With gas prices going up everywhere, I'm thinking about using my Monster for commuting everyday (as soon as it stops raining where I live). How many of you guys are planning to do so?
The problems commuting on the Monster (for me) are:
- The damn dry clutch (I love it but in the city is a real pain)
- No luggage options (feasible and appropiate, e.g. rear case)
- Service costs
so I am inclined to buy a Jap Standard Appliance (Versys, GSR600A, TransAlp, etc)
By the way, where I live the gallon of gas is about US$ 4,60.....pretty expensive....
i have been commuting on my 2005 monster S4R since the day i bought her... its a great feeling to be able to take har out and have some break from reality everyday :)
Quote from: Monstruo on June 04, 2008, 01:49:42 PM
The problems commuting on the Monster (for me) are:
- The damn dry clutch (I love it but in the city is a real pain) -- After time your hands get used to it or get a bigger master cyl solves the issue for most
- No luggage options (feasible and appropiate, e.g. rear case) -- i wear a backpack, some guys have saddlebags/ top case/ tankbags but i prefer not
- Service costs -- yeah... i dunno bout that one... service yourself?
so I am inclined to buy a Jap Standard Appliance (Versys, GSR600A, TransAlp, etc)
By the way, where I live the gallon of gas is about US$ 4,60.....pretty expensive.... -- its about US$4.08 where i live in SoCal- too damn expensive for anybody i think
I was planning on getting a Ninja 250 but they are all pre-sold around me.......
Then I thought about the cost of new bike, registration, insurance, etc. for a mere 10 more mpg (YMMV).........
I'll be using one of my bikes for all transportation where I don't need the cage. (Both V-rod and Monster get about 40 MPG
or better depending on "throttle control"
I also considered commuting on the monster, but didn't like the fact it finished warming up at about the time I arrived at work (about 20 minute ride on a air cooled 620). That plus the utilitarian commuting miles & wear and tear that creates kind of made me consider something else.
I ended up with a real fun DR-Z400SM for commuting duty. It feels in its element in the city, where the monster felt like it was always wanting to find a highway or fun backroad. My suggestion is to preserve your beloved monster & find something slightly more 'disposable' for the gritty city duty. Save the italian machinery for the sunny days & fun rides!
I commute to work everyday i can. Its 56 miles round trip and costs me about 20 per week instead of my tahoe which is now about 98 a week. I'll save the 70 per week for adjustments and such! Its always better riding! [thumbsup]
I'm using my S2R for commuting about 3 days a week. I'm mostly hitting the carpool lane and cruising the majority of my commute. I considered the japanese sewing machine route, but then I really just like being on the monster. I'm coming up on having to replace tires, though and will have to consider a higher mileage tire as I'm at 5300 miles and the tires are pretty much gone. I'm getting right at 50 mpg on the bike.
Been doing for the last two years with my s2r1k and after 16000 miles you do not notice nor do you mind the dry noodle
-panthro
I've commuted quite a bit on my monster. I have a metal tank (02 900 Dark) and have been using a magnetic tank bag to carry a change of clothes. Works great. If I need to carry more I wear a backpack. Never had any issues with either route.
I've even "carpooled" and ridden in two-up with the monster.
As for the clutch, it doesn't bother me at all. But that might be because my previous bike was a sportster, which had a really stiff clutch. The monster's clutch seems pretty effortless by comparison.
Mostly the same opinion here. I've been doing 45 miles daily on my Monster for about 2.5 years. I don't care about the wear and tear on my bike, its a bike and it likes to be ridden [cheeky]
I actually just moved buildings at work so I'm only 10 miles away instead of 22 miles so commuting on my bike just got easier.
Quote from: gnostic203 on June 04, 2008, 03:15:26 PM
Mostly the same opinion here. I've been doing 45 miles daily on my Monster for about 2.5 years. I don't care about the wear and tear on my bike, its a bike and it likes to be ridden [cheeky]
I actually just moved buildings at work so I'm only 10 miles away instead of 22 miles so commuting on my bike just got easier.
It still cant be fun when you ride in on a glorious sunny day then wham!!! a tropical thunderstorm hits you for a pleasant ride home.
For the past 6 months I have been doing a 40 miles commute as often as I can, it's about the only thing that motivates me to get up and want to go to work!
I am commuting on my Monster since I got my first..!! [drink]
Quote from: RandyFloyd on June 04, 2008, 03:22:07 PM
it's about the only thing that motivates me to get up and want to go to work!
+1 [moto]
been using the 620 the last year for commuting 6500 miles of nothing but stop and go traffic and the last valve adjustment went perfectly. nothing out of the ordinary, and the whole warm up thing isn't a big deal with the air cooled ones especiallyt eh 620.
i only ride 3-4 miles each way and i rarely ever get the thing up to warmup during the mornig ride, but it hasn't hurt the bike at all.
45mpg and it works perfectly, use the thing for riding.. its a motorcycle it should be used for commuting. don't baby it so much ride it, those engineers worked a lot of hours to make a bike that can be riddent everyday in non perfect conditions.
if you can get your hands on the mandarina duck bags now out of production they are great for any of the low mount piped bikes with dual sided swingarms.
Been commuting almost every day. The Bike has gone 17k miles in about 14 months and going strong
Regarding the clutch I pulled 2 springs off it for a 33% less pull
Regarding the luggage I use a tank bag plus backpack which is enough room for all my goodies and work Laptop.
Gas Mileage is about 44 on the freeway.
I bought my S2R 800 to commute first and foremost and then have fun on my days off, It's been great, I trundle along listening to the Rumble of the L twin, look at it through the window all day at work (I park it about 20 feet away from where I work) then smile all the way home, couldn't be happier!
It might cost a bit extra to run compared to my 250's I used to run, but it's a hell of lot cheaper than the Mitsubishi Pickup I used to run all the time, Mitsu piece of shit!! Thrash it and it guzzled fuel, drive it gently and it guzzled fuel, Turning circle of a Bus, no power, chewed through tire's. basically a piece of shit.
Me and the S2r 800 = [moto]
I bought my 98 M900 to commute have been doing it for a couple years
prior to that I had been using my 95 SS/SP
that got to be a chore since the upgrades some of which are 41mm FCR's and the nichols flywheel not to mention the MBP heads and ST2 cams [evil] [thumbsup]
Dan...
I've been commuting regularly on the bike for a bit over a year now (well, when I'm in town), rain or shine. [moto]
The few days I didn't, I rode my bicycle (16 miles one-way by moto, 25 miles one-way by bicycle). :)
Quote from: Monstruo on June 04, 2008, 01:49:42 PM
- The damn dry clutch (I love it but in the city is a real pain)
Pull or noise? If noise, just throw the stock sealed clutch cover on. If the pull is too hard, take out 2 springs, put on the stock cover so you can run stock springs and not have them rust, and install an aftermarket slave cylinder. I have an Evoluzione.
Quote from: Monstruo on June 04, 2008, 01:49:42 PM
- No luggage options (feasible and appropiate, e.g. rear case)
There are some huge tank bags. You don't have to worry about strapping them on or anything complicated, provided you have a metal tank. Just put them on and pull them off, being careful not to drag the magnets. If you have a plastic tank, there are many that will mount to a gas cap bracket.
Quote from: Monstruo on June 04, 2008, 01:49:42 PM
- Service costs
Buy your bike's manual. With a minimum investment in tools, you can do almost all the regular service yourself.
Been commuting 20 miles each way everyday. Lucky for me, I have my choice of Box Canyon, Black Canyon and Woolsey Canyon to get where I need to be! ;D Oh, Happy Day! I use a backpack, but if I'm going out after work I throw on a tankbag, or just a bigger backpack.
When I am home and working in the NY area, I have a 140-mi round-trip. I alternate between my '97 M900, '01 M900 and my '01 Pathfinder. The bikes generally get over 40 mi to the gal, and I also save $5 a day on the tolls ($20 a day for a car from NY to NJ and back). And, the ability to ride in the HOV (car-pool) lane is a plus.
The biggest issue I have is traffic: The road to hell is undoubtedly the Cross-Bronx Expressway.
I'm waiting for my 696 to be arrive at the dealership but out of curiosity how much is the maintenance cost on a Monster compared to a Jap Bike. My previous Jap bike, I did most of the maintenance myself (oil change, brake pads, brake bleeding, etc).
Been commuting on mine since the day I bought it! Sure beats a cup of coffee in the mornings.
I commute every day 20 miles round trip. However, I wonder if I'm really saving any money in doing so. Consider the price of tires and extra mainenance. I have been running Michelin Pilot Powers (not the 2ct model), which last 5k miles or less, at roughly $250 a pop, installed. Tires on my car last about 50k miles, and cost about $400 installed. Then factor in brake pads, which last me about 1 season, belts, valve adjustment, etc, (ignore oil changes, as you have to change the oil in your car too, and it costs roughly the same).
My car gets roughly 20 mpg and my Monster gets about 35 mpg. Lets say I commute 8k miles per year on the Monster. In the car, I would need to buy 400 gallons. In the Monster I would need to buy 228. @ $4.00 per gallon, that is a savings per year of $688.
Subtract from the $688,
$336- for 8k worth of tires, $400 (I'm only talking rear tire here. The front lasts twice as long?) minus $64 (the comparable cost of tires on my car)
$30 - brake pads
$200 - for 8k's worth of a 12k service (assuming roughly $300 per service). I could have added in the 6k service too.
You could also add the additional cost of insurance and financing (if you bought the bike specifically for commuting and you wouldn't have owned it otherwise, but most of us here probably don't fall into that category).
I'm sure you could poke a lot of holes in this analysis, but the point is, you're not really saving as much money as you think. I love riding my Monster to work and its a welcome diversion, but I'm not going to get rich in all the money I save on gas.
Just my .02.
you wont' really start making money off of riding the bike over a car until gas starts to hit $6-8 a gallon,then i think the money savings will start to come in more.
also since you do so much commuting you might want to consider different tires that have a litttle bit more mileage durability, the pilot powers are great i use them too and i notice they are good for about 6-7.5 k miles depending on how you ride them. but i know there ar etires out there like the pilot roads that get better mileage than those.
Yeah, I agree. The next tire I get will probably be a Pilot Road.
Only issue I have had with commuting is figuring out how to keep clothes pressed in a pack back! I like to ride with my gear on, and business atire doesn't do well under it. I can't wait to get back out on the street (for work) where I can wear t-shirts and jeans again!
Quote from: sbrguy on June 05, 2008, 07:59:24 AM
you wont' really start making money off of riding the bike over a car until gas starts to hit $6-8 a gallon,then i think the money savings will start to come in more.
It really depends on your other mode of transportation...my truck gets 12.5-13.5 mpg., compare that to 37-40 mpg. on my S4R...and...here is the gas savings alone on a meager 26 week riding calendar.
Truck - 22 Gal. tank = $89.76 @ $4.08 a gallon = 286 miles.
Bike - 2.5 Gal. tank = $11.88 @ $4.75 (super) a gallon = 96.25 miles.
Figuring that I drive 400 miles a week and only can ride the bike for about half of the year (weather); it all equates to...10,400 miles for 26 weeks.
The Truck would need 36.36 fill ups = $3263.67
The Bike would need 108 fill ups = $1283.04
Total savings of $1980.63 - certainly buys my tires and oil!
I alternate between the Monster and the Multi. I have been doing it for years. I seem to enjoy the commute better and, since I do my own maintenance, the cost is not something I worry about.
Try it for a month and see.
Quote from: ducpenguin on June 05, 2008, 08:53:43 AM
It really depends on your other mode of transportation...my truck gets 12.5-13.5 mpg., compare that to 37-40 mpg. on my S4R...and...here is the gas savings alone on a meager 26 week riding calendar.
Truck - 22 Gal. tank = $89.76 @ $4.08 a gallon = 286 miles.
Bike - 2.5 Gal. tank = $11.88 @ $4.75 (super) a gallon = 96.25 miles.
Figuring that I drive 400 miles a week and only can ride the bike for about half of the year (weather); it all equates to...10,400 miles for 26 weeks.
The Truck would need 36.36 fill ups = $3263.67
The Bike would need 108 fill ups = $1283.04
Total savings of $1980.63 - certainly buys my tires and oil!
damn you commute a ton of miles.. well i guess for someone like you putting on over 20k miles a year in commuting the savings adds up a lot quicker than some of us only puttin on maybe 7-8k miles of commuting by bike and another 3k miles of car driving through the year.
wow, i still can't fathom driving that many miles in a year close to 21k miles that is just insane.
i commuted solely on the monster for about 3 years and last year got a dual sport. rain or shine (and sometimes sleet and snow)
it's not that bad. i do think that a dualy or a motard would work better in downtown commuting/riding.
learn to do the maint yourself, it really isn't that hard.
Quote from: sbrguy on June 05, 2008, 09:46:47 AM
damn you commute a ton of miles.. well i guess for someone like you putting on over 20k miles a year in commuting the savings adds up a lot quicker than some of us only puttin on maybe 7-8k miles of commuting by bike and another 3k miles of car driving through the year.
wow, i still can't fathom driving that many miles in a year close to 21k miles that is just insane.
30 miles each way...actually not too bad for the DC area. I know many that commute over 120 miles a day!
I would commute on my 695 40miles each way using a cortech tailbag it made every day at work so much more fun. Now i do it on the 1098 and after the math including tires i save about $2.00 every 3000miles [laugh] But i do it cause its fun [moto]
If I drive a car the commute is 6 miles one way. If I ride my bicycle it is 8 miles because I like to add a hill climb. If I ride the monster it is longer (20-30 miles) because it's too fun to ride only 6 miles. I don't save anything at all. In fact it costs more, but I don't care. Everyone knows that teachers have an unending supply of $$.
I work at APM Terminals (and have to go to all these other container ship terminals around the area) so I ride into work and have to deal with TONS of tracker trailers. Though I can't ride in the yard. It's kind of like Mario Kart inside there it's crazy. But I can ride to my office, I just need to leave my car at my office, then take my car when I have to go to a ship. I'd rather ride to work, I get carton's of Cigg's off of my ship's and use it as cash when I get gas at a local gas station (Thank you free carton's of cigg's) and I don't smoke so the guy gives me $30 cash/$30 gas for each one. But riding to work when the weather is good is optimal IMO since the gas mileage is so good.
cg
I commute pretty frequently on the 695. In Atlanta, however, it's starting to get pretty hot, and riding in town is decidedly un-fun when it's 90+ and you're in full gear....
That said, i wear the Olympia Stealth suit and it is the best warm-weather full gear I've ever used.
Now I'm trying to figure out the best luggage solution. I may buy the Maresi (sp?) tank bag that screws on to the gas tank, but I refuse to do a strap bag. Magnet bags don't work on the 695 :-(
Quote from: mbalmer on June 05, 2008, 12:34:22 PM
If I drive a car the commute is 6 miles one way. If I ride my bicycle it is 8 miles because I like to add a hill climb. If I ride the monster it is longer (20-30 miles) because it's too fun to ride only 6 miles. I don't save anything at all. In fact it costs more, but I don't care. Everyone knows that teachers have an unending supply of $$.
O yeah i do end up taking back roads about 80% of the time so it does end of costing more [laugh]
Quote from: ROBsS4R on June 04, 2008, 04:10:29 PM
Been commuting almost every day. The Bike has gone 17k miles in about 14 months and going strong
Regarding the clutch I pulled 2 springs off it for a 33% less pull
Regarding the luggage I use a tank bag plus backpack which is enough room for all my goodies and work Laptop.
Gas Mileage is about 44 on the freeway.
Hey Rob... I have the Joe Rocket manta tank bag as well.. but I noticed that it may damage the tank.. the magnets are really strong and the material used against the tank seem raspy. What's your experience with yours?
I removed the springs too and it REALLY helps.. although my dealer told me that it was going to ruin my clutch that way and to stop listening to some guy on a forum who was told to do so by another guy on a forum... haha..
[moto] [moto] [moto] [moto] [thumbsup]
I take the scoot to work about 60mi. round trip to work every day it's not raining or below 30f W/ CoreTech tail pack. If it weren't a Ducati and if it didn't eat tires, it would be cheap. [laugh]
LA