Cheap Bike Challenge

**Voltaire** · 27th November 2012, 06:45

I've been running two cheap commuters this year, a $350 Yamaha 200 scootah and more recently an $1100 1983 BMW 650...... I do about $250 kms a week, the Scootah costs about $15 and the BMW $20 in gas. In fact I don't ride the scootah as much now as the BMW is such a good all rounder.
These are basically ride and dump bikes but its a lot of fun.

**p.dath** · 27th November 2012, 06:59

Originally Posted by Voltaire

I've been running two cheap commuters this year, a $350 Yamaha 200 scootah and more recently an $1100 1983 BMW 650...... I do about $250 kms a week, the Scootah costs about $15 and the BMW $20 in gas. In fact I don't ride the scootah as much now as the BMW is such a good all rounder.
These are basically ride and dump bikes but its a lot of fun.

I suspect the BMW mike cost a little bit more to service ...

**haydes55** · 27th November 2012, 19:54

Originally Posted by p.dath

I suspect the BMW mike cost a little bit more to service ...

When the bike costs $1,100 you don't bother servicing. Ride it 'til she blows I say. "Cheap bike challenge", no servicing is the cheapest way lol.

I'd just do oil and filter (with some budget warehouse oil haha).

I got a $1300 fzr250 ('89) as my first bike, had it a good 10 months or so Let the rego and WOF lapse and sold it for $1,000. Replacing a clutch cable was the only servicing the bike got. I reckon it about even what I paid for it to what I sold it for. So just the cost of the gas. Not bad really.

**Voltaire** · 27th November 2012, 21:12

I bought it to part out as it was supposed to be down on compression on one cylinder..... reset the tappets and carbs , got a WOF and

Fuel hose split the other day.....pretty poor after only 29 years.....found a newer bit in the shed all good now.....oil and filters you say....hmmmmm

**The Lone Rider** · 27th November 2012, 21:19

Go view my bobber in the modifying bikes section, that's my entry.

Also for criteria, lets agree "cheap" bikes are ones that cost no more than double the amount it is to register them.

**Brian d marge** · 28th November 2012, 00:29

I am building another of my " as close to no money as I can get " bikes
This one , due to where I am and the tools avail , will have some money spent.
About 150 000 yen total. Its a hard tail Enfield chop, jockey shift clean , i.e no wires , running a SU carb with a springer front end and a 155 car tyre on rear...:-)
I've made 1/2 the frame and the frame jig . the other stuff I know where and how
It will get done but I'm a combination of busy and lazy ..so a running mock up probably April next year:-)
And as for spares ....have u seen the price of Enfield spare parts....... Try seventy dollars for a complete fork assembly :-)

Cheap added

Stephen

**Voltaire** · 28th November 2012, 05:52

I don't think you guys get the drive and dump cheap bit.......you do almost no work or maintenance on them.

Yammy Scoot:
made an air filter as the original one had perished away: $15.00
Oil Filter from Supercheap: $12
Oil: so far about 3 litres:
WOF: " oh your wheel bearing needs doing next time'......
Rego: thats the killer for these 200cc ones....same as a M/C
Tyre: $50

3000 kms since last Feb

BMW
Filter:.....um
Oil:... whatever is in the garage.
air filter: blew it out with compressed air.
WOF: no probs
Rego: $132 for three months....you don't want to overcapitalise.

not sure of kms... 4000

200 kms a week....spend on gas about $20.

**Brian d marge** · 28th November 2012, 15:41

Originally Posted by Voltaire

I don't think you guys get the drive and dump cheap bit.......you do almost no work or maintenance on them.

Yammy Scoot:
made an air filter as the original one had perished away: $15.00
Oil Filter from Supercheap: $12
Oil: so far about 3 litres:
WOF: " oh your wheel bearing needs doing next time'......
Rego: thats the killer for these 200cc ones....same as a M/C
Tyre: $50

3000 kms since last Feb

BMW
Filter:.....um
Oil:... whatever is in the garage.
air filter: blew it out with compressed air.
WOF: no probs
Rego: $132 for three months....you don't want to overcapitalise.

not sure of kms... 4000

200 kms a week....spend on gas about $20.

Got it but dont want to ..... and running an enfield is as about as cheap as it gets

Stephen

**release_the_bees** · 30th November 2012, 06:40

I used to have a 1982 GN250 that I used for commuting. It cost $900 when I bought it, and I sold it 3 years later for the same price (to a girl named Ginny incidently). All it ever needed was the odd oil/filter change and one sprocket/chain. I think I might have replaced the rear tyre once too. After I geared it up, it consistently hit 90MPG, so it used bugger all fuel either. I even took it from Auckland to Masterton and back a couple of times, which took about 12 hours as it could only manage 80km/h uphill. It was a hell of a laugh to ride though.

**Str8 Jacket** · 30th November 2012, 06:50

My best buy yet was my FXR150 for $850 quite a while ago now. I put tens of thousands of KM's on it, did minimal work on it and almost ran it "around the clock", it has 99000++ km's on it. It is now a Bucket Racer only and still owes me less than $1200 all up. Simple oil and filter change regularly and lubey lube of the chain = sweet as.

Best thing is that no one ever tried to steal it either and it ran forever on one tank of 91. It's my Awesome Piece of Shit.