We all know fuel prices are going to orbit and don't intend to re-enter for a very long time. Fuel costs for commuting are starting to give me pangs for a more fuel efficient mode of transportation.

Right now, with 195/60/15 rear tires I get roughly 32MPG all highway, 28-30 hybrid city/highway. Well-tuned 1.8 injection. I remember with taller 195/65/15 tires I was getting 35-37mpg highway, 30-34mpg city/highway. Unfortunately, that isn't enough.

I've b een looking at motorcycles, and not counting single-cylinder engine motorcycles, I've been looking at a a Suzuki SV 650. Not the S with the faring, but the naked version. Appearantly the 1999-2003 model gets 45-55mpg, later versions getting about 40-50. It's a pretty light bike, 650cc engine (i'm a light guy at 150#) with adequate torque/hp for me and a passenger.

What's making this appealing to me is the market value on early SV650's... $800-$3000 varying in mileage and condition.

Wikipedia Link

I'm looking for suggestions from members who own or have owned motorcycles in the past as to a fairly new, reliable (read: not harley) and mild displacement motorcycle that isn't going to rape me on insurance and will get pretty decent mileage. My affordability is probably not more than $2000, since it will take me at least 2-4 months (after getting more income) to save for one. And then there's gear, insurance, licensing, etc. I'm only considering the cost of the motorcycle at this time.

I figure with the wide array of characters we have here, I'll get a few good responses...

Thanks!

Just to play a little bit of devils advocate... If you plan on keeping your 914 then the additional insurance cost will make it a long term proposition for you to realize any savings from doing this. If your daily commute is sufficiently far enough to recognize the savings quickly then are you sure you want to be doing it on a bike?

Brando,
My ride for the past 15 years has been this '89 Suzuki GS500E. Think of it as the 914 of bikes. Relatively inexpensive to own and operate, fairly easy to wrench on yourself (owing in no small part to its 2 cylinder configuration and lack of fairing-on the early models only.) The insurance for me (Ohio resident, 60 years old, no accidents, riding since 1966 is......$60/yr

But the real attraction is how well the bike handles (914 analogy again). Though it doesn't have the power of a 600 or 750, owing to its light weight and excellent frame, it handles very well. A well ridden GS500E will make up in the corners what it might have to give away on a long straight. Most riders of the larger sport bikes can't safely handle all the power that they have and really can't explore the limits of their brakes either.
The GS in stock form has some relatively easy and inexpensive upgrades that can really enhance its handling properties as well. Again, like the 914, the answer is tires and suspension. I've fitted Dunlop Sport Demons recently and added progressive springs in the forks. You'll notice in the second photo, the plastic side panels are removed. I prefer the visual honesty of an engine and a well designed frame to be out in the open, rather than having a bunch of plumbing that's been designed to be hidden behind plastic.

For a lot more GS500E information, check out the website GStwin.com

Paul

I am a big fan of old BMW /6 bikes, but the breaks leave a little to be desired in stock form. A /7 model like an R75/7 would do you well and they are tanks. However, you cant beat the availability of parts and bikes that he old Jap bikes offer. I think the above would be a great starter bike for ya. PLEASE, take the 1800CCRIDER safety class. Things to consider for your insurance and mileage, smaller displacement = better fuel economy and lower rates, plus they tend to be cheaper. You can get 60mi/gal on a 250 pretty easily...but can you out run the semi when entering the freeway? 500-750 are a good choice. A 750 cruiser like my old 82 Honda Magna was a great first bike. I used to ride it from SF to SD and it cost me $1000 used in great condition. For gear, I always got the HJC helmets. They are comfy, light and about $100. I have tested many HJC helmets in traffic battles and they have held up fine. Also regarding the insurance, when they ask you the engine size, if it is 748cc tell them that as it will land you under the 750cc prices for coverage. I used to do that with my 750 (748cc) Magna.
Good luck and be safe!

I just got my sportster back after a long trip back home. (for the bike)

You can have it cheap. MUST USE RACE FUEL...!!!!!

Will smoke dam near any ricer. Including Busas. It will be going on E-Bay like next week.

Gets about 16 MPG of C-16 if you just idle around town.

It also gets about 1/2 gallon per mile if you are on it.......

I know you need this.. I know you want it. I know you will fit the bike.

And I only want 18K for it........

You coming by tomorrow with a check...?????????????????????????????

NOTE: Do you have a motorcycle drivers license? Do you know how to ride? Have you ever dumped a bike in traffic? Are you on crack...?????

Love and kisses,

Claytonobitch

Interesting, I am selling my dirt bike and probably going to get a dual sport. Specifically a DR650.
Wanna' buy a big, bad dirt bike?
See it here.. http://www.grubbenterprises.com

Note:
some dual sport singles use two carbs. one used primarily and the second one used from 3/4 throttle and up. they get great mileage when used conservatively.
55MPG for the XT550!!


Good luck.

Hmm, I had a 80's Suzuki GS650 once, got great mileage. My bike now however only gets about 35 mpg which isn't too bad considering its a 1500. I would say that the 600 - 800 cc range are your best bang for the buck on mileage.

I wasn't worried about mileage when I bought this one.
Click to view attachment
99 Kawaski Drifter, no it didn't come painted like that and yes the exhaust is aftermarket.

Honda Hawk GT 650. Great bike, Al frame, single sided swing arm. I've seen guys rape much faster bikes in the twisties on these. They flat out rail when set up right.

Check out this link http://www.hawkgt.com/

Heres one thats been slightly tricked out...

Brando, if it's Japanese, they are all reliable. Stay away from the Korean and Chinese knock-offs. For ultimate fuel mileage you should stay under 650cc. If you buy one too small, they lack power for entrances to freeways. The best safety feature on a bike is to accelerate out of a trouble spot. If you buy an older bike, get one that had high production numbers so parts are easy and cheap to find. The Hawk is cool but are often raced and harder to source parts now. The SV650s are great.

I love the Hawks, but I agree that they are not the easiest bike to get cheap (at least when I was looking).

Mopeds get 100mpg

Diesel bikes get 100-120mpg, but you have to build them yourself

TYPE IV is the way to go boys.....

Current estimate is > 50 MPG!
Click to view attachment

Ya, insure that

SV650 and the GS500 are great bikes to use for commuting. And they are new enough not to be a hassle getting parts, which is nice! (I have two 400cc bikes and parts for them are tough to come by).
The Hawk GT is a great bike too, my brother has one, but it's a bit older so you'll have to look harder for parts, compared to the SV650. (also, that bike is WAY more modded than 'slightly', but worth it in every mod).

Hey Doc don't you have a bike for sale............... HINT HINT

Thanks everyone for your input. I will price a GS500 as well. I really don't need over 700CCs for a bike.

Mike,
I have taken the CC1800 course before, but that was at least 5 years ago. I'll definitely do it again, and get the class M license.

I am still open to reccommendations!

Oh ya, DUH!

Here is a tank of a bike that is fuel injected (another good thing to have). 750cc 3cyl, shaft (which I prefer), yadda, yadda. I can make you a deal (seriously, its at CAMP914 in OR and ready to go to a good home!)

9.83 at 138 mph in the 1/4. On a 9.80 index
(Second fastest sportster pass in 2002 AHDR)
Driver weighs in at 139Lbs. (Thanks pee wee)

Whatchoo got that will beat it....????????????

Clayton

I would probably get something like a 250cc four stroke bike if you can find one. Did they sell Ninja or katana 250's over there. I am presently in Japan right now and they have so many 250 four stroke bikes and they are so cool. They use to sell CBR250's here that looked incredible and revved to 20,000RPM, they had Katana 250, Kawasaaki Ninja ZXR250, Yamaha FZR250 and so many more. Very cheap and reliable bikes and still enough power to beet almost any normal car and have decent fuel mileage.

I am riding a NSR250 (two stroker) its been tuned up a bit and its not getting the best mileage and requires high octane gas plus the oil it burns is pricey too.

These bikes would probably be gray-market bikes on your part but still something to think about.

I was just thinking, if fuel costs are your biggest concern you should consider a mini bike, or perhaps a scooter or maybe even a moped.....of course an actual bicycle would be best as it goes nothing, but hard to ride everyday....

I bought this cool little Honda XR100 (mini motard construction) bike here in Japan earlier this year, its got this cool little 100cc air cooled 4 stroke engine and gives about 10HP but weighs like 75KG or so and is quite fun to ride. As fast as a 914 2.0 off the line to about 80km/h, I use it for commuting to work a couple of times a week instead of the car when weather is good. It gets about 50 kms to one liter of gas. (Sorry I'm metric), insurance cost me 77 dollars a year and 5 bucks to fill up and it last 3 weeks or so.

Heres a picture for you, it gets lots of attention and is so fun to ride.

I used to import grey market bikes from Japan. They are cool. I had a VFR-400 NC30. Not big on power but great for maneuvering and handling when not running. Drop a Sportster and see if you can pick it up...

The SV 650 is perfect. I'd go for the S.

No matter how fast, a Sportster will always be the moped of Harleys.

We have 250 Ninjas here. They were actually kinda hard to find when I looked for one to put a round with a few years ago. They are used in the motorcycle rider courses often.

Have you seen the new Ninja 250R? Someone finally figured out that motorcycles like the RS250 have a market , now if I could just afford to buy one when it comes out

What about the enduro or dual sports dirt bikes? I think I am going to pick up a Honda XR600 or something that can be street legal and you can take it trail riding too. I keep seeing 6 year old ones for about $2000 and they get 40-50 mpg from what I have been told. I don't know how well they would work on the freeway though....

While I was out in Daytona for Rennsport Reunion, I just had to take a side trip up to Bruce Rossmeyer's motorcycle 'city'. The Arlen Ness shop had the 'new' Triumph scrambler in the showroom.



Pretty cool retro bike. Salesman said they are aroun $8K out the door. Anyone remember the original tiger cubs, etc? This would make a cool commute bike.

Coolest street bike I had was a street legal Honda XR500. Pretty much a early street legal prototype of the current supermoto bikes. I miss that bike.

They work awesome on the freeway. Only thing is keeping the front end on the ground!

um ...

Just a quick mathematical analysis ...

Cost of bike $2000.

$2000. / $3.50 (current avg. price /gallon of gas) = 571 gallons

571 gallons at 30mpg (your 914's avg. consumption) (571 x 30) = 17,143 miles driven. I think you'd be better off financially (and safer) to keep driving the car.

Don't get me wrong ... I live/love bikes ... but I have to be honest ... it gets more dangerous every year with all the fuckwads on our roads anymore

... also, riding a bike in the winter sucks ...

Now, riding a bike in the 'Winternationals' might be another story altogether, but you were talking about wanting fuel economy, weren't you

Since you seem to be checking this out for more than just saving money commuting, you would probably not regret getting a BMW. How well they handle, brake, etc. is well documented and the fuel injected models get excellant fuel mileage. Safety is a huge issue, I am sure you are a good rider and you have taken the course, a refresher is always good, bottom line you have to be good to avoid getting snarled up in what a lot of nondrivers cause. Be safe amd enjoy.

Ian Stott
Moncton
Canada

Mark,

If that is your scooter.....

I bow down to thee..............................................

Your humble foot in mouth friend........

I am not worthy..........

DROOOOOLLlllllllllllllllllllllllllllling on your pic.

Clayton

My experience is that you get a motorcycle because you WANT one, not for fuel mileage. The mileage thing is a rationalization, for yourself, the wife, etc.

I had a late 80's GS550ES, great fun, real cheap. Now have a four cyl BMW, great respect for that bike. But my son has the naked SV650 and I steal it from him and ride it every chance I get. For cheap get the GS, for bullet-proofness and great resale value get a BMW. For pure damned cheap fun get the SV. I can't think of any better combination of fun and cheap than that motorcycle. They're fast, all over the racetracks, have great aftermarket parts availability, are tractable enough to be recommended as a bike that's big and good enough "beginners" won't grow out of, so many have been sold that there will never be a problem with parts availability, and if you don't over-rev it or spend all your time riding on the back wheel they're pretty much bulletproof. I don't know about the $800 end of your price range though, I haven't ever seen any that cheap.

If you admit that you want this for fun as much or more than the economy you really can't beat the SV650. Great bike. Good choice.

Clayton ... 20 years ago I had big balls. They've shrunk some since then.

... we only fabricated the jack-shaft supports, crankcase supports and a few other one-off items the owner needed for this one (by the way, nothing on this sled is Harley).

131 ci w/twin superchargers, its an awesome machine. I thought you'd get a kick out of it.

... this is what I ride these days

my ride...and I had all the excuses...better gas mileage, save money etc etc. lol

At the end of the day, motorcycling for most is not part of basic transportation (at least in this country)..but more part of a motorized recreational activity. So buy one and have fun!

Jim

Wow!

Nice V.

I like BMW's... you can't go wrong getting Mike's Bike from CCLINIMREADYTOGETTHISDAMNBIKEOUTOFMYSHOP. It's a cool bike for sure.

Mine's an R75/5 toaster. "Caaa...Chowww"

Click to view attachment

I think the guy from Japan meant ZXR250 and not the Ninja 250 that we get here in the States. Notice the upside down forks. Not even the 600cc sportbikes had those until '05 or '06.

Nothing like a $72K hole in your wallet to motivate career advancement.

I disagree with the practicalities of a bike not being an overwhelming factor for getting one. When I was 18 in the Coast Guard I wanted to get a car, but the insurance alone would have killed me and I would have to get the shit bucket smogged. I wanted transportation then and didnt want to wait for a few years before I made more money. In CA you get to use the carpool lane (huge benefit), you get to split lanes (huge benefit, be careful), my BMW gets 40-45mpg, I can park anywhere because I only need 3' width of curb, maintenance is freaken cheap (on the right bike, not on racers), etc. Yes, you need to want one, but my 1st was a modest 82 magna 750 that kicked ass

If you made the swap to efi on your 914 you might be able to bump the mpg to a 35 avg... just another idea I thought I would throw out there.

eric I remember the garage but not the scooter. Was it there when I visited?

T.C.

Brando has L-Jet now......

Claytonobitch

That's a new/old addition/addiction.

All 70's all the time. That's a one year only 72 Toaster tank. It's basically untouched.

Dare I say I'm done buying toys after this?

Click to view attachment

Eric...that is a very cool bike!

Thank you Sir... I was just out bolting parts on her.

And its brother 74 R90/6:

Ahhhhh there's the reflectors they tried to sell me today!

Damn dealership here is (&^&*^%#^%

I tried to get a new pair of round amber headlight reflectors (the ones doing the Lightening McQueen impersonation in the previous photo) and they ordered in those rectangular "things"! Blasphemy

(know where I can source the round ones?)

Max BMW has a web site with micro fisch and prices:

http://www.maxbmwmotorcycles.com/fiche/Mai...sp?mospid=47835

My bike looks different, now. The forks are all black, have no reflectors, and duel disk with black spoked wheels. I should take a pic.

So it's been settled. I plan on buying Dr. Evil's BMW

Serious? Very cool and great decision.