New Job - New Vehicle - Motorway Miles - Cruise Control?

[NeverAgain]

I've got a new job, 4 on, 4 off shift work with accommodation included as well as a pay rise! Only down side is it's 4 hours away and the 'blade would be a poor choice to munch the miles (as well as kill tyres).

I'm wondering if any new bikes have cruise control installed so I can worry less about my speed? Other than that, what else should I consider on a bike for tedious journeys? I normally avoid motorways, too many cameras and too boring. I just need to get there.

Also considering just using the car but at 20mpg it's not exactly cheap to run.

[DRZ4Hunned]

Buy a cheap diesel car, not a chance I would want to do that sort of milage commuting on a bike. A car would be much cheaper and more comfortable.
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DRZ400-SM
FZS600

[NeverAgain]

[Tracer1234]

Expensive option, and I would probably suggest a cage, but the Triumph Tiger XRx has cruise control..

But as I said, I think a car would probably be better as I cant see many things worse that sitting on the motorway in the cold and pissing rain for 4 hours on a bike.
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Riding: Yamaha MT-09 Tracer Occasionally Riding: 08 Suzuki SV650, Potato: 2011 Yamaha YBR Custom.
Used to ride: 2015 Yamaha MT-09 Tracer (smidsy) 09 Triumph Street Triple (P/X'd) 08 Yamaha YBR (Sold)
CBT 04/14. A: Mod 1 & 2 13/04/15

[Beehive Bedlam]

[BrownTrousers]

Cruise control is fairly new for bikes isn't it? So will be limited to relatively modern, expensive ones?

Will a throttle lock do-dad not do the same job without limiting your bike choice?

But Yeh, get a car.
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Ducati Multistrada 950 | Triumph Tiger 800 XR | Honda CBR500R | Yamaha YBR 125 Custom

[DRZ4Hunned]

[Wonko The Sane]

something a bit more sports tour-y such as a ZZR600, fair bit of performance (so not going to help with the speed tickets) but a bit easier to ride long distances (used to do Manchester to Birmingham every once in a while on mine) fairly cheap to pickup and insure
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Looking to pass your CBT / Bike tests in Bury Lancashire? try www.focusridertraining.co.uk Would recommend.
They're also on Facebook https://www.facebook.com/pages/Focus-Rider-Training/196832923734251

[NeverAgain]

[M.C]

[NeverAgain]

[Kris]

Shaft drive, large capacity, big fairing. Not a BMW.

That would be my criteria. I do wish the VFR had cruise control - that would be nice.
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NSR125RR - ZXR750H1 - ZX9R E1 - GSF600S - GSF600SK3 - VFR400-NC30 - SV1000N - ST1100-R - CBR900RR-R - GSF1200SK5 - GSF600SK1 - VFR1200FA - GSXR1000K2 - ZZR1400 D8F
www.prisonplanet.com

[Teflon-Mike]

4 hours; what, 250 miles ish? That's like Plymouth to Manchester; 2/3 the length of the country.... and half a day in the saddle.
Have to say that with that sort of arse-ache journey to tackle twice a week... cruise control is about the last thing on my things to fret about!

As its only once a week; I would be thinking Train and a good book!

Can you still stick a scooter the guards van, these days to get about locally either end?
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My Webby'Tef's-tQ, loads of stuff about my bikes, my Land-Rovers, and the stuff I do with them!
Current Bikes:'Honda VF1000F' ;'CB750F2N' ;'CB125TD ( 6 3 of em!)'; 'Montesa Cota 248'. Learner FAQ's:= 'U want to Ride a Motorbike! Where Do U start?'

[choogh]

IF?. You want to use a bike .. then a BMW r1200rt, a mile eater and in some comfort.
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Current Squadron:
R1200rt. Virago 535
Loro Sono tra noi.

[andyscooter]

Kia Rio graphite 1.5 crdi

All the kit 50+ mpg

Boring as to drive but could keep the blade for fun

Cheap as to insure as scrotes think they are as shit as they are

Wife loves her and just ran out of warranty
It is a 2010 car

Nly prob we had was a mouse eating a diesel pipe

Twice

Second time replaced with a non armoured rubber pipe and its been fine for two years so far
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gilera runner vxr200 (chavped)
if its spelt wrong its my fat fingers and daft auto correct on my tablet

[NeverAgain]

[andys675]

I have ridden a triumph explorer with cruise and you can't just set it and leave it because nobody else sticks to 70mph, even those trying to stick to 70 vary their speed constantly, so you set at 70 and slowly gain on the person in front, and have to keep adjusting the set speed down to stop gaining on them and then back up again when clear.
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Some people feel the rain, others just get wet.

[TbirdX]

Car - Pug 107 or one of the equivalents - £20 road tax, 50+mpg and you won't want to go faster than 70

Bike - NC750X or S
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VFR800X - CFMoto 450MT - TTR250

[stevo as b4]

Does trains work for you I.e. Is work/digs and home all close enough to stations, to walk/cycle or get a taxi? If so then season ticket and save your bike and car for at home.

If not you need a cheap to run car. Diesel is ok or 1Ltr petrol city car etc. Fucking crap to drive on the motorway, but in say an Aygo I can do Redditch to West Cornwall on about 1/2 a tank, 240miles and that's at 70-80mph on motorway and then across Dartmoor, spanking the arse out of it. On the A30 I'd save more fuel though.

If you need local transport for a few miles here and there when away at work, buy a cheap second hand scooter a real shit chinqy or anything. Leave it at work locked up under a cover or in a storage building etc.

[Wonko The Sane]

[arthurmo]

I had a similar commute for about a year and had an explorer which had cruise control. I only really used it in roadworks and the horror of the A40 cameras. It was shaft driven so no chain maintenance and I could still filter although it was a very heavy bike. You can get a good deal on a 1 st gen as the markets flooded with em just watch out for the servicing costs. I still preferred riding in shit weather to being stuck in queues everyday in the cage and with an aftermarket screen and headphones streaming the radio it flew by.
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ducati mutleystrada
Triumph Thruxton old and knackered just like the owner

[Teflon-Mike]

[Polarbear]

My Trophy has cruise control and I've owned numerous Goldwings with it.

As said above, our roads don't really work with cruise control unless it is dead quiet. I found it wonderful on the continent on French motorways (because they a pretty empty), setting it at the speed limit and getting through the miles without getting a ticket.

It's useful for giving your right hand a rest but not much else in UK. You haven't even got a speed limiter option like some car ones have.

All that said, I do know people who use it a lot on their bikes so it's another horses for courses however I find the stereo automatic volume control much more useful.
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Victory Cross Country American tractor.

[iooi]

[RhynoCZ]