmas and I had no sore back, ass, hands or arms - how cool is that!

It gets me quicker than most bikes over Paekak Hill Rd twice a day and it only cost 3 grand (just pocket money). If I bin it, so what?

What more could I want? Sure it's not cool (although some would call it "pretty" - lol) but hell, I can't see that when I am mounted up and having fun.

Brett

**Flyingpony** · 19th January 2007, 11:41

Originally Posted by steved

If you get away with $25 dollars a week, you're doing well. My bill is more likely double that. Bikes are an expensive hobby.

If I rode my bike 5 days a week to work, that's 11km per day, with petrol costing $1.38 (excluded super market discounts) and it averages 36km/l, * quickly gets calculator out *, my petrol bill will be $2.12

Actually, it's the rego (+WOFs) and full insurance which are the killers for a small bike. They telly up to be the same as a cage, $450 per year.

In December I clocked up 60.3km. With a stationary cost ^^^ of $40 per month, it would've been cheaper to not to have the bike and just run the cage I've got. Expensive hobby indeed. But but,,, AAhhhh

Me Wuv little motorcycle