How much does a litre bike cost you?

[homer]

In all honesty

The size of the bike may not make a lot of diff in cost .....other than tyres
you still have the same jobs to do

[madbikeboy]

Tires - fronts 5-6,000k's, rear 600-1,500 k's. Or 2 track days. Or one night in town...
Chains and sprockets? - My gixer eats chains. 1.5 per year.
-Other consumables? Do speeding tickets count? Mine's been perfectly reliable, but I do oil and filters more often than recommended.
-How much is insurance for you? $580?
-Fuel economy? Umm, 16 litres gets me 180k's Or, if I'm thrashing, MUCH less.
-Are 600's and 750's that much cheaper? Yes, hugely cheaper. And a better step. And faster in the real world (at least, a good 600 feels fast).

But, and here's the but, despite being more expensive than a beautiful bitch mistress, the 1000's have a certain rush. Unless you own a Fireblade.

I'm looking into the future, I haven't got a job yet since I'm not sure if I'm getting into Weltec or not. Just it'd be good to crush any dreams now so I stop wasting my time looking at bikes on trademe and sighing.
Quit fucking around, get yourself into school and get qualified. Then you can afford to have 2 litre bikes (like me).

[Drunken Monkey]

Well if you just want to be an accountant about it, the 750 wins every time. The 750 is more thrashable, slightly better economy (probably got 20-40 kms more per tank on average), (rear) tyre lasted about 2000kms longer.

But riding a thou gives you a grin you just can't replicate.

I don't miss the Y.

[scracha]

you can get just as many speeding tickets on a 250, or a cage

Hmm.. I can pootle about quite happily at 100 on a wee bike but the big uns just positively beg me to twist the go faster thingie. I mean, they're barely in their stride at 140. Overtake a couple of cars '$hit i'm doing 180'. Gas away from lights ...'sh!t i'm doing 80 in town'. Gas it through corner ...'shit i'm doing 100something by the exit'. Maybe it's just me but I can't be the only one with no restraint. I also can't be the only one who finds it a bit pointless having a bike where you can never legally red-line it even in 1st.

But we all agree, it's something you've got to experience.

[Finn]

How much does a litre bike cost you? Your life if you're not careful.

[Coyote]

Seriously, nah I mean seriously - consider getting a race bike and keep the 400 for the odd jaunt up the Taka's or commuting on.

Road bikes are sooo over-rated.

If I'd known now what I knew then, I would have been racing many years ago. It is much easier than people might think, especially with KB as a network.

Had a few road racers and have had bad experiences. My old CBR250 I wrecked twice in one day (after going to the front and leading for a while) and was off the track and road for 6 months. My RG I was shit scared of hurting it and being off the road that I was a pussy when I took it to the track, got the bike back on the road to get some confidence back but wrecked it being too confident. My old KX80 was awesome though and I'd be keen to get a motard, I road an XR650 and thought that was awesome. Pop a wheelie then the exhaust backfires, whee!

I'm keen to get back into racing. I was thinking the 400 would be good once I replaced it with another bike.

A racer I know on here that'll remain nameless has scared me away a bit from racing too saying how much money he has to waste to get bugger all out of it.

Deano's on to it bro!!! If I were your age again...I wise I had discovered racing road bikes!!

See above, I've already discovered it and I'd love to do it.

I have a minimoto that's built for racing...

My Questions are
Why 1000?
What do you plan to do with this bike?
What type of bike where you thinking of?

See for me my bike/s are for fun not my main functional transport so my reasons for having what I have are different to what others have their bikes for.
I ilke my 1000 for its ease of use, can track day it, tour it, commute it, do 1000k day rides, load up luggage & a pillion and piss off for a week. Its a good all rounder

It'll be a commuter/weekend bike. I've held my car learners for 3 years and have no will to get a car. I really need something reliable, something I didn't get when I got my 400. I'd like something modernish, preferably within 8 years old so I can use it to secure a loan. I've also been thinking a 1000 cause a larger engine doesn't labour so much, the 400 you have to rape the clutch to get it moving and a 600 still needs to chop through gears to get any power. I prefer inline 4's but also want a bike with torque so a 1000 sportsbike seems like not such a silly idea.

Also I wanted to take a larger step. I missed out going 250-600 and really going 250-400 wasn't that exciting. I'm still keen on a 750, think I'd get a kick out of that.

In saying that I'd be keen for a 600 if a decent one came up when I had the cash. I'd be happy with my 400 if it hadn't cost me half of it's original cost to just keep it on the road, and there's still more money I need to spend on it to get it right.

Mind you, it's something you just HAVE to get out your system innit

Pretty much, think I'll continue to pine for one until I have/had one. The 400 was the sensible choice and everyone told me to go for a VFR, but I ended up getting something horribly unreliable (been in the shop for nearly 3 weeks now) that's cost me as much as a 600 now, maybe a less sensible choice could turn out to be better.

More to the point..what the hell happened to my massive high score on Asteroids?

Did someone beat it?

In all honesty

The size of the bike may not make a lot of diff in cost .....other than tyres
you still have the same jobs to do

Are 600's and 750's that much cheaper? Yes, hugely cheaper. And a better step. And faster in the real world (at least, a good 600 feels fast).

Interesting, I was thinking the first comment. My 400 costs about the same in tyres it seems and goes through them quick too. But then a 1000 does have more power to stress everything.

I'm looking into the future, I haven't got a job yet since I'm not sure if I'm getting into Weltec or not. Just it'd be good to crush any dreams now so I stop wasting my time looking at bikes on trademe and sighing.
Quit fucking around, get yourself into school and get qualified. Then you can afford to have 2 litre bikes (like me).

Sorry, made it seem like I was just sitting around. I'm waiting on the call from Weltec to see if I get in or not. I've done an interview which I think went well. I'm overqualified to do the course anyway, only need NCEA level 1.

How much does a litre bike cost you? Your life if you're not careful.

I had several hairy moments on my old 150. But that's because it had thin tyres and bad suspension.

[White trash]

My K3 Gix used to cost aproximately the following.

Pair of Metzeler Racetecs, $520, last 1100-1500 km.
Tank of gas, 16-17 (at the time) and go about 220km.
Insurance, $830 per annum.
Brake pads, say $100 a set, about 4000km.

I fucken wish to god somebody had smacked me into keeping my Alstare 600 as travelling at least 300kms, more likely 400kms a week almost bankrupt me on the thou'.

[Pex Adams]

I hope these guys have put you off - they certainly have for me, I'm selling up and buying a Vespa..

Deano I'll see you on the Taka's, look out

[Sully60]

Pair of Metzeler Racetecs, $520, last 1100-1500 km.

Just to put a different spin on that mileage figure, if you plan to ride a thousand at somewhere close to what they're capable of on the road(so really nowhere near their absolute limit) and you want to ride it as much as possible it is not at all difficult to do those miles in two weeks.

So just think about the possibility of new tyre every two weeks

This is why I don't ride one, I'm a cheapskate poor bastard!

[koba]

Pretty much, think I'll continue to pine for one until I have/had one. The 400 was the sensible choice and everyone told me to go for a VFR, but I ended up getting something horribly unreliable (been in the shop for nearly 3 weeks now) that's cost me as much as a 600 now, maybe a less sensible choice could turn out to be better.


I had several hairy moments on my old 150. But that's because it had thin tyres and bad suspension.

I think that may have been more of a case of choosing a bad example of a good bike.

Don't kid yourself, tyres and suspension, no matter how good, will always have limits.
It is only your right hand that regulates how close you get to those limits.
If you were riding a Thou you may still have found those limits, only probably at many times the speed with a much higher likleyhood of death or serious injury.

If you can get past the "I wanna faster one" I think somthing about the level of the 400 is about all you need on the road. maybe a 600 bandit or somthing?
Cheap and reliable are better to look for in your situation. forget speed.

You have a compedttave nature that I have seen first hand get you into trouble on the road. Buying a litre bike for the road, I think, would be a very bad and likely fatal mistake.

Instead channel that enthusiasm and competitivness into a track bike.
Don't look past a bucket as sense of speed is only relitive to the situation.

I don't mean to sound like I'm having a go, I just think It is the better way to go.

You are the one who has to decide that tho.

Deano cowpoos and sully have already lived it. been there done that. their advice must count for somthing.

[R1madness]

sounds like you guys are not lubeing your chain often enough or not properly. I regularly see 45000km on a chain and do not run a scott oiler. Just give it a really good clean and lube every 1000 km or 2 weeks, whatever comes first. My R1 did 52000km on its std chain, I had it from 5200km. It was not ridden nana style. I even won a Drag title on it.
Clean, lube, sit overnight, ride the ass off it.
Yahooooooo

[White trash]

Just to put a different spin on that mileage figure, if you plan to ride a thousand at somewhere close to what they're capable of on the road(so really nowhere near their absolute limit) and you want to ride it as much as possible it is not at all difficult to do those miles in two weeks.

So just think about the possibility of new tyre every two weeks

This is why I don't ride one, I'm a cheapskate poor bastard!

What really used to annoy me, was that I'd go for a weekend thrash around the 'rapa, spend forty bucks on fuel, and 250-300 on tyres. That's just madness. Now I race one, spend $25 on fuel and $450 on tyres for 20 laps. What the fuck am I thinking?

[Finn]

Now I race one, spend $25 on fuel and $450 on tyres for 20 laps. What the fuck am I thinking?

You forgot to mention the $3000 on fairings...

[madbikeboy]

sounds like you guys are not lubeing your chain often enough or not properly. I regularly see 45000km on a chain and do not run a scott oiler. Just give it a really good clean and lube every 1000 km or 2 weeks, whatever comes first. My R1 did 52000km on its std chain, I had it from 5200km. It was not ridden nana style. I even won a Drag title on it.
Clean, lube, sit overnight, ride the ass off it.
Yahooooooo

I lube my chain religiously, but I live right on the coast, and the sand gets from the beach, onto the road, and then on the chain. It's like mtbing up at woodhill, sand eats chains. I clean it regularly, but... Also, my bike has one or two little performance enhancements which seems to adversely affect life of components like tires, chains, licences...

[madbikeboy]

My K3 Gix used to cost aproximately the following.

Pair of Metzeler Racetecs, $520, last 1100-1500 km.
Tank of gas, 16-17 (at the time) and go about 220km.
Insurance, $830 per annum.
Brake pads, say $100 a set, about 4000km.

I fucken wish to god somebody had smacked me into keeping my Alstare 600 as travelling at least 300kms, more likely 400kms a week almost bankrupt me on the thou'.

But, as soon as I get on it and twist the rotary velocity control, I kind of forget about the dollars. You got 220 k out of a tank??? How?? Did you coast downhill?