My Name is Mike...

[92r100rt]

...I am a low rider.

I may be forced to walk the plank for this one but here it goes. I notice I have not been riding as much this year and I am trying to examine why this is. Now for some the 12-15k a year I usually ride isn't hardly worth getting the bike out for, I know. But these have always been fun miles. One of the things I notice is that it sucks to put $15 or more into the fuel tank when I can remember filling it for alot less. Part of me says that as long as I am willing to make the normal "ice cream in Wisconsin" run then everyone involved with making sure I have the fuel available to put in my tank can charge whatever they would like. And it seems this is not going to change anytime soon. I don't have to like it though. I recently had a friend taken out by a deer while riding. The randomness of this I can deal with. There is nothing new for me to do here but be alert while riding. My bike "Marlene" she is a sweet ride. but she is showing her miles, and stops. Her measurements are "92" "175,000" "0". You may be able to guess that she is '92R100RT with medium miles and paid for. Do you see something here or am I just being a whiner?

 

[kbasa]

...I am a low rider.

I may be forced to walk the plank for this one but here it goes. I notice I have not been riding as much this year and I am trying to examine why this is. Now for some the 12-15k a year I usually ride isn't hardly worth getting the bike out for, I know. But these have always been fun miles. One of the things I notice is that it sucks to put $15 or more into the fuel tank when I can remember filling it for alot less. Part of me says that as long as I am willing to make the normal "ice cream in Wisconsin" run then everyone involved with making sure I have the fuel available to put in my tank can charge whatever they would like. And it seems this is not going to change anytime soon. I don't have to like it though. I recently had a friend taken out by a deer while riding. The randomness of this I can deal with. There is nothing new for me to do here but be alert while riding. My bike "Marlene" she is a sweet ride. but she is showing her miles, and stops. Her measurements are "92" "175,000" "0". You may be able to guess that she is '92R100RT with medium miles and paid for. Do you see something here or am I just being a whiner?

Maybe you just need a week in the Rockies, man.

 

[Visian]

Maybe you just need a week in the Rockies, man.

Vermont's closer, and it ain't flat.

 

[mrlajoie]

Filling the tank?

Okay, when was the last time you filled up the tank on your cage? My last fillup cost $52! My truck gets between 18-20 mpg while my K1200GT gets between 42-48 mpg. If it isn't the economics of it, how about pyschologically? I don't even know what a shrink costs lately, but I know it's a lot less than the $5 in gas I use per hour! Riding the bike clears my head and focuses my mind. Now, if I had any real issues I'd see a shrink of course !
I live about 7 miles from work so my commute has turned into about 10 miles going to work in the morning and about 25 miles coming home. I started riding in mid-April this year hand have been able to put about 6k on the bike so far.
I think the bike is some of the best money I have ever spent!

 

[MCMXCIVRS]

I can totally relate. I hardly put on any miles last year (no trips, just commuting), this year is looking a bit better with one short trip all ready done (another coming in September hopefully). I've looked at the new bikes, like them, would like to have one, but can't justify the cost when my current ride is still so nice. Following your lead its stats are: 94 (R1100RS), 110,000 Km, $440 (New tires last week still on credit card balance). For the first time ever this year I was able to put more than $20 worth of gas in the bike. But then yesterday I filled my truck for $42 for the same amount of driving that would have cost me $15 with the bike (except its hard to haul lumber in a system case). So, even if all I do is commute with it, I'll keep on riding. The tours and day trips are a bonus.

 

[USERNAME]

in life you have ups and downs. some days you dont feel like doing any work, others you feel like working all night long. the same goes for riding. some days you dont want to ride, others you do. you know you have a good life when you can adjust to these rhythms.

so you can do whatever - put the bike up for a while, or sell it. and see what happens. maybe after a year of not riding, you get an itch. so you get another bike. or maybe you find out you are done being a rider. everyone is different.

your first step is to stop caring what other people think.

 

[bubbagazoo]

I just got my R1100RT this year so it is far from being paid for. And then I added my wife's Kawasaki to the mix. I have put over 4000 km on the RT and 500 on the little Vulcan (wife is just learning so I get to break her bike in). The majority of the kilometres is commuting. I have made one small trip to my mom's farm and have made a few 2-3 hour scoots for no other reason than to ride. I ride everyday. Like Ed said, I can go as far on $20.00 worth of fuel on my bike (either one) as I can on $50.00 worth in my little truck. I'm not actually saving any money in fuel because I am travelling twice as far on my bike as I ever have in my truck I just get to enjoy myself twice as much.

So, even if you figure you are putting a low number of miles on your bike, keep riding. Your 12-15k miles per year is more than many other bike owners put on in the entire time they own their bikes.

 

[BRADFORDBENN]

It ain't about the miles, but about the sMiles. It is too easy to slip into a contest of who has how many miles. We each do what we can, when we can. I do not get to ride as much as I would like, but I am still a rider. Just enjoy the sport.

 

[montana]

Well, I'm not riding as much either, from a mileage perspective. I'm a two-wheel commuter and I used to make a few day-long runs, a few after-work-burger runs, and a few weekend runs in addition. Now the burger run is $12 fuel for a $6 burger, that just isn't working out in my wallet this year. So, even if you're out and about on a bike, it's still different this year. On the other hand, I've been commuting on two wheels since 1982, so I like to think of all the money I've saved!

 

[BobMielke]

I've put over 5,000 miles on my R1200RT in the past 7 weeks. It keeps me sane (sort of) and lets me see Oregon, one of the most scenic places I've ever seen. The thought of sitting at home, cutting the grass or watching daytime soaps make my violently ill. Long live motorcycling!

 

[bubbagazoo]

Well, I'm not riding as much either, from a mileage perspective. I'm a two-wheel commuter and I used to make a few day-long runs, a few after-work-burger runs, and a few weekend runs in addition. Now the burger run is $12 fuel for a $6 burger, that just isn't working out in my wallet this year. So, even if you're out and about on a bike, it's still different this year. On the other hand, I've been commuting on two wheels since 1982, so I like to think of all the money I've saved!

Fuel prices just jumped from $1.07/litre to $1.14/litre. Based upon the fuel to burger ratio, we're now looking at a $15.00 fuel bill for the $6.00 burger (I know, but I didn't actually do any math here ). The rise in the price of fuel encourages me to do less with the cage and more with my bike. I just might have to be a hard a$$ and tell my wife we are taking one of the bikes when we go to the mall.

 

[BRADFORDBENN]

Yea, but what is the exchange rate?

 

[Slablog]

Riding, for me, has never been about 'cheaper' transportation because of less gas consumption. In fact, when you consider maintenance, tires, oil, gas, insurance, registration, gear, gadgets and gizmos, my small Toyota pickup is much less expensive to own than my bike will ever be.

It's about the fun, and if gas is $3 or $5 or $8 a gallon, it'll still be worth it for that motorcycling fun.

 

[redbeemer]

Save money by riding a motorcycle? HA! never happen!! I sold my sports car 'cause I thought paying $100 bucks to replace the spark plugs every 60,000 miles was way too much and four tires every 30,000 miles hit my wallet hard but I shell out $400 twice a year for service to the RT and not blink. 8 to 10k miles and new rubber bands make the dealer a few more hundred $$$ and I just smile at the shinnie black things. New farkel? Didn't know I had to have it untill I saw it, but left hand goes to rear pocket in automatic mode.

BUT



every time I light the Boxer up, store, work, whatever, boy-howdy do I feel good!

 

[bubbagazoo]

Yea, but what is the exchange rate?

Currently 1 Canuck buck will getcha 89 cents US. Going the other way, 1 USD = $1.13 CDN.

The K1200LT lists on BMW-motorrad.ca at $29,990 CDN. Using the exchange rate listed above, that works out to $26,691 USD . The MSRP on the American web site for the same bike is $21,900 USD

Using the values of 1 CDN Dollar = .69 Euro, the bike would sell for 20,693 Euro ($29.990 X .69)

The current exchange rate of the USD to the Euro is .78 . Taking the US MSRP and converting it to Euros, the bike costs 17,082 Euros .

All of these exchange rates come from http://www.xe.com/ucc .

So, doing a straight dollar for dollar exchange, I would be paying $4,791.00 more in US dollars. And in Euros, I would be paying 3,691 Euros more. Taking the price of the US bike in Euros and converting it to Canuck bucks, the price SHOULD be $24,598. Some where along the line, BMW seems to think the Canadian market is willing to spend an extra $4,392 (current CDN MSRP - (US price in Euros X Euro-CDN conversion). I wonder what the market share would be if we had actual price equivalency.

 

[JUNKLE]

Just because a lot of the people here (and other places on the internet) speak about riding a bunch of miles ignore them. If you enjoy the miles you ride keep doing it, if not then walk away and enjoy the memories you have.

As for me, I ride very little compared to the folks who post here often (90% of my riding is for commuting only). I doubt I will get to 12k this year (and I ride all year). It's nice for the folks who want to (and do) put on a lot of miles, but it doesn't change the enjoyment I get out of the miles I do ride.

Hopefully you find your bliss again soon (either on the bike or in another hobby),

j

 

[john1691]

I'm lucky if I can get 5000 miles on in a year. I work construction and drive a quad cab pick up with a tailer behind it every week day, and most Saterdays (11 MPG). My kids are early teens, so I'm thinking my longer mileage days are yet to come. My oldest , 16, just got his first bike, a Suzuki GS 500. He'll be taking the beginner safety course soon, and it will be something we can do together. For now the chance to strap on the helmet and fire up the K1200RS for a half hour or so around the back roads is just great. When the kids are off to college or whatever, I'll start getting to rallies and start taking longer trips.

John1691
'00 K1200RS (checkerboard!)