Ah petrol prices

[KTMBLAG]

Is it just me or are others planning bike trips with the cost of petrol playing a major part? I'm planning a bit of a run next week, lakes and scotland maybe 2000 mile and I'm thinking on a budget. Camping, food from supermarket but feck petrol what a rip off. It's a sad day when bikes are expensive on fuel isn't it?

[900Fantrider]

I felt this more on the trip to the Stella than any before, and I really dar`nt add it up!

[Lee]

my recent nature rally ride covered about 2,600 miles and cost £227 in fuel which I didn't think was too bad – I'd expected it to be considerably more than that given the bike was heavily loaded (but then I was on mainly 60mph roads or lower, and not too much stop-start)

[minkyhead]

its becoming more and more important to a lot of people ..

i have two two takes on it
..on a one off trip i suppose you just pan ahead and buget in to your hols somthing in the same way you do for increased air and air port charges ....

the 2nd more worrying ..is the 365 day a year hit ..
mid engined bikes are becoming better real world bikes and particulary adventure bikes
the high gas milage you can get from the 800gs 650gs series has a big appeal
the perreniel wee strom [65mpg] ...soon followed by wee 2 will be not far off70mpg ...
i cant really think of any other bikes which fit loosly into the adventure catogary that has any where near this return of miles that have two or more cylinders ..the versys maby ?i dont know

the point being when it comes to letting go of pounds for the next bike ..tank range and mpg is going to be very high on a lot of peoples lists thats for sure

[minkyhead]

my recent nature rally ride covered about 2,600 miles and cost £227 in fuel which I didn't think was too bad – I'd expected it to be considerably more than that given the bike was heavily loaded (but then I was on mainly 60mph roads or lower, and not too much stop-start)

at 1.36 a litre its near to or just over 70 to the gallon ..
the xt is good on petrol for sure

[KTMBLAG]

my recent nature rally ride covered about 2,600 miles and cost £227 in fuel which I didn't think was too bad – I'd expected it to be considerably more than that given the bike was heavily loaded (but then I was on mainly 60mph roads or lower, and not too much stop-start)

at 1.36 a litre it near 70 to the gallon ..
the xt is good on petrol for sure

Carol Vorderman

[Jim Lovell]

Filled up last night after spending on new tyres, £24.00 even the lady behind the counter said not many cars put that much in now. when i said i done that five times in one day she nearly fell over

[Gavinskii]

I did 1500 odd miles in a short week touring around Scottish West Coast and all of it was great except when I added my fuel costs up and even though fully loaded up I still got close to 50 Mpg, that is crap compared to my wifes 5 door air conditioned diesel runabout that gets 55 mpg around town hmy:

Bike manufacturers are way off the pace when it comes to development. We should be acheiving closer to 100mpg if the bike industry had invested proportionately as much in R&D as the car industry had.

[Redmurty]

Petrol price, "it is what it is" it will never go back down, it's the price you pay (no pun intended) for our freedom cheers Spud

[Mad Cow]

To me the bike is the default option when fuel becomes an issue:

In February I had a long weekend hill walking in the Lake District and took the Land Rover (a 2007 Ford TDCi powered model, so quick and reasonably economical for something with the aerodynamics of a house brick). A 550 mile round trip at an average of 30mpg and diesel at about £1.33 a litre (£6 a gallon) cost me £110 in fuel.

A month later I did the same trip but chose to take the bike (A BMW 800GS at that time).
Same mileage at 58mpg with petrol slightly cheaper at about £1.27 a litre (£5.72 a gallon), that cost me about £55.

However you do have to look at the wider costs, in February I "wild camped" and slept in the back of the Landie for two nights with one night in B&B after getting snowed on all day and I fancied some creature comforts - accomodation cost £50 (only a double room left otherwise it would have been £35) so combined fuel/accomodation cost = £160

In March I stayed in a B&B (well it did snow all weekend)for three nights. Cost for three nights £105, so combined cost = £160

In other words nothing in it and to be honest if I had roughed it another night in Feb, the car would have been cheaper

However difference between trolling up the motorway in the truck and then sleeping in it and riding the bike up using no motorways (I followed the A6 for most of the journey) and having a comfy bed, hot showers and a cooked breakfast = Priceless!

And whilst I agree that Bike manufacturers could clearly do more, remember that most large bikes will manage 0-60 in under three seconds, most cars that can do that have fuel consumption figures that struggle to get into double figures!