Petrol prices..........would you now consider a motorbike?
Discussion
joebongo said:
Moved to Essex, saw all the reports of dead bikers on the roads around Epping Forest and the wife made me sell it.
That is of course the other factor, location.I would give up riding bikes if I had to live in central London, anywhere else I would just have to step up being more aware to compensate for others.
I've been run over, into, and had cars pull right into my path without looking, when I've been on my push bike. It generally happened once a week in London. If I were travelling fster on a motor bike I may not be here now. IMO, bikes are lovely machines best left to track days and deserted summer roads.
k-ink said:
I've been run over, into, and had cars pull right into my path without looking, when I've been on my push bike. It generally happened once a week in London. If I were travelling fster on a motor bike I may not be here now. IMO, bikes are lovely machines best left to track days and deserted summer roads.
I find that people are more respectful of motorcyclists than cyclists on London's roads. I definitely consider pedal bikes to be more dangerous... no reflection on cyclists themselves... it's the way some morons drive around them that is the problem.I can accept that. But when some drivers simply don't even turn their head to look I suspect it matters not what you are on. It's usually old goats staring rigidly ahead and just dart out into a main road, or roundabout, or junction. They must cause a T-bone accident monthly. Grey hairs are the single most dangerous thing on our roads. More so than all the 17 year old saxo boys added up, imo.
Carrot said:
joebongo said:
Moved to Essex, saw all the reports of dead bikers on the roads around Epping Forest and the wife made me sell it.
That is of course the other factor, location.I would give up riding bikes if I had to live in central London, anywhere else I would just have to step up being more aware to compensate for others.
The same goes for cars though. Popping out to get a pint of milk in, say, Devon is often more exciting than a pre-planned hoon in the South East.
Of course traffic is less of an annoyance if you're on something 2 foot wide with 800bhp/ton, but the danger associated with higher traffic densities is still an issue. Having seen how difficult it is to stay alive on local roads as a cyclist I'm not sure I'd want to be approaching the SMIDSY drivers at three or four times the speed on a sports bike.
What bike is it?
davethebunny said:
i have several bikes. one specifically for commuting.
Never done the full maths but the costs are:
£700 purchase price
£25 year Ins
£33 tax
12,000 miles of use involves
£100 tyres
£40 pads
£50 oil
It does approx 70mpg on my journey which is a mixture of 50% NSL single and duals, and 50% 30/40/50 limits.
15ltr tank does approx 230 miles so at todays price about 8ppm.
So my 40 mile commute costs £3.20.
If i use the car (which i have been since end November) it does 27ish mpg.
So the same daily cost of petrol is 21ppm and £8.40.
Therefore every day i use the scooter i save myself a fiver
Hmm reading that, i best dust it off!
Never done the full maths but the costs are:
£700 purchase price
£25 year Ins
£33 tax
12,000 miles of use involves
£100 tyres
£40 pads
£50 oil
It does approx 70mpg on my journey which is a mixture of 50% NSL single and duals, and 50% 30/40/50 limits.
15ltr tank does approx 230 miles so at todays price about 8ppm.
So my 40 mile commute costs £3.20.
If i use the car (which i have been since end November) it does 27ish mpg.
So the same daily cost of petrol is 21ppm and £8.40.
Therefore every day i use the scooter i save myself a fiver
Hmm reading that, i best dust it off!
Deffo considered - do little mileage so could save quite a bit of money and time! I would probably look at something like a Burgman 400 or cruiser type bike. I have space in my garage and it would fit my requirements very well. I may still look at it, but need to figure out what I want to do yet....
off_again said:
Deffo considered - do little mileage so could save quite a bit of money and time! I would probably look at something like a Burgman 400 or cruiser type bike. I have space in my garage and it would fit my requirements very well. I may still look at it, but need to figure out what I want to do yet....
Might want another user name if you buy a bike?I rode bikes for many years day in and out and never really found them dangerous save when trying to compete with other road users.
With a family they are wholly impractical. Even going down the shops, they are wholl impractical without carrying round a large rucksack. For long journeys they are limited by the fuel tank range, wiping out any speed advantage.
I'd love one, just can't justify one. The other problem I always have is that I go and look at a 125 but can't resist buying a 30mpg superbike. It's a man thing.
With a family they are wholly impractical. Even going down the shops, they are wholl impractical without carrying round a large rucksack. For long journeys they are limited by the fuel tank range, wiping out any speed advantage.
I'd love one, just can't justify one. The other problem I always have is that I go and look at a 125 but can't resist buying a 30mpg superbike. It's a man thing.
I sold my bike back in august because for various reasons I just wasn't using enough. Now I have a big Kawasaki hole in the garage and an even bigger one in my hart.
If I had a long commute to work or a city commute I'd have another in a flash. Funny how they never do a commute type race with a motorcycle or even a ped compered to a car or a cycle, public transport etc. That would have been more interesting on TG that the power boat thing they did a while back but then we know how anti bike TG and the BBC are.
If I had a long commute to work or a city commute I'd have another in a flash. Funny how they never do a commute type race with a motorcycle or even a ped compered to a car or a cycle, public transport etc. That would have been more interesting on TG that the power boat thing they did a while back but then we know how anti bike TG and the BBC are.
colonel c said:
and an even bigger one in my hart.
Stop shooting deer then. 
colonel c said:
If I had a long commute to work or a city commute I'd have another in a flash. Funny how they never do a commute type race with a motorcycle or even a ped compered to a car or a cycle, public transport etc. That would have been more interesting on TG that the power boat thing they did a while back but then we know how anti bike TG and the BBC are.
They haven't always been. Steve Berry used to do regular pieces on "old TG" on motorcycles (until they doubtless realised what a loud-mouthed idiot he is) and of course Richard Tw*tface rode a Vincent in one of their hilarious fixed races.Have a 1.6 Astra and 2 bikes in our house. Whilst filling said Astra up at the pumps last costing nearly £70 a new M3 drove past and I thought to myself “I wouldn’t fancy running that.” I moved from cars to bikes as I didn’t want to shell out the sort of money it would take to get the cars I wanted. Bikes aren’t without their drawbacks i.e. as your only form of transport they’re not always practical but as a toy and/or commuter for me it works. I’m considering getting a really economical hack for my commute and something just for fair weather. 200bhp through one wheel can be a handful in the wet and ice……. Since having bikes I’ve not felt the need to go back to having a higher performance car.
What I dont understand is why, if BMW can get 170 plus bhp from a 2 litre diesel car, weighing 1.6 tonnes to do 50 odd MPG, why has nobody developed a bike that weights say 200 kilos, with 40/50 bhp, running on diesel that does 150 MPG, is there some techinal reason or is it there s no demand ?
I think most bikes sold are very high performance or overly style oriented and the fuel economy is secondary as its generally not that bad and used for low mileages, I am thinking a sort of middle of the road bike that will do big milages at reasonable speed using the developments in diesel technology (or more advanced petrols) to get big mpg.
I know there was Diesel Enfield built in India but I suspect it was horrible.
I also think a lot of the accidents with bikers are due to the ballistic nature, 200 bhp in something that weights 150 kilos is fantastic in concept but very few riders either use the capabilities, can handle it or if they do on the road, nobody else anticipates how fast they are. I dont advocate limiting them though, its down to the individual but I think there is a place for a really economy driven bike that isnt painfully slow.
I think most bikes sold are very high performance or overly style oriented and the fuel economy is secondary as its generally not that bad and used for low mileages, I am thinking a sort of middle of the road bike that will do big milages at reasonable speed using the developments in diesel technology (or more advanced petrols) to get big mpg.
I know there was Diesel Enfield built in India but I suspect it was horrible.
I also think a lot of the accidents with bikers are due to the ballistic nature, 200 bhp in something that weights 150 kilos is fantastic in concept but very few riders either use the capabilities, can handle it or if they do on the road, nobody else anticipates how fast they are. I dont advocate limiting them though, its down to the individual but I think there is a place for a really economy driven bike that isnt painfully slow.
There are diesel bikes.... but they are either ancient, home-build nonsenses or military.
A modern diesel twin would be amazing in a touring bike (for example), or perhaps a parallel diesel/hybrid in a maxi-scoot...but bike manufacturers are surprisingly risk averse and conservative.
Diesel engines are also a bit heavier than petrol ones of the same capacity, and this is an issue also. That said, the ability to go maybe 400 miles on a tank would appeal to big-traillie riders and tourers.
A modern diesel twin would be amazing in a touring bike (for example), or perhaps a parallel diesel/hybrid in a maxi-scoot...but bike manufacturers are surprisingly risk averse and conservative.
Diesel engines are also a bit heavier than petrol ones of the same capacity, and this is an issue also. That said, the ability to go maybe 400 miles on a tank would appeal to big-traillie riders and tourers.
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