The biggest obstacle has been overcome...permission

[mreric]

I did my number against a my car that get me 28mpg. Mazda protege, requires very little maint. oil changes every 6 k. all other fluid at 60k. tires every 60k, brakes every 80k

anyway the car came out winning.in term of saving money. the motorcycle will save you gas. NEVER money.
just to think of the fact that the car will out last the motorcycle in miles. i got 230k on my mazda, never seen a tow truck. the motorcycle will never make it to 230 without mayor work needed at 100-150k.

my quick calculation: based on 12k miles of riding vs driving.
12000/65mpg= 184 gallons x $3.76 = $694.15 motorcycle - (91 octane)- most 250-300cc motorcycle. -
12000/35mpg =342 gallons x $3.35 = $1145.7 Car- most modern cars- if you got a truck add $200

694.15 - 1145.70 = $451.11 saving in gas $. riding the motorcycle. but the motorcycle will need a set of tires, 2 oil changes. this will eat up most of the saving. the car will only need 2 oil changes @$25 each.


get it in your head, motorcycle are a luxury item in this country, our geography requires a car in most states .


NOW. there is one way to save money and gas. get rid of ALL cars and have only the motorcycle as your ONLY transportation. I MEAN ONLY.


the moment you have to pay for insurance for your motorcycle AND car at the same time, all saving are GONE. dont kid yourself. we have a luxury.


and if you can afford the luxury, go ahead, have it, ride into the sunset!!! dont make yourself an excuse. buy it because you want it.

 

[mreric]

by the way this is without taking into account that motorcycle requires

a new helmet EVERY 5 years- $200-$1000 depending on choice
jacket- $300
pants - $150
boots- $150

accessories for storage - as you cannot carry the same stuff as a car
side cases- $500 bucks
top case - $200
mounting hardware- $300

do your math.

 

[670cc]

by the way this is without taking into account that motorcycle requires

a new helmet EVERY 5 years- $200-$1000 depending on choice
jacket- $300
pants - $150
boots- $150

accessories for storage - as you cannot carry the same stuff as a car
side cases- $500 bucks
top case - $200
mounting hardware- $300

do your math.

As with anything, prices do vary. I bought a new Snell rated HJC helmet for $81, a great armored, all weather jacket for $79. All weather pants with zip out lining $90. I use boots that my employer provides. So, there are was to be frugal and get good gear. As for helmet replacement intervals, well that's for the use to decide.

Kappa K21 Monokey side cases were $94 for the pair.

If the OP buys the bike already outfitted and used, he can knock a third off his initial cost.

 

[mreric]

As with anything, prices do vary. I bought a new Snell rated HJC helmet for $81, a great armored, all weather jacket for $79. All weather pants with zip out lining $90. I use boots that my employer provides. So, there are was to be frugal and get good gear. As for helmet replacement intervals, well that's for the use to decide.

Kappa K21 Monokey side cases were $94 for the pair.

I agree with you, there is a cheap way to get all your gears. I do.


but helmet manufacturer do recommend you replace the helmet every 5 years from the day is made. there is a label inside the helmet, behind the liner with the date of manufacturing. most of the time when you get a helmet on close out, the helmet has been sitting on the shelf for a year or so.


from HJC website
" Even if your helmet has not been damaged, it needs to be replaced every 3 to 5 years depending on how much you use it. Over time, UV rays and adhesive and component aging will damage your helmet. Wearing a damaged helmet may increase your risk of serious injury or death in an accident."


as for the side case for that price is a bargain. is that something readily avail at all time when replacement is needed? where can we get those?

 

[Konrad]

NOW. there is one way to save money and gas. get rid of ALL cars and have only the motorcycle as your ONLY transportation. I MEAN ONLY.

That's what I do. If I had a car here in California it would sit 99% of the time so for now....why bother with it. My girlfriend has a car for the needs such as grocery shopping but we use the bike for most things. I'm 5 months in with no car so far and that was with a scooter. The NC just made life even better. Plus I feel a little better having ABS and find D mode does great in the rain.

 

[Fuzzy]

That's what I do. If I had a car here in California it would sit 99% of the time so for now....why bother with it. My girlfriend has a car for the needs such as grocery shopping but we use the bike for most things. I'm 5 months in with no car so far and that was with a scooter. The NC just made life even better. Plus I feel a little better having ABS and find D mode does great in the rain.

True. Many costs of a car continue even of sitting in driveway such as insurance, loan payments and depreciation. And worst thing for it is to sit weeks at a time without driving it.

 

[Azimuth]

Thanks for all the responses to my post. Having never had a bike before, I was unaware of many of the increased maintenance costs associated with ownership vs car. At times while reading the comments I felt like I could be reading a post called "The reality of Motorcycle Ownership". Overall, I find the tone of this thread to be generally negative but understand that it is nobody's intent to discourage motorcycle ownership, but instead remove unrealistic expectations. Though I am still leaning toward ownership, I do have some new things to consider. Thank you all.

 

[Troyba]

I was in the same position a little over a year ago, Azimuth. Fast forward a little...I just hit the end of my first year of ownership of my first motorcycle, a 2013 NC. I've put on about 10k miles riding throughout the spring, summer, fall, and winter (In eastern Oregon where it gets cold in the winter!). One of my thoughts when I was making the decision to buy was that I would save money on my commute. I've found out that not only have I saved money on my commute (albeit not a huge savings), but it's had other impacts as well. First, I had forgotten how much I enjoy working on vehicles. After spending the year learning how to do most of the maintenance on the NC including tire changing, I started working on my other vehicles as well. Then this fall I decided to sell my gas guzzling truck and with the money from the truck I turned around and purchased a small older Ford Ranger with low mileage and....another motorcycle a 2009 KLR 650 with only 2k miles on it. Now I spend my weekends in the garage working on one of the three and enjoying every minute. I no longer look at owning a motorcycle as a way to save money, it's much more than that. I commute to work, ride up in the mountains on the weekends, and take long trips on the motorcycles and love every second I'm out. Oh, and my wife, who was on the fence a year ago, has started talking about wanting to go for a ride. Good luck with your decision, and welcome to the forum!

 

[mreric]

I was in the same position a little over a year ago, Azimuth. Fast forward a little...I just hit the end of my first year of ownership of my first motorcycle, a 2013 NC. I've put on about 10k miles riding throughout the spring, summer, fall, and winter (In eastern Oregon where it gets cold in the winter!). One of my thoughts when I was making the decision to buy was that I would save money on my commute. I've found out that not only have I saved money on my commute (albeit not a huge savings), but it's had other impacts as well. First, I had forgotten how much I enjoy working on vehicles. After spending the year learning how to do most of the maintenance on the NC including tire changing, I started working on my other vehicles as well. Then this fall I decided to sell my gas guzzling truck and with the money from the truck I turned around and purchased a small older Ford Ranger with low mileage and....another motorcycle a 2009 KLR 650 with only 2k miles on it. Now I spend my weekends in the garage working on one of the three and enjoying every minute. I no longer look at owning a motorcycle as a way to save money, it's much more than that. I commute to work, ride up in the mountains on the weekends, and take long trips on the motorcycles and love every second I'm out. Oh, and my wife, who was on the fence a year ago, has started talking about wanting to go for a ride. Good luck with your decision, and welcome to the forum!

that right!,, but unlike you, the ownership has not save me any money, just saved gas. just buying the NC was $9k . try to recoup that is gas saving. it would take over 15 years. but like you, the motorcycle is a enjoyment item.

 

[mreric]

Thanks for all the responses to my post. Having never had a bike before, I was unaware of many of the increased maintenance costs associated with ownership vs car. At times while reading the comments I felt like I could be reading a post called "The reality of Motorcycle Ownership". Overall, I find the tone of this thread to be generally negative but understand that it is nobody's intent to discourage motorcycle ownership, but instead remove unrealistic expectations. Though I am still leaning toward ownership, I do have some new things to consider. Thank you all.

.


yes, the ownership of motorcycle requires lot of maint, more then a car. so you must learn to do most service yourself to keep the toy more economical.

this is where i favor electric motorcycles and cars.

electric vehicle requires
no spark plug, no air filter, no oil change, no oil filters. no radiator fluids. no valve adjustment just tires and brakes ( brakes last longer too, due to regenerative brakes) -
to charge only cost less the 2 bucks, electric motor have very few moving parts, so less chance of breaking.

this apply for electric cars too. like tesla and nissan leaf

it just that charging takes a long time. if this can be overcome- like 5 min charges- this would be the future.

check out ZERO motorcycle- belt driven too- no adjustment needed for a while
ZERO MOTORCYCLES ? The Electric Motorcycle Company - Official Site

^ this might work for you. but right now the price is not very good is like $16k way too expensive


but you are right, we are in no way discouraging you from owning a motorcycle, they are fun machine, just need to be aware of what you are owning and know that they need proper maint. being stranded on your motorcycle sucks.

until our city becomes more like Europe, in the USA, motorcycle will continue to be recreation item, for the very few is transportation

 

[geesantoz]

will you guys consider that using motorcycle can save time on commute ?

if i use car, it may take 1 - 1 1/2 hours to reach office, it can become worse in the afternoon or if there is accident.
After starting to use motorcycle, i can reach home in a third or half the time, and you can spend more time to play/take care of the family or other hobby.
we can do split lane on california ... not to forget also that most car poll/express lane/toll lane is free or half the cost for motorcycle rider.
that is my consideration using motorcycle again on my almost midlife crisis age ...

 

[draco_1967]

It may be a factor in California, but the rest of us aren't really *legally* able to lane split/filter. It's the only law that I miss from Kalifornistan.
Now, even without splitting, I do shave some time off my commute because I am more nimble, and can slip around people more quickly, but it isn't a huge difference.
Motorcycling should be more about smiles per mile than other factors

 

[houssam2]

I already have 3 cars (all used) and didn't want to buy a 4th. But the major benefit is, as geesantoz said, the time savings. Motorcycling to NYC is faster and cheaper than a car and faster than the bus. It would be faster still if lane splitting was legal in NJ and NY.

 

[mreric]

it is my #1 reason why i own one is the ability to lane split. #2 is because is fun. if was not able to lane split, i rather sit in a car with A/C and radio. California traffic is krazy!!!!

my commute take 25 min in motorcycle vs 1 hr in a car.

because like we calculated, there is no money saving in owning a motorcycle. time saving and gas saving, yes. no $ saving

 

[ggoldfogel]

Riding motorcycles saves my blood pressure, I relax and feel great riding. I have a fabulous high performance car, which can sit for months in the garage if I can ride... Has the bike saved me money? Does it really matter?

 

[mwcogburn]

I haven't tried to quantify it but I am pretty sure I am saving money versus my 3/4 ton diesel (12 to 15 mpg) truck. Then again maybe not because I will use any excuse to ride so I am riding more miles than I would drive.

 

[Fuzzy]

I haven't tried to quantify it but I am pretty sure I am saving money versus my 3/4 ton diesel (12 to 15 mpg) truck. Then again maybe not because I will use any excuse to ride so I am riding more miles than I would drive.

You do, but maybe not enough to justify the NC purchase.

 

[Mike Cash]

Should have told your son it is better all around that your midlife crisis take the form of mounting something new with a pair of wheels than mounting something new with a pair of boobs.

 

[Mike Cash]

Riding motorcycles saves my blood pressure, I relax and feel great riding. I have a fabulous high performance car, which can sit for months in the garage if I can ride... Has the bike saved me money? Does it really matter?

The following is a complete list of all people known to have on their deathbeds said, "Boy, I sure am glad I saved a few bucks by never riding a motorcycle" :