On Your Bike: A Fun Way to Keep Your Commuting Costs Down
Posted by : Premraj | Posted on : Wednesday, July 26, 2017
DELICIOUS
SU
REDDITIf you are one of the of the millions of people who are part of the commuting community you will know how traffic congestion and other related issues can make your task of getting to work stressful and not exactly enjoyable.
One way of improving your commuting experience and keeping your traveling costs down at the same time would be to consider getting yourself a motorbike.
Commuting on a motorcycle could help you get to your destination quicker and the added bonus is you will also be able to use your bike for some serious leisure fun too. Here is a look at some of the positives of owning a motorcycle and how it could cut your commuting costs.
No comparison
The financial cost of commuting is an important aspect and if you can reduce the amount you pay out of your annual salary for just getting to work that has to be a real incentive to consider the most cost-effective option.
Although it is not a precise science as it will depend on what type of car you drive, for example, there is enough margin in the estimated cost of riding a motorcycle compared to a car to suggest that you could save as much as 50% in running costs.
One of the biggest savings that can be made by riding a bike compared to driving a car is with annual insurance costs. The cost of insuring your car can in some cases be as much as triple what you would pay to insure a motorcycle for the year.
Repairs and maintenance
Keeping your vehicle on the road will involve spending money on maintenance and repairs every year and here is another key area where you have the chance to make some savings if you choose a bike over a car.
You should find that motorcycle service repair costs are lower than you would be paying for repairs to a car and there are loads of maintenance tasks and simple repairs that you can do yourself with the aid of a repair manual, which will help you give hefty mechanic’s charges the swerve.
Keeping on top of maintenance yourself will help keep your commuting costs as low as possible if your bike rewards you with reliability and your efforts help to keep it away from the repair shop.
Lower mileage costs
Depending on the distance you travel each day on your commute to work fuel economy is going to be a factor that needs considering.
Although it will make a difference what size engine you have on your motorcycle there is a good chance that you can spend less per mile on two wheels compared to four, especially if you ride your bike to try and get better gas mileage.
A few simple strategies for stretching the gas miles would be to roll off the throttle sooner, be mindful of unnecessary gearshifts and keep low when riding to reduce aerodynamic drag.
Staying safe
Once you are bitten by the biking bug you will be planning all sorts of leisure trips on your two wheels when you finish work or at the weekends but one thing you shouldn’t take a shortcut on for the sake of safety is getting the right motorcycle gear.
If you are going to be spending time on your motorcycle and enjoying the experience it makes sound sense to ensure that you buy all the right protective clothing so that you protect yourself as best as possible.
If you shop around you should be able to get a deal on what you need and even allowing for the cost of buying the protective biking gear you need like a good helmet and the right safety clothing, you should still be ahead in terms of startup costs compared to buying a car.
No turning back
The cost of learning to ride a bike and getting a license is still quite low compared to how much you are going to spend learning to drive a car.
Book yourself on a riding course and you can gain the required competence and confidence to set you on your way. As soon as you start using your bike for commuting and even find yourself looking forward to the journey and enjoying the ride, you will know that you have made the right decision by switching to two-wheel commuter transportation.
Riding a motorcycle could just turn out to be the most fun you have had in getting to work for years.
