How are fuel prices affecting you?

[Forest]

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but the prices of used bikes in NZ is starting to crash.

Which should help to offset the rising fuel prices.

[yod]

i luv my company car

[gijoe1313]

This will all change when your mother finally suceeds in marrying you off to some nice young girl. Who, under orders probably, will keep you on a short string, especially when the children come along.




Mr

Rain on my parade why don'cha ..... not to worry, if said occurence of a mechanical tightening device being deposited into revolving machinery, I have learnt how to wheedle and whine and use tricksy wiley ways to con rides ... ala Donor ...

[gijoe1313]

I don't know if anyone has noticed, but the prices of used bikes in NZ is starting to crash.

Which should help to offset the rising fuel prices.

True dat! I'm beating rising fuel prices by buying more bikes ... that way I ride each less ... thus not having to fill them all up as often ... and .. and .. oh look! Another used bike to buy!

[YellowDog]

After not riding for many years, in 2001 I bought a new 50cc Malaguti (derestricted). It was like an armchair on wheels and meant I could nip into town in just a few minutes. It was great and did 80kph with my 95kg on it. I used it every day and a tank of fuel would last 2 weeks. The only time you really feel vulnerable is on an open road where your 80kph just isn't enough to be safe.

PROBLEM: Scooter riders don't take safety gear seriously enough. You feel a right dick wearing a full body leather suit on a pop-pop. Also, those little wheels ain't so good around corners and whilst you can have a smooth economical ride 99% of the time; if you get into trouble, you will struggle to stay upright.

Unless it's a huge beast; my vote would be to ride your existing bike more economically.

[YellowDog]

BTW: Also agree with not buying Chinese scooters. The R & D the Japs and Europeans have gone through over 50 years is not something the Chinese can get close to in the very few years they have been dabbling at it.

[kevfromcoro]

Fuel prices...i reckon we should all ban one gas station........BP....MOBIL.. whatever.......i bet if they didnt start selling gas there prices would come down real quick...

[HTFU]

Yeah lets make it Shell. Never liked their petrol always seemed to be lower quality.

Roughly $30 per 300 km. Bike is more a commuter than a play thing these days. That is for sure.

[old git]

Oh Well, This is the list.
I own 6 form of transport, and in order of total running costs with the dearest first.
1980 XS1100- YEP 4 OLD 34MM Mikuni carbs
4.2 Litre toyota l'cruiser diesel
Mercedes A190
TOYOTA LITEACE DIESEL VAN
1978 Honda 400-4
2007 GSX1400
And i hate to say it, but i still prefer to ride the old xs, its just like those old worn out boots that you always wear, they are part of you.
But with a 165K per day round trip it costs me a fortune in fuel and an oil change every other weekend.

[Matt_TG]

i luv my company car

^^ What he said ^^. $120 to fill yesterday, bloody hell

[Big Dave]

I only ride motorcycles - fuel prices make no difference to me at all.

[Disco Dan]

will be able to start picking up huge 4x4's for dirt cheap soon... hehehe take that north shore!!!!!!

[munterk6]

90ks a week commute to work and back on my bike...ooooohh, thats about hmmmmm...let me see, SWEET F-ALL!!!!!
$20 in my Legacy each week...so its about $35 per week for gas....
Who gives a shit? yeah yeah yeah, ok, so I have no dependants, but who the hell can afford to have a family these days what with all the constant demands etc etc. Aaaahh...its a lonely existence, but a cheap one too

[madbikeboy]

I've been doing the math on this this morning.

The last six months has been subsidised by having a company car. That (Mazda 3-SP23) is astounding on gas, I've owned V8's that use less. Glad to be handing it back in two weeks...

The Mini Cooper S before saw around 8 litres/100k. The scoot sees about 11l/100k. By the time you factor in parking, the car is still cheaper. The bike costs are artifically high due to an appetite for tires and chains. If you factor in $400 for a rear each 1000 k's, then the math looks like:
petrol for 1000ks - 110l x 1.95/l = $214
Tires - 400/1000 k's = $400
Total for 1000 k's = $614, or 61 cents per k.

Mini = $156 / 1000 k's, or $0.15 cents per k.

But, this is the fun bit - if you figure the depreciation into the mix, it's more like:
Mini buy - $30,000
Mini sell - $24,000
Depreciation over 12 months, $6,000.
10,000k's mileage = $600/1000 k's.
Front tires - $600/10,000k's (and they were well rooted) = $60/1000k's.

So, $156+$600+60 = $816/1000 k's
= 81 cents per k...

In my case, I actually bought the mini for less, and sold it for more (I'm the ultimate bargain hunter), but using the normal approach for depreciation - then the bike works really well. I bought well with scoot, and I'll probably lose a couple of grand over a couple of years... But it makes you think, right?

MBB

[Waxxa]

Negotiate a pay rise to bet rising costs people or change jobs. Know your value and talk to your boss! It's an employees' market out there, strike while the iron is hot.