Fred W.

"CRWLR" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
news:104fe5edfh17e5a@corp.supernews.com...
> My commute is such that I could do it in half the time on a bike, but I
need
> more to get Mrs. CRWLR onboard. She is not liking the idea very much.
>
> I want to sell her on the idea that I will save enough on gas for the BMW
to
> finance the payment on the bike. I am talking about a Real Bike here, not
> any sissy scooter. I have my eye on a big-bore, but have not settled on a
> particular make or model. I pretended for a long time that I would want a
> Goldwing or equivelent, but that plan supposes that Mrs. CRWLR would be a
> willing passenger. It seems that she won't even go into the garage if the
> bike is out there, let alone slide it between her knees. I have now
> broadened my horizons to include the cruiser class (Harley and clones) as
> well as the touring class (Goldwing and clones). I have no interest in the
> crotch rockets.
>
> My off topic question is, what sort of mileage do you guys with the Harley
> type and the Goldwing type bikes get? I am hoping the number is in the 35+
> mpg range, but my BMW delivers 25 mpg, so I need a pretty high
differential
> in bike mileage vs. car mileage to make my sales pitch work.
>

You will not save much in gas. These types of bikes are not all that fuel
efficient.

Communting on a bike is like playing russian roulette. You are going to
lose, it's just a matter of time.

If you want to ride a street bike, do yourself (and your family) a favor and
keep it for riding on pleasant weekend afternoons, far from the maddening
commuter crowd. ...and be careful out there. The life you save WILL be
your own.

-Fred W
One time owner of BMW K100. Sold. Now have only dirt bikes.

Paul Calman

> You have never driven on wet greasy streets much eh?
> When the brakes are locked up and some fool is 10' in front of you, you
> have two choices. Lay the bike down or eat metal.

Bull. Would you jump out of a car to avoid a collision? Rubber has a better
traction coefficient than steel. It's better to be decellerating (not
skidding) up to the point of impact than to just give up and slide under.
People who say "so then I Iayed her down" are covering for applying too much
rear brake and lost control, or ride old choppers with no front brake. I
have done both, and been in this discussion many times, with qualified
Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructors and new riders. Check out the AMA
site, http://www.ama-cycle.org/index.asp and follow the "new rider" links

Anyway, back on topic, Old GL- 1000 Goldwings in proper tune can give up to
34-36 MPG, as does the GL-1500, My wing is modified and gets 30-32. My
girlfriends 86 Honda Shadow 500 gives 50 with her on it, and I have 2
friends who ride Harley "night trains" modified with moderate cams and carb
work that also return 50 MPG, althought most are in the 30-40 MPG range.
My BSA and Triumph give about 30 , but they are kinda old. I'm not sure
what the new Wings do. Sport bikes aren't that efficient, and need frequent
maintenance, and their stickier tires don't last as long.
In California, a single rider on a bike is legal in a carpool lane, and can
save on bridge tolls.
Lane splitting is also legal here, but hazardous. I find they open up for a
helmet that looks like a CHP, but most cagers are not paying attention. I
use the 10 and 5 rule, I wont split unless they are under 10 MPH, and at no
more than 5 MPH above their speed. Tagging a mirror will dump you, and i
would prefer it to be minor.
Ride because you want to, and accept the risk. Just because it may be
cheaper doesn't make it sensible.

My VW Jetta Diesel gets 50 MPG, better than my bikes, but I'd rather ride.
The new VW diesel Beetles and Jettas with the TDI engines also get around
50, and can be tweaked for better mileage. If you want to get messy and have
a tank farm behind your garage, you can make your own bio-diesel from free
waste oil from restaurants. They have to pay to get it removed.

--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

Paul Calman

> You have never driven on wet greasy streets much eh?
> When the brakes are locked up and some fool is 10' in front of you, you
> have two choices. Lay the bike down or eat metal.

Bull. Would you jump out of a car to avoid a collision? Rubber has a better
traction coefficient than steel. It's better to be decellerating (not
skidding) up to the point of impact than to just give up and slide under.
People who say "so then I Iayed her down" are covering for applying too much
rear brake and lost control, or ride old choppers with no front brake. I
have done both, and been in this discussion many times, with qualified
Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructors and new riders. Check out the AMA
site, http://www.ama-cycle.org/index.asp and follow the "new rider" links

Anyway, back on topic, Old GL- 1000 Goldwings in proper tune can give up to
34-36 MPG, as does the GL-1500, My wing is modified and gets 30-32. My
girlfriends 86 Honda Shadow 500 gives 50 with her on it, and I have 2
friends who ride Harley "night trains" modified with moderate cams and carb
work that also return 50 MPG, althought most are in the 30-40 MPG range.
My BSA and Triumph give about 30 , but they are kinda old. I'm not sure
what the new Wings do. Sport bikes aren't that efficient, and need frequent
maintenance, and their stickier tires don't last as long.
In California, a single rider on a bike is legal in a carpool lane, and can
save on bridge tolls.
Lane splitting is also legal here, but hazardous. I find they open up for a
helmet that looks like a CHP, but most cagers are not paying attention. I
use the 10 and 5 rule, I wont split unless they are under 10 MPH, and at no
more than 5 MPH above their speed. Tagging a mirror will dump you, and i
would prefer it to be minor.
Ride because you want to, and accept the risk. Just because it may be
cheaper doesn't make it sensible.

My VW Jetta Diesel gets 50 MPG, better than my bikes, but I'd rather ride.
The new VW diesel Beetles and Jettas with the TDI engines also get around
50, and can be tweaked for better mileage. If you want to get messy and have
a tank farm behind your garage, you can make your own bio-diesel from free
waste oil from restaurants. They have to pay to get it removed.

--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

Paul Calman

> You have never driven on wet greasy streets much eh?
> When the brakes are locked up and some fool is 10' in front of you, you
> have two choices. Lay the bike down or eat metal.

Bull. Would you jump out of a car to avoid a collision? Rubber has a better
traction coefficient than steel. It's better to be decellerating (not
skidding) up to the point of impact than to just give up and slide under.
People who say "so then I Iayed her down" are covering for applying too much
rear brake and lost control, or ride old choppers with no front brake. I
have done both, and been in this discussion many times, with qualified
Motorcycle Safety Foundation instructors and new riders. Check out the AMA
site, http://www.ama-cycle.org/index.asp and follow the "new rider" links

Anyway, back on topic, Old GL- 1000 Goldwings in proper tune can give up to
34-36 MPG, as does the GL-1500, My wing is modified and gets 30-32. My
girlfriends 86 Honda Shadow 500 gives 50 with her on it, and I have 2
friends who ride Harley "night trains" modified with moderate cams and carb
work that also return 50 MPG, althought most are in the 30-40 MPG range.
My BSA and Triumph give about 30 , but they are kinda old. I'm not sure
what the new Wings do. Sport bikes aren't that efficient, and need frequent
maintenance, and their stickier tires don't last as long.
In California, a single rider on a bike is legal in a carpool lane, and can
save on bridge tolls.
Lane splitting is also legal here, but hazardous. I find they open up for a
helmet that looks like a CHP, but most cagers are not paying attention. I
use the 10 and 5 rule, I wont split unless they are under 10 MPH, and at no
more than 5 MPH above their speed. Tagging a mirror will dump you, and i
would prefer it to be minor.
Ride because you want to, and accept the risk. Just because it may be
cheaper doesn't make it sensible.

My VW Jetta Diesel gets 50 MPG, better than my bikes, but I'd rather ride.
The new VW diesel Beetles and Jettas with the TDI engines also get around
50, and can be tweaked for better mileage. If you want to get messy and have
a tank farm behind your garage, you can make your own bio-diesel from free
waste oil from restaurants. They have to pay to get it removed.

--
Paul Calman, Hathaway Pines, California

KJ

your glass is definitely half empty.

the K-series is not, comparatively, nearly as fuel efficient at the
R-series. power was given top priority in the K-series design.

by this logic, you should never ride nor drive anywhere. stay home and lock
the doors. i'm not going to dispute that it's not POTENTIALLY more
dangerous, because it is certainly less-forgiving than being in a car.
however, your definition of "commute" certainly comes into play. small city
traffic or more pleasant commutes i'd prefer a motorcycle. but if your
commute is in a major metropolitan city, like Los Angeles, i'd have to agree
that you'd be better off commuting in the biggest isolation-box bumper-car
you can find.

any motorcyclist is well advised to take as many rider improvement, advanced
rider courses, etc. as possible. by so doing, you'll more likely prevent
yourself from being put into the 'rock-and-a-hard-place' scenario to begin
with!

my 2¢

"Fred W." <Fred.Wills@allspam myrealbox.com> wrote in message
news:tr2dnbw_-dP6AdXdRVn-hw@adelphia.com...
>
> "CRWLR" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:104fe5edfh17e5a@corp.supernews.com...
> > My commute is such that I could do it in half the time on a bike, but I
> need
> > more to get Mrs. CRWLR onboard. She is not liking the idea very much.
> >
> > I want to sell her on the idea that I will save enough on gas for the
BMW
> to
> > finance the payment on the bike. I am talking about a Real Bike here,
not
> > any sissy scooter. I have my eye on a big-bore, but have not settled on
a
> > particular make or model. I pretended for a long time that I would want
a
> > Goldwing or equivelent, but that plan supposes that Mrs. CRWLR would be
a
> > willing passenger. It seems that she won't even go into the garage if
the
> > bike is out there, let alone slide it between her knees. I have now
> > broadened my horizons to include the cruiser class (Harley and clones)
as
> > well as the touring class (Goldwing and clones). I have no interest in
the
> > crotch rockets.
> >
> > My off topic question is, what sort of mileage do you guys with the
Harley
> > type and the Goldwing type bikes get? I am hoping the number is in the
35+
> > mpg range, but my BMW delivers 25 mpg, so I need a pretty high
> differential
> > in bike mileage vs. car mileage to make my sales pitch work.
> >
>
> You will not save much in gas. These types of bikes are not all that fuel
> efficient.
>
> Communting on a bike is like playing russian roulette. You are going to
> lose, it's just a matter of time.
>
> If you want to ride a street bike, do yourself (and your family) a favor
and
> keep it for riding on pleasant weekend afternoons, far from the maddening
> commuter crowd. ...and be careful out there. The life you save WILL be
> your own.
>
> -Fred W
> One time owner of BMW K100. Sold. Now have only dirt bikes.
>
>
>

KJ

your glass is definitely half empty.

the K-series is not, comparatively, nearly as fuel efficient at the
R-series. power was given top priority in the K-series design.

by this logic, you should never ride nor drive anywhere. stay home and lock
the doors. i'm not going to dispute that it's not POTENTIALLY more
dangerous, because it is certainly less-forgiving than being in a car.
however, your definition of "commute" certainly comes into play. small city
traffic or more pleasant commutes i'd prefer a motorcycle. but if your
commute is in a major metropolitan city, like Los Angeles, i'd have to agree
that you'd be better off commuting in the biggest isolation-box bumper-car
you can find.

any motorcyclist is well advised to take as many rider improvement, advanced
rider courses, etc. as possible. by so doing, you'll more likely prevent
yourself from being put into the 'rock-and-a-hard-place' scenario to begin
with!

my 2¢

"Fred W." <Fred.Wills@allspam myrealbox.com> wrote in message
news:tr2dnbw_-dP6AdXdRVn-hw@adelphia.com...
>
> "CRWLR" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:104fe5edfh17e5a@corp.supernews.com...
> > My commute is such that I could do it in half the time on a bike, but I
> need
> > more to get Mrs. CRWLR onboard. She is not liking the idea very much.
> >
> > I want to sell her on the idea that I will save enough on gas for the
BMW
> to
> > finance the payment on the bike. I am talking about a Real Bike here,
not
> > any sissy scooter. I have my eye on a big-bore, but have not settled on
a
> > particular make or model. I pretended for a long time that I would want
a
> > Goldwing or equivelent, but that plan supposes that Mrs. CRWLR would be
a
> > willing passenger. It seems that she won't even go into the garage if
the
> > bike is out there, let alone slide it between her knees. I have now
> > broadened my horizons to include the cruiser class (Harley and clones)
as
> > well as the touring class (Goldwing and clones). I have no interest in
the
> > crotch rockets.
> >
> > My off topic question is, what sort of mileage do you guys with the
Harley
> > type and the Goldwing type bikes get? I am hoping the number is in the
35+
> > mpg range, but my BMW delivers 25 mpg, so I need a pretty high
> differential
> > in bike mileage vs. car mileage to make my sales pitch work.
> >
>
> You will not save much in gas. These types of bikes are not all that fuel
> efficient.
>
> Communting on a bike is like playing russian roulette. You are going to
> lose, it's just a matter of time.
>
> If you want to ride a street bike, do yourself (and your family) a favor
and
> keep it for riding on pleasant weekend afternoons, far from the maddening
> commuter crowd. ...and be careful out there. The life you save WILL be
> your own.
>
> -Fred W
> One time owner of BMW K100. Sold. Now have only dirt bikes.
>
>
>

KJ

your glass is definitely half empty.

the K-series is not, comparatively, nearly as fuel efficient at the
R-series. power was given top priority in the K-series design.

by this logic, you should never ride nor drive anywhere. stay home and lock
the doors. i'm not going to dispute that it's not POTENTIALLY more
dangerous, because it is certainly less-forgiving than being in a car.
however, your definition of "commute" certainly comes into play. small city
traffic or more pleasant commutes i'd prefer a motorcycle. but if your
commute is in a major metropolitan city, like Los Angeles, i'd have to agree
that you'd be better off commuting in the biggest isolation-box bumper-car
you can find.

any motorcyclist is well advised to take as many rider improvement, advanced
rider courses, etc. as possible. by so doing, you'll more likely prevent
yourself from being put into the 'rock-and-a-hard-place' scenario to begin
with!

my 2¢

"Fred W." <Fred.Wills@allspam myrealbox.com> wrote in message
news:tr2dnbw_-dP6AdXdRVn-hw@adelphia.com...
>
> "CRWLR" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:104fe5edfh17e5a@corp.supernews.com...
> > My commute is such that I could do it in half the time on a bike, but I
> need
> > more to get Mrs. CRWLR onboard. She is not liking the idea very much.
> >
> > I want to sell her on the idea that I will save enough on gas for the
BMW
> to
> > finance the payment on the bike. I am talking about a Real Bike here,
not
> > any sissy scooter. I have my eye on a big-bore, but have not settled on
a
> > particular make or model. I pretended for a long time that I would want
a
> > Goldwing or equivelent, but that plan supposes that Mrs. CRWLR would be
a
> > willing passenger. It seems that she won't even go into the garage if
the
> > bike is out there, let alone slide it between her knees. I have now
> > broadened my horizons to include the cruiser class (Harley and clones)
as
> > well as the touring class (Goldwing and clones). I have no interest in
the
> > crotch rockets.
> >
> > My off topic question is, what sort of mileage do you guys with the
Harley
> > type and the Goldwing type bikes get? I am hoping the number is in the
35+
> > mpg range, but my BMW delivers 25 mpg, so I need a pretty high
> differential
> > in bike mileage vs. car mileage to make my sales pitch work.
> >
>
> You will not save much in gas. These types of bikes are not all that fuel
> efficient.
>
> Communting on a bike is like playing russian roulette. You are going to
> lose, it's just a matter of time.
>
> If you want to ride a street bike, do yourself (and your family) a favor
and
> keep it for riding on pleasant weekend afternoons, far from the maddening
> commuter crowd. ...and be careful out there. The life you save WILL be
> your own.
>
> -Fred W
> One time owner of BMW K100. Sold. Now have only dirt bikes.
>
>
>

CRWLR

Where is that number relative to a stock bike with the same motor? I am
mostly interested in stock numbers, then if I get a modified bike, then the
assumption I make is that the numbers will be better, or at least
justifiably different.

Thanks,



"HarryS" <harry-s@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:_6idnaG-F9OCTNrdRVn-sw@comcast.com...
> I have been riding for over 30 years (Harleys) all sporsters and my 03
gets
> 45 mpg stage II performance mod at 70 hp.
>
> --
> HarryS
> JAFGBR
> JAFTJO
> "CRWLR" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:104fe5edfh17e5a@corp.supernews.com...
> > My commute is such that I could do it in half the time on a bike, but I
> need
> > more to get Mrs. CRWLR onboard. She is not liking the idea very much.
> >
> > I want to sell her on the idea that I will save enough on gas for the
BMW
> to
> > finance the payment on the bike. I am talking about a Real Bike here,
not
> > any sissy scooter. I have my eye on a big-bore, but have not settled on
a
> > particular make or model. I pretended for a long time that I would want
a
> > Goldwing or equivelent, but that plan supposes that Mrs. CRWLR would be
a
> > willing passenger. It seems that she won't even go into the garage if
the
> > bike is out there, let alone slide it between her knees. I have now
> > broadened my horizons to include the cruiser class (Harley and clones)
as
> > well as the touring class (Goldwing and clones). I have no interest in
the
> > crotch rockets.
> >
> > My off topic question is, what sort of mileage do you guys with the
Harley
> > type and the Goldwing type bikes get? I am hoping the number is in the
35+
> > mpg range, but my BMW delivers 25 mpg, so I need a pretty high
> differential
> > in bike mileage vs. car mileage to make my sales pitch work.
> >
>
>

CRWLR

Where is that number relative to a stock bike with the same motor? I am
mostly interested in stock numbers, then if I get a modified bike, then the
assumption I make is that the numbers will be better, or at least
justifiably different.

Thanks,



"HarryS" <harry-s@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:_6idnaG-F9OCTNrdRVn-sw@comcast.com...
> I have been riding for over 30 years (Harleys) all sporsters and my 03
gets
> 45 mpg stage II performance mod at 70 hp.
>
> --
> HarryS
> JAFGBR
> JAFTJO
> "CRWLR" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:104fe5edfh17e5a@corp.supernews.com...
> > My commute is such that I could do it in half the time on a bike, but I
> need
> > more to get Mrs. CRWLR onboard. She is not liking the idea very much.
> >
> > I want to sell her on the idea that I will save enough on gas for the
BMW
> to
> > finance the payment on the bike. I am talking about a Real Bike here,
not
> > any sissy scooter. I have my eye on a big-bore, but have not settled on
a
> > particular make or model. I pretended for a long time that I would want
a
> > Goldwing or equivelent, but that plan supposes that Mrs. CRWLR would be
a
> > willing passenger. It seems that she won't even go into the garage if
the
> > bike is out there, let alone slide it between her knees. I have now
> > broadened my horizons to include the cruiser class (Harley and clones)
as
> > well as the touring class (Goldwing and clones). I have no interest in
the
> > crotch rockets.
> >
> > My off topic question is, what sort of mileage do you guys with the
Harley
> > type and the Goldwing type bikes get? I am hoping the number is in the
35+
> > mpg range, but my BMW delivers 25 mpg, so I need a pretty high
> differential
> > in bike mileage vs. car mileage to make my sales pitch work.
> >
>
>

CRWLR

Where is that number relative to a stock bike with the same motor? I am
mostly interested in stock numbers, then if I get a modified bike, then the
assumption I make is that the numbers will be better, or at least
justifiably different.

Thanks,



"HarryS" <harry-s@comcast.net> wrote in message
news:_6idnaG-F9OCTNrdRVn-sw@comcast.com...
> I have been riding for over 30 years (Harleys) all sporsters and my 03
gets
> 45 mpg stage II performance mod at 70 hp.
>
> --
> HarryS
> JAFGBR
> JAFTJO
> "CRWLR" <beerman@yahoo.com> wrote in message
> news:104fe5edfh17e5a@corp.supernews.com...
> > My commute is such that I could do it in half the time on a bike, but I
> need
> > more to get Mrs. CRWLR onboard. She is not liking the idea very much.
> >
> > I want to sell her on the idea that I will save enough on gas for the
BMW
> to
> > finance the payment on the bike. I am talking about a Real Bike here,
not
> > any sissy scooter. I have my eye on a big-bore, but have not settled on
a
> > particular make or model. I pretended for a long time that I would want
a
> > Goldwing or equivelent, but that plan supposes that Mrs. CRWLR would be
a
> > willing passenger. It seems that she won't even go into the garage if
the
> > bike is out there, let alone slide it between her knees. I have now
> > broadened my horizons to include the cruiser class (Harley and clones)
as
> > well as the touring class (Goldwing and clones). I have no interest in
the
> > crotch rockets.
> >
> > My off topic question is, what sort of mileage do you guys with the
Harley
> > type and the Goldwing type bikes get? I am hoping the number is in the
35+
> > mpg range, but my BMW delivers 25 mpg, so I need a pretty high
> differential
> > in bike mileage vs. car mileage to make my sales pitch work.
> >
>
>