2nd bike for commuting?

[mikey]

$12 per 100km for fuel
$31.25 per 100km for tyres
$0 for servicing coz I can't afford it.

Wheelieing off the throttle at 160kph in 3rd? Priceless.

Get a Gixxer 1K sonny, it's worth not eating for.

whats servicing , mate?

[Zapf]

I use my CB400 for commuting...

Bike cost... $4000

$7.5 / 100k petrol
$4.125 / 100k for tires (assuming 8000km for 1 set of sport demons)

dono about maintance yet...

[FEINT]

I use my CB400 for commuting, I pay $12 for 220km. IT is the cost of registration, insurance, WOF that annoys me! I still prefer riding the 636, but parking the CB400 around is great, don't have to worry about it being stolen etc.

If you want it, I am considering selling it.......

[chickenfunkstar]

Hmmm, mostly no's eh?

I thought that getting a second bike was a really good idea when I first thought about it. I'll have to have a rethink.

It looks as though sometime soon i'll have $1.5k to spend on something, thats why I was thinking about getting a commuting bike.

Maybe its finally time to do something about the SV's rubbish suspension???

[The Stranger:Me]

CBR1100XX was costing just over $10.00 a hundred K.
Fitted a K&N now it is costing about $9.00 a hundred K.
Bloody pleased with that result as Fuel has gone up during the test and you get more power and ridability to boot.

[Smorg]

I commute on my 600 weighs a ton but im getting quite adept at getting it in and out of traffic i find it economical enough for me an i nail it whenever i can. But the point was made before 2 bikes 2 WOF's 2 rego's and to lots of matinence is it worth it in the end???

[chickenfunkstar]

I commute on my 600 weighs a ton but im getting quite adept at getting it in and out of traffic i find it economical enough for me an i nail it whenever i can. But the point was made before 2 bikes 2 WOF's 2 rego's and to lots of matinence is it worth it in the end???

It would probably be cheaper, i'd probably save alot more than $300 (cost of an extra reg + WOF) per year. But maybe it wouldn't be 'worth it' though.
I'm sure old north rd would be alot more fun on an SV as opposed to a GN250.

I've got a couple of weeks to think about before i'll even be in the position to buy a commuting bike anyway.

[phantom]

Been through this with the cage at home. We have a 3 litre petrol Pajero which we need as a tow car for our weekend business, and she who keeps me warm at night uses it to take the young 'un to school in the morning and then into town for her work. seems really wasteful but looked into the economics of buying a cheap commuter and having to warrant, insure and register two vehicles would pay for a lot of petrol

[WRT]

I reckon fit a air filter and maybe a power commander? You might notice a bit more fuel efficiency, plus some more power and better running . . .

[Pancakes]

Hey Feint, your 4 hundy uses the same amount of gas as my gn250. I read the thread a while ago about bigger bikes not costing much more (or more at all) to run and I 'spose it makes sense if your going the same speed and accellerating the same. Ohhh though. I'd pay more for gas to be able to take off faster and do more than 110 without licking my gas-cap. How about people posting ideas that help get the most out of bikes easily, filters etc. Whats a power commander?

[chickenfunkstar]

Its not so much the extra gas that the 650 uses over a smaller bike, on a smaller bike i'd be lucky to save more than $5 - $10 per week.

Where i'd imagine that I would save money is in areas like tyres and general maintanance (sp?).

BrianGB - How long do the tyres on your GN last for?
Do you have any idea how much it costs for a new set?
I gather a power commander contains a different fuel map for the ECU, which makes a fuel injected bike run better.

Thanks

CFS

[geoffm]

I am looking at the same exercise - I was using the Beemer to commute over Christmas, and $550 set of tyres etc really cost. I am looking at a scooter, cheap and disposable (brand new for $2k, so second hand must be a lot less) - but I am only doing 10km. 50km each way would really suck...
Geoff

[Ixion]

I am looking at the same exercise - I was using the Beemer to commute over Christmas, and $550 set of tyres etc really cost. I am looking at a scooter, cheap and disposable (brand new for $2k, so second hand must be a lot less) - but I am only doing 10km. 50km each way would really suck...
Geoff

Tis why I bought Li'l Ratty. Not so much tyres or petrol (though savings there help) , but mainly the thought of how much it would cost for replacement BMW parts if some prat knocked the Whale over in the car park, or I dropped it in traffic. BMW mirrors, bars, levers etc cost the EARTH.

And for commuting (about 40km each way each day) Ratty is just as fast and easier to ride. Anything over 120kph in commuter traffic is asking for attention from Mr Plod I reckon.

Costs an extra rego though, and two warrants.I don't think maintenance is any more because when you're not using a bike it isn't wearing out (in general)

Overall I reckon the savings on tyres and petrol at least balance out the extra rego/warrant. For some folk having the second bike as a fall back if the first one breaks down/won't start etc could be useful too.

[Oakie]

Well i reckon another bike will cost you $25 a week for rego, warrant and insurance. Take that off the $85 a week you said for petrol for the big bike and that leaves $60 a week better off. 500km a week commuting at the economy of something like an FXR150 is $25 for gas so take that off the $60 and you're left $35 a week better off ignoring stuff like serviceing and tyres.
Then think of the outlay for a new bike. Is it worth paying $1500 / $2000 to save $35 a week? In the long term it is but how much longer will you be doing the big commute for?
I understand the problem but perhaps think of it in terms of 'it's costing me just $35 a week to ride a bike suited to the task rather than something too small'. Might ease the pain a little.

[Pwalo]

I use my bike pretty well exclusively for commuting, and to be honest I don't think that the 500 costs me any more than a 125 would.

I get over 65mpg, and can easily get over 6,000ks from a set of BT45s. Servicing costs are between $200 to $300 per year (tappets, and carb syncs are pretty reasonable for an aircooled two valve twin). Tyres are pretty reasonable if you're not running the latest sports rubber.

In fact I sat down one time and did a spreadsheet estimating running cost vs saved time, parking costs, fares, etc. for my old GS. Even with repayments factored in the bike still saved me money.

At the moment I can fill up the bike weekly with 98 for less than $8.00. It would cost me that much daily in public transport. Even spending a bit on extras like a small fairing and uprated suspension still leave it as a viable transport option.

The other good thing about the GS is that depreciation is not too bad. Honestly I'm not an accountant, just .........

Anyway I reckon you'd be better off getting a nice replacement shock, progressive springs, or emulators for the front of the SV rather than getting another bike.

Ciao.