commuting 100 miles per day
Discussion
Hi Guys,
i've just bought myself a new toy, a 1994 Yamaha FZR 600. It's my first bike and i only passed my direct access 6 months ago, and not ridden since. At the moment i'm just pootling around town and leicestershire's country lanes (well, right now, i'm pining for dry sunny evenings!), but eventually i'd like to use it for my daily commute 50 miles down the M1.
My question is
1) since bikes need servicing at relatively shorter intervals than cars, do you think it will be practical to do 100 miles per day every day?
2) is there any special maintenance or cleaning that i need to do after every daily ride?
As i live in an apartment in the city centre, parking's a bit tight and i want to get rid of one of my cars eventually and use the bike as full time transport.
Thanks for your help guys
i've just bought myself a new toy, a 1994 Yamaha FZR 600. It's my first bike and i only passed my direct access 6 months ago, and not ridden since. At the moment i'm just pootling around town and leicestershire's country lanes (well, right now, i'm pining for dry sunny evenings!), but eventually i'd like to use it for my daily commute 50 miles down the M1.
My question is
1) since bikes need servicing at relatively shorter intervals than cars, do you think it will be practical to do 100 miles per day every day?
2) is there any special maintenance or cleaning that i need to do after every daily ride?
As i live in an apartment in the city centre, parking's a bit tight and i want to get rid of one of my cars eventually and use the bike as full time transport.
Thanks for your help guys
Hello mate,
Can't comment on the bike specifically, but 100 miles a day is quite a bit. I used to do 35 ish each way, and I was getting tired on the way home, after a long s
te day in the offic...especially in the cold, rain etc. However, you may be made of tougher stuff than me!
Come on experts......servicing?
Can't comment on the bike specifically, but 100 miles a day is quite a bit. I used to do 35 ish each way, and I was getting tired on the way home, after a long s
te day in the offic...especially in the cold, rain etc. However, you may be made of tougher stuff than me!Come on experts......servicing?
Well, now's the time to do it!! It's getting warmer and lighter, which helps a lot when starting out. I do 35 miles each way, every day. There are plenty of topics on here about kit, but if you are commuting, textiles are the only way.
As for cleaning the bike, my Hornet has done 15K miles in the last year, and gets a jet wash each weekend, services at 4000 miles, and that's the lot. Services cost about 170 quid all in, tyres last about 10K. Like i say - commuting.
If it's particularly salty, i give the bike a rinse after the ride, but as one chap has said, you often won't have the energy, especially in winter. Just remember salt is bad.
Winter: As it gets colder, you'll find yourself layering up for a 50 mile ride. Layers can only do so much before restricting something, so when you get your textile jacket, get a decent one with a removable liner, and some space for thermal layers - not baggy, though. Unless you have a kick ass fairing your hands will get cold after about 20 minutes. Get some heated gloves for when winter arrives. I've got Exo 2s. Excellent. You can get heated waistcoats, too, i believe.
50 miles is easily doable as a commute, but if it's motorway stuff, you'll get bored. Personal choice, as i'm not a fan, but you can get music into your lid, or the radio.
Oh, get some thick socks, too.
For the bike: Salt bad.
For you: Wet very bad. Wet = cold, even on hot sunny days.
As for cleaning the bike, my Hornet has done 15K miles in the last year, and gets a jet wash each weekend, services at 4000 miles, and that's the lot. Services cost about 170 quid all in, tyres last about 10K. Like i say - commuting.
If it's particularly salty, i give the bike a rinse after the ride, but as one chap has said, you often won't have the energy, especially in winter. Just remember salt is bad.
Winter: As it gets colder, you'll find yourself layering up for a 50 mile ride. Layers can only do so much before restricting something, so when you get your textile jacket, get a decent one with a removable liner, and some space for thermal layers - not baggy, though. Unless you have a kick ass fairing your hands will get cold after about 20 minutes. Get some heated gloves for when winter arrives. I've got Exo 2s. Excellent. You can get heated waistcoats, too, i believe.
50 miles is easily doable as a commute, but if it's motorway stuff, you'll get bored. Personal choice, as i'm not a fan, but you can get music into your lid, or the radio.
Oh, get some thick socks, too.
For the bike: Salt bad.
For you: Wet very bad. Wet = cold, even on hot sunny days.
robstvr said:
Worth noting my Honda has a 4000 mile interval, the Triumph 6000. That's car territory for service interval.
6,000 miles. If only.... (Every 4,500 miles 
)I believe that Yamahas from before about 2000 were on a 4,000 mile recommended service interval. My 2001 R6 was one of the earliest to use the current 6,000 interval, as I recall the salesman saying at handover.
I use my Thundercat for commuting 72 miles per day all year round... other than servicing and tyres it needs little else.
It gets washed once a week without fail and if the roads are salty / grimey then it will get rinsed down with a foaming lance and dried off quickly (takes ten mins) before put into the garage for the night. This is important as bikes go rusty overnight if salt is left on them... (dont ask how I know!)
Chain is waxed after its been washed every week and cleaned every fortnight with parafin.
Servicing for the Yammy is a basic oil service every 4k interval then full service at 8k interval according to the Yamaha service manual.
I do the basic servicing myself to keep costs down but it goes into the main dealer once a year for full inspection... at 28k the valves are due for inspection and adjustment - not something I will do myself as they are shimmed.
Just keep on top of the maintenance and you'll be fine commuting although like mentioned getting cold in winter is a major problem... I'm usually ok even in minus temps for the first 20-25miles then I start getting really cold - mainly hands though which heated grips help battle...
I use textile kit in Winter and leathers in Summer ... I've just actually swapped to leathers in the last fortnight.
Ear plugs essential if your going to be on the motorway for more than 20mins at high speed... I forgot mine this morning and my ears are still ringing...
Not sure about music on the commute... I'd love to use my IPOD but it just seems wrong - even the Wife bks me for even considering it!!
Hope that helps
It gets washed once a week without fail and if the roads are salty / grimey then it will get rinsed down with a foaming lance and dried off quickly (takes ten mins) before put into the garage for the night. This is important as bikes go rusty overnight if salt is left on them... (dont ask how I know!)
Chain is waxed after its been washed every week and cleaned every fortnight with parafin.
Servicing for the Yammy is a basic oil service every 4k interval then full service at 8k interval according to the Yamaha service manual.
I do the basic servicing myself to keep costs down but it goes into the main dealer once a year for full inspection... at 28k the valves are due for inspection and adjustment - not something I will do myself as they are shimmed.
Just keep on top of the maintenance and you'll be fine commuting although like mentioned getting cold in winter is a major problem... I'm usually ok even in minus temps for the first 20-25miles then I start getting really cold - mainly hands though which heated grips help battle...
I use textile kit in Winter and leathers in Summer ... I've just actually swapped to leathers in the last fortnight.
Ear plugs essential if your going to be on the motorway for more than 20mins at high speed... I forgot mine this morning and my ears are still ringing...
Not sure about music on the commute... I'd love to use my IPOD but it just seems wrong - even the Wife b
ks me for even considering it!! Hope that helps
I do 90 miles a day on a 1993 Yam TDM850. It gets and oil change every 3-4 months with a filter change at every other oil change, and gets a full service once a year.
I've done put 15k miles on it so far and it's never missed a beat.
The thing with commuting is that you're not riding it flat out like you might on a weekend bike, so it's relatively low-stress use.
You'll definately need to get a chain lube system (Scottoiler or Lubeman) and budget for lots of rear tyres.
I've done put 15k miles on it so far and it's never missed a beat.
The thing with commuting is that you're not riding it flat out like you might on a weekend bike, so it's relatively low-stress use.
You'll definately need to get a chain lube system (Scottoiler or Lubeman) and budget for lots of rear tyres.
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