Well, for the first time since buying my S40 (two weeks ago tomorrow... Also my first bike period,) I had to fill my Ford Explorer with gas. I only run 87 octane in the truck because of the cost, but run the highest available (usually 91) in my S40. I've been tracking the mpg and cost per mile of both vehicles and have calculated that in the last two weeks I've saved $71.95 by riding the bike instead of driving the truck anytime it was just me going somewhere. The payment on the bike is $99.00 per month, and includes insurance as well as 6 pre-paid scheduled maintenance services and extended warrantee. Let's see, in a month I'll save about $140.00... That means not only is the bike free, I'm getting an extra $50.00 a month to ride!  

Very good deal you got goin there. Some of the others might chime in about what octane is best to run in the savage. I use 87 now after reading some of the guys on here talking about some kind of build up the premium gas causes. I donno, its running great with the 87 though. Anyway, congrats and maybe some of the more knowledgeable folks will chime in on the gas situation.

-Jay

The stock Savage engine is the most "moderate" compression and temperature motor you will ever bump into.  It will never use the knock resistance of the package that exists in 81 octane regular gas.

Never put anything but low octane regular in mine -- never had a spark knock, ever.

=================

Some folks criticize our gas mileage, saying it could be better.  This is not true, any similar displacement bike gets worse gas mileage if ridden to the same level as you ride your Savage.  

I've got a 535 now that gets worse gas mileage (and skids its tires) worse than my Savage does.  Most of this has to do with the fact it has 14 more peak pony power and I keep twisting the right hand grip too far trying to make it get up and go like the Savage does (we have larger torque at low rpms and have good around town gear ratios).  Stir a close ratio high rpm gearbox to "get up and go" like you are used to and your gas mileage will SUCK amazingly.

So, the grass is not greener "over there".  For an in-town commuter bike nothing beats your Savage.  The better gas mileage bikes are 250's and you will not be happy with the "get up and go" factor of those motorcycles at all compared to your Savage.

When I figured my costs of commuting with my full size PU truck vs my Savage, I came out money ahead (including maintenance and resale). With my Concours after three years I figure I am also money ahead even if I don't get any money from resale. Unfortunately, the Concours isn't as cheap to run as the Savage, but the price of gas has gone up enough to more than offset this. (Imagine what I would be saving with the Savage.)

I know this doesn't work when comparing to econoboxes, but I wasn't driving one so for me that comparison wasn't valid.

Good news is I keep the PU for when I really need it.

skrapiron -FSO wrote on 03/11/08 at 05:46:22:


Ohhhh .... you edited you're big response to what I was going to say.    Anyway....yes,  It looks like fuel savings doesn't totally pay for the bike......  but it's fun ......

For me, it does pay since I have a "fixer-upper".    Sold my old bike, and only had to come up with an additional $50 to pick up my '01 that only had one scratch.  Have another $300 in engine parts and $300 goodies and periodic Maint.  

On the topic of octane:

Many times I've been told higher octane just burns cleaner/ more completely, is better for engines etc. but never really knew if all this was true, so this could be a very interesting topic. (I'll bet a search in the tech forum would be useful.) The dealership advised me to always run the highest octane, as did the lawnmower guy when I bought my toro, and the Cesna 150 I did some flight training in used 101 octane avgas, (though the handbook claimed 87 unleaded was fine to run in it as well.) I'd love to know more about the octane issue as it does seem fraught with voodoo and misinformation. Would too high an octane damage the bike? (When I finally start flight training again it would be good to know because every pre-flight consumes about a half pint to a pint of fuel drained from inspection points that basically gets thrown away - I'd love to throw it away into my bike's tank since I can't put it back in the wings...)

The costs for the car are static unless you get rid of it.  Only fuel and maitenance will vary.  My commute is 15k a year.  
In the car that's $1600 (at $3 a gal) a year in gas alone, and about $500 a year in maintenance.  $2100 total
On the bike that's $800, maintenance (by me) $100 a year, insurance $500 max.  $1400 total.
Savings $700 on the commute.  2 years the bikes paid for itself.  Year 3 I start saving for the next one.  Of course, gas prices are higher, pay back is faster.  And I have something no economics major can compute... a big fat grin as I ride by his cage in gridlock.     buhaha... buhahaha! etc.  

stumusic wrote on 03/11/08 at 07:08:36:



do a search for greg 650... he's got internal engine pics w/ running 85/87 vs 91.  lots of carbon deposits w/ the 91, not so w/ the lower octane.