160 Mile Daily Commute
Discussion
Currently using the train to commute, cost over £600 a month with parking.
Is this feasable to do on a bike? Mostly motorway so deadly dull.
What sort of bike would be suitable for this sort of mileage with reasonable running costs.
Don't want a supersport bike and motard appeals but would probably be hell for high speed commute.
Thanks.
Is this feasable to do on a bike? Mostly motorway so deadly dull.
What sort of bike would be suitable for this sort of mileage with reasonable running costs.
Don't want a supersport bike and motard appeals but would probably be hell for high speed commute.
Thanks.
humpbackmaniac said:
VFR800 or Blackbird, buy a cheap one with loads of miles already and run it into the ground. They both go on for ever. fast enough to be fun on teh motorway and get you home in a hurry when you need it to.
What sort of running costs would you reckon.Thinking tyre wear in particular.
Neighbour has a Blackbird, maybe i should talk nice to him!
Waht sort of mileage can they run to?
I used to commute 180 miles a day. Sounds nice but it turns into a major chore and takes all of the fun out of biking.
I'd recommend a shaft drive bike with a good fairing - BMW, Divvy 900, Deauville etc.
I had a faired NTV650 that I took up to 134,000 miles trouble-free and then a Diversion 900 - Both were ideal.
Once you take into consideration tyres, servicing, fuel etc it can actually be cheaper to go by car.
That many miles a day in summer may be fun but believe me, in the rain and snow its pretty grim....
I'd recommend a shaft drive bike with a good fairing - BMW, Divvy 900, Deauville etc.
I had a faired NTV650 that I took up to 134,000 miles trouble-free and then a Diversion 900 - Both were ideal.
Once you take into consideration tyres, servicing, fuel etc it can actually be cheaper to go by car.
That many miles a day in summer may be fun but believe me, in the rain and snow its pretty grim....
this man talks sense...I couldn't do it.Mid 90's Triumph Trophy or Sprint off ebay for £1200 (two months rail fare). They go for buttons these days and are often low mileage and owned by obsessive geeks who keep them imaculate.
Stick a scotoiler on the chain, some Bridgestone 021's on the wheels and off you go.
Modern classic insurance from Carole Nash or Footman James, 25 litre tank, mid 50's fuel economy, simple servicing. Very comfy, very reliable, won't cost a fortune to fix if you drop it.
Use it for a year, throw it away, buy another.
Blackbirds hold their value well (so more expensive to buy in the first place), are mega-fast so cost lots to insure, are thirsty and use expensive tyres quickly. Drop it and it'll cost hundreds to fix.
Your choice...
Stick a scotoiler on the chain, some Bridgestone 021's on the wheels and off you go.
Modern classic insurance from Carole Nash or Footman James, 25 litre tank, mid 50's fuel economy, simple servicing. Very comfy, very reliable, won't cost a fortune to fix if you drop it.
Use it for a year, throw it away, buy another.
Blackbirds hold their value well (so more expensive to buy in the first place), are mega-fast so cost lots to insure, are thirsty and use expensive tyres quickly. Drop it and it'll cost hundreds to fix.
Your choice...
v8-powered said:
I used to commute 180 miles a day. Sounds nice but it turns into a major chore and takes all of the fun out of biking.
I'd recommend a shaft drive bike with a good fairing - BMW, Divvy 900, Deauville etc.
I had a faired NTV650 that I took up to 134,000 miles trouble-free and then a Diversion 900 - Both were ideal.
Once you take into consideration tyres, servicing, fuel etc it can actually be cheaper to go by car.
That many miles a day in summer may be fun but believe me, in the rain and snow its pretty grim....
Very sensible advice. Running a bike is not a cheap option as they get through expensive consumables like tyre, chains etc. comparatively quickly and need servicing much more regularly than the average family saloon. Fuel consumption is generally similar to a car unless you go for a very small bike.I'd recommend a shaft drive bike with a good fairing - BMW, Divvy 900, Deauville etc.
I had a faired NTV650 that I took up to 134,000 miles trouble-free and then a Diversion 900 - Both were ideal.
Once you take into consideration tyres, servicing, fuel etc it can actually be cheaper to go by car.
That many miles a day in summer may be fun but believe me, in the rain and snow its pretty grim....
The attraction is the speed at which you can get through traffic and the fun element that comes from riding a bike. If you are doing lots of miles and lots of hours in the saddle, in all weathers then the fun element will be seriously reduced.
If you are not a regular ‘busy town traffic’ biker then it will take some time before you are safe/confident enough to make real use of the bikes filtering abilities. It is hard work and can be very dangerous.
If you still want to do the commute (and it is perfectly feasible) then I would suggest waiting for the better weather before you start or the cold/wet will make it very difficult for you to concentrate on riding safely while you are not familiar with your route. I would also suggest a shaft drive bike for ease of maintenance and would recommend that you look at each models service interval with a view to picking bikes with longer service intervals. I have always found the BMWs to be good for this sort of work but the Honda ‘Dull-ville’ is definitely worth a look.
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