250cc hedgehog and other stats

[middleaged2wheeler]

I have a hedgehog that races down the back yard nearly every night that i have dubbed it my 250cc hedgehog as it,s speed is noteworthy. I,ve been keeping stats on Trade Me of total bike sale listing numbers for some time now. several years ago was under 5000 and has crept up slowly but since 15/10/09 (when all the rego aggro started to impact) it was at 8104 on the 15/10/09, peaked at 9006 on 26/11/09. Really peaked at 9213 on the 15/12/09, declined a bit over January and at 2.53 pm 22/1/10 was 8925. This disquieting increase in people trying to sell bikes can be directly attributed the cost of biking i bet and new rules--all i can say thanks a lot the stinky crowd who have caused it--running a bike shop business must be difficult if the Trade Me stats are anywhere indicitive of the wider situation---some one should write book "how to wreck an industry without even trying"--watch out property investors.

[James Deuce]

Never been a better time to buy.

[Spearfish]

The new increase of the ACC component is significant, but for people who commute on bikes its still cheaper than a car and often quicker. That is dependant on the persons situation and bike type though.

The new rules shouldn't make a difference to most riders, perhaps only those who chase the dragon over summer (each to their own on that one)

A mate of mine who is a long time rider is quitting his bike mostly because he hardly rides but partly because of the massive exposure of the risks involved in the media. He is going through the "have to be responsible for my family" stage of life and the recent ACC thing has tipped him over. He lends me the bike for practice runs (6L, no bike and green as grass) so being selfish its a bugger.
So I wonder how many are just selling the second bike or the bike they just like to have around but never use?

[middleaged2wheeler]

I first started riding as it was a very cheap way of getting around--then of course the riding bug can get to you. Is it a cheap way of getting around if you start from scratch-- get license-get bike-get gear- get legal-get larger bike when licensed-and now slugged for regos from this year on.- road users were far more aware of bikers then and sharing the road no problem.
We live in a different world today and that is the reality. When the greenhouse gas issues meet the low pollution type of transport issues, as they will sometime in the future, motorcyclist,s may get cudos and acclaim, instead of being quoted as a possible ACC cost, or derided in some other way.

[James Deuce]

When the greenhouse gas issues meet the low pollution type of transport issues, as they will sometime in the future, motorcyclist,s may get cudos and acclaim, instead of being quoted as a possible ACC cost, or derided in some other way.

No they won't. CO2 emissions by capacity for motorcycles are much worse than most modern cars. McLaren's new twin turbo V8 600hp supercar puts about about the same C02 emissions as a GSXR1000.

[nodrog:Me]

I first started riding as it was a very cheap way of getting around--then of course the riding bug can get to you. Is it a cheap way of getting around if you start from scratch-- get license-get bike-get gear- get legal-get larger bike when licensed-and now slugged for regos from this year on.- road users were far more aware of bikers then and sharing the road no problem.
We live in a different world today and that is the reality. When the greenhouse gas issues meet the low pollution type of transport issues, as they will sometime in the future, motorcyclist,s may get cudos and acclaim, instead of being quoted as a possible ACC cost, or derided in some other way.

my motorcycle costs more in fuel per KM, and its emissions kill more whales than my car.

[Maha]

my motorcycle costs more in fuel per KM, and its emissions kill more whales than my car.

How many whales does your car kill?

[middleaged2wheeler]

my motorcycle costs more in fuel per KM, and its emissions kill more whales than my car.

I can,t believe two people on say a Yamaha Tmax super scooter would pollute more than car.--or one on a 50cc vino would hardly register on the pollution scale.--10 people riding a 50cc scooter each adds up only to 500cc--must be less greenhouse polluting than 1 car. I know someone who has just bought the new HONDA car hydrid and that is better for the planet but, really, at $40,000 each not your typical road using punter.Motorbike riding should NOT be for the elite punters who can shovel money anywhere--but uni-students or anyone on a tight income should be able to enjoy cheap fun transport such as riding.

[James Deuce]

I can,t believe two people on say a Yamaha Tmax super scooter would pollute more than car.--or one on a 50cc vino would hardly register on the pollution scale.--10 people riding a 50cc scooter each adds up only to 500cc--must be less greenhouse polluting than 1 car. I know someone who has just bought the new HONDA car hydrid and that is better for the planet but, really, at $40,000 each not your typical road using punter.Motorbike riding should NOT be for the elite punters who can shovel money anywhere--but uni-students or anyone on a tight income should be able to enjoy cheap fun transport such as riding.

You're significantly misinformed on both fronts. Motorcycling is neither fuel efficient or cheap.

[Spearfish]

No they won't. CO2 emissions by capacity for motorcycles are much worse than most modern cars. McLaren's new twin turbo V8 600hp supercar puts about about the same C02 emissions as a GSXR1000.

But 3 of those 600 are used to to push around all the emission gear.

Cars stuck in a Q idling for 1/2 hour longer than a bike who is rolling along must puff out more CO2 over the trip home. Plants like co2, just plant a tree or three.. its an excuse your kid can use when mum has had enough of the lil quad in the back yard. Aww mum I'm just feeding the garden plants their CO2

[slofox]

Weeellll my SV certainly is miserly on fuel...pity about the tyre costs though...and all the other consumables....but then I don't ride it for any reasons of thrift or lowering pollution anyway so what the hell...

[James Deuce]

It's not fuel consumption that's the issue though. It's the amount of CO2 emitted per liter of fuel burned that is the killer for current motorcycle engine technology. Horsepower has been gained through increased revs, not improvements in thermal efficiency.

http://ecomodder.com/blog/motorcycle...ronment-wrong/

[Spearfish]

Weeellll my SV certainly is miserly on fuel...pity about the tyre costs though...and all the other consumables....but then I don't ride it for any reasons of thrift or lowering pollution anyway so what the hell...

And the cost of fettling if that's part of bike ownership.

[Spearfish]

It's not fuel consumption that's the issue though. It's the amount of CO2 emitted per liter of fuel burned that is the killer for current motorcycle engine technology. Horsepower has been gained through increased revs, not improvements in thermal efficiency.

http://ecomodder.com/blog/motorcycle...ronment-wrong/

But what about the total co2 cost eg: how much energy or co2 is emitted in makeing one bike compared to making one full sized car to take the same person down the same road, then over the life of the two vechicles and the destruction when they are discarded? Considering the total weight of a car compared with a bike or even an 80kg scooter.

[James Deuce]

It becomes insignificant when compared to the output of CO2 over the life of the vehicle. 288gm/km for a GSXR1000, compared to compared to 119/km for a Hyundai i30. The Hyundai will probably do 200,000kms before it's scrapped. Most GSXR1000s are lucky to do 20,000kms before being pulled out of a tree, river bed, or fence post.