Hi!

[wallbrownfj8]

Hello, my name is Franklin Wallbrown, I'm 19 & from Minford, Ohio. I was thinking of purchasing a new motorcycle because they are cheaper on gas & my car insurance is killing me ($92 a month!!, I also got various quotes online with different bikes and found basic motorcycle insurance to be ~$100-$150 A YEAR!!! Correct me if I am wrong, please).

I was wondering what motorcycle you guys would suggest for me (I weigh ~250lbs. & I'm about 5'11"). I care more about fuel economy than having a bunch of power, but I do want it to be able to carry me on the highway.

My girlfriend's father rides motorcycles and he suggested the Honda Rebel.

Thank you for your time.

[dr_bar]

Listen to your girl friends father...

It's very good advice...

[wallbrownfj8]

He said that his friend said that they get a hundred miles to the gallon, but I looked on the total motorcycle fuel economy guide and it says they get 73CTY/86HWY. (Although, that is the 2005) Does anyone know any other years fuel economy?

[jstark47]

I doubt fuel economy changes much from year to year. Honda's kept the Rebel basically the same for years. 100 mpg sounds too high, the 73/86 figure is more realistic. My wife and I used to own a 250cc Honda scooter, same size engine as the Rebel, and we would get around 70-75 mpg combined.

As long as the Rebel is a comfortable size for you (to find out, go to a dealer and sit on one) it will do you fine as a first bike. It's got as much power as you need, and is reliable as an anvil. It's also a good-looking bike, IMO.

[Thumper]

At 5'11" you might find the Rebel to be a little cramped; I'm 5'8" with a 32" inseam, and I feel like I'm at the top of who can comfortably ride it long term; when I first started riding it felt like a big bike, but within 6 months it felt tiny (and now it feels like a toy...a fun, buzzy toy.) My 6'2" (34" inseam) son can ride it, but he hits his knees on the bar ends quite a bit.

I get 75 mpg most of the time on my Rebel. Not exactly the 100 you've been told, but it's still pretty good. If I weighed a little less, I'd probably hit 80 mpg more than I do.

Thing about the highway...it's doable on a Rebel, but I don't recommend it, at least not initially. You can wind it up and get it going 70-80 mph, but it does get blown around a lot. My SV650 weighs 100 pounds more and does a whole lot better on the highway (but I seriously DO NOT recommend that for a first bike.)

Look, too, at the Honda VLX (the Spouse Thingy started on that...he loves it, and it has far more room for longer legs than the Rebel), the Kawasaki Vulcan 500, and even the Ninja 500 and Yamaha Virago 250 (might have a tad more leg room than the Rebel.)

My insurance on the Rebel is $8/month, $28 for my SV...full coverage. Not too bad, either way.

[JC Viper]

I started out on a Suzuki GZ250 when I was 18/ 19 and it was brand new so I paid $1800 in insurance in NYS (full coverage). I would consider starting with a used bike and the insurance should go down a bit.

You can always opt for a Vulcan 500 (used) or Kymco Venox 250cc cruiser (roomy for a 250) or Hyosung GV250. Maybe a KLR 250 would be a better fit?

[wallbrownfj8]

Which one has the best fuel economy? (will try to find on the guide)

[Kibagari]

Which one has the best fuel economy? (will try to find on the guide)

Hey, 70-75 mpg is pretty good, you'll be hard pressed to find anything really higher than that- and if you do find something higher than that, great. But you won't find it in anything bigger than a 250, really. The bigger the engine, the more gas it's going to suck up.

Even Harleys get about 50 mpg, which is STILL better than a Toyota Corolla, which, when ran right, gets about 35-40.

Fuel economy isn't everything. If the bike gets 5 mpg more than another, yet is more uncomfortable to ride, then the 5 mpg really isn't worth it. Find the bike that you're comfortable on.

[wallbrownfj8]

Tru! But I'd rather have a bike that is a little more uncomfortable (because I'm not going to ride it more than about 25 miles each way to school or the store or a job) that gets a little bit more MPGs. Although, comfort is a factor for me, that is why I went with the Rebel rather than a Ninja 250. Don't worry, I won't kill myself to get +2 MPG. LOL

I've also found that the Rebel is the best on gas through my research.

[Pittance]

Because I've heard a lot of people say they only want a bike to save money on gas, I ran some very basic numbers to make the savings more evident.

$2800 to save initially
25mpg for car
75mpg for bike
$3.30 for gas

1mi: $0.13 for car, $0.04 for bike, $0.09 savings
10mi: $1.32 for car, $0.44 for bike, $0.88 savings
100mi: $13.20 for car, $4.40 for bike, $8.80 savings
1000mi: $132 for car, $44 for bike, $88 savings

~32,000mi to break even on cost of bike.

These numbers do not reflect maintenance costs such as oil for car and bike, new tires for bike, etc. Also, they take into account a $2000 bike, $500 worth of gear, and $300 yearly insurance. Also you should account for MSF costs, saddle bags, and all other costs.

Also, I drive 20mi each way to work in the morning. So I drive 40mi a day, 200mi a week, 800mi a month at the absolute minimum. So, for me, to drive 32,000mi, I would need to drive for 40 months. Or 3 years and 4 months. That puts it into a little more perspective. And thats a long time to put up with not being comfortable on a bike.

I personally would not buy a bike only to save money on gas. Because I know myself, and I know that I would spend quite a bit extra to make the bike more fun, and probably ruin my savings. Also you should take into account that accidents (at fault or caused by others) are much more devastating on a bike than in a car, regardless of the gear you wear. Goodluck, and I hope you enjoy it.