What is the best motorcycle/scooter for commuting?

[alvaro84]

My BMW F650CS (Teresa - on the left) I use for commuting (~16 miles one way of rural and suburb riding) can pull off up to ~90mpg with massive hypermiling on my usual route
Worse when the weather is cold, of course.
Overall, has quite a good range even with a small (15l - 3.97 US gal) tank

I think that for massive city traffic I'd may choose a lighter (easier to split lanes!) bike with a smaller displacement though, our Hyosung GV250 feels somewhat smoother at stop-and-go and has plenty of power (but isn't ridiculously overpowered) at those speeds (though Teresa can handle it with decent FE too, if I coast/FAS/P&G enough - actually, it doesn't hurt FE at all if I'm up to the mark ).

I'd happily try a Honda CBR125R, for example
Or a 250cc dual sport

[Grant-53]

Cyclists used to try laying a steel frame bike down on its side across the loop to trigger the induction sensor. Now I have an aluminum frame bike and go when the traffic is clear.

Try constructing a decision table to list factors that are important to you in making a choice. The choice that best fulfills your needs at the lowest average annual cost is what you want to use. At 17 miles you are at the edge of conventional bicycle commuting. A fairing system, front and rear, on any bike or scooter will improve comfort and mpg.

[autoteach]

aluminum is still a conductor. If you had said that you had a carbon framed bike with carbon wheels and spokes, then your assumption of having no chance of setting off the light would be correct. The problem with motorcycles and bicycles is that there is not enough mass of metal. What occurs is the sensor that is measuring the inductance from the loop does not read it as enough of a change, so it doesn't trigger. You would have to have a lot of bicycles to do that. Figure that you need somewhere close to 1000lbs to properly trigger the system, anything less and your could be sitting there a while if you are not antsy like me (30 seconds, no more).

[Grant-53]

Trigger Green Traffic Lightshttp:/ - wikiHow

The threshold amount and proximity of ferrous material in the magnetic field is what triggers the switch. Aluminum is non magnetic. Sensitivity of the loop is a matter of design choices such as loop layout, depth, and operating current.

If it is a regular necessity to trigger a loop, I would experiment with an electromagnet and a motor start capacitor.

[autoteach]

whoops

[Grant-53]

Been there, done that. Just ask Bicycle Bob

I need some help getting my fairing photos (jpeg) from my hard drive to EcoModder.

[euromodder]

Originally Posted by autoteach

The problem with motorcycles and bicycles is that there is not enough mass of metal.
Figure that you need somewhere close to 1000lbs to properly trigger the system, anything less and your could be sitting there a while if you are not antsy like me (30 seconds, no more).

Use a big magnet , it'll trigger them.

Induction loops don't need big chunks of metal, they need something with a big magnetic field

[dbc1218]

Go with a Honda Ruckus, but I am partial. I have kept track of every gallon of gas thats run through mine and after 5000 miles its got an average of 88mpg. Not many bikes can say that, for a true lifetime average.

[alvaro84]

Yup, a good lifetime average is harder to achieve with a do-it-all vehicle. Teresa's running average usually goes down our usual 2-up+luggage freeway/main road rides. Especially when the weather is unfavorable.
This time one way gave a really good average: 2.666l/100km, 88.2mpgUS for the tank that consist of this week's commute and ~180km of that way, including some extra slow rolling on the gravelly shoulder next to a several km long queue because of a bridge maintenance (mostly in P&G), but the weather was hot which always helps FE (and it doesn't help enduring our cordura gear).
The way back we got ~16C temperature, some slight rain and annoying sidewind, plus a sh*tload of books in the topcase. I wonder what FE we'll get this time (I suspect it'll be well under 80mpg).
Winter also makes FE worse, I usually get over 3l/100km (~mpg in the 70s).
At least this winter I was clearly better than a year before (radiator cover and driving style both helps), back then I got mpg figures in the 60s.
And high speeds are an enemy to good FE too. When I (very rarely, experiment or extreme hurry) exceed 80mph (speed limit is 130km/h=82mph here) on freeways I always get bad results. When I tried to often speed during a tank I got under over 4l/100km, under 60mpg...
And it's all in the lifetime average (which is 3.05l/100km=77.1mpgUS for Teresa).
And Ciliegia's (my girlfriend's bike, a Hyosung GV250) lifetime average contains much learning it take such a toll on FE that her lifetime average is 3.22l/100km=73.1mpgUS. Freeways are also unfavorable for the 250.
Their 3-month averages are much closer to each other.