Im always torn between reality and the whole "motorcycles save money" theory Yes, they are easy to maintain and often somewhat cheap. They usually get better mileage than cars. Insurance can be cheap. You can save time when commuting with lane filtering. Free parking(actual BIG W IMO) But at the end of the day it only makes sense if it's your only vehicle Having one on top of your car just adds cost, especially if you have an old non-depreciating, cheap, fuel efficient, easy to work on model. I crunched some numbers and motorcycles are more expensive to run, than expected. Oil changes every 7-8.000km. Vs 15-25.000km for a car Mileage is similar in my case because its a small diesel car. Gas vs diesel is the same where i live Tires are 3x as expensive as car tires while lasting maybe 25% as long. Very time consuming to remove the wheels(especially my rear wheel covered in fairings) compared to some lug nuts on a car Valve clearance check every 18.000km vs non for the car(but timing belt every 150.000km so its kinda even) All in all, motorcycles end up costing about as much as an economy car in real world conditions with all the costs added up(if you do your own work on the bike) So it only makes sense to get a bike and ride uear around, as your only vehicle. Other option is if your car is horribly expensive to run per km/mile(bad mileage, expensive oil, expensive tires etc). If not, it's probably gonna increase your total costs for transportation(this also includes depreciation of both vehicles) And I haven't even talked about riding gear. Helmet, gloves(i need a new pair every 20-30.000km),boots, jackets, pants etc
Perfectly stated. I spent more on my bike than on my car. Especially if you consider the riding gear. Oh well. It is an expensive hobby, but at least I don't pay parking tax when I go downtown.
I’ve owned 37 motorcycles and have ridden for well over 30 years of my life. I commute daily on a motorcycle and avoid driving a car whenever I can. I ride in excess of 25k a year. You sir are completely incorrect that riding a motorcycle will save you money over a car. I do all of my own maintenance such as oil changes, tire changes, valve adjustments and anything else that doesn’t require a computer to fix. I save the cost of repair labor but not every body will. It costs a lot more to have. Tech work on a bike than a car. You’re lucky to get 10k out of a rear tire that in most cases cost as much or more than a car tire. Brakes last a quarter as long. Good oil is usually more expensive. Most modern bikes require higher octane gas due to higher compression and smaller displacement. Insurance is almost always higher than a car for equal levels of coverage. If you buy an older bike for dirt cheap and ride it minimally, do all your own work and skimp on cheap tires oil and consumables, maybe it will come out around the same. This is from an American point of view. Other countries that rely on simpler motorcycles where that’s more affordable than a car will likely differ drastically.
Yeah, not sure why people have this misconception a lot. Maybe if you have a grom and you go do a 10 min commute in town to your day job, even then DO NOT buy a bike if you think you're gonna save money, just stay away from these TOYS because once you purchase a bike, almost every new rider ends up wanting to do useless crap to it, buy new mirrors, get an exhaust, buy some luggage carriers. Then you wonder where all your money went buying gear as well.
It’s the argument a person who wants a bike takes to their spouse. Look dear, it will save us so much money. I’ve wasted enough money on motorcycles I could have retired if I just invested the money.
Im always torn between reality and the whole "motorcycles save money" theory
Yes, they are easy to maintain and often somewhat cheap. They usually get better mileage than cars. Insurance can be cheap. You can save time when commuting with lane filtering. Free parking(actual BIG W IMO)
But at the end of the day it only makes sense if it's your only vehicle
Having one on top of your car just adds cost, especially if you have an old non-depreciating, cheap, fuel efficient, easy to work on model.
I crunched some numbers and motorcycles are more expensive to run, than expected.
Oil changes every 7-8.000km. Vs 15-25.000km for a car
Mileage is similar in my case because its a small diesel car. Gas vs diesel is the same where i live
Tires are 3x as expensive as car tires while lasting maybe 25% as long. Very time consuming to remove the wheels(especially my rear wheel covered in fairings) compared to some lug nuts on a car
Valve clearance check every 18.000km vs non for the car(but timing belt every 150.000km so its kinda even)
All in all, motorcycles end up costing about as much as an economy car in real world conditions with all the costs added up(if you do your own work on the bike)
So it only makes sense to get a bike and ride uear around, as your only vehicle.
Other option is if your car is horribly expensive to run per km/mile(bad mileage, expensive oil, expensive tires etc).
If not, it's probably gonna increase your total costs for transportation(this also includes depreciation of both vehicles)
And I haven't even talked about riding gear. Helmet, gloves(i need a new pair every 20-30.000km),boots, jackets, pants etc
Perfectly stated. I spent more on my bike than on my car. Especially if you consider the riding gear. Oh well. It is an expensive hobby, but at least I don't pay parking tax when I go downtown.
@123mirc i haven't even talked bout new gear, new upgrades on the bike etc.
Can't get a whole lot more expensive IMO
I’ve owned 37 motorcycles and have ridden for well over 30 years of my life. I commute daily on a motorcycle and avoid driving a car whenever I can. I ride in excess of 25k a year. You sir are completely incorrect that riding a motorcycle will save you money over a car.
I do all of my own maintenance such as oil changes, tire changes, valve adjustments and anything else that doesn’t require a computer to fix. I save the cost of repair labor but not every body will. It costs a lot more to have. Tech work on a bike than a car.
You’re lucky to get 10k out of a rear tire that in most cases cost as much or more than a car tire. Brakes last a quarter as long. Good oil is usually more expensive. Most modern bikes require higher octane gas due to higher compression and smaller displacement.
Insurance is almost always higher than a car for equal levels of coverage.
If you buy an older bike for dirt cheap and ride it minimally, do all your own work and skimp on cheap tires oil and consumables, maybe it will come out around the same.
This is from an American point of view. Other countries that rely on simpler motorcycles where that’s more affordable than a car will likely differ drastically.
Yeah, not sure why people have this misconception a lot. Maybe if you have a grom and you go do a 10 min commute in town to your day job, even then DO NOT buy a bike if you think you're gonna save money, just stay away from these TOYS because once you purchase a bike, almost every new rider ends up wanting to do useless crap to it, buy new mirrors, get an exhaust, buy some luggage carriers. Then you wonder where all your money went buying gear as well.
It’s the argument a person who wants a bike takes to their spouse. Look dear, it will save us so much money. I’ve wasted enough money on motorcycles I could have retired if I just invested the money.