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45 mile each way commute

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Craig_H_94
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PostPosted: 01:04 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: 45 mile each way commute Reply with quote

So just looking for a general consensus from those of you who do long commutes if this is feasible.
Right now my girlfriend is 80 miles away, we both have good jobs that we can't really leave, things are getting serious and as her tenancy agreement is running out we are considering locating in the middle.

The route would be all motorway (with a fun option)

Would commuting 45 miles eachway drive me insane?
Would the bike cope without racking up huge costs? (2009 hornet with 30k on the clock now)
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cb1rocket
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PostPosted: 01:07 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

Bike is fine but expect fuel costs to rocket on that. Maybe an nc700 will be cheaper to run or get a 250 etc
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CaNsA
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PostPosted: 01:08 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

FWIW i get about 120miles from £12-£14 on the zxr400.
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 01:10 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

While certainly possible it is a fair few miles. ~20k a year before you do any miles for pleasure (although you might not want to after doing that much), and realistically over an hour each way. With a Hornet petrol tank you might have to fill up every day. You will do through at least 2 sets of tyres and a chain and sprocket set each year (or more).

So about £2500 in petrol, £400 in tyres and £100 in chain and sprockets each year.

All the best

Keith
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stinkwheel
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PostPosted: 01:14 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Re: 45 mile each way commute Reply with quote

Craig_H_94 wrote:

Would commuting 45 miles eachway drive me insane?


Yes. Anything more than a year of that shit will cause a mental breakdown. If you're well paid, it'll be a full time job. You're adding a 2 hour commute to a full working day. There will be no time left after personal admin to spend with your significant other.

Quote:
Would the bike cope without racking up huge costs? (2009 hornet with 30k on the clock now)


Nope.

You'd need a big, shaft-driven tourer to keep that shit up. 450 miles/week. 1800 miles/month. 21,600/year.

By the time you're back from work after that sort of day, you REALLY can't be arsed doing constant routine maintainance. It'll destroy your relationship.

If you both have as good job as you imply. Buy a property in each location. Split the commuting.

If you can't afford to do that (property is still the best investment, offset it as part of your pension) the jobs are not as good as you seem to think. One or both of you needs to move.

EDIT: I should add that Mrs stinkwheel and I are both vets. I was commuting from Cumbria to York on the bike during my free time. Nearly ended the relationship. Fucked a VFR750 within 2 years. My work suffered because I was so tired all the time. Relationship suffered because we were still spending so much time apart.

It can work short term, especially if it means earning a good nest-egg in a very highly paid job. Long term, if you are going to live with someone, you need to live with them. That involves both being in the same place and having a shared life. It's called commitment, you can't achieve it without one or both parties making a sacrifice unless you are very lucky. One person making all the effort breeds resentment, justified or not.
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Craig_H_94
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PostPosted: 01:36 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

You all raise valid points. Her pay is good mine is pretty poor but the scheme I am on is worth sticking out as the rewards (funded degrees and a significant salery) are worth it.

The move would be for a year or so not permenant and to be fair I am putting a good 13k on the bike a year as it is...

Plenty of time to sit down and have some serious talks and look at the financial aspects of things, I was just wanting to know if anyone does similar commutes (I know a few people ride into London daily and that must take at least an hour?) in my place of work a 30 mile commute seems pretty standard although obviously not on a bike.

The problem is even I I got a car the insurance would be so high due to my age and 0 car NCB it works out a hell of a lot cheaper just to run the bike into the ground.
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Kickstart
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PostPosted: 01:43 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

Hi

I have done a 27 mile commute each for a couple of jobs. On the routes it was realistically an hour each way and that was OK. Enough time to not be unpleasant. Pain in snow though. Not sure a bike works out really any cheaper though for me. Insurance isn't really an issue either way for me, and while the bike is better on petrol it costs more in tyres, chains, oil changes, etc.

Possible suggestion, rent a hotel for a week in that mid point area and give it a try.

All the best

Keith
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iooi
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PostPosted: 07:06 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

What other option would there be for getting to work. Should the bike not be working?

Boss will not be pleased if your excuse for not turning up is bike won't start and I have no other way of getting in....
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neil.
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PostPosted: 08:09 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did a 30 mile each way commute for 5 years on 125s. Collectively accumulated 70'000 miles. Winter is horrible, having to maintain the bike, whilst not technically challenging on the ones I had, became a chore because I was servicing every 8 weeks. That didn't include the routine stuff once or twice a week or the emergency jobs where I'd be up till the early hours to make sure I could get to work the next day. I have a wife and 4 kids so you can see how this might get in the way of my family life... I did it out of necessity but enjoyed it for a while. I saved a fortune compared to using a train or car. It was also the quickest way to get to work based on where I was working and where I lived. It's awful though when doing something so much in such shitty circumstances starts to take away your passion for it.

Just jacked it in for the train a couple of months ago as I got a pay rise and happened to move house and place of work at the same time such that I only need to take one train in and I'm five minutes walk away from each station at either end. But I have my license and can think about riding for pleasure, especially when the kids grow up, I'd like to take the wife touring over weekends. Looking forward to it. Smile

And my employer can't get arsey when the trains are up the creek. Funny how their attitudes change when it's your own transport though...
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c_dug
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PostPosted: 08:32 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

I did what sounds like a very similar commute (45 miles each way, mostly motorways/dual carriageway), my weapon of choice was a £300 ntv600. The shaft drive was a godsend! It was a temporary placement from the end of summer to the end of march. Admittedly I was wearing mostly handed down and crash tested gear but doing that length of commute through the winter was hell!

If I did it again, which I wouldn't, ever, I'd probably want my current bike for the trip which I'm sure would have made it far more bearable. A hornet would be far down my list of bikes.
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Shinigami
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PostPosted: 09:15 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

As mentioned you'll become very good friends with your local petrol station doing that as you'll be filling up every single day Thumbs Up

Had a hornet and it hits reserve at about 120 miles
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esullivan
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PostPosted: 09:37 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

That commute is quite normal in the U.S. I did a similar route for 20 years. I was in a car, though.

When we moved to London, I spent the better part of three hours a day in the Tube for 10 years, thinking that was normal (and it is normal for several million people). That's a month of my life a year, on the fucking Central Line...

It's certainly doable, and you'll get used to almost anything, but it sure is soul destroying. If the relationship is worth it, sell the Hornet and buy a car, or if you insist on the bike at least get a Pan-European or similar shaft-driven mile-muncher.
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dydey90
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PostPosted: 10:31 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

I work in Nottingham, my mrs, friends, family etc. are all in Leeds. I'm sticking it out until I finish the college course that work paid for, then moving back. Worked here about 18 months now and while I rent here through the week, it's a pain in the arse going up and down the M1 every Friday and Sunday.

I'd say that Bolsover is the halfway point (only know this because of the drive through mcdonalds right next to the motorway) and that's too far on a daily basis in commuter time traffic.
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1198
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PostPosted: 10:50 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

2009 Hornet, 30k on the clock already? New enough to be reliable I'd say, not brand new so you're terrified of using it?
Keep it, smash the miles on it. Stick purely roAd tyres on it, buy a couple of pairs at a time if you can find a bargain. Make friends with your nearest local decent mechanic or do as much as possible.
Also find which is the cheapest fuel on your route. A penny a litre doesn't make much odds occasionally, but for big miles, and as you're passing anyhow, it adds up.
Get decent warm / heated clothes if possible, being cold soon looses its appeal....
The list goes on...
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bikertomm
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PostPosted: 10:54 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've a 55 mile commute each way, and it's a fucking pig.

I have an 07 hornet but I don't ride to work, but I can assure you filling up everyday will get slightly tiresome?

On a bike I suppose it won't be too bad in the summer, but just prepare for your time to go out the window.

When I go to work I leave just before 8ish and can sometimes get there at 10. I then leave at around 6.30-7pm and try to be home for just after 8. By the time you've had a quick workout, dinner and a shower it's bedtime to start all over again.

It takes some willpower and throw girlfreinds into the mix and it can get messy, of course won't be a problem if she's understanding.

TL;DR be prepared to lose out on free time you had before Thumbs Up
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yen_powell
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PostPosted: 11:13 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've been doing 50 miles each way since 97.

I did this mostly on three Africa Twins, an FJ1200 and now my Varadero. Oddly the FJ was not the best bike for the job.

If your journey really is all motorway then time wise it'll be max 45 minutes each way. I know people who sit on a train for much longer than that and then have to walk at each end of their journey.

Because of my type of journey, brake pads last me forever as do chains usually. Tyres go square long before the tread goes. I'm getting about 12,000 plus miles from a set of Tourances on the Varadero, I got similar on the ATs.

I spend between 12 and 14 quid a day on fuel. The petrol station staff zero the pump as soon as I lift the nozzle as they know I'm not going to run off still wearing my helmet without paying. They have never seen my face and don't know I'm the same bloke who fills his car up there sometimes.

Oil changes/spark plug changes and air filter changes will come round more often, so a bike that's easy to work on is a big plus.

Going home on a cold dark winter night can be a drag sometimes, there are nights so bad weather wise, especially high winds and heavy rain, when I wonder if I'll make it home alive. These are rare occasions but inevitable.
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goto10
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PostPosted: 11:38 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Re: 45 mile each way commute Reply with quote

Craig_H_94 wrote:
So just looking for a general consensus from those of you who do long commutes if this is feasible.
Right now my girlfriend is 80 miles away, we both have good jobs that we can't really leave, things are getting serious and as her tenancy agreement is running out we are considering locating in the middle.

The route would be all motorway (with a fun option)

Would commuting 45 miles eachway drive me insane?
Would the bike cope without racking up huge costs? (2009 hornet with 30k on the clock now)


I do ~42 miles each way (84 miles a day) - a chunk of which is in central London - I use an NC700S, for me it's quicker, cheaper and less hassle than using the train. It can get a bit grim in Jan/Feb, but it's not _that_ bad.
Muffs, chain oiler, heated clothing/grips are all essential items though.
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ocatoro
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PostPosted: 12:01 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

I do 45 each way at the moment split between bike and car. we're moving shortly, and it'll be up to 55 each way.. and either be full time on the bike, or pay the severn bridge every day perfectly fine if youre awake and can keep warm.
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Radis
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PostPosted: 12:07 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

My commute at the moment is about an hour each way but as I am a contractor it only lasts until March so I can put up with it for now. It is tedious, motorway riding is completely boring and slightly soul destroying especially in the winter. If you can do it for a short period then it is worth it but I personally wouldn't carry on with a commute this long/boring for more than 6 months.
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Craig_H_94
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PostPosted: 12:16 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

I've got stupidly warm and dry winter gear as well as heated grips and gloves + scotoiler etc already fitted.
I got the bike with the intention of running it into the ground anyway (the newer model was cheaper insurance) I got it with 5k on slightly over 2 years ago. Actually slightly under 2 years so I'm doing more miles than I thought already! (Admittedly most are fun miles)

The move wouldn't be till February/march anyway but were looking at options well in advance.
I do a load of basic maintainer myself and have a garage right next to work that is cheap and trustworthy (wouldn't take my bike anywhere else tbh)

If there are any major problems my parents house (where I am living now) is 8 miles away from work and my dad works in the same place so bumping a lift wouldn't be a problem.

I'm glad to hear others do similar journeys, I'm used to long miles on the bike and an 80 mile one way trip on a weekend to see her feels effortless now (often a 120 mile fun route too) (FYI she travels up just as much as I travel down)
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cbrtrxtdmvfrD...
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PostPosted: 12:18 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

21 full years completed commuting 32 miles per day each way (64 daily total) as i wanted to live by the sea but was working in the city. All Honda's, all CBR600's - 4 of them in fact, would buy low mileage 3 year old bike then keep it until i had passed at least 80,000 miles on the clock then re-sell and start again - only one engine expired, the last one funnily enough at 86,300 miles recorded - The journey took just over 30 minutes, the traffic was so bad a car journey at the same time lasted well over an hour. Now i have retired from city life and have a job in the country, 3 full years completed at 45 miles per day, 2 years on a TDM850 and now as i'm getting on a bit for heavy weight machinery a KTM Duke 2 - i can push it with one hand and already clocked up 11,000 miles more on it then when i bought it
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1198
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PostPosted: 12:27 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

cbrtrxtdmvfrDAVE wrote:
KTM Duke 2 - i can push it with one hand and already clocked up 11,000 miles more mainly on the back wheel then when i bought it
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fatpies
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PostPosted: 12:32 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

While a lot of people will say MTFU.

It will cost you loads and burn into your time everyday.

I lived just outside Halifax and worked in Trafford for a while.

On paper this is motorway all the way and it was reasonably fast from HX1 to the M60 and got clogged up. As the M62 joined the M60.

Then it got clogged up to Trafford where the M60 split into the M62 again.

On a good day it took 50 minutes, on a bad day it took 75 minutes each way, as stinky says adding 3 hours a day which utterly kills you. You can do it for a short time before it drives you nuts.

The M62 wasn't great as people kept jumping off bridges and closing the motorway took me till 1am to get home once.

I burned a LOT of petrol as well and wore out a set of tyres and I did it in a CAR.
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goto10
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PostPosted: 12:47 - 27 Nov 2013    Post subject: Reply with quote

bikertomm wrote:

I have an 07 hornet but I don't ride to work, but I can assure you filling up everyday will get slightly tiresome?


The NC700 will do >170 miles on a tank (loads of stop/start city riding and cruising at 70 (+/- 20)), so I only need to fill up every other day. But even that gets a bit dull, so I have a 20L jerry can that I fill up during the weekend, which is then used to top the bike up during the week - so I only need to stop at the petrol station on the bike once a week (on Friday evenings)
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