Using that motosickle more and more..

[Cornbread Red]

I'm feeling like I'm back in college days more and more, when I rode everywhere (or used a bicycle).

With gas so high, I'm breaking out the highest-MPG bike and riding it everywhere. Actually, I have two that are doing ride to work, grocery store, and local bopping around Phoenix duty. My KZ440 and Yamaha XT225, both old, and getting 62MPG for the Kaw, and 95MPG for the 225.

Basic, utility transpo. The 225 has a big Rubbermaid box bolted to the back and has hauled a six gallon water jug and 10lbs of cat food at the same time. The little thing will do 65 on the freeway all day long and I've bumped the MPG up some with careful jetting and a little surgery on the spark arrestor. Tires are cheap albeit low-tech, and it's been pretty reliable for the last 10k or so.

The Kawasaki 440 is another bike with a reputation for reliability. Solid motor, belt final drive, and mag wheels. It's actually comfortable for long rides. I rode it from Victorville to my place nonstop when I first got it, and it regularly does 300mi days.

I'm hoping ..maybe against hope that some brave politicians will enact a price cap on gasoline. In the meantime, it's down to using a bike for damn near everything.

At least, I'm saving enough to get to ride my bigger, more fun stuff once in awhile. :)

Chip

[ÜberDoober]

If I still had a tiddler bike, like my old GS450, there might be some economy in it but my ninja is pretty darn thirsty. When you factor in the price for tires and maintenance, it hardly seems worth it. It still blows me away that a fillup with premium costs $15 bucks and how much a simple day of riding costs.

Besides that, I'm not especially fond of having helmet hair all day. I had only a two-wheeler for four years and rode every day rain or shine but I was in my 20's then. Since my car broke on Thursday, looks like I'll be biking it some this week but I have computers to deliver so will have to be borrowing my g/f's car. :mad:

[Cornbread Red]

I used to think that it's impractical money-wise to use a motorcycle for full time duty, but with these "tiddlers", I can still find tires online for +,-50.00 each, (Cheng Shins and cheaper Dunlops and Kendas), and since I'm not abusing them, they last at least 5K and sometimes twice that. Hard tires, but good 'nuff.

Chain and sprockets (Again, non-race stuff) about a C-note.

My KZ 440 has 31K on it, and for a 26 year old bike, it's doing very well. I got it off Ebay, and I don't have more than 900.00 in it.