[The Atomic Ass]

Originally Posted by sendler

So you would rather have to lube a chain every 500 miles? Which for you is every other day. Than do nothing but just ride a belt? Based on your experience with the mediocre fuel efficiency of the Burgman, you are under a preconception that you would have to change gearing on the PCX (Which is available via DrPulley sliders in the vario for $40 or final drive gear set for $150). Is 93 mpgUS not good enough?
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There are no high efficiency shaft drive bikes.
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Michelin City Grip tires will last 30,000 front and 18,000 rear. Tire cost for a PCX will be slightly less than a car. But it will use half of the gas of a Prius and costs 14% as much to buy. You can find used ones all day long for $2,000.
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The only other highway capable bike that can approach 90 mpgUS is the CBR250R if you really want to shift gears.

Lube? No. Dry chains last longer, as they don't collect as much garbage. Any o-ring or x-ring chain has all the lubricant it needs sealed into where it needs it. Keep chain clean, and no problems. Once a week, wipe off with a rag, I'm willing to do that much, at least.

But to the point: You have the CVT pulley faces, and there are 4 of them, and they DO WEAR. They change the characteristics of the transmission over time, and cause additional belt wear as they get further worn down. The clutch, while it lasted all 26,500 miles on the Burgman, was threatening NOT to for the last 5,000 or so miles.

Sliders don't really make a difference in the min/max ratio's, but merely how fast the transmission shifts through those ratios. For reference, I saw a MILD change in engine characteristics running 50% heavier (homemade) sliders. I suspect the heavier sliders had something to do with a bearing failure at 25,000 on the Burgman.*

An aggravating circumstance is that I'm currently driving a slushbox in the car, and it's driving me bat-**** insane. (Well, I mean, I already am, but moreso...)

My Burgman peaked at 81 MPG. It had a LOT more on tap, so does the PCX. It's rated for 100, actually. But the Stella 4-stroke is rated for 140+, with a similar engine, except for air-cooling, which I've heard generally lowers MPG.

And whatever a bike gets stock is NEVER good enough. I thought that was consensus on this forum.

And I would hope the PCX had significantly cheaper tires. I used to pay $50 for my Burgman tires, I dropped $125 each on car tires last time around.


*Said bearing failure involved the ball bearing immediately behind the front pulley suddenly shifting it's inner race to the left about 1/4" during operation, which forced the pulley into the housing, shutting me down temporarily. (Not violently, but it made enough racket in the early morning I couldn't continue riding) I shimmed the housing and rode another 1,500 miles on said bearing (as replacement required a COMPLETE engine teardown), but it concerned me greatly the entire time.