Commuting to work on Motorcycle

westwood68

I have a KLE500 for commuting. Easy 0-60 in 5 seconds but quite comfortable.

I average 65mpg but can get closer to 70mpg if I take it easy. That's with 1998 carb technology. Modern mid-range fuel injected bikes can do better. If your roads are congested then the bike will easily get better mpg than a car due to stop/start driving. There may be cars with stop/start tech that help but even they can't negate the need to slow down and speed up again.

Bike engines are less efficient overall because companies haven't poured the same resources into developing the efficiency. There's also the wind resistance to take into account. A bike is like a brick compared to a car when it comes to cutting through the air.

bod1467

Stooby2 wrote: »

I run an old XJ900 Diversion which does about 47mpg, but it is on 107000 miles and still going strong.

Do you peruse the Yamaha Diversions forum? (I'm El Fuego over there).

fivetide

westwood68 wrote: »

Bike engines are less efficient overall because companies haven't poured the same resources into developing the efficiency. There's also the wind resistance to take into account. A bike is like a brick compared to a car when it comes to cutting through the air.

Sorry but that's miles off. Look at the NX 700 referred to earlier for a bike that will hit 70/80mpg

The big problem has been European regulations. These declare you must have a cat fitted except it has been shown that if you remove the cat on bikes like a CBR 600 you can keep the emissions down, improve the mpg and get more power once mapped properly.

If the political types left it to people who know what they are doing it would be a lot better.

The real answer is the one posted earlier - it's simply performance. Most sports 600s will make over 100bhp. How many 1.8 cars do you see making 300bhp reliably and out of the box? None.

londonTiger

how do you guys park motorbikes in central London? Isn't it just as difficult to park a motorbike as it is park a car?

henrygregory

What an amazing response. Thanks very much to all of you for your contributions.

I actually live quite close to Chelmsford and I work just past Canary Wharf on the way to London Bridge. I don't encounter many traffic lights at all maybe only a 3 sets in my entire journey. I hit the M11, then A406 north circular, I then turn off on A13 before coming off on the Highway. It is a pretty straight forward journey and most of my hold ups are just the sheer volumes of traffic. I have grown very envious of the motorcyclists zipping past me in the mornings. It currently takes me just over an hour on average door to door in my 1.8 diesel car. However, parking is a squeeze and I could do with breaking my mornings up a little and driving in an alternative vehicle. It would be no problem parking a motorcycle at work, but the spaces for cars are tight. If only they allocated them based on who travels the furthest!
Don't get me started on public transport, it is a waste of time period. I am not prepared to pay their laughable prices so would rather use an financially sensible medium.

I have found these posts to be incredibly helpful and they have raised things I had not thought about. Thanks to you all for your words of wisdom!

Stooby2

Do you peruse the Yamaha Diversions forum? (I'm El Fuego over there).

Stooby is me :-)

kwmlondon

Look, my Fazer 600 is a revvy !!!!!!, but the fact that I'm still on the original tyres at 12k says that I'm not hammering it all the time. If I do a run that involves some motorway or A roads I'll get 55mpg, but in central London I'm rarely out of 2nd gear and there's so much breaking and trickling that it's incredibly inefficient.

Of my 8 mile trip in, about half of it involves filtering which is tedious and annoying and drops your fuel efficiency down to 40-45mpg.

I'll tell you what though, the BMW F800 range is superb - the F800GS is a great bike, and has some brilliant technology to give you amazing fuel efficiency. I rode the more touring version, the F800S and it's a nice bike but not as much of a hoot as the revvy Yamaha so I put up with higher fuel bills for the laugh you get when you manage to hit 12k rpm - that's a giggle!

Arfa__

henrygregory wrote: »

What an amazing response. Thanks very much to all of you for your contributions.

I actually live quite close to Chelmsford and I work just past Canary Wharf on the way to London Bridge. I don't encounter many traffic lights at all maybe only a 3 sets in my entire journey. I hit the M11, then A406 north circular, I then turn off on A13 before coming off on the Highway. It is a pretty straight forward journey and most of my hold ups are just the sheer volumes of traffic. I have grown very envious of the motorcyclists zipping past me in the mornings. It currently takes me just over an hour on average door to door in my 1.8 diesel car. However, parking is a squeeze and I could do with breaking my mornings up a little and driving in an alternative vehicle. It would be no problem parking a motorcycle at work, but the spaces for cars are tight. If only they allocated them based on who travels the furthest!
Don't get me started on public transport, it is a waste of time period. I am not prepared to pay their laughable prices so would rather use an financially sensible medium.

I have found these posts to be incredibly helpful and they have raised things I had not thought about. Thanks to you all for your words of wisdom!

Well, I do almost same journey, I'm probably one of the bikers you see going down the middle of the A13 when it's sat doing 5 mph!

That route is pretty easy on the bike. Usually it's only from Limehouse Link -> Highway where things get tight and filtering can get a bit hairy. You should save a hell of a lot of time on a bike. You may find it quicker doing round M25 to A13 possibly. Remember, the average speed cameras on the A13 only get the front number plate. Not that any of us bikers go over 50mph. ;-)

Either way, for that journey, opt for something faired (even though as a first bike, you'll inevitable drop it a bash it). Get something cheap to begin with: £1000-2000 ish, ~10 years old.

Of course get your test done first: CBT, Theory, DAS. Theoretically you could do that journey after just the CBT, on a 125cc, avoid the M25/M11 motorways, but it would not be fun. If you're over 25, go straight for your DAS. Sort out Theory in your lunch break, book CBT for one weekend, then take week off work to sort DAS. Can highly recommend http://www.1stopinstruction.com/, based in Fairlop/Ilford, they got me through the lot first time in a couple of weeks.

westwood68

OP, you must first figure whether biking is for you to be honest. Take the CBT and see. People who complain about the cold and wet (spacey2012 above) are not bikers and don't "get it". Never will. Maybe you won't either.

In a car you are a spectator in a sealed cage but on a bike you are part of the elements and experience it all. I love it and most bikers do but it's not for everyone. I even sometimes enjoy the cold wet days in winter because regardless of what anyone says, you can get gear that keeps you warm and totally waterproof in even the biggest deluge. Biking for the sake of money saving will become tiring in the depths of winter but if you are an outdoors person and enjoy the freedom of being part of the bike then it's well worth it.

You will always get home on time and within the same five minutes every day if you choose to. But be warned; that there will be times on glorious summer evenings where you will get home 3 hours late having just gone through 2 tanks of fuel.

Oh and just to add to the choices above. As mentioned, my commuting bike is an old KLE500 'adventure style' bike. I got it for £600 and it will return 65-70mpg all day long if you don't thrash it. Still has Porsche beating performance for a pittance. High up as well so you can see all the car drivers using their phones on a Friday evening and avoid them (or take out their wing mirrors if you're feeling p***ed off )

henrygregory

westwood68 wrote: »

OP, you must first figure whether biking is for you to be honest. Take the CBT and see. People who complain about the cold and wet (spacey2012 above) are not bikers and don't "get it". Never will. Maybe you won't either.

In a car you are a spectator in a sealed cage but on a bike you are part of the elements and experience it all. I love it and most bikers do but it's not for everyone. I even sometimes enjoy the cold wet days in winter because regardless of what anyone says, you can get gear that keeps you warm and totally waterproof in even the biggest deluge. Biking for the sake of money saving will become tiring in the depths of winter but if you are an outdoors person and enjoy the freedom of being part of the bike then it's well worth it.

You will always get home on time and within the same five minutes every day if you choose to. But be warned; that there will be times on glorious summer evenings where you will get home 3 hours late having just gone through 2 tanks of fuel.

Oh and just to add to the choices above. As mentioned, my commuting bike is an old KLE500 'adventure style' bike. I got it for £600 and it will return 65-70mpg all day long if you don't thrash it. Still has Porsche beating performance for a pittance. High up as well so you can see all the car drivers using their phones on a Friday evening and avoid them (or take out their wing mirrors if you're feeling p***ed off )

Thanks very much for your input, very useful. I have considered the harsh winter weather and temperatures and it is something I have had a long hard think about. Obviously, my main concern is saving time and a little money, but I have always wanted to get a bike, just never got round to it. I feel this is a good enough reason to!

Arfa__ wrote: »

Well, I do almost same journey, I'm probably one of the bikers you see going down the middle of the A13 when it's sat doing 5 mph!

That route is pretty easy on the bike. Usually it's only from Limehouse Link -> Highway where things get tight and filtering can get a bit hairy. You should save a hell of a lot of time on a bike. You may find it quicker doing round M25 to A13 possibly. Remember, the average speed cameras on the A13 only get the front number plate. Not that any of us bikers go over 50mph. ;-)

Either way, for that journey, opt for something faired (even though as a first bike, you'll inevitable drop it a bash it). Get something cheap to begin with: £1000-2000 ish, ~10 years old.

Of course get your test done first: CBT, Theory, DAS. Theoretically you could do that journey after just the CBT, on a 125cc, avoid the M25/M11 motorways, but it would not be fun. If you're over 25, go straight for your DAS. Sort out Theory in your lunch break, book CBT for one weekend, then take week off work to sort DAS. Can highly recommend http://www.1stopinstruction.com/, based in Fairlop/Ilford, they got me through the lot first time in a couple of weeks.

Thank you for your post! I most likely will have sat enviously watching you zip past.
Limehouse Link is too tight, you get the odd nutter on a bike, I often hear them coming by the echo from their exhaust, definitely a tunnel to watch out for. It only takes two lorries in either lanes and...squash. I have seen the odd biker get caught on one of the 3 cameras hidden in the roof. I assume they must forget the location and don't see the strips in the road because of the queuing traffic.

I am very well aware of the front facing only average speed cameras all the way along the A13 which again makes me very envious of the bikers who are able to breeze along through the traffic!

I am over 25 so can go for DAS, have not rode a bike now for some years, but used to every weekend (all off road manuals, never on the roads). I know there is a great deal to learn when driving a vehicle on the roads, but thankfully I am not too stupid, and think I would pick it up pretty quick with the right training. I will certainly give the guys in your post a look and see what sort of price they can do the DAS for. Do you remember what you paid in the end?


Thanks again to everyone for your helpful input. It has all been really useful.