HELP Long Commute need bike to match

[TBay]

I currently have a CBR600FX 99 plate i love her to bit but she is screwing me in petrol i do a 60 mile round trip to work and back everyday and i need something that isn't as thirty can anyone help???

please note that i am 5ft and anything i get will need to be lowered to fit

Ta T

[-Matt-]

Depending how much style-points you're willing to lose an old 125 would probably be most economical and cheap, or if you want to keep a few cool-points a more modern sportier 125 perhaps, but you have to factor in the overall cost of the bike along with the lesser petrol costs as it may end up costing just as much as your currents bike petrol with the selling/buying costs

[TBay]

[quote="eitematt"]Depending how much style-points you're willing to lose an old 125 would probably be most economical and cheap, or if you want to keep a few cool-points a more modern sportier 125 perhaps, but you have to factor in the overall cost of the bike along with the lesser petrol costs as it may end up costing just as much as your currents bike petrol with the selling/buying costs [/quote]


the selling and buying not a prob. i go down the m20 everyday so a 125 is no good for me i have done the journy on my old cbr 125 and found i was forever fighting the hills. i need to stay at a 600 though may depending drop down as low as a 400

style factor is dealable

[-Matt-]

Ah sorry didn't realise motorway was a factor, 125 probably not best then like you say ..

If you're looking for a 600 to be honest you aren't going to get much greater fuel consumption where ever you look and again factoring in trouble selling/buying/reinsuring i'd say personally its probably not worth it to be honest.

What sort of MPG are you getting currently.

Maybe getting a midrange courier like a honda cb500/yamaha xj etc might be worthwhile but again theyre not all that great on fuel either to be honest, so unless yours is a particularly bad guzzler at the moment it'd be little improvement i'd think

[TBay]

it meant to only do about 30mpg i know i have a 17 litre tank and can do 120 mile before she id dry but 30 of them is on petrol light

[-Matt-]

Hmm 30mph is fairly poor tbh, my zx6 averages 40-50, but i ride very generously and calmly most of the time so i'd say most people probably are getting 35-40.

My mate with a cb500 gets 40-50 on that regularly with average day to day riding not hammering it.

It is very hit and miss with mpg though depending on traffic/personal riding style/bike condition etc so i wouldnt bank too much on 'saving 10mpg' on statistics between yours at 30 and another that 'averages' 40 to be honest.

Out of interest do you ride it fairly agressively, 30mpg does seem quite low for a 600 i'd of thought

[Probably stating the obvious but just in case - To get accurate mpg also - fill her up to the brim, ride near to an empty tank, fill up, get the reciept - note the mileage down before resetting. Converts litres on reciept to gallons and divide miles by gallons. Do that 3 or 4 times and you should have a fairly good idea what sort of MPG you're realistically getting ]

[P.addy]

I do a 55 mile round trip on a 125 on the M20. No real issues here apart from Wrotham Hill basically. Speed drops to 60.

Costs me <£25 for the whole weeks commute.

[CaNsA]

I do a 60mile round trip each day on my zxr400.
I get about 100miles for a £12 - £14 quid, depending on where i fill up.

hth

[yen_powell]

[fatpies]

I'd probably be more cost effective to go easier on the throttle and keep it under 5000rpm than to buy a whole new bike.

But 30mpg is pretty bad.

But even if you get something with 50mpg thats only a saving of about a gallon a week. Which means it'll take ages to get back the costs of buying another re-insuring etc.
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[Wonko The Sane]

I'm doing 25 miles each way on a ZZR 600 and managing to average 48-50mpg

tis motorway for all but a mile or so each way including one of the hilliest bits of motorway I know of.

Like Eitematt, I ride steadily which helps.

Is it worth looking at altering the gearing on your bike?

adding a tooth to the sprocket or chainwheel would lower the revs slightly at your cruising speed so should help save a bit of fuel.

[esullivan]

Both the BMW G650 (which can be lowered) and Honda NC700 (the X or S, but the S has a lower seat) easily get 170-190 miles to a tank, or 60-80mpg. They are new-ish, though, and aren't cheap.

I like both. I did my DAS on the BMW and now own a NC700s. Plenty of juice for motorways or traffic-light drag racing, even two-up. I have even done some touring in it, although long motorway trips on these naked bikes can get a bit tiring.
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Current: '14 VFR800X Test passed 31/10/12.
Previous: '12 NC700S, '11 CBF 125, '04 SH 125.

[pinkyfloyd]

Thats even worse fuel consumption than my Firestorm and thats one of the thirstiest bikes in the world.

Personally I think thats not right. I would get it looked into rather than changing the bike. The average I could find looking around with a quick google seems to be around 38-40mpg which sounds about right for the make.

I'd check your fueling. Get the fuel lines checked for leaks, check the carbs are set up and shes not running rich.
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[P.addy]

Indeed, it does sound very low, my RR was getting more and that thing drank like it was pissed.

If you are near Maidstone, can have a quick look over it if you wanted?

[Rogerborg]

Fuelly says you should be getting much better than that.
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[pinkyfloyd]

[Stowelly]

Your cbr should be able to do 120-130 before the light comes on :s how hard are you riding it?

[kitty kat]

I get over 43mpg on a Honda deauville 650. It has 2 panniers & mine came with a top box - perfect to keep lid in whilst at work. Ok not the most sport looking bike (ok not sporty at all ) but it does exactly what I bought it for - commuting.

[Wafer_Thin_Ham]

I can get 150 miles before the fuel light pretty consistently. Are you doing the entire commute in third gear?
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[jeddy11]

Would a ninja 250 or 300 be a little too small for the motorways ?? there supposed to pretty frugal..
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[-Matt-]

[DrDonnyBrago]

[Bendy]

I had an FX/FY, downgeared like a bugger (so was always sitting at higher revs than really needed to be) and my mpg was better than that!

It's either riding style or your bike isn't fuelling right.

I used to easily get 140 before the light came on (remember, downgeared) and once saw 167 before I bottled it assuming the light must have broken (it hadn't, I'd just found the part of the rev range where it apparently ran on air).

[ficedula]

Eh, you should be able to get decent MPG out of a 600 ... I'm doing about 300 miles per week commuting - the XJ600 gets around 65mpg, & fill up after 180 miles (not sure exactly how far you can go before you hit reserve, but based on how much I'm putting in, I reckon you'd manage 200 before reserve).

I'm not riding it like it's on fire, but it's mostly A roads, so doing a fairly consistent 70 on the dual carriageways, and 60 plus some overtaking of slower traffic on the single carriageways.
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Bike history: YBR125 -> XJ600

[MarJay]

BMW singles are supposed to be very good on fuel but 30mpg on a CBR600 is crap.
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