The True and Full Costs of Running an R1150GS over two years

[Tecumseh]

Don't know if anyone will be interested in this level of detail but here goes...

I bought a 2000 R1150GS from a Thames Valley policeman in January 2010, it had 57,000 miles on the clock and no service history. It was specced-up to look like an Adventure: 30l fuel tank, blue cylinder heads, adventure seat, engine bars, sump protector, larger screen etc and cost me £2,900. On the 27th of last month I got hit by a truck on the A5 and the R1150gs was written off and sold - interestingly I got £1,150 from LV and refused their offer of £500 to scrap the bike. I sold it with a detailed description of the damage for £1,825 making £75 after two and half years ownership.

I kept meticulous records of the costs involved and saved them on to the Road Trip iPhone app. I started keeping records of everything from the 7th of June 2010 and the last entry was 16th of July 2012. I did not include the costs of clothing, ear plugs etc.

This is what I discovered:

7/6/10-16/7/12

My average fuel economy was 43.76mpg.

My best fuel economy between fill ups was 79.5mpgMy worst fuel economy was 37.5mpg
Lowest price I paid for unleaded was £1.129, the highest £1.419. (I also use the PetrolPrices app to get the cheapest fuel)

• total miles covered: 17,518 or 22 miles a day
• total fuel spend: £2,339.82 or £2.97 a day
• average 13p a mile
• £1.26 a litre
• average 211 miles between fill ups
• £3,305.34 spent on expenses
• including £2301 on servicing
• £1003 on non-service expenses including: tyres, HiD conversion and insurance.

So here's the costs of running a 1150GS for two years:

Bike cost £2,900
All expenses £5,645.16

Total £8,545.16
Less LV pay out £1150.00
Less eBay sale £1.825.00
total cost £5,570.16

 

[Vern]

I wouldn't dare work mine out, a few years ago I sussed I'd put £16000 of petrol in it, so I stopped there.

 

[Timolgra]

I wouldn't dare work mine out, a few years ago I sussed I'd put £16000 of petrol in it, so I stopped there.

Told you that tank was far too big

 

[ChrisH Kerry]

Is that £53 / week? Around the same cost as a packet of fags a day? Know which I'd rather do... now where's me lighter

 

[Fanum]

It's probably just me, but someone who works out what it costs to ride a bike (unless it's strictly for business use maybe) for two years is probably missing the point of riding a bike full stop.



Well done, those sums are a credit to you

 

[Tecumseh]

It's probably just me, but someone who works out what it costs to ride a bike (unless it's strictly for business use maybe) for two years is probably missing the point of riding a bike full stop.



Well done, those sums are a credit to you

I rode it the 25 miles to work and back in rain and shine, twelve months a year. The romantic mysticism of motorcycles wears thin around late January early February...

 

[motobiker]

How the hell does 17,000 miles garner a service bill of £2,301??

beats me completely that one. (plus the extra £1)

 

[Rushy]

I didnt keep records like that but ....

a quick fag packet calculation;

I ran mine for 6 years and about 45k miles and it never cost more than £250-£300pa for servicing with no major bills, add in road tax at an average of £65 and insurance at around £180 , a pair of tyres for the same amount and you have about £680 pa costs without fuel .

I sold the bike with it having lost £3.8k which is just over £600pa .

Total costs therefore about £1300 pa ....who cares about the petrol, you have to buy it if you want to go anywhere

 

[magicstu]

If you have to work it out,you brought the wrong bike,
Buy a scooter with the insurance pay out

 

[Tecumseh]

If you have to work it out,you brought the wrong bike,

Why??

 

[Popell]

I think this is delightfully anal, part of me wishes I had done this from day 1.

I have, in the past only done fuel and mileage for a co car, over 104,000 miles I got 34.6mpg, mind you it got serviced every 8 weeks - no idea what that cost!

 

[Tecumseh]

How the hell does 17,000 miles garner a service bill of £2,301??

beats me completely that one. (plus the extra £1)

Excluding insurance and I also notice lots of sundries and home servicing items are missing...

Description Odometer (mi.) Cost
Service 61000 498
Tyre 63297 130
Hid Conversion 63297 181
BG 4 63297 10
Tyre Repair 68519 30
Service 66346 355
New Clutch 68000 430
Service 71120 429.89
(£324.89 for service, front pads and a wiring loom. £105 for electrics and abs relay.)

Front Tyre 71236 126
Tyre 72289 156.5
New Clutch/gear Box 74933 500
(discounted because original new clutch broke)

MOT 75515 30
Oil 75515 18.99
Filter 75768 8.99
Gear Oil 75768 20.97

 

[Riceburner]

I rode it the 25 miles to work and back in rain and shine, twelve months a year. The romantic mysticism of motorcycles wears thin around late January early February...

I'd disagree, Some of my favourite commutes were a freezing morning with crisp dry roads, heated gillet and no traffic whatsoever!

 

[Tecumseh]

a quick fag packet calculation;

I ran mine for 6 years and about 45k miles and it never cost more than £250-£300pa for servicing with no major bills, add in road tax at an average of £65 and insurance at around £180 , a pair of tyres for the same amount and you have about £680 pa costs without fuel .

I sold the bike with it having lost £3.8k which is just over £600pa .

Total costs therefore about £1300 pa ....who cares about the petrol, you have to buy it if you want to go anywhere

Note that I bought a 10 year old bike with 59,000 miles on the clock with no service history. I had a R1200RT under warranty that cost me basic servicing costs and nothing else. It didn't even get a puncture in the two years I owned it.

Finally, these records are exact - I think it would be very difficult to guessitmate the costs of running a bike.

The R1200RT got me doing this on the 1150GS - it had a MPG read out on the computer and the 1150 doesn't it. It was curiousity. Dull but harmless.

 

[Tecumseh]

I'd disagree, Some of my favourite commutes were a freezing morning with crisp dry roads, heated gillet and no traffic whatsoever!

I agree with you, wholeheartedly. Nevertheless, my commute was at 6.45am returning at 6pm - it meant I didn't see light got three months!

However, I guess the point I was trying to make is that for me a motorcyle is first and foremost a tool to transport me, a form of transport that I use everyday. I had a Multistrada that wouldn't work below 2 degress, I had to put an oil filled electric heater under the engine to get it to work. Sounded great, looked great but was a piece of crap. I don't get starry eyed about bikes and I rode primarily BMWs because of their reliability and size (I'm 6'2" and look ridiculous on smaller bikes). As a consequence there is a lot less BS about BMWs and the comment about "missing the point" misses the point.

 

[Vern]

I think I have just about every reciept for my bike, in the 15 years I've owned it, and every one has the mileage written on it,so if anyone wants to spend a couple of weeks going through them and compiling them into a very big spreadsheet(or whatever they are called) then give me a ring, and I'll give you free advice on how to do something useful and entertaining with your life

 

[magicstu]

It's not about the sums,- it's about the fun you get out of it, they ain't cheap to run. All i am sayin is if you want economy buy the right tool for the job. But those figures are scary tho.

 

[Tecumseh]

I think I have just about every reciept for my bike, in the 15 years I've owned it, and every one has the mileage written on it,so if anyone wants to spend a couple of weeks going through them and compiling them into a very big spreadsheet(or whatever they are called) then give me a ring, and I'll give you free advice on how to do something useful and entertaining with your life

Judging by the fact that you've made 4,923 posts I doubt you'd find the time!

 

[Tecumseh]

It's not about the sums,- it's about the fun you get out of it, they ain't cheap to run. All i am sayin is if you want economy buy the right tool for the job. But those figures are scary tho.

I never made a judgement on the costs whether positive or negative I was just curious as to how much it cost to run a bike. The car I share with my wife up until my crash was a Focus ST and I've just replaced the bike with an Impreza. Low running costs aren't a huge factor in my motoring life!

 

[The Grey One]

I never made a judgement on the costs whether positive or negative I was just curious as to how much it cost to run a bike. The car I share with my wife up until my crash was a Focus ST and I've just replaced the bike with an Impreza. Low running costs aren't a huge factor in my motoring life!

Something about knowing the price of everything and the value of nothing...I think you will find it's a quote from Oscar Wilde.

I had two Imprezas, first one average 18mpg (1998 turbo) and the second 23mpg (2003 turbo with Pro Drive upgrades) Both went through a set of 4 tyres every 10,000 miles. certainly not cheap to run but just almost as much fun as is possible on 2 wheels. Most fun was a Citroen 2CV-you can drive it flat out everywhere-try that in an Impreza ad you end up in jail or hospital!

John