what bike, commuting

[boyse7en]

Prizam said:

Basically the same as the GT, but the older version.

I do like them. I have a few questions for you...


How has reliability been, there were a lot of recalls on the swing arm and rear bearing / belt assembly.

What is the engine mapping like? I read up about a lot of fueling issues and engines cutting out when you came to a stop.

Do all ST's have the crazy indicators? If so, is there a conversion kit out there for the switch gear?

I've got a similar situation to you (year round commute of about 15 miles each way, about 9-10,000 miles per year in total)
I've got the F800S (half faired, slightly sportier riding position than the ST)
Reliability has been excellent. Had the bike four years now and it is on 37,000 miles so far only costs have been tyres and oil/filter every year plus:
Oil cooler leak - about £10 for a new seal and three hours work for me to replace it
Exhaust cracked and eventually separated completely (new silencer from Scorpion £250)
Two sets of fork seals
Headlamp repair when the bulb fitting bit cam loose (£25)

Had the rear bearing examined by BMW last year (free) and it was fine

Belt is still the original one

Engine cutting out - I get this occasionally after a long high-speed motorway run when I come to a stop. It is a pain, but the bike start straight up again. As I don't use motorways often, it is not a big issue for me (happens maybe two or three times a year) so i just put up with it. Other than that the fuelling seems spot on to me. It will happily trickle around town at walking pace in second gear, then revs up to a bit under 9k without any stuttering or flatspots.

Indicators are the 'traditional' BMW style, but it took me about 2 mins to get used to it. It really isn't a problem.

I keep looking a replacing it, but haven't seen anything that looks like it will offer the same amount of fun and frugality (60mpg average, easy 75mpg on a run, 200+ miles per 15 litre tank).
It's not the fastest or greatest sportsbike, but round the lanes and A-roads of Devon I can keep up with most other bikes - I'm the limiting factor rather than the bike.

[anonymous-user]

jjr1 said:

Including 50mpg or better in your criteria is totally missing the point.

MPG is your smallest problem when riding. Tank size is hugely more important......(just for sake of mind)

So for your 10,000 miles lets see what a 50mpg bike would cost?


MPG
50 200.0 908.0 £1026.040
40 250.0 1135.0 £1282.550
30 333.3 1513.3 £1710.067
20 500.0 2270.0 £2565.100

Just buy a decent bike that requires as little maintenance as possible, with as few tyre swaps and cheapest on insurance and the lowest depreciation.

MPG is the least of your worries !

For 10k a year i agree but for bigger mileages the costs become much different. In my case it actually warranted buying and insuring another bike!

4000 miles a month on my r1 = 6.6 miles per litre = 606 litre per month = £757 per month
4000 miles a month on my CB500x = 14.3 miles per litre = 279 litres per month = £348 a month