Time: Ride Motorcycles to Save Gas...

[CrazyCarl]

Time Magazine suggested 10 tips on saving money on gas. Some of the tips were a little silly but number 8 was fantastic!

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Bike It

"Motorcycles easily get twice the mileage of most cars, and bicycles use no gas at all. For a real change of pace, consider a family bike tour or motorcycle camping. More campgrounds welcome bikers, and reservations at state parks in New York, Vermont and Maine are already up 10 to 15 percent over last year as more families seek out cheaper getaways."
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Time Article Link


This could be good news. Rather than presenting an image of motorcyclists as irresponsible hot-dogging menaces to society, now they're become fun-loving practical minded individuals. How far can this go?

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[Nick in PRC.]

Time Magazine suggested 10 tips on saving money on gas. Some of the tips were a little silly but number 8 was fantastic!

Depending on the bike and of course the car it can be a false economy.
Mainly due to the type of bike most have in the US and their propensity to eat tyres...........5,000 miles vs 75,000 miles for cars.

Course a bike is more enjoyable........under most conditions.

[CrazyCarl]

True...but smaller lighter bikes (ehhem C-Motos) won't suffer from that as much. A Hayabusa or Goldwing? Sure to change rear tire every couple thousand miles. , but even then only the rear tires wears the fastest. Front tire is usually good for at least a couple rear swaps on most bikes.

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[Jim]

My other bike is a Kawasaki Vulcan 800, it uses more gas then my Lifan, but I'm sure it is a lot cheaper then a regular vehicle, and it was cheaper to buy in the first place.... The part where I dinged the most is the insurance.

[CrazyCarl]

Is insurance for a Vulcan expensive in Canada? Motorcycles in general?

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[Jim]

I can't speak for the rest of Canada, but in BC, insurance is sold by the government owned insurance company ICBC, you are required to get your basic insurance from them. There is 3rd party companies for optional coverage (fire, theft, collision, etc)... I believe the basic insurance used to be cheaper and the optional more money, but when people started going with the 3rd party options for the optional coverage I think ICBC lowered the rates on optional coverage and raised the rates on basic coverage.

I have a 35% discount and I still pay about $400 for a year of basic insurance on my Lifan. I believe last year my Vulcan 800 for 6 or 7 months of basic coverage was about $900.

I've heard that some people in the USA pay only around $40 dollars for their Lifan for the year, obviously with various insurance companies the rates go up and down, but that is way more reasonable... It wouldn't take me many years of insurance to pay for my bike...

[CrazyCarl]

400 a year does seem a bit steep. In the US as long as you have a decent records and there are no liens from the bank (like taking out a loan to purchase), the insurance is pretty cheap. Many companies also offer a multiple bike discount.

Problem is this is not taking into account level of coverage for the money. Regardless though...how much damage can you do on a 200cc bike that costs less than 2,000 buckos?

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[Jim]

Yeah exactly, but also, how bad is the coverage offered in the USA... For that 400 I don't have any real coverage unless I am paying someone else out, if I hit someone and they are injured or thier vehicle needs repairs, that's about all I'm covered for... This is the problem with lack of competition.