Gibz

iTrader: (7)

I filled up last night at 4.69/g in Palo Alto.

OneManArmy

iTrader: (7)

where are you getting your info? I just read the 08 motorcycle handbook and it states that a motor-driven cycle is 149cc or greater and the only way it's not allowed on the highway is if there are signs saying it's not allowed. Didn't say anything about CC requirements for scooters or motorcycles.

Can't find anything official that lists CC limitations for highway use.

Traxamillion

iTrader: (1)

4.67.....

This Sucks.

AzN121184

iTrader: (17)

for the many of us who are complaining about gas prices, i think prices would go down if demand went down.



i've personally been commuting on the motorcycle for the last couple of months. gas on the bike is roughly 75 dollars a month, vs 65 dollars a tank nowadays on the wrx which will last me 4-5 days of commuting.

Racenut

iTrader: (1)

Motor Driven Cycle is 149cc or LESS
Motorcycle is 150cc or GREATER

Motor Driven Cycles may be excluded from Freeways, and nearly every freeway has a sign at each on ramp prohibiting motor driven cycles and pedestrians

My scooter is 150cc, it will do 60+mph, but I'd consider it pretty insane to ride on a real freeway even if it is technically legal.

OneManArmy

iTrader: (7)

Yeah.... that's what I ment...oops...


but he said 250cc?


and the same gas mileage as your car is purely false. My buddies 40 year old harley get 30mph. My car is 21-24.

Newer harleys get 50 easily and some of the new crotch rockets and smaller CC import bikes can get 60 plus easily.

AzN121184

iTrader: (17)

i dont know if it's just assumed knowledge vs written fact in the dmv handbook, but dont most motorcycle sizes go from 125cc to 250cc to 600cc?


gas mileage wise, i get about 37-38mpg on my 08 r6. but then again there's other things that offset the savings, such as tires that wear MUCH faster, the protective gear that you SHOULD have before even thinking about taking the bike onto a street, let alone a freeway. all that stuff adds up much faster than what you would be saving in terms of gas money

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

ALSO NOTE that they may make you take half of the automobile test too. I had to. I was told that this was because it had been more than 3 years since my license renewed. I traded my Hawaii driver's license for a CA license in February of 2006 - took the test, got a new picture, so using my limited math skills I would say there is some bad info there.

The last time I took the CA Motorcycle (permit) written test I just walked in and took it - this was around '00. I JUST passed and I have to say the new one is harder. Read the book - I printed it out and read in in an evening taking notes, and passed the test the next day. The automobile test was a surprise and it was also very different. I had to guess on the child seat crap and other stuff I don't know about...

Racenut

iTrader: (1)

Yes true, I had to do half of the Class C test also. But nobody here should have a problem with that one right?

av98

iTrader: (1)

91 octane:
$4.35- 6/2/08
$4.45- 6/3/08 .... WTF! $0.10 in a day this is insane.

76 by A st. & Royal in Hayward, usually 1 of the cheapest non-Costco stations.

wombatsauce

iTrader: (7)

A few points...

1. Definitely agree on the test then MSF - even in the worst case this gets you two days to practice on someone else's bike. I have been riding for 16 years and still took the MSF this time - glad I did.

2. Gas mileage DEFINITELY depends on the car/bike. After 6 weeks of consistent riding and checking mileage (a little harder with eyeballing the tank level but still) I am getting 38-45mpg out of my '92 Honda CB750. My previous YZF-600R and ZX-6 got closer to 30-35. My first bike, an '82 Yamaha XV750, got around 50mpg. My father builds Harleys and most of those over the years depending on cam and carb got around 45-50mpg. All of those are much better than the past 35 cars I have owned.

3. Yes it is definitely more dangerous to commute on but this is mostly up to the rider. You also don't have a stereo, navigation, phone, passengers, etc etc etc distracting you and you have the ability to PLACE yourself in ways that would not be possible with a car. It also has to do with where you ride. My current commute is onto 101 and into the HOV lane, then 15 miles later off of 101. When I was switching 3-4 freeways it was downright scary. Now, I have scary experiences on the road but the commute is rarely scary. The only thing I am still missing safety-wise is some good pants. I wear jeans which is of course useless.

4. Cost. My insurance is around $200/yr and that is because I have some odd stuff on my record. My friend pays $126/yr for his Ninja. Gas is less than half what it was commuting in my R32. I just got new tires - $200 installed versus $1200 for the car. I am doing it for a cheap commuter, not as a fashion statement so my money was spent on the bike, safety gear and licensing/registration costs. I will not be buying any fancy exhaust or whathaveyou for this bike so I may be different than others here but I think you would have to be building a Harley show bike to come near what I have spent keeping my R32 on the road. A clutch for my CB750 is about $40 from what I have seen and I can do it myself over the weekend. I recently paid $2300 for a clutch job on the R32 which is more than I spent on my bike, helmet and jacket combined. I think I am out a total of $3k for my bike, MSF, all licensing, insurance for the year and some repairs after getting the bike.

Your last part about getting a bike you can handle and not one your buddy suggests is SO TRUE... I wish there were some way to get people to understand this!! They equate it to cars thinking more displacement is better.

Very cool of you to offer help to people and stuff. Never listen to someone that rides with sneakers.

Lorry

There any many SMs that are 400-500cc. Then there are nakeds like the Suzuki GS500 which is very freeway capable and should get 50+ mpg.

Tires are expensive if you run a sportsbike with high grip tires (Pilot Powers etc). But if you have a GS500 with touring tires, they can last 15-20k miles depending on how you ride.

I'm getting ~ 10k miles per set of tires on my F4i, so this isn't too bad. I get 45-47 mpg during freeway riding, but this drops in the twisties if I'm having fun. Still, its cheaper than using my WRX, and I can use the carpool lane.

I guess the bottom line is that a bike can be cheaper than a car, but many people buy them for high performance, so sticky tires, heavy throttle and heavy braking are the order of the day.

Irish_car_B0mb

iTrader: (3)

Yeah this is starting to get ****ing rediculous.

Another thing i am wondering. By law gas stations can only raise the price of gas when they get a new truck in, correct?

The gas station down the street from work has raised prices 4 cents a day everyday this week. i know they havent gotten a truck everyday. they arent even that busy ever.

I am seriously considering a bike too. I dont believe for one second they get the same gas mileage as a car. my father in law pulls 45+mpg and he has hisBMW bike. i am lucky if i am getting 25mpg in my wrx. I dont want new i just want a bike strictly for the gas factor, not the cool factor. if i save money on the bike i can have more cool factor for the REX.

4.62 up here in the northbay.

AzN121184

iTrader: (17)

lorry - yeah i was just looking at a friends drz400 and husqvarna, those are badass, i want one but can't justify having a 2nd bike right now.



i used the 125cc - 250 comparison since most smaller "motorcycles" usually are either 125cc or 250cc.

wimprezax06

iTrader: (17)

i start to take bart and bus to school now, but only save me only like $2 =\