There,s a point in this??

[merv]

We had this discussion a few months ago and like Mike I believe my bikes cost me more per km to run than a car so I have only considered my bikes as fun toys while the cars are for doing the hard graft. For me tyres are the main maintenance issue - last less than quarter the distance of the cars and cost as much for 2 as roughly the cost of a set of four for the car. Other than that rego and insurance are pretty steep. Would I give up the bikes? No way unless they get priced off the earth or I get too bloody old to ride.

[wkid_one]

WOULD THIS GET YOU OFF YOUR BIKE???

Presently in the UK they are trialing GPS Trackers in cars.  WHereby if you speed - it is logged on the central GPS computer and a ticket will arrive in the post.  Big Borther - hell yes - Serious - Hell Yes.

 

 

[MikeL]

Originally posted by wkid_one
you spend less time in traffic, you enjoy yourself more? 
Plus it is better on the environment and reduces congestion, and is less damaging to the roading infrastructure.

Agreed, but that's not relevant to the point I was making. It seems to me that over the last 20 or 30 years there has been a shift in the role of the motorcycle. From the purely economic viewpoint a bike was the logical choice for young guys on a limited budget - we bought bikes because we couldn't afford cars - the fun factor was a compensation, but not the primary reason. Now anyone who buys a bike could for the same money buy a perfectly adequate car instead. Admittedly it won't have the same performance but arguably in terms of what you get for your money (weatherproofing, 4/5 seats, luggage capacity, heating, aircon, stereo...) it represents better value - but only from a purely economic (logical?) point of view. Which is why most young people these days are in cars not on bikes.

And I still maintain that it costs more to keep a bike on the road than a car.
If you don't believe me, just ask my wife...

[Lee Rusty]

My 86 Honda had rotten mufflers by 88 and they were replaced by custom chambers mufflers then and they are still going strong.

all the new stuff is a lot better than the old crap that I still ride
but then again I can fix my old stuff and dont need a diognostic centre to fix my sick bike.

I prefer older but then I guess Im a bit off a fossil myself

Hang in there JAck old son there is something for everyone

[Lou Girardin]

Litre bikes aren't cheap to run, but neither are any cars that are fun to drive. I've sunk $18,000 into a trick MX5 over the years. Sticky car tyres aren't cheap, neither are the extra parts and work that modded cars need Now I hardly use it. What's the point, when you end up in a queue of traffic? It is probably different in less populated areas, but I wouldn't go back to cars unless I was physically unable to ride.
Lou

[750Y]

Agreed, but that's not relevant to the point I was making.

no shit.

[Big Dog]

If you want a direct comparison... When my partner and I do similar kms...
600 km in the Holden Commodore 1989 3.8l 5 speed = $120.
600 km on the Suzuki GSX1100F 1988 1.1l 5 speed = $45.

In general....
Six monthly servicing at Red Baron for the bike + suspension upgrade + two wofs = $690.

Six monthly servicing (done at home parts cost two hundred bucks for one and $150 for thr other) + Mechanical repairs + tyres + Steering repairs $1060.

Granted if we did the same kms all of the time servicing would work out roughly the same but my bike is done by a workshop her car is done at home. There has to be something to be said for the $125 vs $45 kmph argument.

If you did the New Zealand average kms for a cage of 20,000 (private motor vehicle according to lmvd) thats....
$4166.66 Pa in gas (cage)
$1499.99 Pa in gas (bike)
that leaves me $2666.67 to pay for the higher insurance a (a diferance of $480pa) registration etc hell at that rate of diferrence I'll still have money left if I up date gear every year.

The only reason we still use the car at all is she hasn't organised a license yet. I reckon I could keep the car and get her a 250 and pay for it out of the reduced cost of not needing to run the car.

Any one got an old ratbike they are willing to part with so a learner can get her license? ps talking free to a good home for something without a wof or reasonably priced for wof'd and reg.

[wkid_one]

Plus the intangible benefits of riding a bike over a car on top of that.

My points are valid - as time you spend sitting in a traffic jam is MONEY LOST - it is unproductive - as the congestion increases - the cost benefit of riding a bike does to.  Just because you can't see the money benefit - it is there.  You don't have to get up as early - saving you sleep and preventing you from getting run down.  You are more productive at work - because you are not stuck in traffic and/or worried about being late etc.  These are still VALID REASONS to own a bike - and they save you money - idling your car down the Southern Motorway all the way to the CBD - is costing you a shit load of money - versus the 25 minute trip it takes you on a bike?

Pull your head in - and don't just look at the pure costs?

BigDogs analogy is right - and proves you need to compare apples with apples - comparing a GSXRThou with a Toyota Corolla is an unfair comparision for example - both were designed for different things in their class.  Comparing a GSXRThou with a mini is more apt

[MikeL]

O.K. O.K O.K I admit defeat. I surrender. I lose the argument. You win. I accept that my bike is cheaper to run than my car.

Now I just have to reconcile that statement with my bank statement...

[SPman]

Well my bike costs me a damn sight more to run than my old Hiace diesel workvan ......but I don't give a shit!

 

[wkid_one]

LOL - my bike costs me shit loads more to run than the car - mind you - it is a company car but?

[Big Dog]

Originally posted by SPman
Well my bike costs me a damn sight more to run than my old Hiace diesel workvan ......but I don't give a shit!

 

Yeah but but can you leave a v8 at the lights even in the wrong gear in the van, for that matter I would love to see you get your knee down.

[Big Dog]

Originally posted by wkid_one
LOL - my bike costs me shit loads more to run than the car - mind you - it is a company car but?

Pehaps some of the difference between my experience and yours other than the whole company car thing is that I'm a bit of a nanna (I prefer mechanically sensitive). No peels Wheelies or intentional stoppies for me...

[SPman]

Originally posted by Big Dog
Yeah but but can you leave a v8 at the lights even in the wrong gear in the van, for that matter I would love to see you get your knee down.

Aah, but thats the point. In my shitty old van, I have nothing to prove, no ego to stroke, I couldnt give a toss about the V8 in the next lane! I'm in cruise mode. And on 4 wheels, I know I'm quicker than 90% of the drivers on the road through the twisties .Hell, even in the van I know I'm quicker than 70%.   - as long as its not full of tools...

And I get my knee down inside the van heaps of times

Naah - if I want to keep sane - I'm off on my old cantankerous, expensive, pink,generally reliable, pink, fun machine!

 

[bikerboy]

I think this is a no win situation, too many individual factors to consider, and if one is being objective fun and racing off at the lights aren't economic factors.

My car's insurance is cheaper than my bike's. My car gets better gas mileage. My car was four times more expensive and depreciates much more per year than my bike. My car tires are over twice as expensive but last four times as long but I need twice as many.

My car is almost as fun as my bike. I can certainly go faster in the car than the bike but that's more to do with my abilities. I can leave most cars, even V8's, at the lights in the car if I want.


So, which is more expensive to run, I'm not really sure, but then again I didn't buy either to be economical.

I do know which I long to be in/on when the weather's fine and the roads are empty.