Doing 600 miles every weekend is crippling me at the forecourt, and insuring a motorbike costs about the same as adding the same miles onto my car’s policy.

So if intergalactic MPG, a tank range of 150-200miles, a fairly upright position and wind protection were the main critera what would you end up with?

BMW F650, one of the less cool, girlie commuter (strada?) rather than manly adventure GS models? 85mpg and minimal depreciation appeal!

(a) The very worst vehicle to use on a motorway is a motorbike. Lack of space, vibration, noise, lack of crash protection, you get frozen in winter and baked in summer

(b) You’ll never get 85mpg – 55mpg might be more realistic

(c) The servicing, tyre and insurance costs are far higher than you’d think

(d) It’s soul-destroyingly awful when you set off for a 300 mile ride in the dark, at -3C. I’ve done long-range motorcycle commuting through the winter (70 miles each way on a daily basis) and I’d never do it again.

If I had to do those miles on a motor bike, I’d buy get an ex-police Honda Pan European….

Triumph Sprint ST? Hugely comfortable, fast and around 50MPG at motorway speeds. Also, most of them will have hard panniers which detach easily and don’t make the bike unstable at speed.

As per the previous poster, I wouldn’t recommend it…

But if I was to – did a 100 mile round trip commute pretty much every day last year on a Triumph Sprint GT. Safest and best bike I’ve ever had for the job.

Fuel – 60mpg (ridden hard)
Servicing, tyres, pads – £1500 (Dealer as it was new and I was busy)

22ppm running costs all in

Have a look at what those “iron butt challenge” types use.

Sounds like hell, frankly.

Why not buy a cheap small car ? And drive slower, I was amazed how much stepping off the gas to 50mph on my commute helped fuel economy.

Fly/train/coach???

I’d use a pre vtec VFR800.

I think you’d be looking around a 1998 to 2001 model.

Very comfy and reliable but without the size and weight of a full blown tourer like a Pan.

Fun off the motorway as well.

small cheap car is defo the way to go.. long motorway miles on a bike are not a stroll in the park. you ll not get 85mpg in your dreams, you ll need decent riding gear have no stowage small cheap car.. nissan micra..

I wouldn’t do it on a regular basis
I sometimes jump on a bike for long motorway blasts but wouldn’t like to be tied to it

It’s never going to be as comfortable as a car so it’ll become a pain especially the build up to returning on a Sunday evening

A long, long time ago, I used to commute London-Edinburgh and back every 3rd weekend on a bike. I never found comfort an issue and it was great being able to skip past the inevitable M6 snarl-ups on the way home on a Friday evening. It was just a basic Suzuki 750, with a decent fairing, so almost any 600+ cc bike of today would have more power.

I wouldn’t expect 85mpg though, unless there has been some massive shift in technology.

I guess you’d still have the car for the winter?

What mpg are you getting in your car?

a) only needs to be useable untill September so weather protection not an issue.

b) quite a few reviews mention 80-85 from the F650.

c) insurance on the f650 is £380 for 5000 miles, adding 5000 onto the car’s policy is £300. And the car needs serviceing as well so most of those costs are going to be encountered whether I get a bike or not. And saving £50/trip will soon add up (assuming 85mpg Vs 40-45 at the moment).

d) Used to do 20 miles (each way) ona moped, with no heated grips, I’ll survive, and there is nothing more soul destroying than the interior of a basic spec ford focus!

Don’t really need panniers etc, I’ve go the car if I actualy want/need more than a pair of clean underpants.

What mpg are you getting in your car?

40-45 depends how much I like stareing at the phone numbers on the back of the lories.

Fly/train/coach???

Car is cheeper/quicker than all three.

F800ST.

As said though, it’s a pretty miserable way to travel and for the price of one of those you could get a small car with a little, very efficient diesel engine (say, Polo Bluemotion or similar).

i love bikes, but i wouldnt replace a car to do that sort of distance on one.
if i had to do it by bike, it would be a honda pan european though.
small diesel car would be much better on fuel imo, peugeot 106? nice soft suspension.

You want one of these then.

After 10 years of weekly commuting from Portsmouth to Plymouth I’d had enough of the Winter period over the last couple of years and bought a cheap, small car. To be honest the costs are about the same for my Peugeot 205 diesel (it is a heap though) compared to my 1200 Bandit (not the best on fuel and the Summer months do encourage a heavy wrist).
If you keep your car and add the cost of a motorbike on to it, you would have to save a hell of a lot on fuel to make up the difference.
I don’t know if you ride already but I personally love it and yet wiping the Winter ice off my seat in the pitch black to head out and do battle with lorries on a fast narrow A Road has lost its lustre.

40-45 depends how much I like stareing at the phone numbers on the back of the lories

Wouldn’t be too hard to get 70-odd out of a cheap car driving at 56mph.

Wouldn’t be too hard to get 70-odd out of a cheap car driving at 56mph.

True, but I already have 2 cars,

Do people really struggle to get decent mpg from bikes? My dad reckons he gets 50+ from his 1200 sportster, and the engine for that appears in the doomsday book (both for being big enough to be notweorthy in a book and for being agricultural and basic when compared to a donkey).

Do people really struggle to get decent mpg from bikes?

I’ve been riding bikes of all sizes for the last 30 years or so and I can honestly say that mpg was never something I’ve ever measured or cared about.
I once had a 500 Kawasaki though that would empty it’s tank in about an hour 🙂

My dad reckons he gets 50+ from his 1200 sportster

Yeah but with that lump you can actually count the revs in your head – something like 1 every other lamp-post

Do people really struggle to get decent mpg from bikes? My dad reckons he gets 50+ from his 1200 sportster

Probably, but he’ll never go above 50mph…

b) quite a few reviews mention 80-85 from the F650.

An F650 is a single…, one thing you don’t want in a long distance m/c, is one cylinder – plus been a single it will destroy chains/cogs in no time at all.

But don’t listen to everyone who’s suggested its a bad idea, try it – you never know, we could ALL be wrong 🙂

So what you’re saying is, you want a motorbike and you want us to help you justify it on grounds of economy? 🙂

“So what you’re saying is, you want a motorbike and you want us to justify it to your girlfriend[/i] on grounds of economy?”

FTFY

My mum gets 100mpg from her Matchless cruising at 55mph all day. Progress?
It wouldn’t be my choice as its rigid.

Here’s something ‘odd’ (for those suggesting getting a smaller more economical car)

Brother in law’s 155,000 mile golf TDI (for sale) is worth more than my 45,000 mile focus 😕

So what you’re saying is, you want a motorbike and you want us to justify it to your girlfriend on grounds of economy?

😆

you need to factor in the fun element to. Riding two wheels is generally a lot more fun than four, weather permitting of course. Look at cheap Yam Diversion 900. Cheap and simple 8 valve, aircool shaftdrive tourer. Cheap as chips. As mentioned old Honda Pan Euro is hard to beat.

I’ve got a Smart CDi, I’ve had it from new and its averaged 67.3 mpg over 27000 miles its zero rated for tax and the insurance is around £200 fully comp. On a long run like you’re talking about I’d expect 70/75mpg.
I’ve also got a KTM Duke 690, that does 55mpg but I’ve had it down in the 30’s when thrashing it.
It’s your choice but sitting in an air conditioned car listening to the radio or sitting outside in the cold and wet getting sprayed with crap every time you pass a lorry!!

Wont work pay for the extra costs associated with being at a temporary work place?

you need to factor in the fun element to. Riding two wheels is generally a lot more fun than four, weather permitting of course.

Commuting up and down a motorway, though, is generally better in a car. And that kind of distance is much, much worse on a bike.

Wont work pay for the extra costs associated with being at a temporary work place?

And if they won’t you could at least get your ‘tax’ back on the mileage.

Each to their own really but heres my take,

ZZR 1100, £94 insurance, 240 miles tank range, 1993 vintage with 95K miles. Changed the sprockets to lengthen the gearing. Very comfy, big screen too. Have done 1000 mile days on this bike.

It may save ages of time on the motorway skipping queues. Dry bag on teh seat for kit, helmet wired for radio and phone….

I would do it on this bike.

Any possibility of nipping off the motorway every now and then and finding a nice A road with some actual bends in it?
500 miles on a motorway sounds like hell, especially in winter 😥
I’d always avoid the motorway on my (admittedly small 50 miles each way by comparison) commute, just for entertainment! It’d only add about 20 mins to my journey- time well spent.
Mind you i was riding a ZXR……. (which i dont recommend for fuel economy by the way) 😆

Wont work pay for the extra costs associated with being at a temporary work place?

And if they won’t you could at least get your ‘tax’ back on the mileage.

They pay some, but not all of the miles (apparently they have no friends/family they’d want to see more than once a month, so pay for one trip). As I bought this car pretty much for doing ‘work’ miles, could I claim tax back on the ballance of the miles? Even at 0.2*.45 = ~8p/mile that would at least pay for half the petrol.

Any accountants in the house?

could I claim tax back on the ballance of the miles? Even at 0.2*.45 = ~8p/mile that would at least pay for half the petrol.

Yes, which is why I asked.

All you need to do is submit a letter (or its actually on the self-assessment form) and put in business miles done vs cash payment from employer – HMRC then work out what you are owed.

Edit – for the last 7 years if I remember correctly

I would use a car.

The concentration/awareness, lack of comfort, and noise, would leave you absolutely knackered after 550 miles.

Sweet, that’s probably a big chunk of miles!

Time to get scribbling a letter to HMRC.

As it’s a temporary work place, I THINK you should also be able to claim the commute miles from temporary accommodation to temporary work place too – you need to speak to an accountant!

[tannoy] craigxxl to the forum please [/tannoy]