Oops, its cheaper to drive my pickup truck
Road Warrior
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 1,691
Likes: 3
RE: Oops, its cheaper to drive my pickup truck
Octane rating is a measure of how much pressure it takes to self-ignite the air/fuel mixture made from it. It has nothing to do with how the fuel burns beyond whether it self-ignites or not. A complete burn is producing only carbon dioxide and no carbon monoxide so the idea you get more power and less heat from a complete burn is a bit flawed.
Extreme HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2007
Posts: 12,653
Likes: 18
From: Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
RE: Oops, its cheaper to drive my pickup truck
ORIGINAL: ButtMan1000
 \\;\\\\\\;
I read an article by Joe Minton, in "American Rider" magazine concerning octane.
 \\;\\\\\\;
According to Minton, the motor will work harder with the lower octane to achieve the same performance as High test. \\;\\\\\\; (Using more throttle to achieve the same performance) \\;\\\\\\; Minton asserts that based on that criteria, there is no monetary gain in going to regular grade gas, nor does regular improve performance.
ORIGINAL: Alias
First off, change your own oil, that will save you $150.00 then use regular gas or mid grade if you experience any pinging. That will save you a few pennies per tank full, plus you will get better mpg with the lower octane. Also you should be getting around 8 to 10,000 miles on your rear tire. Your numbers are way off.
First off, change your own oil, that will save you $150.00 then use regular gas or mid grade if you experience any pinging. That will save you a few pennies per tank full, plus you will get better mpg with the lower octane. Also you should be getting around 8 to 10,000 miles on your rear tire. Your numbers are way off.
I read an article by Joe Minton, in "American Rider" magazine concerning octane.
 \\;\\\\\\;
According to Minton, the motor will work harder with the lower octane to achieve the same performance as High test. \\;\\\\\\; (Using more throttle to achieve the same performance) \\;\\\\\\; Minton asserts that based on that criteria, there is no monetary gain in going to regular grade gas, nor does regular improve performance.
 \\;
If that were true, everyone would be using premium in all their vehicles. \\; Just ain't so.
Advanced
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 73
Likes: 0
From: In a cornfield
RE: Oops, its cheaper to drive my pickup truck
I was curious after reading your post so I figured our my estimated 5 year operating costs on my truck and my Harley.
Truck cost $27,500
Depreciation $10,000
mpg 18-20 gas $4.10 15000 miles per year
Ins. $660 per year
Service 20$ oil change every 4,000 miles
Tires $900 every 60,000 miles
1 battery $100
Registration $65 per year
Harley cost $17,500
Depreciation $5,000
mpg 42 $4.10 7,500 miles per year
Ins. $185 per year
Indy service costs $500 per year (including some accessory add on time, and the fact that services that end in 0 are more)
pair of tires $400 every 10,000 miles
1 battery $150
Registration $20 per year
My math is probably wrong but I came up with around $.75 per mile on the truck and around $.82 per mile with the Harley. I think they figure if you are going down the road at around $.80 cents a mile with anything you are doing pretty well. I would have guessed that the Harley was indeed cheaper to run down the road. My truck is a 04' toyota tundra, bike is a 06' street glide.
Truck cost $27,500
Depreciation $10,000
mpg 18-20 gas $4.10 15000 miles per year
Ins. $660 per year
Service 20$ oil change every 4,000 miles
Tires $900 every 60,000 miles
1 battery $100
Registration $65 per year
Harley cost $17,500
Depreciation $5,000
mpg 42 $4.10 7,500 miles per year
Ins. $185 per year
Indy service costs $500 per year (including some accessory add on time, and the fact that services that end in 0 are more)
pair of tires $400 every 10,000 miles
1 battery $150
Registration $20 per year
My math is probably wrong but I came up with around $.75 per mile on the truck and around $.82 per mile with the Harley. I think they figure if you are going down the road at around $.80 cents a mile with anything you are doing pretty well. I would have guessed that the Harley was indeed cheaper to run down the road. My truck is a 04' toyota tundra, bike is a 06' street glide.
Road Master
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 949
Likes: 1
From: Way Down Texas Way
RE: Oops, its cheaper to drive my pickup truck
Well,
 \\;
I don't even think it's worth my time to use the numbers...wouldn't matter anyway....13 mpg and $4.85/gallon for diesel versus 40 mpg and buying gas for a bike is a no-brainer........oil and filter change on bike is $25.00, truck takes 10 gallons of oil alone without fuel and oil filter.........
 \\;
Just bought a tire and tube (got a little over 10,000 out of the last one) for around $170.00, so that makes it +/- $185 for a new rear with mount and balance. \\; It does pi$$ me off that the bike registration is almost the same price as the Duramax 2500 HD.....that's a ripoff.......
 \\;
I don't even think it's worth my time to use the numbers...wouldn't matter anyway....13 mpg and $4.85/gallon for diesel versus 40 mpg and buying gas for a bike is a no-brainer........oil and filter change on bike is $25.00, truck takes 10 gallons of oil alone without fuel and oil filter.........
 \\;
Just bought a tire and tube (got a little over 10,000 out of the last one) for around $170.00, so that makes it +/- $185 for a new rear with mount and balance. \\; It does pi$$ me off that the bike registration is almost the same price as the Duramax 2500 HD.....that's a ripoff.......
Ultimate HDF Member
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 5,801
Likes: 13
RE: Oops, its cheaper to drive my pickup truck
ORIGINAL: sporty2003
drive your truck the way you drive your bike .then let us know what it cost.
drive your truck the way you drive your bike .then let us know what it cost.
Exactly.
 \\;
What I am reading here is "I drive like I'm on a race track, and cant' do my own servicing"
Thread Starter
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Cruiser
Joined: Mar 2008
Posts: 238
Likes: 0
From:
RE: Oops, its cheaper to drive my pickup truck
ORIGINAL: CSI Topeka
 \\;\\\\\\;
Exactly.
 \\;\\\\\\;
What I am reading here is "I drive like I'm on a race track, and cant' do my own servicing"
ORIGINAL: sporty2003
drive your truck the way you drive your bike .then let us know what it cost.
drive your truck the way you drive your bike .then let us know what it cost.
Exactly.
 \\;\\\\\\;
What I am reading here is "I drive like I'm on a race track, and cant' do my own servicing"
God damn you grumpy geezers have had long enough to figure it out but your too damn stubborn to realize no matter how slow you drive the damn things still gonna wear out eventually. \\; Drive fast, take chances! \\; Good ****ing grief, I'm gonna hafta chug a six pack and go for a 100mph ride naked tonight, and when I get back I'll buy that damned ASSEMBLY LINE manual and tear my frikken bike down to the frame and rebuild it. \\; ****, I'll grind off the welds and re-weld it all too, to make sure its all done right. \\; You know, all them damned poor azzed sloppy ignorant assembly line workers cannot be trusted to have worked on my bike, I'm better than that!
 \\;
And I _DO_ drive my truck like I'm on a race track all the time, I heel-toe around 50mph corners and beat the crap outta it. \\; I'll trade it on a new one when it wears the hell out, and keep havin fun.
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Cruiser
Joined: Jan 2008
Posts: 207
Likes: 0
From: Central Ohio
RE: Oops, its cheaper to drive my pickup truck
Motorcycles can't be justified on transportation alone, especially a big twin Harley, unless you can get rid of a 4-wheeler. But I don't have a bike for that reason. Even now when I use the bike for transpotration and errands I don't save gas because I take a 30mi scenic route whever
i'm going.
Many years ago I did save a lot on Jap 250/400 twins when you could buy one for +/- $1k. Rode year round in OH unless there was ice on the ground. We only had one car, an economy car at that. 300lb bikes and centerstands made maintenance easy.
I bet in a yeer or two there'll be some used bargains at dealers (probably not Harley) once cagers find out it takes a certain commitment to ride enough to pay for a bike and it's maintenance.
i'm going.
Many years ago I did save a lot on Jap 250/400 twins when you could buy one for +/- $1k. Rode year round in OH unless there was ice on the ground. We only had one car, an economy car at that. 300lb bikes and centerstands made maintenance easy.
I bet in a yeer or two there'll be some used bargains at dealers (probably not Harley) once cagers find out it takes a certain commitment to ride enough to pay for a bike and it's maintenance.
Seasoned HDF Member
Joined: Jul 2007
Posts: 6,336
Likes: 67
From: SW Minnesota
RE: Oops, its cheaper to drive my pickup truck
ORIGINAL: ButtMan1000
 \\;\\\\\\;
I read an article by Joe Minton, in "American Rider" magazine concerning octane.
 \\;\\\\\\;
According to Minton, the motor will work harder with the lower octane to achieve the same performance as High test. \\;\\\\\\; (Using more throttle to achieve the same performance) \\;\\\\\\; Minton asserts that based on that criteria, there is no monetary gain in going to regular grade gas, nor does regular improve performance.
ORIGINAL: Alias
First off, change your own oil, that will save you $150.00 then use regular gas or mid grade if you experience any pinging. That will save you a few pennies per tank full, plus you will get better mpg with the lower octane. Also you should be getting around 8 to 10,000 miles on your rear tire. Your numbers are way off.
First off, change your own oil, that will save you $150.00 then use regular gas or mid grade if you experience any pinging. That will save you a few pennies per tank full, plus you will get better mpg with the lower octane. Also you should be getting around 8 to 10,000 miles on your rear tire. Your numbers are way off.
I read an article by Joe Minton, in "American Rider" magazine concerning octane.
 \\;\\\\\\;
According to Minton, the motor will work harder with the lower octane to achieve the same performance as High test. \\;\\\\\\; (Using more throttle to achieve the same performance) \\;\\\\\\; Minton asserts that based on that criteria, there is no monetary gain in going to regular grade gas, nor does regular improve performance.
Buttman, please post the issue and year of your information. \\; Meanwhile, I will post the link to what Joe Minton actually said about detonation, and if you read it, you will note he says to up the octane. \\; Sheesh ! \\; Talk about destroying a top tech writer's integrity....
[:@]
http://www.americanrider.com/output.cfm?id=1021915
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