2 Motorbikes cheaper than 1 car?

goosander

As a general rule, I'd say motorbikes are not cheaper than cars to run as a main vehicle unless you are talking about a 125cc bike or scooter.

When considering a middle weight bike vs a small car, the fuel consumption will likely be similar, tax similar or cheaper & insurance probably cheaper (depending on circumstances) but the bike will require more frequent servicing and will require tyres much more frequently plus chains, sprockets and chain lube. Bikes tend to depreciate much less than cars though.

If you compare the cost of running a bike with a sporty car though the bike will be much cheaper (and be much quicker).

For me the costs of running a 600cc bike vs a car are:

Fuel 45mpg / 50mpg (diesel)
Tax £60 / £150
Ins £100 / £200
Tyres £180 for 6000 miles / £320 for 20000 miles
Servicing £50 / £100 (average cost DIY servicing)


I do think a bike is a great alternative to a 2nd car though, either a 125cc if you want a cheap 2nd vehicle for commuting or bigger bike for affordable fun.

westwood68

As above, getting a bike and using all year round instead of a car simply because it's cheaper will make you miserable.

If you decide to ride because you enjoy it, then the cost benefits just add to the advantages.

cheddar_caveman

With the statistics on road deaths for bikers, good luck!

arcon5

tykesi wrote: »

It's difficult to fall off a bike. Let me guess - you don't ride?

Doesn't take a biker to figure out four wheels are safer than 2 wheels especially when you take in to consideration the condition of our roads and weather.

forgotmyname

sithmaster wrote: »

on my 125 I put £11 roughly every 200 mile

Yeah the figures in the original post suggested to me that they can do 400+ miles on £15 which i dont think would be possible unless you pushed it a lot.

Single cylinder diesel maybe. But after 400 miles i think you maybe deaf and have blurred vision.

I miss my scooter.

messes

If you enjoy riding and get decent gear, riding round all year can be pretty comfortable. This winter from a motorcycling perspective has been pretty cushy.

That said as you are looking at 125's they won't be the most comfortable bikes for a long commute. Most won't have the bigger bike luxuries such as full fairings and heated grips, which make bad weather bearable.


Consider getting a top box to stash stuff in. That way you can pop to the shops, dump you helmet in it, etc.

londonTiger

for me a motorbike would be nice to have but a car is always a good fallback option.

k12479

tykesi wrote: »

It's difficult to fall off a bike. Let me guess - you don't ride?

That was tongue in cheek, but no, unfortunately I don't. Have done a bit off-road and in the past have wanted to get a license though. Regardless, riding a bike is undeniably more risk than driving and, in my experience, particularly for longer commutes which the original poster mentions, people tend to prefer to drive rather than ride.

Richard53

cheddar_caveman wrote: »

With the statistics on road deaths for bikers, good luck!

Alternatively, good training and good attitude.

Arfa__

> Overall general running costs and parts etc are cheaper for the bikes.

Not so sure about this one. I suspect you'll find tax, insurance and maybe fuel will be cheaper with bikes. But....

Servicing costs will likely be more. Tyres will cost more, need changing more often. You've got chain/sprocket/lube costs to think about (unless you go for a shaft drive bike) - guessing about £200 every year or two. A yearly dousing of ACF50, downpipes every few years and so on.

The other big ongoing cost will be clothing.
You'll need gear for summer and winter gear for both of you, leathers for summer, gore-tex for winter, heated gloves, summer gloves, boots, thermal base layers and so on. A big outlay and probably need replacing every 2-4 years ish. New boots every year or two. New lids every 5 years odd. That's just the essentials, never mind any funky kit you take a fancy to...

Also factor in a lump of cash to cover the odd bump, scrape, worn out hardware etc. Mirrors, pegs, luggage, the odd bent lever, scuff bar end/ crash bobbin etc.

I commute into Central London on a Fazer 600 all year round, for me the time saving makes it a total nobrainer, compared to tube (plus I now always get a seat). But it's not as big a cost saving compared to annual TFL season ticket as you might think.

However, I love riding, bikes are so much more fun than cars/tube/cycling/walking, especially when it comes to the weekend or time to go on tour... And lets face it, this reason alone wins this argument!