Question about Hypermilers....

[Yaris Revenge]

Why, instead of trying to wring MPG out of a car, don't they just ride motorcycles? I've got a 1200cc sportbike that gets 57 MPG without even trying. I know bikes aren't very convenient for carrying cargo, but most people don't have to haul around much, and hypermilers don't do convenience anyway. If they were truly serious about fuel conservation, seems like bikes would really be the way to go.

Just curious.

~YR

[eTiMaGo]

Interesting point, actually!

And on a similar note,in the long term, might there not be an advantage to moving closer to the workplace so that a bicycle or even two legs be used? :biggrin:

But seriously, with motorcycles there's always the issue of safety, weather, and so on.

[BailOut]

Click the link in my sig and check out my commute. There are exactly 2 guys that commute this on motorcycles during the warmer months, and I think they're nuts. This stretch of road is in the top 20 accident zones in the U.S. so safety is a real issue.

Let's also not forget that the Winters mean a motorcycle is useless on the mountain for roughly 7 months per year, so you'd not only have to maintain, pay for and insure 2 vehicles, but you would be consuming lots of extra resources in the form of the motorcycle.

As for moving closer to work, I work in the IT field, which is not exactly a stable one. We own our home, so if I moved closer to my job every time I got a new one I'd be eating a ton of moving and refinancing expenses, which would likely put me in the poor house. I also used my VA loan against our mortgage, which has diminishing returns if you re-use it.

[Yaris Revenge]

Hey Bail, I was hoping you'd chime in on this!

Yeah, in your case I can definitely see a few good reasons to opt for 4 wheels! However, Nevada is notorious for rough Winter climate due to it's northern location and high altitudes. I daresay most of the United States doesn't have the kind of weather problems that would prevent hypermilers from converting to bikes for at least 3/4 of the year.

Bikes have smaller engines that produce great power with very little fuel, have very little weight, and would actually be better at some of the risky maneuvers that some hypermilers use (like high-speed offramp exits). Just seems like a better choice for the majority of those that are so concerned about fuel consumption.

~YR

[BailOut]

I hear you YR, but I also question the safety of using a motorcycle in some parts of the country.

I don't know how things are for most of you folks, but because of the weather here the old, false ideas that 4WD and lots of ground clearance are a necessity rule all, and I am consistently the smallest vehicle on the mountain. I should take some camera phone shots for you guys... A good shot would have been on my way home on Tuesday, when I got caught at the light where 431 meets Virginia Street. The southbound lane was fully visible to me, and of the 15 vehicles that were stopped at the light only 1 was a car. The rest were all SUVs and pickup trucks.

In an environment like this I consistently feel dwarfed while in my Yaris, especially when I'm that 1 car among a fleet of over-sized vehicles. Someone else here on the board mentioned feeling "like a mouse among the elephants" the other day.

If I were to be on a motorcycle I would be that much more dwarfed, and would be among the elephants with no crumple zones, airbags, restraint systems, etc.

While the example of my area may be extreme, I know most areas of the U.S. have plenty of over-sized vehicle son the road.

[Yaris Revenge]

Honestly, I think that when you're on a motorcycle, the size of the vehicle that hits you is kinda moot. I'm just as squished should it be a Hummer or a Yaris that plows into me... neither one is gonna budge when it comes in contact with my body.

(maybe I should invest in some better riding gear...) :biggrin:
http://z.about.com/d/gonewengland/1/0/H/I/armor1.jpg

~YR

My hypermiling toy... :wink:

[Yaris Omega]

cool bike