Gas prices = more new riders...

[WildKat]

With gas prices soaring and no end in sight, Im sure we have all heard more and more people talking about getting bikes and starting to ride to save gas. This means more bikes on the road and more new riders on the road so be careful out there, even more than you already are as a rider.

In fact I was at a labor day cookout tonight and heard 2 people talking about getting bikes, fortunately they both said they were going to take the MSF ! I gave them some info and pointers about bikes and gear and congratulated both of them for being smart and taking the MSF beginners course; 1 of them asked me to give him some lessons before his MSF so he knows what he's getting into before hand, so that was cool.

A couple of things I told both of them..Respect your limits as a rider and respect your machine. And never assume anything when you are on the road.

[g_man500a]

Yeah, I've been hearing people talk about it at my work too.

Although I've been working on getting a bike for a little while now, before all this gas craziness, the recent spike in gas prices made my live in girlfriend say to me "you need to go ahead and get that bike so we can save on gas" so that's somewhat a good thing. It just sucks that my truck gets 18.5mpg on average, and it's not a big truck either, just fast.

[ThAzKat]

This whole thing is the motorcycle industries doing

To help bring up the declining sales of motorcycles

ROFLMAO

[skasner]

i have had quite a few people tell me they're getting a bike to save on gas.

personally, i fail to see how its practical to spend thousands of dollars on a motorcycle to get an extra 10mpg, kinda like running out and buying a new "fuel efficient" car when you have a perfectly fine car in the garage.

i started riding for lots of reasons, but gas savings was not one of them.

[KatanaO215]

i have had quite a few people tell me they're getting a bike to save on gas.

personally, i fail to see how its practical to spend thousands of dollars on a motorcycle to get an extra 10mpg,

i started riding for lots of reasons, but gas savings was not one of them.

Im with stupid. Plus you gotta pay more in insurance too.

[g_man500a]

That is definately true about having to spend the thousands to get a bike, and then insurance on top of that. I think it's just a convenient excuse to justify getting a bike for a lot of people that want one, but couldn't justify it to themselves or others before now.

[WildKat]

Im with stupid.

We have a smilie for that now

carry on....

[md86]

i have had quite a few people tell me they're getting a bike to save on gas.

personally, i fail to see how its practical to spend thousands of dollars on a motorcycle to get an extra 10mpg, kinda like running out and buying a new "fuel efficient" car when you have a perfectly fine car in the garage.

i started riding for lots of reasons, but gas savings was not one of them.

Well , you CAN get an old bike for cheap . I got one for FREE . Just needs lots of work . But it SHOULD be able to get around 50mpg . And insurance on one of those things ain't gonna be all that much , especially for an older LITTLER bike (360cc) .
Anyway , I too have seen LOTS more people riding lately , and it can only be because of the gas prices . However , my car STILL costs less to drive than my bike . Ain't stopping me from riding , though .

[ThAzKat]

Wait a second, 10 mpg? My wife's car get's 30+ mpg and the bike, if I stay below 75 mph, get's about 50+. I ride 53.6 miles each way, as I have said before, the bike makes it there on a gallon of gas (give or take). So what is this 10 mpg?

[midqetsex]

A DMV employee asked if I rode just to save on gas. Gas prices actually had no effect whatsoever in my decision to get a bike. I've always wanted one and it was a great time for me to purchase one. It's nice now saving on gas as I was going to buy the motorcycle anyway, but if that's your only motivation for riding, you have to buy the bike + gear + insurance + maintenance. You're just adding costs to lower the cost in fuel.

[SweetLou]

I only ride to stunt and pick up women.

[ThAzKat]

I only ride to stunt and pick up women.

so? you have the sidecar on now

[SweetLou]

I only ride to stunt and pick up women.

so? you have the sidecar on now

Yeah, you wouldn't believe how hard it is to get that bad boy up on 1 wheel with that side car let me tell you....

[Guest]

That is definately true about having to spend the thousands to get a bike, and then insurance on top of that. I think it's just a convenient excuse to justify getting a bike for a lot of people that want one, but couldn't justify it to themselves or others before now.

But it works, it means RMJ = Rationalize-minimize-justify.......

[Lagmo]

My Kat has worse milage than our mazda 626

But there are some bikes that'll run a long way on just fumes, like those chinese imports.

My dads been having some around the shop for possible sale, and they ARE economical(but ptretty horrible at everything else).
One of the 250cc 4 strokes can do almost 50Km/l ~ 180mpg (well according to the specs anyways)
The only one i've talked to who actually owns one says it's more like high 20's to low 30´s (80-100mpg).
They tend to be around 10.000dkk pre tax ~ 1600$ and they're ridicoulously inexpensive to insure.
Then again being so cheap, only liability makes sense.

Personally.. even paying >7$/gal for gas here I'd N E V E R give up the Kat