Archive for the ‘motorcycles’ Category

I am not alone…

Friday, July 20th, 2007

I was surfing around the web looking for information on commuting to work by motorcycle and I happened upon this page. Where a guy is crunching the numbers to try and justify the expense of buying a motorcycle with the intentions of using for commuting. In the end he seems disheartened when the savings in gas alone won’t cover the bike payment., but I have a couple other things he should consider:

First unlike the gas he put in his car at the end of 3 years when the bike is paid off it’s actually worth something. Maybe not a lot, but if you keep the bike maintained he should be able to get $1,500 – $2,000 by selling it. (I am just guessing it could be more or it could be less) Now I don’t think anyone should consider a motorcycle an investment, but it’s a much better investment than gas that you are just going to burn.

Second he estimates $340 a year in wear and tear on his car. I am going to assume he means maintenance to the car. However I would say that saving 15,000 + miles on your car is worth more than $340 a year. I have a 2001 Hyundai Elantra which is paid for and I know if I can keep that thing running for another 3-5 years by commuting by motorcycle that’s worth more than $340 a year to me. I mean if I use the IRS’s $0.48 a mile for 25 miles (about what my car gets per gallon) that’s $12 a mile – $3 a gallon (we aren’t concerned with the paying for gas) = $9 a mile. Even at a quarter of that for depreciation and maintenance you are looking at $30,000 a year. While I will admit this math is far stretched, but I am not sure how else to quantify it.

Anyway… Mr. Whoever you are… I wish you the best of luck talking you wife in to letting you buy a motorcycle and ride safe.

– Jeremy

Posted in Letters from NY, motorcycles | No Comments »

The Pros and Cons of a Motorcycle…

Wednesday, July 18th, 2007

So this weekend, when we were at Theresa’s birthday BBQ,  I asked another friend of ours Kurt about riding motorcycles.  I knew Kurt had just gotten his endorsement a few months back and while he doesn’t own a bike he does rent Harelys from time to time. His advice was just the opposite of Pat’s he said I should get a big bike since I am a big guy. The size bikes he recommended I knew were to big for a novice rider, but his comments did reinforce a worry that I had which is the Honda Rebel is too small for a guy my size. After talking it over with Pat for a bit I started thinking maybe something in the 500-600 cc range might be a better first bike for me. I now have my eyes on a Honda Shadow VLX. It’s a bit more expensive than a Rebel, but I think it will be a better first bike.

Ok so on to the Pro’s and Con’s of buying and riding a Motorcycle:

Pros:

65 mpg: That’s about 2.5x’s the gas mileage my car gets. So if I can use the bike for commuting to and from work the savings in gas alone will about cover the payment on the bike.

Saves wear and tear on my car: My car is aging, but paid for. Using a motorcycle for commuting and saving the car for foul weather commutes and hauling the kayaks around should hopefully extend it’s life.

The Fun Factor:  Let’s face it part of the lure of owning a bike is that they are fun and rebellious. It’s also about being a part of a community the has only one requirement: that you ride a motorcycle.

Cons:

Having another payment: So along with buy a motorcycle comes a payment and more insurance, but it is cheaper than another car payment and, like I mentioned before, the savings in gas alone pretty much covers the payment. (by my estimates)

Initial Investment: Beyond purchasing a bike there is the cost of Motorcycle Safety courses and buying the protective gear, which could end up being a $1000 or more. Of course this stuff is worth every penny, but it’s a cost that needs to be considered.

The Danger Factor: There’s no dodging the subject motorcycles can be dangerous. There are ways of course in limiting the danger factor like: learning to ride safely and wearing the proper protective gear.

Well that’s all I have for now.

– Jeremy

Posted in Letters from NY, Project Rebel, motorcycles | No Comments »