| Author | Message | ||
     Midknyte |
The supply and demand argument for gas prices doesn't really work for me. Not for an item that is, still in real world terms, "readily available". i.e. - a station every third block and not one going dry. A true supply and demand situation would see gas stations unable to deliver product. At least as far as me, joe consumer, is concerned. Yeah, I understand that the supply and demand issue and pressure is further up the chain than we can see. Perception is what it is. And, now, I am officially rambling... What I REALLY wanted to post and ask about is - can we, realisticlly, take things into our own hands? Back in the days of prohibition [and before and after], consumers (to use the term loosely) took to making their own spirits, either for themselves or to sell to each other. How hard is it to brew *something* that is usable in our combustion engines? I don't see much in the way of revolution or protest until something like this happens on a substantial scale. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Well, I'm told the hippies out west do it for diesel fuel. Dunno about gas. | ||
| Ted |
Supply/demand might account for a $45 barrel of crude. I think the rest is based on investor speculators. Some Iraq oil well is blown up, or a Venezualan refinery blockaded and the crude price skyrockets, with no actual supply impact. Why should this happen when the majority of crude supply comes from your good pals up north?  | ||
| Naustin |
buy a diesel Jetta, add a 2nd fuel tank in the trunk - fill with filtered cooking oil you get free from restaurants. Start on normal gas, then once the engine is hot, you throw the lever and run on the cooking oil all day long. They might actually run a blend 80/20 oil/diesel - not sure... Or, get a house/apartment within walking distance of your job/bus stop. Walk to work or ride a bus. My house is 200 yards from my office. I walk almost every day. I put gas in my vehicle one every 4-5 weeks. If it weren't for the news, I wouldn't even know gas prices had gone up. Even though they have - I don't care, because I only put 3,000 miles on my vehicle all of last year. As far as I'm concerned, I hope gas hits $4.00 a gallon this summer and $5.00 next summer! It won't hurt me any, and hopefully it will enrage enough people that they'll all vote for people who want to invest in alternative energy and take the Big Oil Companies to the mat.  I say, if you're hurting at the gas pump, ride your bike to work like a real motorcyclist! | ||
| Debueller |
The price of gas defintly help keep me out of my car. My Uly gets about 40-55 mpg. But it eats d616's for lunch. I'm going to use my 250 Ninja, it's easy on tires and averages well over 60 mpg. I've got as good as the low 80's. But it was a very boring ride. I've gotten as low as mid 40's with it riding mostly full throttle while touring. | ||
| Chasespeed |
I say, if you're hurting at the gas pump, ride your bike to work like a real motorcyclist! The only time I drive is when I need the room, kid, wife, groceries, etc... And its still killing me...3+ here in CC} Chase | ||
| Firebolteric_ma |
45.00 a barrel. i never get a berrel's worth of gas and it costs me about 65.00 to fill my tank.  | ||
| Alanshouse |
I think everyone should walk more. Then America wouldn't be the world's fattest country. | ||
| Whodom |
Midknyte, I saw a report on the news this morning that said home-brewing of ethanol for fuel is booming right now. Supposedly kits available all over the internet, and kit makers claim you can produce your own ethanol for ~$0.75/gallon. Trouble is, most vehicles can tolerate only 10% ethanol/gas mixture. "Flex fuel" vehicles can go 80% ethanol/gas IIRC. Another point is that the heating value (BTUs/gallon) of ethanol is much lower than gasoline, so that it takes more than 1 gallon of ethanol to do the work of 1 gallon of gasoline. From what I've read, most experts say ethanol production is a losing game (it takes more energy to produce it than you get from it), but this is somewhat debatable. Bio diesel seems like a much better shot as you don't have to ferment and distill the fuel and the heating value is close to diesel. All that said, the most LOGICAL thing to do to save on gas is the things they preached ~35 years ago when gas prices first skyrocketed: keep your tires properly inflated, keep your car in proper tune, don't haul around useless crap in your car, don't drive with a lead foot, etc. | ||
| Jimduncan69 |
yes i agree walk to work or ride your bike are good idea's, but i have to drive my work van to work. other wise a cant work. i have to have all my tools and haul the material to the job site every day. it cost's me about $90 to fill my tank and i have to do it about twice a week. if the oil company's are reporting record earning's why are the gas price's so high? something has to give. if it keeps up people like me in the trade business. we wont even be able to afford to go to work. | ||
| Cataract2 |
Debueller, to help with your tires check out the Pirelli Scorpions. They'll last a lot longer than the Dunlops. | ||
| Debueller |
I've seriously considered the Sync's, but I really like the way the 616's ride and feel. It maybe just the bike, but I'm so pleased with the overall feel of the Uly on and off pavement I'm afraid to change to a different tire. The only gripe I have about the 616's is the lack of mileage. So far I've been able to live with it. The sport demons on my 250 are wearing very well. I'm trying to ride it more and stay off the Buell but it's tough. Ridin' the ninja offsets the amount of money I spend on the 616's. My last rear 616 went 5500mi to the wear bars. | ||
| Debueller |
BTW,Ryan I see you have a CityX. My Uly was delivered late and the dealer loaned me a used '05 CityX for a week. I put 2500mi on it and had a ****ing ball with it. Nothing rides like a loaner. The Sync's did feel good.....or maybe it was just the bike? |
