Keeping up with motorway traffic cheaply

[AndyGB]

This is my first post so please be gentle.

I'm currently riding a Suzuki GN125 for my 40 mile commute from home (Wakefield) to work (Halifax) and back.

The driver behind this is to reduce costs (100 mpg vs 35 mpg in the car). However it takes about an hour each way as I currently have just got CBT under my belt so can't legally use the motorways, almost doubling my journey time. As an experiment I have recently done the journey via the motorway on the 125 (I know it was illegal and isn't something I will be repeating) and although it was possible I would feel a lot more comfortable on something that would keep up with the traffic uphills and with a headwind. However I don't want to sacrifice too much of the cost saving.

So is there anything out there that will let me sit on the motorway at 70/75 MPH, that is faired so that I don't get buffeted about by the wind as much as I do now and that does more than 60MPG (otherwise the fuel cost savings are negated by the capital outlay on the bike itself and insurance costs etc) ?

I've been reading lots of reviews etc but to be honest I am bamboozled by the choice of bikes out there.

Some background info I'm 40 (driving cars for 22 years), no longer as slim as I once was so comfort is quite important and intending to take my test within the next couple of months.

Any advice gratefully received.

Andy

[instigator]

My GPZ500S does 60mpg easily sitting at 70-80mph. Infact, mine does 60mpg with mixed use motorway/town use. Should be more just sitting on the motorway.

Yours for £750.

[Itchy]

As with all things it depends on how you ride it....

If you keep the revs in the optimum zone then it'll do 60mpg or more, but you don't ride the bike to its capabilities.

An old XJ600 with a top fairing did 55mpg , but you had to ride it gently everywhere ,

There are some thoughts about this:

IL4 engines are thirstier than twins as they rev higher even at a stand still , an SV650 and or a NTV650 both twins , rev up to 9000rpm , and idle at 1100rpm , my CBR600F revs up to 13000RPM and idles at 1600rpm.

Thus as per a recent top gear its the way that you ride it not the bike itself , barring some weird beasts like XJ900 which I had for a week and cost me a ton of petrol as it did 35mpg riding easy.
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[MaybeGuy]

even a 250 like a superdream would satisfy your needs.

you just need a licence... as by the sounds of it you're on a CBT.
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Blue_SV650S wrote: it was a sh1te wheelie, but it proves that he can get it up in 3rd and can do angles. In summery, mattsprattuk is a gobby little sh1tebag, dopehead tw4t, but sadly for all of us, he probably isn't THAT full of sh1te!!
Kickstart wrote: Hi I tend to agree with Matt. All the best Keith

[AndyGB]

[nasty]

AndyGB, as you're still on your CBT you don't have many options really. You could go for a 2stroke like the NSR125, Aprilla RS125 and the likes, they will easily keep up with the traffic and give a good return on fuel if you don't thrash them. Downsides are that they are higher maintainence bikes, not so comfortable on longer journeys (arse in the air riding position, doesn't bother me though) and some people might feel like a bit of a plum riding a 125 that's trying to look like a super sports bike (again, doesn't bother me).
If you're prpared to drop a few MPG for the easily superior performance then that's your best bet.
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ZX6R F3

[AndyGB]

[swiftb]

A gs500 or a xj600 diversion are cheap to buy and would do the trick nicely.

[nasty]

[ms51ves3]

Kittykat off this forum regularly gets 60+ mpg from her Yamaha FZ6s

[iooi]

XJ600S.
I get 65 MPG at least, will happly do 70 on m/way no problem, will go faster as well, on a private road 6K revs is 80mph in top so its not even got into its get up and drink petrol band.
Costs next to nowt to run. Easy to work on.

Mine was sub 1K, P reg does 9K a year. Other than a set of tyres has cost me next to nowt over that period. Now has 35K on the clock and still runs sweet as owt.
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Just because my bike was A DIVVY, does not mean i am......

[The Shaggy D.A.]

[AndyGB]

Thanks for all the advice. I've just got back from having a look at an FZ6, 650SA and ER-6F as well as a Ninja 250R.

It looks like I will be going down the DAS route as the salesman in the Kawasaki dealer suggested I didn't go for the 250R as it would be working harder at motorway speeds than the ER6 and so actually cost more to run given what I wanted to do.

So that leaves me with the FZ6, 650SA and ER-6, all of which I like the look of however as the first two only have top fairings I am assuming I would get more wind buffeting with them than I would the ER-6, would that be right ?

[Kal]

CB500s if you can find one, if not then a CB500 with a small aftermarket screen

The 1996 naked CB500R I was riding happily saw 110mph on the clocks and got 77mpg regardless of how it was ridden.
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Kal...
I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It I Like To Hoon It Hoon It Ya Like To (HOON IT!).
1984 GB250 Clubman,1983 CB250N Superdream, 1999 GPZ500S

[iooi]

[tsmith]

GPZ500s will do it easy.

Fit a taller screen and it will drastically reduce wind buffetting and the bike will get between 65 and 70mpg if you stick to 70 on the motorway. They are only insurance group 8 as well.

[pyx_e]

My 650 Versys is more economical than my old ER5. I put it down to the electronic fuel control / carburetor thing. The ER6 uses basically the same engine as the Versys. What I am trying to say is modern bikes are better at MPG through engineering and electronics. I think an ER6-f would be a good buy for you.

My tatty old ER5 would sit at 70 all day, the new ER6's would do 70-80 without breaking a sweat.
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Shiney!
Kawasaki: ER5, Versys, VN900.

[AndyGB]

[pyx_e]

mmmm best do the test first, the biking gods have a thing about hubris.

Humilty is all.
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Shiney!
Kawasaki: ER5, Versys, VN900.

[AndyGB]

[stevo as b4]

The ER6 is a nice enough bike for everything really. Im glad that you have been tempted right into the biking thing and are going for the DAS route and a big bike, as you will enjoy biking like everyone else does who has been tempted and made the decision to go for it.

However, citing the original cost issue's as the reason why you wanted to use a bike for commuting, and the limited demands you have for your machine, then i can't help think that a simple basic bike like a Honda CB250 etc, would be ample and ideal for what you want/need. You would also save quite a bit of cash by not having to do the direct access training, and paying out to take a test on a bigger bike, that could be wasted if it's only ever going to be an economical form of A-B transport.

[Jacob]

Good Luck with your test m8!

You have made the right choice imo in terms of riding on a motorway and keeping safe. I have ridden a Honda CG once on a motorway after passing my test to pick up my new 600. Something you would never catch me repeating due to the sheer effort in trying to keep up with the traffic

with a 600, this is suddenly not an issue

My advice to anyone commuting the motorways on 2 wheels is to get yourself something that can seriously hit 80 and then some.

Cagers do not make allowances for anything and so having the xtra power at your fingertips is dead handy, especially when a slip road is merging into the main motorway lanes and you have some brain dead muppet trying to join......

[AndyGB]

[luke27]

I think your 100% right about not going for a 250cc bike.
The dealer is correct.
Also at least a half fairing is a must on the motorway.

The Kawasaki ER6 is getting a decent upgrade for 2009.
The new 2009 model has loads of improvements compared to the old ones.
So the old models (2008 and before) have devalued.

The dealers are trying to shift brand new 2008 models.
I went in to my local dealer a few weeks ago and he said that Kawasaki still had some in their central warehouse.
They are selling the 2008 ER6-F for £3800 brand new on the road.
Thats a bargain!

One thing I have noticed is this bike devalues a lot 2nd hand.
Even before the 2009 model was announced.

[AndyGB]

Well I've just had my brother look over an ER6-F which is 250 miles away from me and as he says it is Ok I've bought it.

£3295 has got me a 2008 ABS model with heated grips, mushrooms, uprated silencers, under tray and various other add-ons which he did mention but I've forgotten the details of, so I am very happy