Bikes/Cars,Whats Most Econimical?
- Thread starter wazza300
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where im coming from is over the years when you total up servicing costs/tyres/fairing repairs for when you come off and you'll come off lots
the taxi's/bus fares for when the weathers too cold or dangerous to ride,total all those costs up plus all the expensive gear/locks and chains you'll need vs a cheap used car which generally last a lot longer
which really is the cheapest in the end? idk
the taxi's/bus fares for when the weathers too cold or dangerous to ride,total all those costs up plus all the expensive gear/locks and chains you'll need vs a cheap used car which generally last a lot longer
which really is the cheapest in the end? idk
Soldato
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I can and have, in relative happiness.
That price I mentioned was for two tyres that lasted me 19,000 miles and were still plenty good when I finally sold the bike on.
They're built as Learner bikes with careless newbies who heavily rag it in mind.
They will last.
Heck, there's a pair of girls doing massive world tours on their Suzuki VanVans right about now.
The car's fuel consumption, parking charges, road tolls and congestion fees alone would probably lose it that competition. You'll then have insurance costing probably 6 times that of the bike, several hundred in tax, higher MOT costs... and at this point you've already spent more on the car than it would cost to get two sets of high end bike clothing and perhaps even some luggage.
Crimony... Well with that mindset you probably *will* crash on a weekly basis!!!
Servicing - Oil, filters and plugs, maybe £40.
Bit of brake fluid, chain lube (get a Scottoiler) and some soapy water... peanuts.
You can also more easily do a lot more of the work yourself, rather than going to an expensive garage and even then you tend to find bike mechanics far better than the Kwik-Fit rip-off merchants a lot of car drivers settle for.
Many will even show you how to DIY when they do it.
Get slightly larger bike kit and wear a jumper and/or thermal underlayers.
I'd thought I was somewhat chilly one time, when it turned out to be -7ºC standing temperature (-35ºC at motorway speeds)!!
Also, shop smart - When you buy PC components, you look around for the best deals, sales and end of stock discounts, right?
The very same applies here.
If it's too dangerous for a bike, it's usually too dangerous for a car...
Define cheap.
Define reliable.
Rarely do the two appear in the same car.
Cheap often means rather old, which means parts are rare and expensive, or not really working and expensive to fix.
The Ttaskmistress got lucky and picked up a 1990s model C-Class Mercedes for under £600, but only because a very good friend of ours is a mechanic.
It's pretty reliable, but if anything goes wrong she will be paying Mercedes prices to get it fixed... at which point we're either eating Tesco baked beans for several months, or she's walking everywhere - because I'll still have my bike!!
parts are still more expensive than a car,battery's brake pads chains
I know ive been riding nearly 20 years all year round,and you cant ride in snow not unless it has knobbly tyres
used early 90's car,corsa diesel or ford ka would be cheap
I know ive been riding nearly 20 years all year round,and you cant ride in snow not unless it has knobbly tyres
used early 90's car,corsa diesel or ford ka would be cheap
Soldato
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You can ride in snow, doesn't mean you should, but you can.
And £35 for a set of front and rear pads for a varadero 125, £110 for a DID X ring chain and sprockets for the same bike.
Ford fiesta set of pads is the same price with a quick check. OK so you need a set of sprockets and a chain every 10-15k miles.
A mate at work has a 2001 ford focus, worth about a grand - in the last 6 months his clutch master cylinder has been replaced, had about 200 quid spent to get through the mot and the other day when driving home the battery positive lead snapped clean off, whole car died on a busy road in the dark, no lights, no power steering, no hazard lights.
Any £1000-1500 car could be a money pit waiting to happen.
yh on the main roads that are clear,its getting to them though
most backroads mine included are covered completely in snow so you cant get out,same goes for gritters they only do the main roads
right pain in the ass
most backroads mine included are covered completely in snow so you cant get out,same goes for gritters they only do the main roads
right pain in the ass
As a car owner for over 14 years and a 4 stroke 125 owner I can say the bike is cheaper by a LONG LONG way.
Hell petrol on the bike is 13quid for 330 mike where's UN the car it would cost 65quid!
Parts and servicing are all more expensive, insurance is way more, tax is 17quid vs 230quid a year.
And I do twice the mileage on the bike compared to the car does (wife drives to the station)
Not to mention the time saved not sitting in traffic.
The cheapness of my 125 is making it really hard to get a bigger bike! I ride 30miles a day on 30/40mph roads so the 125 is perfect. All those costs would rise if I get a bigger bike. And I've never once ridden on the wweekend, it's purely commuting.
I'm too busy on the weekend with child and dog to randomly go riding!
Hell petrol on the bike is 13quid for 330 mike where's UN the car it would cost 65quid!
Parts and servicing are all more expensive, insurance is way more, tax is 17quid vs 230quid a year.
And I do twice the mileage on the bike compared to the car does (wife drives to the station)
Not to mention the time saved not sitting in traffic.
The cheapness of my 125 is making it really hard to get a bigger bike! I ride 30miles a day on 30/40mph roads so the 125 is perfect. All those costs would rise if I get a bigger bike. And I've never once ridden on the wweekend, it's purely commuting.
I'm too busy on the weekend with child and dog to randomly go riding!
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Soldato
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My Motobatt battery cost £48 and is one of the best around.
My pads, HH Sintered, are £7 a set.
I guess I was dreaming about riding a 650 Dragstar 10 miles to work and back in 2-4" of snow and slush for several weeks, several years running then...?
You cannot go hooning around like it's a Summer's day, no... But you CAN ride a normal road bike in the snow. Just take it very easy and be very sensible.
wait till you move up to a 600cc then or a 1 litre bike,things will be different
and yh you can ride to the north pole with spikes in your tyres
(depends on the bike,my kmx 125 I could ride it in snow no probs,try doing it on a late 90's heavy sportsbike with smooth tyres)
125's are economical I agree but they don't last aslong as a car does,not without engine rebuilds/fork rebuilds and what not,you'll see
and yh you can ride to the north pole with spikes in your tyres
(depends on the bike,my kmx 125 I could ride it in snow no probs,try doing it on a late 90's heavy sportsbike with smooth tyres)
125's are economical I agree but they don't last aslong as a car does,not without engine rebuilds/fork rebuilds and what not,you'll see
I rode my SV650 perfectly fine in the snow and my ER6f, was a couple of inches and it only got hairy when I tried to get onto a petrol station forecourt which was up hill. Ride slow, ride sensible and you will be perfectly fine.
My bike costs a fraction of the cost of my car and I use my bike daily to go approximately 35 mile each way. It costs me about £21 in petrol every 3 days, £400 a year for insurance (due to mileage) and about £80 for car tax (I think). I take good care of it myself and get it serviced once every 6 months at about £100 ish each time and go through approximately 2 sets of tyres a year at about £210ish a set (£70ish for from and £140 ish for rear). I get free parking at work which is right by liverpool street station in London and get to avoid the traffic and I ride all year round unless it is crazy storm weather with very very high winds.
To do the same in my car (Ford Focus TDCI Sport) would cost a lot more. Fuel would be more as my car does about 400 mile to a tank and that costs me approximately £60 to fill. Tyres on my car cost about £120-140 for a decent tyre, Then there is the servicing each year that costs between £100-300 depending on what is done, The insurance that is about £700-800 despite me having 9 years no claims, being 29 and having 0 points simply because it says "Sport" in the name. The congestion charge of £11.50 per day and then there is parking is between £14-25 a day...
In some instances a car may be better for on the whole for commuting I would choose a bike 9/10
My bike costs a fraction of the cost of my car and I use my bike daily to go approximately 35 mile each way. It costs me about £21 in petrol every 3 days, £400 a year for insurance (due to mileage) and about £80 for car tax (I think). I take good care of it myself and get it serviced once every 6 months at about £100 ish each time and go through approximately 2 sets of tyres a year at about £210ish a set (£70ish for from and £140 ish for rear). I get free parking at work which is right by liverpool street station in London and get to avoid the traffic and I ride all year round unless it is crazy storm weather with very very high winds.
To do the same in my car (Ford Focus TDCI Sport) would cost a lot more. Fuel would be more as my car does about 400 mile to a tank and that costs me approximately £60 to fill. Tyres on my car cost about £120-140 for a decent tyre, Then there is the servicing each year that costs between £100-300 depending on what is done, The insurance that is about £700-800 despite me having 9 years no claims, being 29 and having 0 points simply because it says "Sport" in the name. The congestion charge of £11.50 per day and then there is parking is between £14-25 a day...
In some instances a car may be better for on the whole for commuting I would choose a bike 9/10
Owned a CG125 for years, cheapest motoring I have ever had. £16 per year tax and £80 for insurance.
Done all the servicing myself (easy), parts are very cheap + readily available online.
I run an old astra now because I got sick of getting changed 4 times a day just to go to work + its bloody miserable commuting in the winter. Running costs per month are a lot more but worth it for the comfort.
Done all the servicing myself (easy), parts are very cheap + readily available online.
I run an old astra now because I got sick of getting changed 4 times a day just to go to work + its bloody miserable commuting in the winter. Running costs per month are a lot more but worth it for the comfort.
Soldato
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CB400 super four VTEC - so far with 900 miles done it's costing me under 10p a mile (50mpg without even trying), £98 a year insurance, and £38 a year tax.
Still cheaper and quicker than a car.
Still cheaper and quicker than a car.
A car that remotely approaches the performance of a 600cc bike will cost somewhat more than £200 for a set of tyres.
You you like your tyres as cheap as possible rather than performing as well as possible, then you can buy budget tyres for bikes. Present your certificate of insanity at the checkout for a discount.
Japanese four stroke 125s tend to last a long time if you look after them. There are plenty of CG125's etc. with 50k+ miles under their belt. Even if you abused it and it needed a new engine and wheel bearings every few years it would still be much cheaper than a car.
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no I don't mean out and out performance vs a car I just mean daily commuting at sensible speeds,a 600cc is decent I agree,also four stroke 125's,two stroke 125's aren't due to them burning out pretty quick,big/little ends/rings rebores ect
surely a newish diesel with £20 road tax would be able to compete?
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Take purchase price, depreciation and servicing costs into account and how does it look?