POLL - Who else has been a casualty of the high fuel prices?

[thankGod]

My wife and I both drive cars. They have been paid for for quite a while. We have to drive what we have to drive in the normal course of the day. However, we do try to plan outings for convenience and to minimize driving.

I am taking this opportunity in trying to get my wife to allow me to get a scooter. I think it would be fun!

[mr.72]

as for the scooter, does it really make sense financially? If you're getting it for fun that's one thing, or if you think that using less gas (regardless of price) is good for the environment...

For example I have a 25mpg car. I drive about 1K miles per month. I use 40 gallons of gas, and right now that costs $160. So let's say I get a scooter, and keep my car (it's paid for after all, and I need it at least some of the time).

Well a 150cc scooter will get maybe 60mpg. If I ride it 100% of the time instead of driving my car then it will cost me $67/month for gas instead of $160. Even if I get a Chinese scooter, it will cost $2000 for the scooter. Look for a used scooter some time. 20K miles on a scooter is a lot. Let's say 50K is the whole lifetime of the vehicle. So it's going to last me 50 months, and amortized over that 50 months the scooter alone costs me $40/month. So gas+scooter = $107/mo. Then there's the extra insurance, which brings me up even with what I am paying now for gas, if not more.

Now if you can get away with a 50cc scooter that gets 100mpg and costs $1000 then you are in good shape, but most adults will not be able to get one of these to go faster than 40 mph. Particularly if you get rid of your car so you don't have to insure two vehicles then you will be in real good shape, it's definitely a good move financially even if you have to buy an new scooter every other year but remember you have to ride it in rain and sleet and ice and all other weather if you do that. Don't even get me started about the foolishness of requiring scooter drivers to carry liability insurance which unnecessarily adds to the cost of operating the vehicle. If they drop this requirement then I will go buy a scooter tomorrow.

Anyway like I said, this is usually false economy. If you can replace your vehicle with zero additional cost with one that gets better MPG, straight across trade, inclusive of maintenance and repair costs, then it's worth it. But most people will spend more money on the replacement vehicle than they will save in fuel costs.

[lunchbox]

as for the scooter, does it really make sense financially? If you're getting it for fun that's one thing, or if you think that using less gas (regardless of price) is good for the environment...

For example I have a 25mpg car. I drive about 1K miles per month. I use 40 gallons of gas, and right now that costs $160. So let's say I get a scooter, and keep my car (it's paid for after all, and I need it at least some of the time).

Well a 150cc scooter will get maybe 60mpg. If I ride it 100% of the time instead of driving my car then it will cost me $67/month for gas instead of $160. Even if I get a Chinese scooter, it will cost $2000 for the scooter. Look for a used scooter some time. 20K miles on a scooter is a lot. Let's say 50K is the whole lifetime of the vehicle. So it's going to last me 50 months, and amortized over that 50 months the scooter alone costs me $40/month. So gas+scooter = $107/mo. Then there's the extra insurance, which brings me up even with what I am paying now for gas, if not more.

Now if you can get away with a 50cc scooter that gets 100mpg and costs $1000 then you are in good shape, but most adults will not be able to get one of these to go faster than 40 mph. Particularly if you get rid of your car so you don't have to insure two vehicles then you will be in real good shape, it's definitely a good move financially even if you have to buy an new scooter every other year but remember you have to ride it in rain and sleet and ice and all other weather if you do that. Don't even get me started about the foolishness of requiring scooter drivers to carry liability insurance which unnecessarily adds to the cost of operating the vehicle. If they drop this requirement then I will go buy a scooter tomorrow.

Anyway like I said, this is usually false economy. If you can replace your vehicle with zero additional cost with one that gets better MPG, straight across trade, inclusive of maintenance and repair costs, then it's worth it. But most people will spend more money on the replacement vehicle than they will save in fuel costs.

instead of a scooter you could buy a used buell for a grand or so they get 80MPG and can get on the highway no problem

[thankGod]

I realize the math and finances of getting a scooter, I'm just being opportunistic. As I said "I think it would be fun!" No other reason.

[mr.72]

Getting a scooter or motorcycle for fun is plenty of reason. :)

A Buell Blast gets about 50-60mpg. About like a 150cc scooter. It's about as fast as a 150cc scooter too. There are no Buells that will get 80mpg.

[lunchbox]

There are no Buells that will get 80mpg.

tell that to my friend that has one that gets just that

[gregthehand]

The Honda scooters get around 100mpg...

[TDDude]

I got a job a couple months ago that is on a bus route so I now commute to work by bus.

For me it was a no brainer to take the bus.

55 miles commute @ 20mpg @ $3.70 per gallon = $10.00 or so.
$6/day to park.
$16 per day to drive to work.

Bus = $6 per day.

22 work days per month = $220 savings per month.

I stopped making "pleasure" trips when gas went to $1.90 just before spring break a couple years ago.

Both my vehicles do need to be replaced and I don't know what I'm going to get.

[dawgfishboy]

as for the scooter, does it really make sense financially? If you're getting it for fun that's one thing, or if you think that using less gas (regardless of price) is good for the environment...

For example I have a 25mpg car. I drive about 1K miles per month. I use 40 gallons of gas, and right now that costs $160. So let's say I get a scooter, and keep my car (it's paid for after all, and I need it at least some of the time).

Well a 150cc scooter will get maybe 60mpg. If I ride it 100% of the time instead of driving my car then it will cost me $67/month for gas instead of $160. Even if I get a Chinese scooter, it will cost $2000 for the scooter. Look for a used scooter some time. 20K miles on a scooter is a lot. Let's say 50K is the whole lifetime of the vehicle. So it's going to last me 50 months, and amortized over that 50 months the scooter alone costs me $40/month. So gas+scooter = $107/mo. Then there's the extra insurance, which brings me up even with what I am paying now for gas, if not more.

Now if you can get away with a 50cc scooter that gets 100mpg and costs $1000 then you are in good shape, but most adults will not be able to get one of these to go faster than 40 mph. Particularly if you get rid of your car so you don't have to insure two vehicles then you will be in real good shape, it's definitely a good move financially even if you have to buy an new scooter every other year but remember you have to ride it in rain and sleet and ice and all other weather if you do that. Don't even get me started about the foolishness of requiring scooter drivers to carry liability insurance which unnecessarily adds to the cost of operating the vehicle. If they drop this requirement then I will go buy a scooter tomorrow.

Anyway like I said, this is usually false economy. If you can replace your vehicle with zero additional cost with one that gets better MPG, straight across trade, inclusive of maintenance and repair costs, then it's worth it. But most people will spend more money on the replacement vehicle than they will save in fuel costs.

Don't forget that all the miles you put on your scooter will reduce the maintenance and repair costs associated with your current car (tires/brakes/oil). And if you have a fairly new vehicle depreciation will be far less too.
But as I posted before, I choose to use my bicycle as my primary vehicle...if I wanted a motor-assisted scooter type vehicle, I would go with something like this:

Or I would just add this to my current bike:

And no registration, insurance, or foreign fuel needed.

[KBCraig]

There are no Buells that will get 80mpg.

tell that to my friend that has one that gets just that

The Blast is rated at 64/73 mpg. Popular Mechanics reported getting in the 70s when they tested one. With an aftermarket exhaust, different tires and careful riding, there's no reason someone can't approach 80 mpg. Especially if they don't present too large a frontal area -- I have the personal aerodynamics of a Freightliner.

[boomerang]

Well a 150cc scooter will get maybe 60mpg. If I ride it 100% of the time instead of driving my car then it will cost me $67/month for gas instead of $160. Even if I get a Chinese scooter, it will cost $2000 for the scooter. Look for a used scooter some time. 20K miles on a scooter is a lot. Let's say 50K is the whole lifetime of the vehicle. So it's going to last me 50 months, and amortized over that 50 months the scooter alone costs me $40/month. So gas+scooter = $107/mo. Then there's the extra insurance, which brings me up even with what I am paying now for gas, if not more.

Now if you can get away with a 50cc scooter that gets 100mpg and costs $1000 then you are in good shape, but most adults will not be able to get one of these to go faster than 40 mph. Particularly if you get rid of your car so you don't have to insure two vehicles then you will be in real good shape, it's definitely a good move financially even if you have to buy an new scooter every other year but remember you have to ride it in rain and sleet and ice and all other weather if you do that. Don't even get me started about the foolishness of requiring scooter drivers to carry liability insurance which unnecessarily adds to the cost of operating the vehicle. If they drop this requirement then I will go buy a scooter tomorrow.

I had a scooter a few years ago and the insurance was close to $100 a year so that's only $8 to $10 a month.

[dawgfishboy]

I had a scooter a few years ago and the insurance was close to $100 a year so that's only $8 to $10 a month.

boss is paying $75/year for his.

[mr.72]

I guess scooter insurance is much cheaper than motorcycle insurance? Honestly I am tall enough that I would never fit on a little scooter so I never checked. If it's under $100/year then a scooter can probably make a real difference in overall expense vs. a typical car, as long as you're not $6K into one of these real expensive scooters. I'd be interested in a Honda Big Ruckus if they still existed, or maybe a TNG Baja 150 if I could find one locally. But my bicycle is doing the trick for now. Maybe if I could talk my wife into riding a scooter instead of driving her Honda Pilot all over the place it would be really worth it.

[flb_78]

My current bike gets 28 mpg. 1999 Yamaha Royal Star Venture, 81,000 miles on it now.

3 years ago, I was insuring my 82 Yamaha XJ1100 for 17 dollars a year, but that bike was only getting 19mpg.

Current fuel prices don't bother me. I find amazing that they are able to sell it for the current price and still make money considering the expense of pumping, shipping, and refining.

I'll bet there are plenty of folks on this board who spend 6 bux for a cup of coffee from some "trendy" coffee shop.

[kd5zex]

I added this to my collection, $81 for a year of insurance and about 60 MPG. Although I got decent mileage from my truck (19-21 MPG) the $150 fillups were getting to be too much. It is rather odd going from a 7500 pound vehicle to a 300 pound one. I plan to hang on to the truck for rainy days and child toting.