Soccer_playa1579

I was just wondering if anyone has considered purchasing a bike due to the rising gas prices. I have really considered it due to my 60 dollar fill up with my TL today. I don't want to go hybrid because of the maintenance horrors and certainly don't want anything underpowered so have come to the decision to maybe get a medium powered motorcycle. Anyone else thinking the same thing?

yunginTL

ex250 for me this summer

AznX TL

i want to, but i dont want to be killed by some lady that didnt see me coming.

Soccer_playa1579

thats baddass.. i have to get something under 600cc as i am still to young to drive anything higher due to state law.

mystikk

I've been leaning on the idea heavily, but the fact that I just have no money and that I have a few thousand higher percentage rate of dying kinda throws me off.

massr1

There's no doubt that motorcycles are more fuel efficient than cars. But if you think you'll be saving money, think again. Bikes are money pits. You'll be spending like crazy on upgrades and gear, trust me. And you can't really use a motorcycle as your sole means of transportation.

Soccer_playa1579

well it all depends on who the driver is.. some guys on here would rather keep it stock and still zip around while others would mod the hellout of it like we do ours acuras and zip around even quicker.... You're right it cant me the sole mean of transportation, but can really get those dollar bills in your wallet. a little beater to drive around in while u dont drive the bike is sufficient enough..

BstonBruin

Don't like the thought of getting into an accident on a bike...no thanks

Osamu

i have a little ex250 and have a hard time finding time to ride it. It is hard to give up the stability and comfort of a car on a daily basis, not to mention the ability to haul stuff around. I think getting a bike just for gas milage won't really work. It is more of a thing to take out just to have some fun.

find that when I take my bike out, I usually would plan where I'm going and what I'm going to do way in advance.

Don't forget about the extra cost of registration and insurance, especially being 17. I am 23, and my insurance is still like over $400 a year just for liability on a $1500 bike. along w/ gear and stuff. If you want a bike to ride for fun, I say go for it, but if it's just to save gas, i say sell the TL and buy a fit.

yunginTL

once i upgrade to an r6 or triumph daytona, I might just sell some mods off the tl and put it towards some mod money on the bike

cltypeSLOW

im looking at buell lightnings right now. a bike wont really save you any money on gas like everyone else is saying. its more of a toy than anything else.

cmschmie

:ibsarlaccasksifmommyanddaddywillbuyitforyou:

Things you need to consider:
What do you do with it when you're off to college? How far away is the school you're attending? How much will you be driving while in school?
Can't bring both to college, unless you're willing to fork over quite a bit of cash to park both.
What do you do with it in the winter?
Insurance would be ridonkulous
Gear (helmet, jacket, gloves etc...) is not cheap. You want to buy quality shit

You're 17, just be glad that you have such a nice car. Worry about the bike when you have your own place

F23A4

Like I told my 17 y/o son (who has an 05 Alti 3.5SE): if you want to save some $$ on gas then take the school bus to school rather than driving.

stright-(paint)balling

good idea.
if it was me i'd do this for a year. save your $$$ and once you turn 18 get something like a CBR600,R6,gsx6, something in the 600 cc class. good starter bikes. their lightweight enough to have fun but their not to much power to start with like your CBR1000XX or R1s

yunginTL

true its more of a toy, that can get expensive...you don't want to consider it as your main source of transportation

Costco

Buying any new vehicle simply to save gas isn't a good idea because it'll take you one hell of a long time to recoup the money. But as a toy, with mileage benefits included, YES, I have thought about getting one. I trust myself enough to consider getting a GSX-R6, R6, or a CBR6RR..

I just need to take the MSF course this summer and I'm all set, got my permit already. And at least at my college, the regular parking permit works on bikes too, but if you buy a permit for a bike its cheaper but won't pass on a car.

808havok_tsx

i'm older and wiser and thankfully never got into an accident. if you've never rode a motorcycle before, i disagree with most here - today's 600cc is way too much power for a newb. power-to-weight ratio is off the charts for most bikes; even a 250 is a lot of bike and is also a lot of fun. 600cc and above just means you'll die faster. i'd highly recommend you go through the motorcycle safety foundation's course in your area, wear proper gear, and be responsible when you ride. NEVER trust yourself and NEVER assume you can "handle" a bike. you WILL crash - its the severity of the damage both to self and bike that varies.

having said that, you can't exactly ride your motorcycle in the pouring rain especially if there's ponding, its difficult to ride in gusty winds, and actually takes quite a bit of effort to ride vs. driving a car so you'll be more fatigued over long distances.

gawd, yer' only 17? when i was your age, i literally walked to and from school. my first car was a used beat up suzuki sidekick, and i only got that because of college. i was poor enough where i had to borrow friends' street and dirt bikes to get my 2-wheel fix. that's why i value my tsx now and also value money. hope you appreciate everything your parents give and do for you...

Soccer_playa1579

yea im only 17, but do not see the bus as a mode of transportation due to me being a full time college student. I am enrolled as a freshman taking classes at different times and the car is the most useful way of getting around. I use to take the bus freshman and sophmore year of high school but when i went full time college for my junior year i had to drive everyday. :/.... I like that i get to drive everyday but the rising cost of gas prices is astronomical.. When you were my age you prolly paid 1/8 of what we pay now, so it was not as much of a struggle as it is now to cover those costs. I seem to think im a semi-mature kid and seem to known when to have fun and when to be serious. I very well do appreciate all my parents support and never take things for granted.

TS_eXpeed

My Life > A hefty fillup


....great for gas, but I will never have a motorcycle. Even if I was the best driver in the world, it's the other idiots that could do something stupid and get my killed.

GreenMonster

You're only 35 times more likely to be involved in a fatal accident on a bike then while in a car

http://www.iii.org/media/hottopics/i..._sort_739024=5

I've always wanted a old 86-87 Honda Rebel 450, but the part about dying has always scared me off...

Now, I want a Honda PA50ii Moped... It only goes up to 30mph, so I figure I can't kill myself too bad with it

I probably spend about $2K on gas a year (13K miles), so any savings for me buy getting a bike would be pretty negligible...

Do the math, you might be surprised on how little you'd save...

Moog-Type-S

If you do get a bike do yourself and everyone else a favor: Take the MSF

pttl

I used to be an MSF instructor. The courses are great. EVERY rider should take one, especially a novice rider. Skill and knowledge are what will minimize your risk as a motorcyclist.

I agree with everyone else who has said that buying another vehicle to save money is not the way to go.

Costco

Another thing to add, buying a bike because you want to save gas is silly too. You buy it because you love to ride. If you've never learned how to ride and ridden a motorcycle several times you wouldn't understand. The whole gas saving aspect is merely an added benefit, not a main incentive to get a bike.

GreenMonster

Most people like to use the "save gas" argument to rationalize the purchase with their Mom/Wife/GF, etc...

If you want to ride, ride...

I've looked at the availability of MSF couses in my area because of this thread

neuronbob

No bike for me, either, afraid of death by being in someone's blind spot.

My S2K is pretty much a bike on four wheels, anyway AND it gets far better mileage than my RL when I'm not hitting VTEC.

pttl

Do it! It's a wise move, and the best money you'll spend.

Moog-Type-S

Once you get "the bug", it's very hard to get 2-wheel riding out of your system.

Black Tire

if you want to save gas...stick to a 500/250 CC...the 600's get about the same mileage as your regular passnger car...I read it somewhere.

juniorbean

iTrader: (5)

I have a bike but only ride it for pleasure. With the businesses I am in the truck 90% of the time. However, if I did not have the businesses, I would still use the bike for pleasure, and have a car for commuting.

If you want to buy a vehicle to save money (which, as many said... is silly), dump the TL, get a Civic or Corolla which require regular gas and get 32+ MPG, and drive that for the next 10 years...

Soccer_playa1579

Yea well I actually like to ride though. Everytime i go to India i get to drive a bajaj Pulsar which is a very low powered bike, yet still very powerful for its cc's. I will be going transfering to a university next year after i finish off my associates in may of 2009 and would like to use that as a primary source of transportatiion while im in austin. We will see though, it was jus out of curiosty that i had asked this question to see everyones comments =). Thanks.

Donte99TL

I have been riding bikes for 28 years now. I started when I was 8 ridding dirt bikes till now. I have ridden all types of bikes. I just sold my R1 and still have a road star warrior.

Now if you buy a brand new bike, maintenance won’t run much. Other than chain lube and oil changes. It starts to cost you money around 10,000 miles depending on how you ride. Chain and fork seals start to go around that time, but still your looking around $500 bucks for both. Tires will kill you if you ride fast and buy the sticky tires

Gear doesn’t really cost these much these days, that’s if you don’t care about name brands or how things fit. You can get jacket, gloves and Hemet for around $500 now. If you’re good you can get a helmet thrown in when buying a new bike.

The thing that will kill you is insurance. I was only paying $600 for full coverage for my R1, but like I said I have been riding for a long time.

What you really need to think about is the money saved worth your life. In my 28 years of ridding I have been rear ended, side swiped, people turning in front of me, getting cut off and have had 10 ridding friends killed. You name it and it has happended to me.

I just sold my R1 because having a daughter. Believe me if you want to save money and your life by a Honda fit.

Donte99TL

Wow, where did you read that because it's way off. My R1
averaged around 40 mpg.

Black Tire

40MPG is highly unlikely from an R1.....maybe from 600CC if you rode it very slowly. Remember sportbike tanks are way smaller then a cars. If you ride it hard and fast, you'll be filling up more than you think.

http://www.sportbikes.net/forums/gen...portbikes.html

Donte99TL

Believe me I got 40mpg on my R1 all the time when I rode it to work, it was mostly highway. When I used to ride up to Palomar Mountain I wouldn’t get that, but that’s hard core ridding.

http://www.r1-forum.com/forums/showt...=225645&page=2

Plus, when people on here get a bike to ride to work I am sure they are not going to be ridding hard.

What kind of mpg’s are you getting on your R1? Or are you just guessing when you make your statements.

Black Tire

I have a ZZR250...getting 60 MPG on it. And that's being conservative. I hardly use it now. But that was amazing mileage.

Donte99TL

60 MPG!!!!! damn get back on that thing and save some money. Why don't you ride it more?

Have you seen the new ninja 250?

Black Tire

check this one out:

Costco

The new Ninjas look sick, honestly I never liked those 636s, weird styling. The 250 is a huge improvement over the old Ninja 250s but I wouldn't be able to justify financing a new 250 especially for a new rider like me. And as funky as the new ZX-10R looks I like it.

Honestly I can't decide whether to get a Gixxer CBR or R6.... my coworker has a GSX-R 750 and it handles like a 600cc but has more power. Just interesting, wouldn't actually buy a new bike.

My neighbor is selling a wrecked 02 CBR F4i though for around $3000, should I? I don't think the bank will finance a salvaged bike though, will they?

Donte99TL

Nope, bank wont finance a salvaged bike. So I take it that you have never ridden before.

Costco

Only a couple of times. And it was ridiculously fun, it was on a 650cc semi-sport bike. A Ninja 650 if I recall correctly. I'm not silly enough to even THINK about wanting a literbike to start off with, I just figure that I'll wanna keep a 600cc sportbike longer than something like an old 250cc Ninja.

I've done silly things in my car before but nothing stupid enough to get someone hurt, and I have a clean driving record, no moving violations. Plus I drive like a grandma, most of the time anyways, and I know a lot of people who have gotten hurt riding.