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GAS Budgeting for Rally?

Polarbear

Polarbear
I figure my Rally travels this year to be quite more expensive and have had to manage my budget accordingly to find more GAS funds:). Anybody else have genious GAS budget ideas to make more money for rally play time? Setting aside twice the money for such is getting rediculous, but needed nowadays. The prices out west(CA) are getting nearer and nearer to 5 bucks a gallon:(. I went all the way to Vermont and back home to California on 400$ in 2006, for gas. Today it will run that, just for Wyoming. We know it already, of course, but "where are you" finding the extra funds in your lifestyle? I'm not paid more at work, are you? I'll keep my rally life alive somehow and keep on bik'in, but its a shame we're eating it from somebody way up there. Suggestions for gas budgeting is a good topic and our rally needs attendees, as always in large numbers and we'll have fun despite the horrible gas issue at hand. I can't help but wonder, however if the rally will suffer at all with this crisis of 5 dollar gas. Hope not. I'm saving all I can and ride my bikes nearly everywhere nowadays, because my diesel p/u truck is a 130$ fillup:(. My last fillup on my GSA1200 was 34$. PO'd, you bet! Randy 13233"Polarbear". :drink
 
Last year I was out for 3 weeks straight and lugged camping equipment the whole way, even though I only camped at West Bend. I used lower level motels and friends while on the road.

This year I have fewer friends in the area of travel and will be using the camping gear the whole time. That should mare than make up for the increase in gas costs. Course, it may also justify more spending at the rallies.

I have wrangled free parking at work, so basic gas costs per week, driving $30.00, bussing $20.00, riding $7.00. Ok, $10.00 for riding because the road home is always longer than the road to work.

Oh well, it's only money and I get more every two weeks.
 
I am budgeting $600 for gas for my trip from Rhode Island to Wy, the TOR and back.

My fuel budget for the 2009 Iron Butt Rally is $2,500. This includes the trip to the start and back with the FJ and trailer.
 
Gasoline Prices/Consumption National Rally Seminar

I agree with you about the high gasoline prices. I am traveling through the USA Southwest all summer on my 2004 R1150RT, expect to travel 13,000 miles this summer, and I have budgeted $1,300 for gasoline for the summer. I suggest a seminar at the Gillette National Rally seminar on how we can cut our gasoline consumption on our BMW motorcycles.

I have worked out a breakeven price differential for my 2004 R1150RT, to decide whether I should purchase regular (86/87 octane), mid-Grade (89 octane) or premium (91+ octane) based upon price per gallon, in the hopes of saving some money on gasoline. I get 40 MPG using regular, 42 MPG using mid-Grade, and 45 MPG using premium gasoline. My price differential breakeven points are 17 cents per gallon for regular versus mid-Grade AND 26 cents per gallon for premium versus mid-Grade. It should be noted that my bike appears to perform just as well on regular, mid-Grade or premium.

For example, if regular gasoline costs $3.50 per gallon, I can pay $3.67 ($3.50 + 17 cents) per gallon for mid-Grade or $3.93 ($3.67 + 26 cents) per gallon for premium, AND BREAKEVEN money-wise using either regular, mid-Grade or premium based upon my MPG for regular versus mid-Grade versus premium. Whichever gasoline type is (the most) less than my breakeven price differentials, I use in that fill-up. If the breakeven price differentials are equal, I'll purchase premium gasoline, since the price values are exactly the same, so I might as well go with the highest octane.

Another example, assume the price of regular is $3.50, mid-Grade is $3.70 and premium is $3.90. Based upon these prices premium would be purchased. $3.70 mid-Grade is more than 17 cents higher than $3.50 regular; but premium at $3.90 is less than 43 cents (17 cents + 26 cents) higher than regular at $3.50.

All I have to remember is my 17 & 26 cents price differentials and I can quickly tell (on the fly) which gas station & which pump to visit based upon gasoline prices.
Richard
 
Very intersting work;

Never figured it out that way. Good. I found recently my BMW runs fine on mid grade gasoline too, but it seemed to make little if any difference in mpg's. California is also approaching 5 dollars for premium and I know we are pricier than most of the USA. Another thing is CA gas has been modified soooo much to prevent good mpg's and I frequently do better when leaving the state, as my mpg's rise substantially by 10%+, out of CA. I have good reasons to leave this stink'in state someday and this just adds to my list. One great riding state for bikes, but you don't want to live here unless your politics are way left...Randy13233
 
Price of fuel is a big problem for me. I barely make ends meet as is due to being under-self-employed, and with prices being as they are I don't think I'll be able to do my usual 10- or 11-day trip. I think this one will just be ride up, rally, ride home. I'll probably still have to do some plastic-abuse to make it happen.
 
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Tick-tock.

For me between the price of gas, having to come alone most of the way, time away from work, that story in ON "Learning on the Road" and another big trip to the BMW Mexico Rally in GDL and PV with at least 7 to 8 in the group already, made me make the decision to not come or fly. But now at least I'll be there by flying. Yahoo :clap , and the flight was just under $500, car rental $175, hotel $270+taxes, makes it almost the same as the gas would cost round trip on some of the above calculations. :deal

I can live being that far away, bike-less, and then going to GDL and PV on the bike when it cools off here mid-October.
 
I figure my Rally travels this year to be quite more expensive and have had to manage my budget accordingly to find more GAS funds:).
"where are you" finding the extra funds in your lifestyle? I'm not paid more at work, are you?

I'm saving all I can and ride my bikes nearly everywhere nowadays, because my diesel p/u truck is a 130$ fillup:(. My last fillup on my GSA1200 was 34$. PO'd, you bet! Randy 13233"Polarbear". :drink

:stick Um..... you are riding a $16,000 (probably $20K with accessories) machine that is a lifestyle choice. You could do the same trip on an older used machine, a V-Strom or probably a hundred or more other choices if money is really a problem. Actually, when money is so tight you have to make vacation decisions based upon on the gas expense maybe you should just stay home.

I'm just sayin.......:bolt
 
:stick Um..... you are riding a $16,000 (probably $20K with accessories) machine that is a lifestyle choice. You could do the same trip on an older used machine, a V-Strom or probably a hundred or more other choices if money is really a problem. Actually, when money is so tight you have to make vacation decisions based upon on the gas expense maybe you should just stay home.

I'm just sayin.......:bolt

Ya know it really offends me when someone assumes I have a lot of money so it is ok to rip me off.

Six months ago it cost 30% less to fill a tank. I have also noted other prices rising too.

For someone one on a fixed income or a retiree this is signifigant don't you think?

Bully for you that you can easily absorb such a dramatic and sudden rise in expenses.
 
Actually, when money is so tight you have to make vacation decisions based upon on the gas expense maybe you should just stay home.

......says the man who apparently is not affected by escalating gas prices.

I am with Tweety on this one. My summer riding and vacation plans have been changed by the higher cost of fuel, and the higher prices of all things that are delivered by fuel-driven vehicles.

I wish [lack-of] money didn't dictate my vacations - but it does.

I'll see you in Gillette. But probably not by way of Sonoma, as was my original plan for the summer.
 
I knew I would pluck a few feathers with this one. The point is that the original poster is riding a late model R1200GSA, not a 1973 R60/5 or a 1990 K75 nor anything a budget minded individual would choose.

I think that distinction makes a difference when placing whinning about a cost into its proper perspective.
 
......says the man who apparently is not affected by escalating gas prices.

I am with Tweety on this one. My summer riding and vacation plans have been changed by the higher cost of fuel, and the higher prices of all things that are delivered by fuel-driven vehicles.

I wish [lack-of] money didn't dictate my vacations - but it does.

I'll see you in Gillette. But probably not by way of Sonoma, as was my original plan for the summer.


Mine is more affected by riding a RT of 2500 miles alone, and 7-8 days vs 4 days, but fuel costs do add-in to the calculations.

Hope to meet you in Gillette Sue, and as many others as I can.
 
Hmmmm....

I didn't take Randy's original post as whining at all, rather it was soliciting ideas for dealing with the higher prices of fuel, how that pretty much affects the costs of many goods, and the fact that our salaries/pensions/etc. are automatically adjusted for these prices.

Let's face it, traveling to, and attending rallies isn't exactly considered a life essential, but it certainly fits the category of "lifestyle choice". So, in order to be able to attend rallies with a flat income, what do you do?

Frankly, I'm not sure at this point if I'll attend ANY rallies this season, although it's always been my intention of going to the MOA National. Time will tell. Fuel prices and prices of goods overall certainly are impacting my cash flow.

Here's what we've been doing at our house:

- Carpooling. My wife and I carpool to work every chance we get.
- 2 wheel commuting. Now that spring is here, I'm commuting on 2 wheels, and Hooray! My wife has accepted a transfer that will put her within 4 miles of the house, so she'll also be commuting by scooter.
- Grocery shopping. Eating at home more than out.
- Thermostat down in the winter, up in the summer.
- CFL bulbs.

Lots of stuff.
 
Hi Bob, from Virginia;

My home state, born there and into my mid 20's, before moving away. Virginia is fine and I miss some of it, with most all my folks still there. WELL, I ride a R100/7 too and bought her new in '78(300000+ miles), along side my GSA1200, so I'm rich indeed:). I play rich, anyhow. The wealthiest among us have always, or most probably have complained about high costs of, you name it! I'm not immune and got my funds by being frugal sometimes. Are you different than this? Yep, I ride the most expensive of Beemers and love it. I earned it the same way most all of us earn anything. Go figure. GAS, its a rough time for anybody with or without and a topic of good discussion here, I hope. I would enjoy reading how most are planning their big summer ride(s). I may learn something:) and save even MORE:). Be good, Happy Trails, Randy13233"Polarbear":D
 
I knew I would pluck a few feathers with this one. The point is that the original poster is riding a late model R1200GSA, not a 1973 R60/5 or a 1990 K75 nor anything a budget minded individual would choose.

I think that distinction makes a difference when placing whinning about a cost into its proper perspective.

You don't know his situation. I retired 5 years ago at 55 by living under my means since I graduated college (of which I paid 100% myself while married). I gave my wife and myself our first and last new camper and truck as a reward for many years of using and driving clunkers. A stranger would assume I had plenty of money when they saw my new truck pulling my new camper. Boy, would they be wrong. We are on a fixed income that is not going to increase much in the future. Inflation is killing us because inflation for us is far more than what is published by the government. Almost all of our purchases are for goods that have been impacted greatly by energy costs because we already have and don't need the things that is included in the cost of living index that is used to calculate the interest rate and the lowering of interest rates greatly lowers our income from our savings and investments. We buy food that ethanol production and transportation has caused to go up a lot, energy (gas, electricity, etc) and not a lot else.

Over the last 5 years, my income has stayed the same or declined (lower interest) as the items I have bought (food and energy) have skyrocketed.
 
:laugh

I'm enjoying this.

Okay, now I'll make a positive suggestion to the original problem (which has no solution).

Get a siphon hose and shop at night :ear
 
More than you may think;

This has happened, from some word I've heard around the USA. Diesel rigs owners are especially concerned about theft of fuels on board. Us bikers are ammune from this, of course. We're respectable:). Randy13233
 
This has happened, from some word I've heard around the USA. Diesel rigs owners are especially concerned about theft of fuels on board. Us bikers are ammune from this, of course. We're respectable:). Randy13233

And we have locking gas caps.

By the way, fuel thefts are rampant here, too. They are knocking over pumps and siphoning it off the lines with special equipment. A special task force has been assigned to this, but no arrests, yet.
 
Speed and gas mileage

I did a little experiment the other day on a moderately hilly New Hampshire 4 lane. I set the cruise on my R1200RT at about 63 and over a 40 mile ride including about 10 miles of 2 lane with a few stop signs I got 63 MPG riding solo with no gear. I normally get 55 MPG riding 2 up with a variety of country/town riding.

Sooo, it may be a slower ride to Gillette but I hope to see significant fuel savings:clap
 
Fuel Savings

I did a little experiment the other day on a moderately hilly New Hampshire 4 lane. I set the cruise on my R1200RT at about 63 and over a 40 mile ride including about 10 miles of 2 lane with a few stop signs I got 63 MPG riding solo with no gear. I normally get 55 MPG riding 2 up with a variety of country/town riding.

Sooo, it may be a slower ride to Gillette but I hope to see significant fuel savings:clap

Bill,
I agree that reduced speed yields increased gasoline mileage. I am amazed that you got 63 MPG riding solo with no gear and 55 MPG riding 2 up with a variety of country/town riding. Please report what gasoline mileage you get over several concecutive tankfuls. I would be very interested in the average MPG for the R1200RT.

On my 1999 R1100RT, while traveling for an entire summer (solo with lots & lots of camping gear), I would average 50 MPG on the open road at moderate speeds (but fast through the curves), and 45 MPG around town. On my 2004 R1150RT, I average 40 MPG around town with regular gasoline and 45 MPG on long trips on premium gasoline over many consecutive tankfuls.

I will be traveling all summer 2008 (from May 21st to August 21st) on my 2004 R1150RT solo & fully loaded with camping gear, mostly on backroads in Southwestern USA instead of Interstates, and will report to this forum periodically on my MPG. I will state an accurate consecutive tanksfull MPG and also state the type of riding & when I use either regular, mid-Grade & premium gasoline (based upon which is the "best value" at the time of purchase based upon the "price differentials").

Please do the same on your R1200RT. I'd be interested in the MPG on the newer model RT. Please state if you use regular, mid-Grade or premium gasoline. I'd welcome others' comments and experiences on gasoline consumption.

Thanks,
Rich
 
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