Haven’t blogged steady in a while and so haven’t mentioned I’m thinking about getting a motorcycle.
Ok I’m really think about selling my car and getting a motorcycle. I’m doing this because I need to cut my expenses and I actually have equity in my car. I bought my 2000 Pontiac Firebird for $14,000 new. I currently owe around $5,000 on it and according to Edmunds could sell it for almost $10,000. I have a monthly car payment of $380. I’m thinking I could buy a used motor cycle for around $3000. So I could sell my car, have $5,000, buy a motorcycle and training and accessories (helmet, jacket, gloves, etc) and have money left over.
Add to that motorcycles get 40-80 miles per gallon, which would be a significant savings on gas. I make a 17 mile one way commute everyday. You know I haven’t done the math on what gas savings will be. So let’s do it.
I drive 170 miles every week to and from work. This doesn’t include driving to lunch, but we’ll keep that out. I always like to caclulate things on the low side.
On the highway my Firebird gets around 17 miles to the gallon, so I use about 2 gallons of gas a day. A gallon of gas is $1.39 right now. 10 gallons a week is $13.90 a week. One of the main bikes I’m think about is is the Yamaha Virago 250, which according this epinion review gets 85 miles to the gallon. But for the sake of calculation I’ll assume 60 miles per gallon. That’s 2.8 gallons a week, or $3.94 a week. A savings of $9.96 a week. Or $517.92 a year. Of course the actual savings would be more as I do drive to lunch every day and I would go other places.
Normally I only drive my car during the week, because most of my weekend driving is done with the family and the boys have outgrown the Firebird’s backseat so we take the Mrs. car everywhere.
Now the question is, could I really commute everyday on a motorcycle? Right now it is pouring down rain. You can drive a bike in the rain, but it is less safe and you have to wear special clothes to stay dry.
If anyone who reads this site has experience with this or knows anyone who does, please comment and ask your friends to comment.
I’m signed up to take Rider’s Edge at the north Houston Harley dealer. Which I will blog. Then I’m planning on renting a Buell Blast, which is a 250 sport bike, and driving it for a week to see if you can really commute on a motorcycle.
The hardest part of this plan would be to sell the Firebird. Its the coolest car I’ve ever owned and chicks dig it. But I’m the one who got myself into a financial situation where I need to get rid of the payment, so I’m the one who needs to sacrifice.
Cool. Synchronicity. My wife and I signed up today for the Motorcycle Safety Course offered through North Harris Community College. We’re thinking about selling her car, and getting a bike. She’d normally drive my car to work and I’d have the bike if I needed it. That might all change when I get a job.
I don’t have a ton of bike experience, but I think you might find a 250 underpowered. For sports bikes, you’ll probably want at least a 600 and at least a 950-1200 for a cruiser.
I only know this from the advice we got when we were toying with getting bikes in California. Everyone I talked to (dealer and friends alike) said that everyone they’d known who got a smaller bike (<500) ended up trading it in for a bigger one within a year.
The weather here is the only thing keeping me from definitely getting a bike – it was one thing in California where we got 2 weeks of rain a year…
I have to drive 360 miles per week to and from work. At $2.10/ gallon, I will spend my pay check on gas. I’m interested in purchasing a fuel efficient and safe motorcycle. What websites or bikes would you recommend and why?
Gabriel
Gabriel:
The first place I would look would be Begginner Bikes I’m assuming you are a beginner.
http://www.beginnerbikes.com/
I haven’t really paid much attention of fuel economy on bikes.