Let's do some math...

[Joe]

... on the DRZ. I average about 35 MPG.

Dude, something is wrong....
after 120 miles at PMP, my MPG dropped down to high 50's. That's the lowest I've seen. Other than that I have been averaging 70 over my 14,000 miles. (I have a spreadsheet)

I hyper-miled for 2 tanks and averaged 80mpg, just to see if I could.

--EDIT--
CRAP, I wasted my 200th post replying to Dana!

[Wrider]

I'm assuming you have a 4x4 4.7 quad cab Dakota with those MPG figures? I drive fairly hard with my 4x4 4.7 club cab and get an average of 14.9 MPGs. If you want to upgrade the MPGs on the truck, spend a little money, get a Superchips tuner, put on a cold air intake, and cut out the third cat (can't do third one if you have to do emissions) and from what I've been hearing it should pop it up to about 17-18 MPG.

[TinkerinWstuff]

Dude, something is wrong....
after 120 miles at PMP, my MPG dropped down to high 50's. That's the lowest I've seen. Other than that I have been averaging 70 over my 14,000 miles. (I have a spreadsheet)

I hyper-miled for 2 tanks and averaged 80mpg, just to see if I could.

--EDIT--
CRAP, I wasted my 200th post replying to Dana!

No kidding. I get 50mpg out of my DR650.

I even get 40mpg out of my VFR750 if I drive like a law abiding adult.

[Devaclis]

Dude, something is wrong....
after 120 miles at PMP, my MPG dropped down to high 50's. That's the lowest I've seen. Other than that I have been averaging 70 over my 14,000 miles. (I have a spreadsheet)

I hyper-miled for 2 tanks and averaged 80mpg, just to see if I could.

--EDIT--
CRAP, I wasted my 200th post replying to Dana!

It will be going to Eddie soon for some work to diag the poor mileage.

[Sean]

$1500
http://boulder.craigslist.org/mcy/2231115951.html

[The Black Knight]

THE PROBLEM:
The topic is gas prices. The problem is my truck.

First off, I need my truck to haul motorcycles. I sold the bus and now I NEED the truck.

After 6 months of tracking fill ups and changing driving habits, I know for a fact that my truck gets 13.5 MPG.

My commute from home to work then back home is exactly 27 miles.

Driving 5 times a week, I look at a minimum of 135 miles per week in commuting. Add on the miscellaneous driving miles for errands and I look at roughly 150 miles per week.

150 miles / 13.5 mpg = 11.1 gallons per week.
At the current gas price of $3.20, that amounts to $35 per week in gas, which amounts to about $140 per month in gas for the truck.

If the speculators who are speculatin' be correct, the gas prices could reach $4.50 to $5.00 mid summer. This is unsustainable for me.

THE OPTIONS:

Option 1: Buy a DRZ400SM.

Current prices on a DRZ run around $4,500. The DRZ gets on average 50 mpg even driving like a fool.

In the current scenario, 150 miles / 50 mpg = 3 gallons per week.
3 gal x $3.20 = $9 per week. Per month we are looking at a fuel cost of $36 dollars.

That is a savings over the truck of $104 per month. That means, it would take 45 months for the DRZ to pay for itself, assuming I get a ZERO interest loan which doesn't exist. However, you can only ride the DRZ for roughly 8 - 9 months out of the year in Denver. So I would be looking at 5-6 years of commuting in order to pay off my investment.

Option 2: Sell truck, buy older truck and older car

Option 3: Cry myself to sleep.

So the almighty CSC, what do you think? Should I suck it up and pay 75 bucks to fill up my tank, or go into more debt and pay 6 dollars to fill up my tank?

My advice?? Is keep your truck and just live with it. And be content that gasoline right now is floating between $3.00 - $3.15(here in the Springs anyways) and that it's creeping up fairly slow. When I say slow, I'm saying I saw gas rise about .10 cents in the last week. I wish Diesel would only go up .10 cents. A week an a half ago, I paid $3.28 for diesel and this week it's already at $3.70(in some locations)!!! That's damn near .50 cents!!

But I can't complain, I have to live with it. I do find it funny that a 1 ton dually can get better fuel mileage than most 1/2 tons. I regularly see 15-16mpg in town. Highway is 20+mpg's. I know I'll never get as good of mileage like my 2500 Cummins got, but that has to do with the dually, so I live with it.

I say try and snag an inexpensive motorcycle. I would recommend looking into cruisers man. Before I found my Sportster, I was checking into older Vulcans and Viragos. And you can find em, for great deals. Vulcans were a little higher, as most Viragos tended to be late 80's early 90's. I settled on the Sportster, because of it's age and the smokin deal I got on it. But I sold my Gixxer to pay for it, so it was a wash.

However, in town I always get 50+mpg's from a 1200. If I ride it like a grandpa, I've seen as high as 55mpg in town. Riding it normal(i.e. keeping pace with traffic or riding a little quicker) I always get right at 51mpg.

And say what you want about it being a "Hardley" but no sportbike I ever had managed those kind of MPG's in town. I got my Gixxer to give me about 50mpg on the highway but in town, I was lucky to see 37-38mpg's. Most the time, I was at 35mpg. Which ain't nothin to sneeze at but it ain't up there with a V-twin. And if they are saying fuel is going to go past $4.00, then as soon as it's warm enough, I'll be on the bike and I'm parking my big ass Cummins.

And before I get clowned by some for saying "as soon as it's warm enough", keep in mind that I go to work very early, have a long enough commute, that anything below 40 degrees gets me cold and quick.

And I admit it, I'm not going to freeze my ass, when I've got a truck with a heater in it that will burn you out of the cab. I don't need to save fuel that much. I'd rather be a little lighter in the wallet and warm, than saving as much as I can, all while being an ice cube.

IN the end, keep your truck and I'd recommend a cruiser. That's if your ego can handle riding a cruiser.

[modette99]

..

[Dietrich_R1]

Getting another vehicle doesn't sound like the correct combination...

GO GHETTO like me!!!!!!

1) 01' Honda Accord 24-27mpg
2) Harbor Freight 1600lb capactiy trailer for $300. Much easier to load & it gets wenched up to the garage wall when not in use. Sits away from the wall no more than 20".

* Not good option if you have to go through the mountains!!!!!

[modette99]

..

[modette99]

..

[laspariahs]

Suck it up, gas is still cheap, I know you don't think it is, but look a gas prices historically from the 1960's with inflation. Gas is still cheap.


If you just want a motorcycle, just buy one.

Oh and it sounds like you're getting screwed on insurance, I'm paying 20 a month for a 09 zx6r, and I'm fairly young, and have a speeding ticket, 250,500,250, 250 deductibles, blahblahlbblahblah.

[mathman1000]

Not all SUV's are whimpy and get poor gas mileage. I just bought a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser last month, and to my surprise I get 23.5 mpg on the highway curising at 70mph (and that's not even using premium fuel!). Yeah, I accelerate slowly, let off the gas WELL in advance of having to stop, and sometimes throw it in neutral when coming down the hills on I70. It has a 240 hp V6, towing capacity of 5000lbs, rides great, love the looks, and easily can fit 5 people.

The biggest thing I've found to make a difference in gas mileage are your driving habits. Are you driving 85mph? Could you go a little slower? It takes a a lot more energy to travel just a little faster at high rates of speeds. It also helps if you; switch out to synthetic oil, change your plugs more frequently, put maybe 20% more air in the tires than reccomended, and use a cold air intake.

Just my two cents......

[cptschlongenheimer]

[B](and that's not even using premium fuel!).

You get the best mileage from using the lowest octane fuel you can get away with. Higher octane fuel burns slower and delivers less total energy. Higher compression engines need it to avoid a condition known as "knock" where the fuel detonates before top dead center of the piston travel. So use the lowest octane you can get away with as a rule.

[TinkerinWstuff]

Not all SUV's are whimpy and get poor gas mileage. I just bought a 2007 Toyota FJ Cruiser last month, and to my surprise I get 23.5 mpg on the highway curising at 70mph (and that's not even using premium fuel!). Yeah, I accelerate slowly, let off the gas WELL in advance of having to stop, and sometimes throw it in neutral when coming down the hills on I70. It has a 240 hp V6, towing capacity of 5000lbs, rides great, love the looks, and easily can fit 5 people.

The biggest thing I've found to make a difference in gas mileage are your driving habits. Are you driving 85mph? Could you go a little slower? It takes a a lot more energy to travel just a little faster at high rates of speeds. It also helps if you; switch out to synthetic oil, change your plugs more frequently, put maybe 20% more air in the tires than reccomended, and use a cold air intake.

Just my two cents......

I just read that coasting down hill out of gear is a ticketable offense worth three points

[Zach929rr]

Everybody shut the fuck up. Back on topic.

I haven't been trying to influence this in any way, up until right now.

Buy a drz.

[vort3xr6]

Everybody shut the fuck up. Back on topic.

I haven't been trying to influence this in any way, up until right now.

Buy a drz.

None are for sale and the only one I found the guy wants nearly 5 grand for it. Get real.

[Zach929rr]

Suzuki has a $1000 off coupon for new drz's.

[Kim-n-Dean]

You get the best mileage from using the lowest octane fuel you can get away with. Higher octane fuel burns slower and delivers less total energy. Higher compression engines need it to avoid a condition known as "knock" where the fuel detonates before top dead center of the piston travel. So use the lowest octane you can get away with as a rule.

Pre-ignition, detonation, ping, knock.... I thought I was the only one who knew that !! Octane if a flame retardant.

Seems like I've spent a good part of my life trying to convince people of that. I always tell them, don't listen to me, look it up for yourself, they never do.

[cptschlongenheimer]

Seems like I've spent a good part of my life trying to convince people of that. I always tell them, don't listen to me, look it up for yourself, they never do.

Word.

[wulf]

If your making payments on the truck, do the math on that and figure out how much you're throwing away in interest let alone depreciation.

Then consider selling it and buying (cash) vehicles you can afford.

Older cars cost less to register and insure, also less expensive to work on.

[modette99]

..

[The Black Knight]

Yep, and unless your a millionaire you probably have no business buying a NEW vehicle and then real millionaires that made their money through hard work drive older vehicles. I know a few. If you do buy a new vehicle then you need to consider keeping it for 10-15 years that is where the wife and I are at, she can have the new vehicle but she has to keep it for at least 10 years if not longer, she understood this.

I guess I get that from living in Europe, I will never understand the feeling to NEED a new vehicle every 2-4 years. Some of the most wealthiest kid sin Austria went to my school, one kid his fathers BMW was 20+ years old. True not the miles that Americans tend to rack up...but still the idea is the same you keep it till it dies and when you do you have the cash to pay for a new one to keep another 20+ years. Think of it maybe 3 or 4 vehicles is all you need in your life time.

Another great part of owning your vehicles is it is YOURS, not the banks. I love to correct people that say, look I bought a $55K Lexus and use the words "mine"..no I say; "its the banks unless you paid cash". i too can finance a $60K vehicle, it doe snot make me special...LOL

Oh and so true on how you drive. I see people doing 80+mph all the time in large trucks and SUV's same people tend to be the ones that used to feel the need to try and bond with me when I had a Ford Explorer at the pumps on how gas is a ripoff...they were always surprised and stopped talking to me when I would say "good I hope it goes higher".

Sounds like a Dave Ramsey incarnate. And while I agree with just about everything Ramsey says, I would respectfully disagree with him on the issue of vehicles, mainly new cars.

He needs to step back and realize what he's talking about. When he says that your income is your key to your wealth, I totally agree. But then he goes off and tells you to drive a POS.

Last I checked, if you can't get to work on a consistent basis(meaning not missing one day of work due to car problems) then you won't have a job for very long. Because it's not your employers fault if you drive a POS that is always down.

Quit being such a cheapskate and buy a reliable vehicle, is what I would tell Ramsey. Because if your income is your key to wealth, then your #1 priority is being able to get to your job and keep making your money.

I see nothing wrong with someone buying or financing a new(er) vehicle. It's their money, let them do as they wish with it. Way I look at it, is if you can do it, then do it, if that's what makes you happy.

As for being at the pumps. I drive 70mph on the freeway, it's where the sweet spot for my truck is at and nets me the best mpg's. So I can honestly say, I'm not one of these guys that rods it everywhere they go. But on a side note, I hate it when I'm at the pumps and some dipshit feels the need to have a chuckle at my expense because I'm having to fill a "guzzling truck" and then wants to ask me how much it costs to fuel up.

Or better yet, stop asking guys with big trucks, "hey, whatcha haul with that thing??" in some half assed attempt to degrade us because we don't have 28000lbs of backhoe and trailer hooked up to it all the time. I don't pull 85% of the time, but love having the truck to pull what I need, when the time comes.

I've even had one guy say, "hey, do you really need a truck that big?" to which I replied, "does it really f**king matter to you??"

[FZRguy]

I average 55 MPG with my DRZ (E model with fresh top-end, ported head, JD jet kit). My FZR gets 60 (really), and my Jeep gets 20. I used to live 17 miles from work and rode my bicycle three days per week, moto one day, and Jeep one day. Now I live less than two miles from work and ride my bicycle every day (moto one or two days during the season). So gas prices really don't affect me much.

[asp_125]

The beemer gets 70mpg if I baby it. :woot: The Murano gets 21 all day long with the CVT. The Gixxers, I don't care what mpg it gets .. maybe I'll give a shit when gas is $10 a gallon.