Something has to give

[beemergrl]

By the time the rally gets here, it is going to cost me 200.00 in gas to get to the rally and my husband 400.00 in gas. This is based on roundtrip plus doing the "hat trick". That's ridiculuous. Hope there are some specials at the rally to offset the gas prices.:laugh

Anybody guess what I am doing with my Uncle Sam check? :p :usa

[Voni]

Good priorities!

We'll camp and maybe do more cooking on the rally grounds. That will help.

Can't wait!

Voni
sMiling

[mrich12000]

Hi, Voni:heart

[knary]

By the time the rally gets here, it is going to cost me 200.00 in gas to get to the rally and my husband 400.00 in gas. This is based on roundtrip plus doing the "hat trick". That's ridiculuous. Hope there are some specials at the rally to offset the gas prices.:laugh

Anybody guess what I am doing with my Uncle Sam check? :p :usa

I did the math the other day.

My R1150GS's typical day to day gas mileage: 42 mpg
Price for premium*: $3.75

Fuel price per mile: $.089

This summer, the price per gallon will be up, but so will my bike's mpg.

It's 2500 miles round trip to Gillette. I'll add some wiggle and waggle to the route, bringing it up over 3000 and more like 3,500 miles.

3500 x .089 = $311.50. :bluduh

[Newstar]

Fuel price per mile: $.089




Sure beats gassing up my F150! Talk about painful! I've resorted to driving the old Taurus for work but may soon have to downsize further and start taking the bike. While it doesn't sound bad, it will be a PIA with all the stops I make during the course of the day.

[theLuz]

Let's keep this in perspective, children. I was just in Germany and they pay more than $10 per gallon for gas. Most of that is tax, but who cares, you have to pay it. I LOVE this Country. Hope to see all you there.:drink

[knary]

:ha
I just got back from hanging out on the highway. A friend's friend ran out of gas on her new bike and was stuck in the shoulder under a bridge. She was convinced that the bike had fuel. My friend and I head over. He's ready to tear the bike apart. I gently suggest that we check for fuel. :ha She'd "put $5 in the other day" so was convinced it had gas. She's a brand new rider on a brand new to her bike. $5 doesn't buy as much gas as it used to. :ha

[Floppp]

Today it cost me $1.35/L. That is $5.40 per US gallon. And we make the dang stuff.

Still, I plan on a 6,000 mile road trip this summer. Of course the *cough*60*cough* or so mpg I get will help.

[nytrashman]

Let's keep this in perspective, children. I was just in Germany and they pay more than $10 per gallon for gas. Most of that is tax, but who cares, you have to pay it. I LOVE this Country. Hope to see all you there.:drink


you can not compare the cost of gas in the U.S. to Europe as most of the cost of gas in Europe is do to high tax which pays for free health care for every man woman & child.

personally i would love to see gas reach the $10 or $12 a gallon mark. maybe then will people change there driving habits (large SUV, one occupant going 75mph) the days of cheap gas are over and it is time to change our way of thinking when it comes to personal vehicles. hopefully very soon that large SUV will soon be a thing of the past, replaced by smaller more fuel efficient vehicles like you see in Europe.

my little F650GS gets approx 70 MPG and although it is going to be about a 5000 mile round trip to Gillette i am still planning on attending.

[Acejones]

I'm taking my prorated Uncle sam check and going to france.

[lensuz]

Too bad the check is in US dollars and not Euros!!!

[osbornk]

you can not compare the cost of gas in the U.S. to Europe as most of the cost of gas in Europe is do to high tax which pays for free health care for every man woman & child.

personally i would love to see gas reach the $10 or $12 a gallon mark. maybe then will people change there driving habits (large SUV, one occupant going 75mph) the days of cheap gas are over and it is time to change our way of thinking when it comes to personal vehicles. hopefully very soon that large SUV will soon be a thing of the past, replaced by smaller more fuel efficient vehicles like you see in Europe.

my little F650GS gets approx 70 MPG and although it is going to be about a 5000 mile round trip to Gillette i am still planning on attending.

Expensive gas in Europe is not as much of a problem since many of their countries are the size of some of our counties in the US. Expensive gas in the country where us common folks live would kill us. It can easily be 30-50 miles to work or even to the store for many of us. It takes me $8 worth of gas to get to the nearest Target, Lowes or Sam's Club when I ride my motorcycle. It takes more than double that when I have to use my pickup to haul something. Smaller and more fuel efficient is not practical when you have to haul hay, lumber, fertilizer, etc. while city slickers can drive their Prius and other expensive econoboxes. It's also economically foolish to replace a 20 mpg paid for vehicle with a 30 MPG vehicle that cost $15,000-$25,000 that has to be financed. Not counting the cost, the energy used to product the new vehicle will be many times the energy savings you would get from the new vehicle.

[SIBUD]

you can not compare the cost of gas in the U.S. to Europe as most of the cost of gas in Europe is do to high tax which pays for free health care for every man woman & child.

personally i would love to see gas reach the $10 or $12 a gallon mark. maybe then will people change there driving habits (large SUV, one occupant going 75mph) the days of cheap gas are over and it is time to change our way of thinking when it comes to personal vehicles. hopefully very soon that large SUV will soon be a thing of the past, replaced by smaller more fuel efficient vehicles like you see in Europe.

my little F650GS gets approx 70 MPG and although it is going to be about a 5000 mile round trip to Gillette i am still planning on attending.


Well no problem nytrashman, move.:nyah

Seriously, 10 to 12 dollar gas in the US would put us into a deep and long lasting depression and I'm sure you don't want to live thru that.

But I'm still waiting for the US to be paid for the war in Iraq with all that oil. Then we should see some cheap gas.

[rocketman]

Expensive gas in Europe is not as much of a problem since many of their countries are the size of some of our counties in the US. Expensive gas in the country where us common folks live would kill us. It can easily be 30-50 miles to work or even to the store for many of us. It takes me $8 worth of gas to get to the nearest Target, Lowes or Sam's Club when I ride my motorcycle. It takes more than double that when I have to use my pickup to haul something. Smaller and more fuel efficient is not practical when you have to haul hay, lumber, fertilizer, etc. while city slickers can drive their Prius and other expensive econoboxes. It's also economically foolish to replace a 20 mpg paid for vehicle with a 30 MPG vehicle that cost $15,000-$25,000 that has to be financed. Not counting the cost, the energy used to product the new vehicle will be many times the energy savings you would get from the new vehicle.

I guess that depends on how you view "fuel efficient". What it means is getting the same amount of work done while using less energy, therefore you could still haul what you need while using less fuel to do so. And while it may not be practical to replace the vehicle now, as some point it will need replacing at which point there will be more efficient options available. but again greater efficiency is certainly possible without losing the ability to get what needs to be done if you plan for it.

In fact my boss was just asking me about getting a motorcycle to reduce his cost of gas as he now drives a truck, and I cautioned him that while a bike does use a lot less gas, he had to consider the start up costs as he currently does not ride, nor ever has. So his savings is not going to happen overnight and because of the length of his commute I figured he's only ride say 60-70 percent of the time i.e. bad weather, cold, days he has meetings to attend has to do the suit bit, etc.. so, yes there are several factors, but with long term planning fuel savings are possible for most of us without a serious impact regardless of where we live.

RM

[osbornk]

I guess that depends on how you view "fuel efficient". What it means is getting the same amount of work done while using less energy, therefore you could still haul what you need while using less fuel to do so. And while it may not be practical to replace the vehicle now, as some point it will need replacing at which point there will be more efficient options available. but again greater efficiency is certainly possible without losing the ability to get what needs to be done if you plan for it.

I look forward to your suggestions on how I can be more fuel efficient and what more efficient options are available. My F-150 has a 300HP V8 that replaced a 150HP Toyota PU 3 years ago. Under a heavy load. If I had a large load, I had to make 2 loads with the Toyota as it had a 5,000 lb towing limit. I could repllace my truck with a diesel but the engine option alone is an additional $6,000 plus an upgrade to a F-250 and an additional $ .70 per gallon for the fuel. If I replaced the truck tomorrow without regard to cost or the energy used to product the truck, what could I buy that would be more fuel efficient if I needed to tow 6,000 lbs. The GM and MOPAR trucks have variable displacement (cuts off some cylinders under light load) that tricks the EPA ratings but saves no gas in the real world in the mountains.

Since I now ride my motorcycle when possible and bundle all trips possible into one trip with both my motorcycle and truck, how can I be more efficient?

[rocketman]

I look forward to your suggestions on how I can be more fuel efficient and what more efficient options are available. My F-150 has a 300HP V8 that replaced a 150HP Toyota PU 3 years ago. Under a heavy load. If I had a large load, I had to make 2 loads with the Toyota as it had a 5,000 lb towing limit. I could repllace my truck with a diesel but the engine option alone is an additional $6,000 plus an upgrade to a F-250 and an additional $ .70 per gallon for the fuel. If I replaced the truck tomorrow without regard to cost or the energy used to product the truck, what could I buy that would be more fuel efficient if I needed to tow 6,000 lbs. The GM and MOPAR trucks have variable displacement (cuts off some cylinders under light load) that tricks the EPA ratings but saves no gas in the real world in the mountains.

Since I now ride my motorcycle when possible and bundle all trips possible into one trip with both my motorcycle and truck, how can I be more efficient?

I wasn't offering any suggestions just making a point that there is a difference between "economy" and "efficiency". An economy car may have a smaller engine and therefor gets more miles per gallon and as you suggest, does less work for the given amount of fuel so for some one needing to haul things it may may indeed not save the person any money. For some just needing to get around it would. Whereas a car with a more efficient engine could get the same work out of less fuel. And has been shown by recent developments it is possible to make engines more efficient now that is becoming a market.

Sorry if you took it personally that was not my intent.

RM

[nytrashman]

Well no problem nytrashman, move.:nyah

Seriously, 10 to 12 dollar gas in the US would put us into a deep and long lasting depression and I'm sure you don't want to live thru that.

But I'm still waiting for the US to be paid for the war in Iraq with all that oil. Then we should see some cheap gas.

no, of course i do not want this country to go into a depression but i fear if the price of gas continues to climb unchecked a depression is inevitable. what this country needs is a leader, not a politician.

we all need to think long and hard about the way we drive as well as what we drive. i am fortunate that my daily commute is only 5 miles each way. i ride my bike three days a week and i am just about ready to buy a Honda Civic Hybrid to drive the two days i can't ride my bike. my '03 F250 pick-up will sit idle until it is needed in the winter to plow my driveway and my rental property driveway, or to be used only when building supplies for home renovation/repair are needed.

[Newstar]

(large SUV, one occupant going 75mph)


:blush That would often be me. Before bashing the gas guzzlers, please keep in mind that some of us do have a need for a large vehicle due to work related purposes.

[Fletch66]

I completely understand the need for people needing a truck to haul large and heavy equipment. The people we should feel sorry for are the truckers, especially the independent drivers. There is absolutely no reason a gallon of diesel should be more expensive than premium. Someone mentioned that getting repaid from Iraq with oil will lower the prices. Not a chance. The oil companies will continue to charge whatever they want, then post record profits. Then cry to congress that they need the $18 billion dollar tax cuts for more research.
The bottom line is our country has a serious problem, GREED, but nobody seems to notice or care. People are losing their new homes because they couldn't afford the house on a fixed rate, and now the govt has to fix it because they took out a loan that they cant afford now because their ARM went up. Go figure.
We have CEO's who are getting paid millions of dollars, simply to streamline companies and send work overseas. This will only benefit them, and maybe the top 30 people in the company. Look at AT&T if you don't believe me.
Do I need to go into welfare and our justice system?
Yes, I do love this country. But things are looking worse every day.
Ok, I'm done venting. I'm getting off the soapbox and going for a ride. :lurk

[Mauldus]

Please think twice before buying a hybrid. Those cars are so small you might as well be on a bike. Not to mention that you're towing two engines and batteries in the same vehicle. I'd prefer to simply have an efficient gasoline engine than all those batteries that are going to die in a few years. I think the total cost to you will be a wash.

Just my two pennies.

[DarrylRi]

Please think twice before buying a hybrid. Those cars are so small you might as well be on a bike. Not to mention that you're towing two engines and batteries in the same vehicle. I'd prefer to simply have an efficient gasoline engine than all those batteries that are going to die in a few years. I think the total cost to you will be a wash.

Just my two pennies.

The Prius seats 5 (ok, 4 comfortably) and has a large hatchback area. As a car, it's not small, but it is small compared to an SUV or a full sized truck. The batteries are warranted for 10 years or 150,000 miles. The batteries are entirely recycleable. The gas engine is a little 1.5 liter 4 banger. It is heavy, but in our experience, it does get great gas mileage (we get between 40-50mpg, the same or better than any of my BMW motorcycles).

The Prius is not for a gearhead. "No user servicable parts inside." It is entirely a transportation appliance. It's sort of Toyota's answer to the Buick. The suspension is a bit soft and the car has some body roll. My wife loves it.

[Voni]

By the time the rally gets here, it is going to cost me 200.00 in gas to get to the rally and my husband 400.00 in gas. This is based on roundtrip plus doing the "hat trick". That's ridiculuous. Hope there are some specials at the rally to offset the gas prices.:laugh

Anybody guess what I am doing with my Uncle Sam check? :p :usa

OR you could stay home. But then the psychiatrist's bill would take that $400 in just two hours!

Voni
sMiling cause my bike is my therapy

[rocketman]

OR you could stay home. But then the psychiatrist's bill would take that $400 in just two hours!

Voni
sMiling cause my bike is my therapy

And I won't get my check till late this fall it seems as they go by the last 4 digits of your SSN, by then it will be worth less and gas prices higher so I might get one fill up from it! Ha Ha!

RM

(not holding his breath!)

[Voni]

Do the American thing.

Spend it now while gas prices are "low".

Get the money later.

I might even give you a loan at just 10% per day interest. You might even come out ahead with those special terms.

Voni
LOL

[Rapid_Roy]

I would also like to complain about the high prices of Don Julio Tequila. Between that and gas, I have to eliminate food from my budget. If you have seen my waist line, you'll see I can afford it. I'll be in Gillette. Look for the drunk hungry guy with the "Will set up tents for food" sign..:laugh
:wave

[rocketman]

Do the American thing.

Spend it now while gas prices are "low".

Get the money later.

I might even give you a loan at just 10% per day interest. You might even come out ahead with those special terms.

Voni
LOL

oddly enough I just saw an add the other day on TV for one of those "Payday" loan places that seem to spring up in areas that have large working class populations.. anyway the fine print flashes on the screen I could just catch the line that showed the effective interest rate, 99%,



"Just bring in a check and we'll hold it till your next payday...

and then hold it over your head untill the next payday

and the next

and the next..

and remember we're here for you and you and you and you....

Hmmm, yeah that works.... those folks should be.......well you know:banghead

RM

[jgr451]

I just poured the last of a bottle of Perrier into a glass.$1.58 per 750 ml=less than a litre.Plus deposit ,environmental levy and 14% tax.That would be about $2.40 per litre,or $10 per gallon.

Dunno what that means.

$30 for a quart of cheap whiskey.And so on.

[169347]

My daily driver costs close to $1000 to fill the tanks, that's on a daily basis. Welcome to the New World Order. I wouldn't hold my breath for fuel to become any cheaper. Keep smiling.

Woodgrain:bolt