4 ms·

Off-topic, but the cost of owning a motorcycle is not much lower than a car (generally). They have much higher maintenance costs in general which offsets great

Off-topic, but the cost of owning a motorcycle is not much lower than a car (generally). They have much higher maintenance costs in general which offsets great gas mileage, even in the smallest motorcycles. I can't find the comparison spreadsheet, but here are some of the costs - http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Motorcycle_TCO http://faq.ninja250.org/wiki/Motorcycle_TCO

parfe 14y ago
I was thinking a niche less about money and more about enjoying being on the road rather than cursing my commute.
D_Alex 14y ago
Depends on your definition of "a motorcycle", "a car" and "much lower" of course... If you compare a brand new entry level 250 cc japanese motorbike to a brand new entry level korean hatchback,over say 5 years, the motorbike TCO will be less than half, with the most of the difference accounted for by lower depreciation and finance costs. Assuming - and this is very important - no medical bills from motorbike accidents.
cameronh90 14y ago
I ride a motorcycle, and it has been definitely far cheaper for me than when I drove a car. My motorcycle isn't even very fuel efficient, but most of the savings are region/use case dependent. The biggest saving is that parking is generally free in the UK for motorcycles. That, for me, is a huge saving. Lower taxes and road tolls are also significant. My insurance is also lower than when I drove a car - I guess because there's less chance of me seriously damaging someone else's property (clean license + no claims bonus, but young driver). If you want to count your time, you can get places much faster on a motorcycle too, between lane splitting and driving on bus lanes (which are both legal). But even excluding all that, the motorbike itself was less than half the price of my previous car, and has required a fraction of the maintenance. Besides tyres, part cost is minimal. Service labour costs have generally been a lot lower - most parts of a motorcycle are quite quick and easy to access. My last service cost £60, whereas my car services tended to cost around £150. It's also far easier to work on a motorcycle yourself and you don't need many expensive tools that you probably won't already have if you're that way inclined, besides a paddock stand. For me, the biggest maintenance cost with motorcycle is far and away tyres and associated labour costs: they don't last as long, and punctures can't usually be repaired. But at least in the UK where you're not usually driving huge distances, the other running costs tend to outweigh the cost of tyres.

parfe 14y ago

I was thinking a niche less about money and more about enjoying being on the road rather than cursing my commute.

D_Alex 14y ago

Depends on your definition of "a motorcycle", "a car" and "much lower" of course... If you compare a brand new entry level 250 cc japanese motorbike to a brand new entry level korean hatchback,over say 5 years, the motorbike TCO will be less than half, with the most of the difference accounted for by lower depreciation and finance costs. Assuming - and this is very important - no medical bills from motorbike accidents.

cameronh90 14y ago

I ride a motorcycle, and it has been definitely far cheaper for me than when I drove a car. My motorcycle isn't even very fuel efficient, but most of the savings are region/use case dependent. The biggest saving is that parking is generally free in the UK for motorcycles. That, for me, is a huge saving. Lower taxes and road tolls are also significant. My insurance is also lower than when I drove a car - I guess because there's less chance of me seriously damaging someone else's property (clean license + no claims bonus, but young driver). If you want to count your time, you can get places much faster on a motorcycle too, between lane splitting and driving on bus lanes (which are both legal). But even excluding all that, the motorbike itself was less than half the price of my previous car, and has required a fraction of the maintenance. Besides tyres, part cost is minimal. Service labour costs have generally been a lot lower - most parts of a motorcycle are quite quick and easy to access. My last service cost £60, whereas my car services tended to cost around £150. It's also far easier to work on a motorcycle yourself and you don't need many expensive tools that you probably won't already have if you're that way inclined, besides a paddock stand. For me, the biggest maintenance cost with motorcycle is far and away tyres and associated labour costs: they don't last as long, and punctures can't usually be repaired. But at least in the UK where you're not usually driving huge distances, the other running costs tend to outweigh the cost of tyres.