Make sense to buy a motorcycle?

[bikepilot]

They are tons of fun huh? I raced harescrambles on a '96 KDX200 for a season - great bike. The KDX has a lot of low end compared to most small bore bikes (two or four stroke), but way less than a 600+ cc XR of course. Just wind it out a bit further and it'll move along very effectively. You shouldn't have visible smoke once its hot if you are riding it somewhat hard. Puttering around you'll get a little. The FMF Gnarly pipe gives it a bit more low end as well, but its still not going to be an XR600. Once you get used to keeping it spun up its a ton of fun. Don't be afraid of using the clutch - its ultra durable.

have fun!

[naturalextraction]

I think Petehammer has long since gone. Probably made up his mind.

Ultimately you must love to ride to make it truly a worth wile purchase. It also depends on what your were spending in the first place. My riding just about every day, financially did pay off. I get 45 to 50mpg on my SV650 but I was used to spending $100 to $250 dollars a week in fuel! I was driving 300 to 400miles a week and 50% of it in town (city). (so obviously a very poor mpg vehicle in the first place)

Now I travel 150 to 200 miles. Even after tire costs, gear etc., it has paid off. But I also love to ride. Our winters aren't to horrible here and lately I've been driving in below zero temps. (that's rather unusual for here) As long as there is no ice, I'm good. It's a life style choice however. So the financial is not the goal. There are web sites dedicated to all weather riders. Those living in the Scandinavian countries that ride all year long are crazier than me.
So take what you will from this information!

[roosterk0031]

Your right, if you have a decent FE car around 25+ mpg a bike won't pay for itself unless you are doing 300+ miles per week and you DD your replacing is 15- mpg, and you live in a climate where you can and are willing to drive it 60% year (all rough guestimates).

It's all in the numbers, cost of ownership, cost of insurance per day riden, cost of tires, maintance & purchase price. And all I want is potential bike owners to know is MPG is a small part of owning a bike. Assuming a typical car owner than won't do maintance past chaning oil, replacing tires, replace chain & sprockets, doing a valve check every 15,000-28,000 miles, flushing the antifreeze, cleaning the carbs if you store it poorly over a winter, etc...., 12,000 mile one year warranty....

But forget all that if all you want to do is convince the wife that a bike will safe $$, just look at MPG's, just know going in the facts.

I'm via email trying to talk one of my nephews out of a 600rr (even though I'd like to take a few joy rides). He's looking performance per $ with this current ride a ttr225, and RR's are incredible that way.

[tomauto]

I doubt having a bike is going to be better than my Gen-1 insight but I really want to try something new on my commute....

[65impalass]

I am starting a new job the commute will be 28 miles of country road and 2 miles of city with 4 trafic lights each way, 5 or 6 days a week. I own a gl 1200 Goldwing that gets horrible millage (35mpg?). I could ride about half the year. i am considering a 2011 Honda CBR 250. The dealer says 88 mpg, considering that it is an injected single and what I have read about the Ninja that sounds realistic on these roads. The terrain is hilly and curvy 50 mph max. I like riding and have the gear, Insurance should be $150 per year and the bike should cost $4300. I would keep the Wing for touring and use the 250 for commuting. How many miles can you get out of a bike like this, how would you figure depreciation?

[alvaro84]

Originally Posted by tomauto

I doubt having a bike is going to be better than my Gen-1 insight but I really want to try something new on my commute....

Considering that some people regularly do over 100mpg with those Insights, you need to choose wisely. Small manual bikes like a CBF125 can do the trick, though (and xcel could cross North America on a Yamaha WR250X over 100mpg too)

[tomauto]

The insight can get 75mpg on its own or 90mpg drafting behind a truck at 65mph

I want the 230m... I may want to put an even smaller motor in it, I'm pretty sure all the crf models have similar frames where I could swap them out

[roosterk0031]

I don't think I mess with trying to swap engines, you can change sprockets much cheaper, and effectively get to the same place.

Break it in and get a good baseline, go up one tooth front sprocket, probably all you can do to clearance issues. The chain will probably still work, then start going 2-3 teeth smaller on rear sprocket, if you go too far you may have to shorten the chain.

[ccryder]

Most M/C get better mpg. Cost to own is higher due to tires and maint. Fun can't be measured!

[bikepilot]

Re the CRF frames, they are mostly quite different. The CRF230 motor is based off the old XR200 motor though so you could swap for a kick-start only XR200 and save a fair bit of weight. Going with a smaller motor won't always help mpg. Motorcycle motors tend to suck a lot of fuel when run wide open and even the stock 230 is so gutless you'll have to absolutely flog it to keep up with traffic in most urban areas.

As far as mpg for the CBR250, 88 is extremely optimistic. Check out this month's MCN for real-world figures of the ninja 250, cbr and atk. Its a brand-new bike so no experience yet on how long it'll last, but I'd be extremely surprised if I ever see one worn out. Modern bikes, especially modern liquid cooled Japanese bikes are built really well and just don't wear out. They almost invariably end up sitting and rotting or getting crunched long before the engine gives up. I've seen a few honda sport bikes north of 200k miles that had not required any engine work.

Also with 250s you have to ride them really slowly to get great mpg. If you plan to have fun and keep up with traffic on the freeway you'll use just as much and sometimes more fuel as a big bike.

BTW I just got my wife a ducati monster 620. Its a cool little bike. Enough power for freeway work and general fun but very noob-friendly (she's not really a noob though) while retaining a boat load of character that you don't normally get with such accessible bikes. MCN's mpg figures for it are within a couple mpg's of their figures for the CBR250 and right at theirs for the ninja 250 and its a heck of a lot more fun. I'm sure if you rode slowly enough the 250s would do much better, but seriously, that'll never happen with me operating the throttle


Have fun!