Traditionally-powered motorcycles vs. hybrid cars

[Grant-53]

A 250cc motorcycle in the US sells for just under $5000 and may last 100,000 miles before an engine rebuild. Fuel mileage is rated at 65-70 mpg. I can use rechargeable batteries and a generator for lights on my bicycle. I have a trailer for the bike.

[user removed]

Got my 2009 Suzuki TU250 for $2300 with 2800 miles last summer. Fuel injected with a cat and oxygen sensor. I rode bikes 816 miles last January in eastern Virginia. While it is certainly not as severe weather as many on this forum, my limits are 40 degrees and daylight. I did get caught in some rain today, which I generally try to avoid on the bike.

Compared to my Fiesta I can drive the same weekday trips, around 200 miles on the bike and save $400 a year in fuel compared to the Fiesta at 45 MPG versus 89 MPG, so the payback period is fairly long.
Today I had my worst tank ever on this bike, $8.25 for 207.3 miles, just over 80 MPG. Best tank on the bike was 98 MPG.

My pickup truck got 31.5 MPG on it's last tank. If I need to haul something the truck is the trick. The car is for me and the wife when we go out in the evening or on weekends.
Miles I put on the bike are miles not put on the Fiesta. The Fiesta has just over 14k miles and it was built in November 2010 so it will last me a very long time, by not being my only form of transportation.

The bike is fun, the truck is practical, the Fiesta is the car my wife will drive if hers is inoperable for any reason.

I also have 4 other bikes in my garage, I seem to accumulate them when they are in a bad state of neglect, and nurse them back to good operating condition. 3 of the bikes are antiques and have permanent tags, no taxes, and insurance is less than $100 a year each.

regards
Mech

[niky]

The payback in terms of fuel only may be long, but I think those miles saved in terms of maintenance and depreciation on the car will more than make up for the cost of the bike, after you tie in the resale value of the bike at end of term. (assuming you will sell it, which you probably won't)

[christofoo]

Everytime I notice this conversation I got to repost this:

'MythBusters' asks: Are motorcycles greener than cars? - latimes.com

Motorcycles were indeed more fuel-efficient than cars and emitted less of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide, but they emitted far more smog-forming hydrocarbons and oxides of nitrogen, as well as the toxic air pollutant carbon monoxide. For the most recent model year vehicles tested -- from the '00s -- the motorcycle used 28% less fuel than the comparable decade car and emitted 30% fewer carbon dioxide emissions, but it emitted 416% more hydrocarbons, 3,220% more oxides of nitrogen and 8,065% more carbon monoxide.

Now, there are parts of the world where smog is of little concern, like Seattle. Small displacements bikes maybe make sense if you keep them in the rainy zones (enjoy) or away from smoggy cities elsewhere.

I live in an area where smog is a big deal and little ICE's sans emission controls of all kinds (bikes, mowers, blowers) are no-no's in my book, environmentally speaking.

I'm not sure which of them are which, but I understand there are such things as (newer) ICE motorcycles that include little cats and O2 sensors and fuel injection. Find one of those, and you might be doing as good as my ECOrolla89, (edit) which is 24 years old, which I paid $1,100 for in 2005.

[alvaro84]

Originally Posted by christofoo

I'm not sure which of them are which, but I understand there are such things as (newer) ICE motorcycles that include little cats and O2 sensors and fuel injection.

Teresa (9-yo, EFI, with a cat) is in the EURO2 emission class, and can't be too far from EURO3, because all the F650s needed was a second spark plug to comply the stricter norm. And the new bikes here comply the EURO5 rules.

It's true though that I payed for her about twice as much as for my (13-yo) car She was younger (5-yo) back then, though.

[Lazarus]

Originally Posted by christofoo

Everytime I notice this conversation I got to repost this:

'MythBusters' asks: Are motorcycles greener than cars? - latimes.com



Now, there are parts of the world where smog is of little concern, like Seattle. Small displacements bikes maybe make sense if you keep them in the rainy zones (enjoy) or away from smoggy cities elsewhere.

I live in an area where smog is a big deal and little ICE's sans emission controls of all kinds (bikes, mowers, blowers) are no-no's in my book, environmentally speaking.

I'm not sure which of them are which, but I understand there are such things as (newer) ICE motorcycles that include little cats and O2 sensors and fuel injection. Find one of those, and you might be doing as good as my ECOrolla89, (edit) which is 24 years old, which I paid $1,100 for in 2005.

As you stated not all small displacements are polluters. I had a Yamaha C3It was fuel injected and had a cat. 140+ MPG. Paid $1500 for it. I live in a warm environment so don't have to deal with snow. I spent less than $300 for insurance/gas/maintenance for about 10k miles/ year.

[minimac]

Originally Posted by Old Mechanic

Compared to my Fiesta I can drive the same weekday trips, around 200 miles on the bike and save $400 a year in fuel compared to the Fiesta at 45 MPG versus 89 MPG, so the payback period is fairly long.

How can you put a price tag on the "fun factor"?!!!

[alvaro84]

Originally Posted by minimac

How can you put a price tag on the "fun factor"?!!!

I think he didn't. Costs and fun are the two sides of the same coin (it has even more sides, because it's not a real coin, see the opening post ), and he just talked about the other.

The 'fun factor' side is what makes me suffer from withdrawal now that it's always freezing and snowing

[renault_megane_dci]

Depending on country, a motorbike is also a good way to make your commute last a repeatable time (traffic).

Also, taking numbers for the "average" bike is very much irrelevant as the spectrum of what poor people money can buy is much wider for bikes than for cars (there are plenty more % of performance bikes than performance car on the streets)

In the end we will probably all ride cheap FE oriented bike rather than other oversized vehicles ...

[user removed]

Originally Posted by minimac

How can you put a price tag on the "fun factor"?!!!

The only thing that does not have a price tag is the wife. With 15 different vehicles so far in my garage, the odds are I will sell everythng fairly soon.

Last week I had my buddy bid on a water damaged Prius C, but others bid higher than myself. I always watch CraigsList for anything interesting and cheap. I'll try to sell 3 of the 5 bikes this spring but they aren't going anywhere unless I can get my price. Some people here would think I was crazy to sell some of the vehicles I have owned in the last 5 years but I don't like to run then into the ground, rather sell them when I get bored.

Maybe just a different definition of "fun factor". I do love the classic style and seating position of the CB and the Suzuki. fairly similar even with a 37 year age difference.

regards
Mech