Will motorbike use increase?

[Cato]

I've just put that Bandit on the road, and it made me wonder if motorbike use will increase in these straitened times.

2004 Bandit 1200, 35 - 40 to the gallon, 12 months tax £101, insurance £190 for the year. It's eligible to go into any of the Clean Air Zones FOC except the ULEZ in London, and there are the obvious benefits regarding traffic congestion.
Insurance is fully comp with legal, breakdown and helmet/leathers cover included. S,D & P with commuting, parked on the drive overnight as well as locked away at the unit, in Birmingham (high-ish group by area).

If you wanted to run a 400 say, you could pretty much halve the tax and insurance cost.

For single person commuting over walking distance that's got to make more financial sense than any other mode of transport? Cycling is obviously cheaper, but I'm not sure where that would sit comparison wise for distance. It seems that most cycle commutes are urban and long walk distance.

 

[slim_boy_fat]

For single person commuting over walking distance that's got to make more financial sense than any other mode of transport?

What's wrong with just walking, then? Shank's Pony has to be the cheapest form of short(ish) commute known to man.

 

[GRW]

I can see scooter/moped use increasing a lot (though theft of same is a big problem esp.in cities, so without secure parking.....??).
You're seeing loads of the leccy scooters (stand-on things) being usedvycity commuters- but the stupid thing there us thatthey aren't legal to use on the highway, where sense says they are a good solution (fold it up and take it into the office, stow it under your desk or in a Locker). As usual our Govt is unhelpful (probably cos the legislation isn't there to charge users for on-road use - when they allow Mobility scooters which are bigger and go the same sort of pace, and e-bikes which are far faster limited to 15.5mph).
Motorbikes (& I'm a lifelong enthusiast) mostly aren't that practical for commuting. Poor or no weather protection and not good carrying capacity, while being too big/heavy for ease of secure parking and handling for many. Also, heavy tyre consumption and running cost (total) limits their cost saving potential over a small car.
Some people who already have a motorbike might well use it more - but not sure new adoption (esp. If they don't already have the licence) will go up much.

 

[Cato]

What's wrong with just walking, then? Shank's Pony has to be the cheapest form of short(ish) commute known to man.

Nothing, for short urban journeys. For anything else it's not an option. Given the average commute distance for men in the UK is 10 miles, and for women it's 7 then walking isn't a practical option for anything that isn't well below the average commute.

 

[Cato]

I can see scooter/moped use increasing a lot (though theft of same is a big problem esp.in cities, so without secure parking.....??).
You're seeing loads of the leccy scooters (stand-on things) being usedvycity commuters- but the stupid thing there us thatthey aren't legal to use on the highway, where sense says they are a good solution (fold it up and take it into the office, stow it under your desk or in a Locker). As usual our Govt is unhelpful (probably cos the legislation isn't there to charge users for on-road use - when they allow Mobility scooters which are bigger and go the same sort of pace, and e-bikes which are far faster limited to 15.5mph).
Motorbikes (& I'm a lifelong enthusiast) mostly aren't that practical for commuting. Poor or no weather protection and not good carrying capacity, while being too big/heavy for ease of secure parking and handling for many. Also, heavy tyre consumption and running cost (total) limits their cost saving potential over a small car.
Some people who already have a motorbike might well use it more - but not sure new adoption (esp. If they don't already have the licence) will go up much.

The total running cost for a small car is given as £3.5k pa and a motorcycle is £1.6k. I reckon 50% counts as a decent saving. (source Nimblefin)

Parking for motorcycles is cheaper than cars, and in many places free. Shorter journey times can be factored in, along with the reduced cost of parking spaces to companies as they are taxed on them.

 

[Rannsachair]

I've just put that Bandit on the road, and it made me wonder if motorbike use will increase in these straitened times.

2004 Bandit 1200, 35 - 40 to the gallon, 12 months tax £101, insurance £190 for the year. It's eligible to go into any of the Clean Air Zones FOC except the ULEZ in London, and there are the obvious benefits regarding traffic congestion.
Insurance is fully comp with legal, breakdown and helmet/leathers cover included. S,D & P with commuting, parked on the drive overnight as well as locked away at the unit, in Birmingham (high-ish group by area).

If you wanted to run a 400 say, you could pretty much halve the tax and insurance cost.

For single person commuting over walking distance that's got to make more financial sense than any other mode of transport? Cycling is obviously cheaper, but I'm not sure where that would sit comparison wise for distance. It seems that most cycle commutes are urban and long walk distance.

I have been using my 1972 BMW R75/5 for commuting to work this month: free tax, no mot on a multibike policy with 3 other bikes for £160 a year and about 50 mpg, tyres last reasonably well and no depreciation. Certainly cheaper to run than my TD5 Defender.

 

[Gareth J]

Nothing, for short urban journeys. For anything else it's not an option. Given the average commute distance for men in the UK is 10 miles, and for women it's 7 then walking isn't a practical option for anything that isn't well below the average commute.

Ebike. Cheaper than walking I reckon. Unless your time is virtually worthless. Or you derive some other value from the walking itself that you can't get from cycling.

 

[Robotstar5]

There may not be much increase in the use of larger capacity bikes, but the 125's and "twist 'n go" scooters will probably increase.
If I was still working I would probably use mine more as it had lots of advantages over my car, such as 3 miles less commute on the bike! (different site access gates) and guaranteed to find a parking spot.
Figures for comparison, DL650, 45 - 50 mpg, tax £101, insurance £97.20
I really must get round to getting an MOT so I can sell it as it hasn't been used for getting on 3 years.

 

[Cato]

There may not be much increase in the use of larger capacity bikes, but the 125's and "twist 'n go" scooters will probably increase.
If I was still working I would probably use mine more as it had lots of advantages over my car, such as 3 miles less commute on the bike! (different site access gates) and guaranteed to find a parking spot.
Figures for comparison, DL650, 45 - 50 mpg, tax £101, insurance £97.20
I really must get round to getting an MOT so I can sell it as it hasn't been used for getting on 3 years.

There's a decent choice of small learner/commuter bikes and scooters too.

 

[James1979]

I used to commute an hour each way on my tenere 660.

Had my kit there so didn’t need much but had alu boxes for stuff. Could get all my welding kit in them and screen with air fed in the top box.

Was cheap to run. Cheaper than any truck I’ve had. Quicker too, it you take filtering into account

I would do it again if the need arose.

 

[Bullet2012]

Until we get like this all will be fine

 

[Robotstar5]

There's a decent choice of small learner/commuter bikes and scooters too.

There will probably be an increase in abandoned/broken cheap Chinesium ones though a non-riding work colleague asked for advice on getting a bike for commuting so I reeled of the Jap models, CG, YBR etc. A couple of weeks later he turns up on a brand new Lexmoto which started to fall apart almost immediately, he phoned the dealer to complain, only to be told "they all do that, you have to go round it with spanners, screwdrivers etc. at least once a week"

 

[Cato]

I used to commute an hour each way on my tenere 660.

Had my kit there so didn’t need much but had alu boxes for stuff. Could get all my welding kit in them and screen with air fed in the top box.

Was cheap to run. Cheaper than any truck I’ve had. Quicker too, it you take filtering into account

I would do it again if the need arose.

I couldn't use anything other than the van at the moment. That should change over the next 6 months to a year. At which point I will use a bike to and from the unit and the van when necessary.

DPF would clog in short order crawling around town all the time anyway.

 

[Domdom]

Well, as a biker who rides for pleasure I can't see me ever commuting on one. Unless it was a really stupidly fuel efficient thing (which probably means slow, boring, etc) I really don't need to. The Skoda averages 58 mpg (that's over the last 2k miles) and I've always taken the view that 30 mpg is the cut off point. If you can't afford that then perhaps. Until then, arriving at work only to have to change clothes, store the bash hat, change boots to shoes etc, nah. I'll keep the car ta.

 

[pedrobedro]

There will probably be an increase in abandoned/broken cheap Chinesium ones though a non-riding work colleague asked for advice on getting a bike for commuting so I reeled of the Jap models, CG, YBR etc. A couple of weeks later he turns up on a brand new Lexmoto which started to fall apart almost immediately, he phoned the dealer to complain, only to be told "they all do that, you have to go round it with spanners, screwdrivers etc. at least once a week"

Lexmoto are one of the better ones. A bloke brought a Baotian round to the shop only a few months old and the front pegs had broken off the frame. His solution after we offered to weld it was to put a Jubilee clip round them and carry on using it till it needed testing.

 

[dobbslc]

It probably won't make 3 years old so will never need a test OR the prat will kill himself first.

 

[Greeves246]

Honda C125 Super Cub, £22 tax, 150mpg, cast wheels tubeless tyres, 60-65mph. What's not to like?

 

[Cato]

Well, as a biker who rides for pleasure I can't see me ever commuting on one. Unless it was a really stupidly fuel efficient thing (which probably means slow, boring, etc) I really don't need to. The Skoda averages 58 mpg (that's over the last 2k miles) and I've always taken the view that 30 mpg is the cut off point. If you can't afford that then perhaps. Until then, arriving at work only to have to change clothes, store the bash hat, change boots to shoes etc, nah. I'll keep the car ta.

There will be many who can carry on regardless, or for whom it just isn't practical. There are many who use a car because they can, but don't really need to. So if anyone changes it'd be the latter I'd imagine.

I think the change in finances, the introduction of congestion charges and the like will make more than a few reassess travel methods.

 

[Cato]

Honda C125 Super Cub, £22 tax, 150mpg, cast wheels tubeless tyres, 60-65mph. What's not to like?

I quite like those Van Vans.

 

[James1979]

There will probably be an increase in abandoned/broken cheap Chinesium ones though a non-riding work colleague asked for advice on getting a bike for commuting so I reeled of the Jap models, CG, YBR etc. A couple of weeks later he turns up on a brand new Lexmoto which started to fall apart almost immediately, he phoned the dealer to complain, only to be told "they all do that, you have to go round it with spanners, screwdrivers etc. at least once a week"

The only one I’ve ever had success with was a KLR copy belonging to a pal.

It was pure crap, but all the Kawasaki bits seemed to fit fine off the shelf or with a bit of fettling. I pretty much rebuilt that bike but it was ten times better than original. It went for years, then got nicked.

I have racked up thousands of miles on bikes over the years. That XT had over 30k put on it when I stopped riding it. I have never ever ridden on the road for pleasure. I cannot think of anything more unpleasant!! Just wasting fuel and time! Each to their own I suppose.

I’ve ridden off road for fun a bit but that’s about it. To me they’re just vehicles. If they don’t serve a purpose they’re gone.