MPG

[StevRS]

I've consistently seen 190 miles out of a tank on the GPZ500S before filling up (daren't try more yet!) & I've never switched to reserve yet. It's not running right either, so after I've stripped & cleaned the carbs (took them off today)I expect better mpg.

Not the fastest bike, but a 'sports' 500 supposedly, pulls well & very comfy over my 130 mile commute.

[s2racer]

some useful thoughts there.. i'll mull em over

i don't want a 125.. i'll just take the slapper

I've always fancied a Ducati.. it won't get regular commute use, just needs to be able to do it occasionally.. maybe i'll forego the mpg but then if i wanted to use it often i'd be bankrupt

[catso]

s2racer said:

I've always fancied a Ducati.. it won't get regular commute use, just needs to be able to do it occasionally.. maybe i'll forego the mpg but then if i wanted to use it often i'd be bankrupt

Ducatis are remarkably economical with regard to fuel consumption, however that's where the words 'cheap' and 'Ducati' go their separate ways....

My 916 will do 45mpg whilst still making 'good' progress, I imagine 50+mpg would be achievable if one were to ride more conservatively.

[supersingle]

If you're looking for genuinely cheap biking then you need something like an old GPZ500 as mentioned above.

I wouldn't worry about fuel economy too much either. If you get a superbike fuel will not be your biggest cost. Seriously, my TLS costs me over 40ppm plus depreciation. I think I spend almost as much on tyres alone as I do on fuel.

[ajk]

s2racer said:

I'm doing my theory test shortly then booking in for DAS assuming I pass

I'll be looking to get a bike over xmas and i will NEED to use it for the odd commute, my daily run is a 150 miles round trip.

What are my options?

I like sports bikes but i can't see anything that is going to deliver the 55mpg + i need.. it's a dual carriageway and mway run so it's pretty economical in the car, about 55mpg in our vectra diesel

i've looked at the Suzuki Bandit 600 which a lot of people say is a good first bike.. budget i guess upto 3k, want something reliable as it'll be car backup/alternative

any thoughts?

I used to get 240miles from a tank (~55mpg) from my '54 Bandit 600S on a commuting run (~40 miles each way, mostly motorway).
Now only get ~40-45mpg on my VFR
As per comments above if your commute's that long then comfort is imperative, so try a few and find out what suits you.
Gives you an excuse to test ride a few bikes anyway