| Author |
Message |
    
Shanetbolt
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 02:13 pm: | 
|
Response to Mfell2112,
Lets figure this out: a average automobile gets 20 MPG and has 50K mile tires and tires cost $150 each and gas costs $2.50 a gallon. It seems the average bike gets 50 MPG and tires last 10K and tire cost is $300 for both front and rear.
To drive 50K to replace one set of tires you would go through 2,500 gallons of gas at a cost of $6,250.
The cost of tires would be $600 for a grand total of $6850.
Now lets figure out the bike cost:
50 MPG, tires front and rear every 10K at $300 for the set. You need to drive equal distance so you drive the bike for 50K and come up with the following.
You would go through 1,000 gallons of gas at a cost of $2500.
You would go through 5 tire changes at a cost of $1500 for a grand total of $4000.
Lets see if a car is better than a bike.
Car= $6850
Bike= $4000
Yes the numbers will vary depending on mileage of the particular car you have, tires you buy, gas you use etc.... But I wanted to just use nice numbers to get a feel for how close the car is to the bike. You have to consider oil changes and regular maintenance. But how do you calculate the "fun" factor you get when driving your bike vs your car??????? |
Newfie_buell
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 02:29 pm: |
|
Around here in Newfoundland we are up to about $1.08/litre for Premium which is 93+Octane.
After the conversion to gallons then the conversion to US Dollars its about $3.40/gallon.
Metric Units are soooooooooo much easier to deal with!!!! |
Josh_
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 02:49 pm: |
|
>tires cost $150
What the hell tires are you putting on your car? My Z-Rated FirestoneFirehawks on my Firebird cost that yeah, but the cheap ••• 14" on the beater cost half that.
>tires front and rear every 10K at $300 for the set
What bike/tire are you riding that gives 10k on a rear tire and how are you managing to wear front/rear the same? My Sportster got 10k on a rear, but my S3 was about 7k (as is the FJR). S1/X1/XB ought to get 5k if you're lucky on a sport rear tire. 10k is good for a front.
Figuring in the extra rear tires ought to add $1500, cutting the difference to $6550/5500
Now, which bike are you comparing? A tube Buell won't need a belt, but an XB will need 2. then of course the front forks need to be serviced every 20k plus all the other maintainance.
10k service on my S3 cost me $500 at the local dealership.
If you have the time, what price per gallon (assuming my figures for tires, ignoring maintainance) is the break even point?
Gas around here is about $2.19/gal and on the 3000k/13state ride last week only once did we fill up over $2.40 ($2.55 in NY)
'course don't the Buells still require/recommend 91+octane vs 87 for most cars? |
Shanetbolt
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 05:47 pm: |
|
$150 tire??? I did not factor in mounting/balancing/disposal/etc... My truck tires cost $130 ea and that is just a plain two wheel drive 1/2 ton truck tire with no mounting or balancing, then my truck gets like 16 MPG.
$150 maybe a little high, so figure $75 a tire. You are still money a head with a bike.
I run a 1999 S3 and I found Bridgestone Batalax BT020 tires work well for me. I'm on my second set and have gotten actually between 11 and 12K on them. I do alot of commuting back and forth to work. I have tried Metzelers (tire hum but lasted 10K) and original Dunlop (did not last as long), but like the Bridgestones..
I do my own maintenance on my bike as well as my truck. Dosen't everybody do their own maintenance???
If you use a dealer for your bike, then do you use a dealer for your 4 wheeled vehicles?? And a real dealer, not your corner service station but an actual auto dealer.
Besides I did mention the numbers will vary depending what you buy. It is just simple math, plug in different numbers, add in service costs, but try to keep things equal. |
Newfie_buell
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 05:49 pm: |
|
On the other side,
If you complain too much about the price of gas, tires and maintenance then maybe your a cheap bast..d and you just don't ride!!!!!
I do it to enjoy it. |
Mfell2112
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 06:12 pm: |
|
Thanks for the numbers Shane. I had a feeling the bike would be more economical then a cage overall. My truck is getting 13 mpg and I am stuck driving it to work since I have to carry some tools. No way i could carry a five foot grade rod,a laser and the legs that hold it on the M2. I enjoy riding as well. The economical aspect of riding is a plus for me. My brother in law has a boat. Now that is an expensive hobby. Hey Shane we have to get some riding in. We should venture down to the city on a Saturday. I want to ride the M2 down Lake shore drive. I don't think I have many more free Saturdays left. I know of some great restuarants in and around Chicago.
Regards
Mike |
X1tx
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 06:40 pm: |
|
I get between 44 and 48 mpg with a 99 X1 running a race ECM and V&H muffler. Mostly moderate riding. I'm sure if I wicked it good through the entire tank the mileage would drop. |
Josh_
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 07:36 pm: |
|
>Dosen't everybody do their own maintenance
The average rider might change their own bike oil, but surely doesn't service their own forks.
Now figure you do use the recommended high-octane in the bike and lowest octane in the car (a $.30 difference normally)
figuring the extra rear tire from my figures, $2.50/gal gas for the bike and $2.20/gal gas for the car, your numbers are:
$6050/$5500
My truck can be serviced at Jiffy Lube for a couple of bucks, but bike forks are a whole 'nother story.
Then there is depreciation. How many cars do you see advertised with over 50,000miles? How many bikes? How easy do you think it will be to sell a bike with that many miles?
I don't complain about maint costs. I ride as much as I can (10-15k per year) including putting miles on my second-owner-6k-miles-when-I-bought-it '91 RS1200. But I also don't buy into the blanket "bikes are more economical" theory unless it comes with lots of caveats.
Hell my six-speed Firebird got 26MPG and would put 45,000miles on those $150 tires. My FJR gets 38MPG and some of the local FJR guys can't get 4000miles out of a $150 rear tire.
Everything is relative, your 2-wheel drive tires cost more than my fancy off-road-style 30" BFGs on my 4x4. I dindn't incl mount balance, cause doesn't everyone change their own tires? |
Coolice
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 08:59 pm: |
|
Gee some interesting figures since I started this thread. Looks like 62 mpg is the highest, wow! Ya the comparison between cage/Buell we could debate for a long time. I think everyone on the Badweb is here cause they RIDE a motorcycle so I wasn't looking for a comparison. And living here in the midwest our days can be limited a little by that white stuff on the roads! So back to the fuel cost it pretty obvious that we are all paying high prices and riding the Buells are a way to be on the move and still have that great "grin" factor too! By the way the 62 mpg what was the bike and riding conditions-hwy or city, interstate, rural?
Overall the Buells have good mpg plus great smiles per gallon! Keep ridin! |
Mmmi_grad
| | Posted on Thursday, July 14, 2005 - 09:40 pm: |
|
paid 11.75 for premium this is almost the 13 bucks i paid to fill tank in my oldsmobile about 5 years ago . Disgusting
Its funny to hear analyst say that , well in other countrys gas cost alot more , in the us actually gas is cheap cause doing the numbers on a persons wages compared to what it cost them to drive = cheap gas!!!!!!!!!!! even at 3 bucks a gallon. They say gas prices really dont hurt the US consumer yet, well it does when you drive 1 1/2 hour to work or buy something that had to be trucked accross country. WHo pays the truckers gas bill? We do!
(Message edited by mmmi_grad on July 14, 2005) |
Rek
| | Posted on Friday, July 15, 2005 - 07:38 am: |
|
I have to say that riding my Buell as opposed to driving the car is very close to the same dollar-wise. The car (Subaru Impreza) gets 30 mpg. The bike (S3T) 52mpg.
The Subaru gets a new set of tires every year at ~$400 a pop. The S3 goes through a back tire every 4-5,000 miles, or three rear tires per year at $170 each ($510)
Maintenance-wise the Subaru gets tires, gas and oil. Period. I've got over 250,000 miles on that little POS and it's still running strong w/ no end in sight.
Over the last few thousand miles the S3 has needed three signal lights, a new shifter, new intake gaskets, a new belt, re-hanging the V&H muffler three times, an upgraded shock, a blinker sending-unit and too many toys (new hemets, pitbull stand, leathers, boots, gloves, bags, etc) to truthfully count.
And so cost-wise the car and the bike are nearly the same, w/ the car gaining a slight advantage because its maintenance costs are lower.
Now if we figure in the fun-factor...which if we're honest only lasts 2-300 miles per trip on a bike. The rest of the trip is a endurance exercise. However I will say this; I have NEVER found myself in the "drone-zone" on my bike, even after a 700 mile day. That's why I enjoy riding it so much.
In the car it takes about 30 miles, or the distance from our house to town, for me to be comfortably settled into the drone-zone, stereo blasting, AC on high, diddy-bopping on down the highway at 70-80 mph w/ my mind a million miles away. And therein lies the reason I love riding my bike.
When I'm on that machine all of my attention is on the road. Every crack in the asphault, every variance of breeze, each and every vehicle I encounter gets my full and undivided attention. It's like skiing or climbing or diving. I can't afford to let my mind wander, at the penalty of death, and so I am totally focused. That is why I ride a bike.
Rob |
Ryker77
| | Posted on Friday, July 15, 2005 - 08:39 am: |
|
And how often do you need to change the oil in a bike--- that alone will added up over 50k miles. Also drive belts. |
Josh_
| | Posted on Friday, July 15, 2005 - 09:49 am: |
|
>And how often do you need to change the oil in a bike---
You change the oil in your bike more often then in your car? |
M2nc
| | Posted on Sunday, July 17, 2005 - 01:10 am: |
|
I don't have the figures here now, but I did compare cost of riding the bikes versus the cars. In comparison to the Suburban or Caravan, the bike was hands down less expensive. But in comparison to my Camry, the Toyota was cheaper. Then I added insurance cost and the bikes were less expensive again. (No XB, I'm over 35 with a clean record and liability only, 360 a year for both bikes)
My Nighthawk is more economical than my M2. Though the M2 gets better fuel mileage (38mpg vs 44mpg), the Nighthawk runs on 87 octane, I can buy both front and rear tires for the price of the back tire on the M2, and maintenance cost are lower. For the 20,000 miles I've ridden the Nighthawk, I have put Tires, Brake Pads & Shoes, a battery, and chain and sprocket. This is why I ride the Nighthawk for work, and I ride the M2 on the weekends and on trips. |
Aaomy
| | Posted on Monday, July 18, 2005 - 11:16 pm: |
|
she aint a buell but man have i been having fun on her. with both on road and off road time she averaged 93.7 mpg last tank. im sure with just on road i probably could get her easily up over 100.
the s2 when purchased averaged 48
after first set of mods, 56
after last winters mods, 52 before proper tuning, not sure current mpg. |
|
