RichSmithBikerDude
Monday, a week ago, I was heading to work in my van mulling over the fact that I just bought $60 worth of gas for two trips back and forth. I was thinking I needed a cheaper vechicle. I really didn't want to buy a car that only got double my current gas mileage (13mpg) because it would never pay for itself. And I have to keep the van because a car can't pull a 9000lb camper. I started thinking I needed to get a bike. This was my first serious thought about a bike in about 15 years. My trip to work is 130 miles round trip. It's all interstates so it only takes me an hour each way. I figured I'd look at a small bike. Like about 600cc. I started checking into bikes and there's no way a small bike like that could do the necessary 70-80 mph on the interstates and still have power to get out of a situation. So after a couple days investigating I figured I'd get a light 1100cc bike. I went bike shoppiing last Friday and bought this.
It's not light and it's not an 1100cc. It's a 670lb 1300cc VTX1300S. It rides nice, handles well and was very comfortable on my first hour long trip to work. It will almost pay for itself at current gas prices (*see the math below). But it's nice and it's fun and I can use the van for camping and the four cold months of winter.
*the math (based on 30 riding weeks a year)
Van: 390 miles per week is 30 gallons of gas @ $2.60 is $78 per week times 30 weeks is $2340 in gas money just for work.
Bike: 390 miles per week is 8.125 gallons of gas @ $2.70 is $22 per week times 30 weeks is $658 a year in gas money just for work.
Insurance for the bike is ~$600 a year
So the bike will cost me $1258 a year.
The van would have cost me $2340 a year for the same driving.
Savings: $2340 - $1258 = $1082 a year.
$8800 total cost of bike / $1082 savings a year will pay for the bike in 8 years (hmmm, not what I expected)
Of course I didn't take into account the running around town miles in the van that eats up a lot of gas. And the fact that the maintenance costs for the van will drop dramatically.
It's not light and it's not an 1100cc. It's a 670lb 1300cc VTX1300S. It rides nice, handles well and was very comfortable on my first hour long trip to work. It will almost pay for itself at current gas prices (*see the math below). But it's nice and it's fun and I can use the van for camping and the four cold months of winter.
*the math (based on 30 riding weeks a year)
Van: 390 miles per week is 30 gallons of gas @ $2.60 is $78 per week times 30 weeks is $2340 in gas money just for work.
Bike: 390 miles per week is 8.125 gallons of gas @ $2.70 is $22 per week times 30 weeks is $658 a year in gas money just for work.
Insurance for the bike is ~$600 a year
So the bike will cost me $1258 a year.
The van would have cost me $2340 a year for the same driving.
Savings: $2340 - $1258 = $1082 a year.
$8800 total cost of bike / $1082 savings a year will pay for the bike in 8 years (hmmm, not what I expected)
Of course I didn't take into account the running around town miles in the van that eats up a lot of gas. And the fact that the maintenance costs for the van will drop dramatically.