Looking for 2nd Bike

[Brock]

Originally Posted by I-Jo

How do you drive a bike?

Hahaha. Sorry.... Daily rider?

[Jamie01]

Originally Posted by R1100S-Rider

A good rear tyre - $150 3/year = $450
A good front tyre - $120 2.5/year = $300

If you're using the bike for commuting, tires will last a hell of a lot longer than 5,000 miles. I got 13k out of my last rear, after which it was too squared for an upcoming track day, but otherwise had plenty of life left and was fine for street riding. Not as good as the 60k miles or more you can get on car tires, but not as bad as you're representing.

Originally Posted by R1100S-Rider

Plus mount and balance = $220/year (At $40/wheel if you bring the whole bike in vs. bringing in just the wheels and you putting them back on at home, that'll cost $20/wheel). Make sure your wheels are clean, some shops will charge extra if your wheels are dirty and they have to clean them.

The flat fix place near me charged $10/tire, but after watching him do it once I realized it was totally doable at home.

Originally Posted by R1100S-Rider

A chain and sprockets last 20,000 miles. So a new chain and sprockets every 1.25 years. $150/1.25 years

Fair enough, but with mild-mannered commuting miles, he should get more.

Originally Posted by R1100S-Rider

Oil every 5,000 miles - $10/quart (good motorcycle oil) plus $8 for oil filter.

There's no reason to buy $10/quart oil unless you like spending money. A gallon of Shell Rotella full synthetic works out to half that much.

Originally Posted by R1100S-Rider

Brakes - $140/year

What do you do to your brakes that costs that much? Even if you got new pads every year, which is almost certainly excessive, it would cost half that much. More like $10 for fluid every year, and another $75 for new pads every two years, although you'll likely not need to replace the rear pads that often, if ever.

I agree that a sport bike isn't an economy vehicle, unless you can use it as your sole vehicle, so you can avoid the cost of buying, insuring and registering a car. But I think you're seriously overstating the cost.

[Brock]

My oil change didn't cost me much at all. $18

That was oil and filter. Good for 5,000 miles. And it's so easy to do. I don't even have a bike stand. I just use the kickstand. Took me 20 mins. The longest part was waiting for the oil to drain.

I still don't understand how a car can be cheaper. Parts for cars are a lot. You have twice as many tires to buy, twice as many break pads. Way more oil, more expensive filter. I'm not trying to argue, just don't see it. Plus the fuel. And also, to get the fuel efficient vehicle you have to buy it. You can get a bike for 4..... Hard to find a reliable car for 4.... Only a couple. You can get a nice civic for about 4. But mpg is about 20-25. the cars that get 30-40 mpg are up to $20,000

That's a good point jamie01.... I think the operating cost will depend on how you treat the bike.

[Menotomy]

Originally Posted by Brock

I still don't understand how a car can be cheaper. Parts for cars are a lot. You have twice as many tires to buy, twice as many break pads. Way more oil, more expensive filter. I'm not trying to argue, just don't see it. Plus the fuel. And also, to get the fuel efficient vehicle you have to buy it. You can get a bike for 4..... Hard to find a reliable car for 4.... Only a couple. You can get a nice civic for about 4. But mpg is about 20-25. the cars that get 30-40 mpg are up to $20,000

Well yes if you compare the cost of having nothing then buying either a car or a motorcycle, then the motorcycle is going to be the cheaper option in most cases unless your insurance on the motorcycle is very high or you get a really good deal on a reliable car. Your point on tires, you have to buy twice as many but they last a lot longer than motorcycle tires. I think your gas mileage estimate is a little low too. My 3800cc 1999 Grand Prix GTP gets 20-25 MPG mixed city/hwy (usually 20-22). Buying a motorcycle to save money is usually false economy once you add up all the little things, plus the insurance if you're getting a SS/SBK.

From what I've seen in this thread and the one where you crashed your Ninja 250 the cheapest option would have been to drive your truck until you received the replacement parts for your Ninja and installed them. Skipping buying replacement plastics would make it even cheaper. Unless your truck has some real issues the biggest expense would be gas, but most of that would be spent while waiting for the parts plus the day it would have taken to install everything. I think you just want your supersport, which is fine, but if you're out to save money for a daily commuter it probably isn't the cheapest way to go. More seat time on the Ninja probably wouldn't be a bad way to go, either.

[Brock]

Yea I'm most interested in just getting another bike. I wanna car too but don't have the cash for both. And since riding is still pretty fresh in my head I think it's a good time to get the SS bike.

As far as the cost, I see your point about not lasting as long. I didn't I know that. Sorry.

I still think I prefer commuting on a bike over a car. For now at least. They both have ups and downs. But I'm single with no responsibilities so I only haul myself and back pack around with me. To and from home.

I also just wanna make clear I wasn't trying to argue or be stubborn about the operational cost. I'm actually really interested in the topic.

Thanks for all your replies. Hopefully I can become less green of a rider. I only have about 5,000 miles on a bike so far.

Also, I text the owner of the gsxr, he said the calves were checked for clearance at 15,000 miles.

[ZorroX]

Gas is really a moot point. Motorcycles require more maintance then a car because it is a high preformance machine and needs to be attend to at higher intervels.


Not only that, insurance tends to be expensive nice gear can also be costly. Seatbelts are free.

Yes you save a little on gas, but supersport isn't going to be cheaper to own then a beater. And what about the winter?

[Brock]

Originally Posted by ZorroX

Gas is really a moot point. Motorcycles require more maintance then a car because it is a high preformance machine and needs to be attend to at higher intervels.


Not only that, insurance tends to be expensive nice gear can also be costly. Seatbelts are free.

Yes you save a little on gas, but supersport isn't going to be cheaper to own then a beater. And what about the winter?

Oh ok, I see what you mean about the more frequent maintenance.

When you say winter, are you referring to riding in the cold temps?

[Menotomy]

Originally Posted by Brock

Oh ok, I see what you mean about the more frequent maintenance.

When you say winter, are you referring to riding in the cold temps?

Not sure about Austin, but DFW does still experience winter weather. By that I mean sleet, snow, and freezing rain. Not sure about Austin, but I assume it gets its occasional freezing precipitation event. It also gets rather cold from time to time. On just the cold days, it's going to be impossible to ride if it's below 40 unless you have some dedicated winter riding gear (thick gloves, insulated 2pc suit), and any colder than freezing and you will probably need heated gear. It's hard to justify the cost of all that when it only happens a few days out of a whole year. TX also likes to dump tons of sand everywhere, and they don't have the equipment to put down the no-ice brine, so if it's below freezing after any rain/snow event you have to be vigilant for black ice and excess sand in the roadway.

For your reply to my post, nobody is going to blame you for wanting that GSXR. If money is truly and issue, then you just have to weight your options. If not, get what you want, and just be prepared for surprise costs like warmer gear, failing part, and tires after a long riding season in a warm place like TX. And don't forget about the huge increase in insurance from a 250cc motorcycle. Keep in mind, whether you get that supersport now or later, you're going to get one. And probably many others as your needs, taste, wants, and income change. One of these days you're going be to eying a K1600GT.

[Transient]

DFW was in the low to mid 30s last week. Granted, that's morning temps that only impact those of us who commute, but damn that's cold at 80 mph.

[Brock]

Thanks guys for the info.

Yea it's cold out here also. In Beaumont. Plus we live outside the city in the woods, so it's a couple degrees colder out here. It is probably around 40 this morning.

I was thinking about the cold issue just a minute ago when I went outside.
"Man, it would be really cold on the bike right now'

My jacket did come with an extra layer, I took it out because it was summer when I bought it, but it just zips on. As far as the pants issue, and shoes I would imagine its cold going down the road.

So idk now, maybe I should get a civic for the winter (I love imports too) I like too many cars and bikes hahaha.

I'd rather a bike, but it does get pretty cold down here, and I'm not properly geared for winter and I don't wanna get sick.

Oh boy here comes me second guessing myself.

I hear what you are sayin menotomy, about changing the bikes and appreciating other mods than just sportbikes.

[Brock]

If I did get a car, when the weather warms up I could just sell it or try to trade for a bike.

Plus the holiday shopping season is here and traffic is really bad. It might be safer in a car with the extra congestion.

Is anyone parking their bike for the holidays?

[Menotomy]

I don't know if he's winterizing his bike, but PhilB is doing something similar where he has a car just for the winter and rides his motorcycle as a daily driver most of the year. He's in New Hampshire so he has some additional winter weather challenges but he may have some tips on balancing the two.

Maybe you can trade in your truck for a car? Once you get another motorcycle you can fix your 250 and sell it to recover some of the cash from buying another one.

[Transient]

If you stick with a bike, you need solid gear. Most thermal liners aren't particularly effective - they're more like a marketing checkbox. The only one I've used that works well is the Exkin Air liner in my riding suit - and I'm not sure how long I'd last at temperatures below 30 between that, my Windstopper balaclava, and insulated gloves.

I have a car and drive when the weather sucks or I just know my head isn't where it needs to be for riding in heavy traffic.

[bluspyder]

It gets cold down here but I don't have to worry about snow. I normally ride unless it drops under 32*

Sent from my DROIDX

[bluspyder]

Last winter I was riding with:

top layer- thermals, fleece jacket, leather jacket with liner.

Bottom layer- thermals, jeans, mesh pants!

Gloves - scorpion winter gloves w/ liner

Off brand baklava

And that was on the

This year I have a v-Strom for winter. A nice big windshield, hand guard on the controls w/ heated grips and big fairings help to push most of the wind around me. I haven't quite ridden in as cold weather but I've ridden down to 41* and im wearing my thermals and normal cloths under my gear and im fine.

The type of bike you get depicts a lot on the gear you need.

I'm in the process of trying to get a Joe rocket survivor one piece suit atm. I'm hoping that will be enough.

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