Forums » Sprockets » Real world running costs for 90's sport bikes? 1 2

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  Dec. 23, 2010 4:10 a.m. white_fly New Reader

  So I just did some math and may have figured out why I'm always broke. Seems that I'm on track to drive about 40K miles this year. Having a V70 is really handy on many occasions, but the reality is most of the time I just need to get somewhere.

  I am thinking about purchasing a motorcycle as a way to save wear on the car, save time while travelling the parking lot known as "the 405," have a second vehicle so I'm not stranded when one needs repairs and most importantly stop paying so much for gas. However, I'll obviously be paying additional insurance so if running costs for the motorcycle are too high I should just stick with the car. I'm confident I could take care of any labor that might be necessary, but I'm worried about parts or jobs that require specialized tools.

  I'm looking for a relatively cheap bike, say $1500-2500 with a reasonable number of cool points that is more than capable of quickly passing a car at highway speeds going uphill (read: not a 250!). What would running say, an SV650 cost relative to something like an early '90's CBR900 with all the cool holes? Or should I look elsewhere to save on transportation costs?

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  Dec. 23, 2010 6:11 a.m. former520 New Reader

  I have a 2000 SV650. Some of the costs include

  Insurance 240/ year Tires (bought on sale and kept) $220/ 5k miles Chain $150/ 8-10k Chain cleaning and lube $20 intermittently Oil Changes $12 filter $20 oil every 2500-3k

  Gas mileage 30's in town low to mid 40's on trips

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  Dec. 23, 2010 8:52 a.m. stuart in mn SuperDork

  If the whole point is to save money, you also need to calculate the payback point on the purchase price of the bike...$2500 will buy a lot of gas for the car.

  40,000 miles a year is a lot of driving...in the long run you may be better off finding a place to work that's closer to home.

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  Dec. 23, 2010 9:19 a.m. minimac SuperDork

  former520 wrote: I have a 2000 SV650. Some of the costs include Insurance 240/ year Tires (bought on sale and kept) $220/ 5k miles Chain $150/ 8-10k Chain cleaning and lube $20 intermittently Oil Changes $12 filter $20 oil every 2500-3k Gas mileage 30's in town low to mid 40's on trips

  My Goldwing is a whole lot more economical, and it's a land barge built for trans-continental travel. Insurance is $180 all-year for full coverage, $0 deductible.$250k-$500k liability. Tires were about the same, but I got 15K (they were still 'good'), and synthetic oil change and filter every 5k runs <$20. The most expensive item is the six sparkplugs, every year. A decent commuter in the 400-650cc range can be had for under $1k, insurance should be less than $150, and should have all the power you need while delivering 45-55mpgs.

  "If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything" Marilyn Monroe

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  Dec. 23, 2010 2:39 p.m. white_fly New Reader

  stuart in mn wrote: If the whole point is to save money, you also need to calculate the payback point on the purchase price of the bike...$2500 will buy a lot of gas for the car. 40,000 miles a year is a lot of driving...in the long run you may be better off finding a place to work that's closer to home.

  You're right about $2500 buying a lot of gas, but the bikes I'm looking at don't seem to be depreciating much, so the having that asset is worth something. But also, we're not just talking about saving gas in the car, but maintenance on the whole car.

  I'm not averse to moving, but I'm really not that far from "work" with an 8 mile commute. The job itself, however, involves lots of driving and I'm just a very active person with friends all over SoCal and a fan of road trips.

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  Dec. 23, 2010 2:48 p.m. white_fly New Reader

  520 and Minimac, what are the intervals for valvetrain maintenance and how expensive is it to do it yourself or have someone else do it?

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  Dec. 23, 2010 3:13 p.m. minimac SuperDork

  On my GL1500, the suggested first check is around 32K miles, but unless the bike is pounded, in almost all cases, no adjustment is necessary, even at 50K. It's a very straight forward procedure, easily done by yourself, as long as you can read and have a tiny bit of mechanical aptitude. In my experience, it is a relatively minor job with directions and shortcuts readily available at the various sites on the web. Even the inline fours are easily adjusted.

  "If you can make a girl laugh, you can make her do anything" Marilyn Monroe

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  Dec. 23, 2010 3:50 p.m. 914Driver SuperDork

  Why subject yourself to the craned neck and wrist strain of a sport bike?

  Here's what $1500 and a few nights in the garage will produce. GoldWing power, reliability without the weight. No sport bike for sure, but can spank any Kia on the highway.

  In Tampa I would think the return on a bike would be better than the same investment in New York or Canada.

  BTW, as soon as you say "sport bike" to your insurance company, the dues double. Under 25? More.

  Barcolounger 1000? $75/year for me.

  http://www.ngwclub.com/

  

  BMW -- You don't need a hibachi to cook rice.

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  Dec. 23, 2010 3:59 p.m. BoxheadTim SuperDork

  I would think that for even 20k/year (which is what I used to ride, this year it was less but it's going to be more again next year), the consumables on a sports bike (sticky tires etc) are going to negate any savings you make on gas.

  I used to commute on a BMW R1150RT and ride it on longer distance trips; that one got about 12k-15k out of a set of tires, with most sports bikes you're lucky to see 5k-6k if you mainly ride long distance.

  Sanity is vastly overrated.

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  Dec. 23, 2010 5:58 p.m. white_fly New Reader

  Why must comfort be so damn ugly? Despite their reputation for being economical and reliable, I simply can't see myself on a Goldwing. And perhaps knowing that I'm 22 and I live in Los Angeles, not Tampa anymore, might provide a bit of guidance in regards to what I could see myself on. And besides that between canyons and the traffic in my area, I'd appreciate something a bit more nimble.

  Why do sports bikes go through tires so quickly even when riding long distance? 5k to 6k seems pretty quick for a set of tires. Even still, though, saying tires are $220 using 5k intervals and fuel around $3.40 at 45mpg on a motorcycle amounts to $0.12/mi. Gas alone in the wagon is $0.14/mi using the same figure and 24mpg so I'm still saving money, just not much.

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  Dec. 23, 2010 6:04 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

  Well I got this for $1400. Neutral seating position, comfortable all over.
  

  Air / Oil cooled engine is dead reliable and the 600cc-1200cc conversion is a direct bolt in

  

  Craigslist. That site is like Krispy Kreme doughnuts dipped in crack cocaine for any connoisseur of bad ideas

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  Dec. 23, 2010 6:23 p.m. That idiot who can't spell SuperDork

  How about a dual sport or a supermoto?

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  Dec. 23, 2010 6:30 p.m. white_fly New Reader

  Grtechguy wrote: Well I got this for $1400. Neutral seating position, comfortable all over. Air / Oil cooled engine is dead reliable and the 600cc-1200cc conversion is a direct bolt in

  Sorry, but what am I looking at? In any case something like that would be just fine.

  Dual sports and supermotos are certainly up for consideration as well.

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  Dec. 23, 2010 6:44 p.m. BoxheadTim SuperDork

  Looks like a Suzuki Bandit to me...

  One of the reason that sports bike tires wear that quickly is that they're rather sticky. But even with sports touring tires you're still looking at 5k-8k normally.

  Sanity is vastly overrated.

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  Dec. 23, 2010 7:58 p.m. Grtechguy SuperDork

  Sorry, yes, a 2001 Suzuki Bandit 600.

  Craigslist. That site is like Krispy Kreme doughnuts dipped in crack cocaine for any connoisseur of bad ideas

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  Dec. 24, 2010 9:49 a.m. Rusnak_322 Reader

  I had a CBR900 and a CBR929. Put well over 15k miles on each and other then tires and oil they never needed anything. My wife had a three CBR600's - the same thing. Hondas are dead reliable. And we beat the everloving .... out of them.

  In my experience, rear tires would last 1/2 as long as the fronts, but there were lots of wheelies involved.

  And I found the Hondas to be great sport tourers. 1500 mile weekends were no problem. I did the same on my Aprilia and hated life. I would rather have a forward lean and a screen then sit upright with no screen for longer rides.

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  Dec. 24, 2010 12:11 p.m. stroker Reader

  GSX1100G (Shaft Drive) is your friend. I've been watching them for years and they're almost invariably beautifully maintained and available for <$3000. GSXR power and counterbalanced.

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  Dec. 24, 2010 12:51 p.m. wearymicrobe Reader

  If your commuting what about something like a F650gs. 4-5K used, tires last forever. ABS, comes with bags.

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  Dec. 24, 2010 10:54 p.m. MitchellC Dork

  My 2005 SV650 was $1800, ~$2300 after registration, the much-needed front tire, etc. Add another $500 for gear. What surprised me the most about a motorcycle is how much longer trips take. To suit up and get mentally prepared takes me a few minutes, even for short trips. I tend to go slower on the highway than in a car because of how fatiguing the wind is. The differences between 50 mph, 60 mph, 70 mph, and 80 mph are significant on a naked bike. The range is also a lot shorter; I gas up every 125 miles or so.

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  Dec. 25, 2010 12:01 a.m. motomoron HalfDork

  That idiot who can't spell wrote: How about a dual sport or a supermoto?

  I've been through a gaggle of various SuMos the past few years. I've got 2 KTMs now: A 2006 950 Supermoto, which is really a supermoto-styled big euro-twin sport standard, but is a great all-rounder. And an '08 690SMC, aka the most fun, best handling motorcycle I've ever owned in 25+years of bikes.

  If I had to do 40k a year though? No f'in way. The 690 on the highway at 70+ uses me up in about 35 miles. The 950 is much better, but if I had to do that kind of miles I'd get late 90s BMW R1100RT, or an airhead boxer. They'll run to the moon for cheap...

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  Dec. 25, 2010 2:44 p.m. Mental SuperDork

  Any R-series Bimmer. ABS, low end pull, heated grips, wide seat, air cooled simplicity, 40 MPG, timeless style, HD exclusivity without the chromosexual image and stupid pipes. Plus you are accepted by both camps.

  "Guns make you stupid. Duct tape makes you smart." - Micheal Weston

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  Dec. 25, 2010 11:01 p.m. Xceler8x SuperDork

  It will be cheaper to run a low priced Honda Civic.

  I've owned sport bikes for years. They're stupid fun. Great to hoon around on. Fastest thing you'll own unless you're an investment banker.

  The running costs are high. MPG for most of mine would top out at 35 combined. Tires for a bike are just as expensive as tires for cars. Insurance is cheap. Factor in gear costs unless you already own it.

  If you really want to go cheap on a bike...go low capacity. Think Suzuki 125, On/offroad 250, or a Honda Nighthawk 250. Those things will get 60 mpg+. The tires are cheap as hell. Running costs on those bikes are as low as it gets. Not as sexy as a sportbike though.

  You are what you do, when it counts.

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  Dec. 26, 2010 3:21 a.m. mistanfo SuperDork

  DL650. Faster than most cars, 50MPG most of the time (I've seen 60+ on occasion, when I'm sight seeing more than riding). Good wind protection, though I don't know what they go for used. Tires last seemingly forever. Chains over 15,000, and I'm just getting ready to put my first set of sprockets on.

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  Dec. 26, 2010 8:30 a.m. 914Driver SuperDork

  Well put.

  Mental wrote: Any R-series Bimmer. ABS, low end pull, heated grips, wide seat, air cooled simplicity, 40 MPG, timeless style, HD exclusivity without the chromosexual image and stupid pipes. Plus you are accepted by both camps.

  BMW -- You don't need a hibachi to cook rice.

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  Dec. 29, 2010 9:08 a.m. MadScientistMatt Dork

  white_fly wrote: Why do sports bikes go through tires so quickly even when riding long distance? 5k to 6k seems pretty quick for a set of tires. Even still, though, saying tires are $220 using 5k intervals and fuel around $3.40 at 45mpg on a motorcycle amounts to $0.12/mi. Gas alone in the wagon is $0.14/mi using the same figure and 24mpg so I'm still saving money, just not much.

  Because sportbike tires are pretty much the equivalent of R-compound automotive tires. Soft, sticky, a lot of rubber with little empty space, and very low tread life.

  I've used a Suzuki GS500F as a commuter bike before. It gets around 50-60 mpg but takes a bit more maintenance than a modern car. The biggest downside is a very uncomfortable seat. A Ninja 250 would get even more miles to the gallon, and the older designs have a very upright seating position that's easy on the wrists.

  "Mad Scientist" Matt Cramer

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