2nd bike for commuting?

**chickenfunkstar** · 10th August 2005, 17:15

Hi,

I was just wondering how many of you have a second bike which you use for commuting.
Obviously a smaller bike would be cheaper to run, but is alot cheaper?

At the moment i'm spending about
$8 per 100kms on petrol
$5 per 100kms on tires
$4 per 100kms for servicing.

Currently I do about 500km of commuting per week so taking the SV to uni costs about $85 per week, which is quite abit of money for a student.

How long do tyres on, say a GN250 cost and how long do they last for?
I'd imagine that a 'commuting bike' would be quite cheap to service.
I'd probably save a wee bit on petrol.

Do you think it would be worth my while buying a 2nd bike just to get to uni and back everyday?

Could a smaller bike handle doing 100kms per day every day? I do quite a bit of motorway / open road riding.

Thanks

CFS

**placidfemme** · 10th August 2005, 17:18

eh but then your paying 2 lots of insurance... 2 lots of WOF... 2 lots of Rego... is that really worth it all?

**Sniper** · 10th August 2005, 17:19

Yep, get a smaller bike,always saves money

**texmo** · 10th August 2005, 18:12

My scooter gets about 110miles to the gallon

**froggyfrenchman** · 10th August 2005, 18:30

100kms a day is a lot for a comuter. If ur used to a sv, the new bike will end up parked up anyway, especially if its open road most of the way

**texmo** · 10th August 2005, 18:47

get a gilera runner $4k for a second hand one in really good condition, it will do 140km/hr all day long its automatic so really easy to drive, specially in the morning.

**rogson** · 10th August 2005, 18:51

In NZ bikes are no cheaper than cars to own!
What they deliver is fun, lifestyle and satisfaction!
Sure, a nifty-fifty will consume less gas than a 1000cc bike on a daily commute - but.......yawn........
Any bike will mitigate the main enemy - long/boring/frustrating commutes (I'm talking city here), but do you really want to do it on a plonker?
Not me!

**zadok** · 10th August 2005, 18:57

I would think the SV would be economical enuf. Presumably you are commuting 100km per day. I wouldn't want to be doing that on a small bike. I suspect two bikes would equate to false economy.

**oldfart** · 10th August 2005, 19:00

Plus, if your commuting from Helensvile, that's mainly open road. Your 650 is probably a good size

**chickenfunkstar** · 10th August 2005, 19:00

If I did this, I was still planning to keep the SV.
I don't have any problems commuting on it at the moment. i.e. its not as though its too big and too hard to manover in the city.

Its just that $85 per week is alot of money when your weekly income is only about $170.

**zadok** · 10th August 2005, 19:03

Originally Posted by chickenfunkstar

If I did this, I was still planning to keep the SV.
I don't have any problems commuting on it at the moment. i.e. its not as though its too big and too hard to manover in the city.

Its just that $85 per week is alot of money when your weekly income is only about $170.

In reality you are only forking out $40 for petrol every week. You don't service and put tyres on it all the time. You could have six months or more to save for that.

**justsomeguy** · 10th August 2005, 19:25

Don't buy another bike T - unless you want to preserve your SV for years to come.

When you add the extra purchase/wof/rego/servicing costs and the loss of money on depreciation on the commuter bike you may find that it may be cheaper to simply ride the SV until you finish your studies.

Also the SV already has a high Km count so it will worth keeping until it blows up......

My 5c

**steved** · 10th August 2005, 19:28

Get a flat closer to town for $20 a week more, saving $40 in fuel =

**White trash** · 10th August 2005, 20:43

$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.