Foot Position on Pegs

[mangocrazy]

I wonder if there is anyone on this forum who has ever bought a bike with the intention of riding 'economically' as the main reason for purchase?

Yep.

Plenty of them.

In that case I'd say name and shame the guilty men (or women)...

I can only speak for myself, but economy has never entered into my decision making process when buying a bike, as a glance through my biking history will attest. I mean, who buys a 350LC or an 888 SP3 for economy...?

[The Spin Doctor]

In that case I'd say name and shame the guilty men (or women)...

I can only speak for myself, but economy has never entered into my decision making process when buying a bike, as a glance through my biking history will attest. I mean, who buys a 350LC or an 888 SP3 for economy...?

I meant me

And plenty of economical bikes... owned four or five CB250RSs... they used to return mid-80s into the low 90s - I still do own one though modern petrol only goes about 75 miles on a gallon

Then there was the XBR500 - that did 65 miles to each gallon or there abouts... my three or four GS500s managed mid-60s too, even the later ones once I'd replaced the late-model OE pipe (with a noise-reducing bung in it) with the outwardly identical but less restrictive one off a 1990 model. I couldn't tell any difference noise wise.

The FZ750 was remarkably fuel efficient too - easy to get 55 mpg, and no great problem cracking 60.

The GSX-R750 was at the other extreme... under 30 on a bad day, barely 40 on a good day. I got fed up with stopping to fill that up. I really wanted a TZR250 around the time I had the XBR... but wallet considerations won.

[Yorick]

Spin would have cried at my GSXR1000. Under 20 mpg on track

[mangocrazy]

I've been very pleasantly surprised at how comparatively frugal the Duke 690 R has been, but I'd be lying if I said that played any part in my decision to buy it. And I was also pleasantly surprised when I fitted a performance chip to the Falco to match the intake and exhaust mods I'd done, and fuel consumption markedly improved to the extent of an extra 20-25 miles range per tank full. I was fully expecting worse economy but would have taken it for the improved fuelling and performance.

And like Yozza's GSXR, my TL1000S positively gulped fuel on track days. I could easily start with a full tank of fuel and then go through a full jerry can, with just about enough for the last session. But it was great fun...

[The Spin Doctor]

Spin would have cried at my GSXR1000. Under 20 mpg on track

I'd have run out of fuel on the first lap

[Mr. Dazzle]

I've bought bikes with economy being a main requirement yes...commuter bikes, for commuting . Should have bought a scooter really!

WTF is that gear thing about though? 20/2nd, 30/3rd? Sounds like proper BS to me and I'd hesitate to call any organisation which promotes such a rule "advanced".

[Supermofo]

My brother's BIL is a police instructor for cars. Must admit he comes across as a massive know it all. Must say it could just be him but....I don't think it is. Great at driving a car fast on pursuits, not so great at having a chat with about anything to do with cars/bikes.

[Skub]

My brother's BIL is a police instructor for cars. Must admit he comes across as a massive know it all. Must say it could just be him but....I don't think it is. Great at driving a car fast on pursuits, not so great at having a chat with about anything to do with cars/bikes.

When I bothered to ride with other people there were 3 black rats in our company. There was only one of them worth taking note of and I'd bet it was because he was an ex road racer,rather than anything the 'ride by numbers' boyos teach. Funny,he was the only one of the three who didn't have the ingrained pompous gene.

[Hot_Air]

I’ve had many more positive experiences with BiB motorcyclists, having toured the Alps and Picos with several. The various police Class 1 guys I’ve ridden with were great – silky smooth and speedy-yet-safe.

In contrast, I found the inflexibility issue with some IAM riders, who have less skill and experience than police motorcyclists yet a more dogmatic approach to riding. Not all IAM riders, mind you, as others have been good.

That’s not to say some trackday riders also can’t have odd attitudes. There’s nowt so queer as motorcycle folk.

[mangocrazy]

The only ex-Plod guy I've ridden with (who rejoiced in the handle of 'oldrat') was one of those guys who you think is taking it easy due to his upright stance (and obligatory GS BMW), but you only realised how effortlessly quick he was until you tried keeping up with him, much less overtaking him. I doubt his style would have transferred very well to the track, but on the road it was very effective.

[Horse]

on the road it was very effective.

And that's what their training is for.

[Taipan]

I wonder if there is anyone on this forum who has ever bought a bike with the intention of riding 'economically' as the main reason for purchase?

Yep.

Plenty of them.

In that case I'd say name and shame the guilty men (or women)...

I can only speak for myself, but economy has never entered into my decision making process when buying a bike, as a glance through my biking history will attest. I mean, who buys a 350LC or an 888 SP3 for economy...?

Me! I started back on bike when I had young kids I needed to save money at every possible opportunity!

[mangocrazy]

Yep.

Plenty of them.

In that case I'd say name and shame the guilty men (or women)...

I can only speak for myself, but economy has never entered into my decision making process when buying a bike, as a glance through my biking history will attest. I mean, who buys a 350LC or an 888 SP3 for economy...?

Me! I started back on bike when I had young kids I needed to save money at every possible opportunity!

I started as an impoverished teenager, back when petrol was three shillings and sixpence a gallon and money was always a concern, but the only time I can remember driving 'economically' was when I was running out of petrol (a reasonably frequent occurrence) and I had to ride pretty much on the pilot jets to get to the nearest petrol station.

Fill 'er up and start ragging it again...

<edit> actually I checked and in 1966 when I started riding, the price of petrol was five shillings and five pence. Rose tinted memories again...

[Le_Fromage_Grande]

In that case I'd say name and shame the guilty men (or women)...

I can only speak for myself, but economy has never entered into my decision making process when buying a bike, as a glance through my biking history will attest. I mean, who buys a 350LC or an 888 SP3 for economy...?

I meant me

And plenty of economical bikes... owned four or five CB250RSs... they used to return mid-80s into the low 90s - I still do own one though modern petrol only goes about 75 miles on a gallon

Then there was the XBR500 - that did 65 miles to each gallon or there abouts... my three or four GS500s managed mid-60s too, even the later ones once I'd replaced the late-model OE pipe (with a noise-reducing bung in it) with the outwardly identical but less restrictive one off a 1990 model. I couldn't tell any difference noise wise.

The FZ750 was remarkably fuel efficient too - easy to get 55 mpg, and no great problem cracking 60.

The GSX-R750 was at the other extreme... under 30 on a bad day, barely 40 on a good day. I got fed up with stopping to fill that up. I really wanted a TZR250 around the time I had the XBR... but wallet considerations won.

I got about 40 mpg out of either of my FZ750s, but if you thrash them they will go under 30 mpg, I could get my R1 down to under 20 mpg quite easily, probably best not to try and remember tuned LC mpg.

I now ride like an old woman and get 50 mpg out of the GSXS

[Trinity765]

In that case I'd say name and shame the guilty men (or women)...

I can only speak for myself, but economy has never entered into my decision making process when buying a bike, as a glance through my biking history will attest. I mean, who buys a 350LC or an 888 SP3 for economy...?

Me! I started back on bike when I had young kids I needed to save money at every possible opportunity!

I started as an impoverished teenager, back when petrol was three shillings and sixpence a gallon and money was always a concern, but the only time I can remember driving 'economically' was when I was running out of petrol (a reasonably frequent occurrence) and I had to ride pretty much on the pilot jets to get to the nearest petrol station.

My last couple of bikes have had "rain" mode which I use when I think I may be running out of petrol.

[Mr. Dazzle]

I started as an impoverished teenager, back when petrol was three shillings and sixpence a gallon and money was always a concern, but the only time I can remember driving 'economically' was when I was running out of petrol (a reasonably frequent occurrence) and I had to ride pretty much on the pilot jets to get to the nearest petrol station.

I kinda like driving economically, it speaks to my inner efficiency nerd. It doesn't actually make all that much financial difference, but I dunno, I find it satisfying on a deep interior level sometimes

[Trinity765]

Economic and fun are at different ends of the scale.

[Horse]

Economic and fun are at different ends of the scale.

Not necessarily.

Years ago I started setting myself 'challenges', riding other than 'how fast can I go?'.

Easy enough to choose something that works to improve fuel consumption.

[Supermofo]

TBF I've found modern bikes really efficient. The 690 Duke would regularly hit 60 mpg without trying at all and that spent a fair amount of it's time in it's upper rev reaches. That was just riding normally.

And the GSXS 1000 has really surprised me I regularly get 48-50mpg riding on days out.

This compared to about 39 mpg out of my Firestorm and 44mpg on my R6.

[Mr. Dazzle]

Economic and fun are at different ends of the scale.

Even F1 and MotoGP racers worry about fuel consumption.

'Course, the real challenge is to travel fast AND economically, which is totally possible. Just more difficult.