[texascycle]

... Stats

Saw this on another scooter posting and thought it was worth spreading:

Thanks for the link Eric. I have a 75 mile round-trip to work each
day and prefer to ride the scooter. Let's do my math...

Pick-Up Truck engine - 15 mpg
Majesty - at least 50 mpg (usually 54-58mpg)
Gas - $2.80/gallon

So that's 5 gallons of gas in the pick-up truck vs. 1.5 gallons of
gas in the Majesty per day. So at $2.80 per gallon, that's $14.00
of gas per day for the truck vs. $4.20 per day for the Majesty.

That is:
$9.80 per day in savings
$49.00 per week in savings
$196.00 per month in savings
(conservative - estimating only 50mpg on the Majesty and only $2.80
per gallon - was $2.87/gallon the other day)

Another good reason to own a Majesty.

Safe Scootin'

Dann

To add to Dann's analysis, anyone in a similar situation could justify the scooter paying itself off in as little as two years just on fuel savings alone. It is the same reasoning that I used to get the Majesty almost a year and a half ago. The other benefit that I have come to realize is that for every mile I ride (and save $$) on the Majesty, I am not putting that mileage on more expensive vehicles, thereby retaining more of their value. The Majesty (or any good scoot) can really save in the long run. Not to mention the fun factor

Strong numbers! :naka:

 

[aa6vh]

When I did the figures for me, I came out in the red. In other words, I definitely did not save any money by buying the scooter and using it to commute.

Now I was using figures based on buying and using the Majesty, or not buying. In other words, I had to figure in the depreciation on the scooter, insurance on the scooter, scooter tire replacement, costs of safety gear and its depreciation, etc.

And other than the fuel savings, the costs of my pickup really don't go down. Insurance remains the same, and even oil changes do not change (I believe in changing the oil based on time, as well as mileage, so my oil changes still would occur at roughtly the same interval).

Now if I assume that I have to have the scooter anyway, then the fixed costs of the scooter are no longer an issue, and the savings is quite substantial.

I am glad I did not do the figuring before I bought the scooter!

Dave

 

[texascycle]

There are certainly other ways to look at it.

Here is what I don't understand from your reply or where our situations differed:

- You did not specify any fuel savings differences from the earlier post, but those are the most substantial part of the post. Saving $2000 a year is substantial in my book.
- The value of your pickup might stay higher if it has less miles on it, depending on the age and condition of the truck
- I get an insurance discount because I hardly ever drive my car anymore and my insurance company adjusts the rate for that.
- I do not change my oil every 3 months, or every 3000 miles in my car ... if it looks and smells clean, I keep running it.
- I already have all the motorcycle gear, so that was no extra cost to me
- I pay $147 per year for full coverage on the Majesty, $12.25 per month
- Depreciation on the scoot is tiny compared to a car because the initial value is so low
- Depreciation on safety gear??? Isn't that like depreciation on Kleenex?
- How often have you replaced the tires and what did it cost? I have 7k miles on mine and they still look great.

 

[aa6vh]

I will be the first to admit that my calculations are for me and my situation. Everyone else's may vary!

To answer your questions:

1. I calculated the fuel savings based on the mileage I have put on the Majesty (and interpolated out to a full year), figuring that is the mileage I did not put on my truck.

2. Yes, your right. The depreciation on my truck might be less with less mileage. It is hard to predict. I decided it was minimal though.

3. I still need to drive my truck to work. Weather and other obligations prevent me from taking the scooter to work everyday (as much as I would like to). I usually drive the pickup to work at least once or twice during the week. Because of this, I cannot "reduce" the insurance on the pickup. Of course, because of my accident two months ago, I have not been able to ride the scooter at all (but that is not in the calculations).

4. Oil changes are not a big expense. I like to get new oil in every 3-4 months. If nothing else, condensation can degrade the oil, in my opinion.

5. My calculations were based on not having the motorcyle at all. Therefore, I have to include all of my motorcycle safety gear in my calculations.

6. Your insurance is a lot cheaper than mine. I pay about $400 a year for the scooter. Guess I should look into that.

7. Your right, the depreciation of the scooter is low. But there is depreciation.

8. It is recommended that helmets be replaced every five years. I expect 7-10 years of use on my Aerostich. Shoes and gloves need to be replaced periodically. This is why I included safety gear/clothing depreciation!

9. I have not had to replace the tires yet. For my calculations, I assumed 10,000 miles and $120 in cost.

Like all things, everything is a guestimate. However, the scales are tipped to not saving any money by getting into motorcycling (scooter) for me. However, since I consider riding to also be a "hobby" of sorts, its worth it. As I stated earlier, take away those fixed costs for the scooter, and the savings is quite a bit.

What I take from my calculations is that if someone is thinking of getting a scooter solely to save money, they might want to think again. Getting it to have fun is another story.

Dave

 

[calgary2800]

I try to put the miles on the Scooter as much as possible. Its not easy in Seattle ( April thru Sept ) is riding season.

I mainly want to put less miles on my new 06 Honda Accord EX V6 6 speed.

 

[Robert Colley]

I've put 2200 miles on my scoot since I picked it up in March. Heck the day I picked it up I rode 350 miles from Orlando FL to Panama City FL which was a drag at 40- 45 mph due to break in. I'm saving on gas but the real benefit is just enjoying being on it !

Ride, Ride, Ride
Rob

 

[glennd]

Welcome Rob. Glad to have ya aboard. You're a neighbor too! Hopefully I'll see ya on the road sometime. Been through Fountain on mine a couple of times. Too bad the blue ones are so slow, or we could do some riding... :lol: Personally, mine's saving enough in fuel to make the payments, but do to weather, cold and the occasional just wanting to drink coffee onthe way to work... it gets ½ the miles originally anticipated.

 

[Robert Colley]

Glennd when you ride a Galaxy blue Majesty you look so good you don't have to fast! 8)

 

[gpsnut2003]

Glennd when you ride a Galaxy blue Majesty you look so good you don't have to fast! 8)

What he said ! :lol: :lol:

 

[glennd]

Well said! 8)

 

[mk4ce]

$2.87 per gallon? you guys are lucky. Try $3.57 in the Bay Area in Ca. And thats just regular in most places. Some places have been up to 4 bucks!

 

[myhrdly]

3.12 and up in Sacramento CA 3.30 and up in Folsom CA

Thank God for Scooters!!! 'Specially the faster charcoal grey ones!! :lol:

 

[hotshoetom]

Yeah, what myhardly said....I think the charcoal is prettier, but probably much less visible than the blue...the reason I say that is because of a charcoal gray car I had once that everyone seemed to want to pull out in front of....I havent had that issue yet on the Maj, maybe because of the good headlights. That is one problem none of us need, right?

Cheers!

 

[gruntled]

You also have to factor in time. In stop & go traffic you can make far better time. You can also use the car-pool lane & the toll lanes here are free as well. You can also usually find better & sometimes free parking.

 

[Blexcroid]

I just call it, "Laughing all the way to the pump!!" :lol: :lol: 8) :lol: :lol:

 

[hotshoetom]

It occurs to me that if you have an older vehicle that is already depreciated about all it can, like me, then making that car last another 10 or 20 years by riding a scoot for most of my travels makes really good sense. Consider a new car is 25k or thereabouts, and lets say you buy one every 10 years, if you assume that you amortize the cost over a 10 year period, then it costs 2500/yr to own that car just in terms of the purchase cost, then add all the other goodies to actually keep it legal and running. Compare to a bike that you ride 75% of the time instead of the car...the car now lasts 20 or 30 years and you get to buy a new bike every 10 years. The bike is 5500 to buy and the purchase cost spread over 10 years is 550/year. You have saved 2000/yr just in purchase cost alone without taking into account the cost of insurance and fuel being way cheaper than your car. On a cost/benefit basis, the bike is the champ...gives way more pleasure for less money...now if I could get my wife on one....but she likes letting me drive.

 

[blipco]

Right now, some oil sheik is wiping his butt with a hundred dollar bill.... NOT MY BILL ! :lol:

 

[Ray2625]

Doesn't matter much to me about the savings. Sure that was how I originally justified buying it but then the fun factor kicked in and the cost is a secondary issue. Plus I ride it alot lot more than I would have driven. But still saves on gas. The fact I can write off the depreciation on my taxes doesn't hurt any either.

 

[happypuppy]

A lot I agree depends on how you look at it. In my case I have 3 kids in college ( private) and I am single as my wife passed away ten years ago. To afford everything I had to make changes , I sold the house 3 years ago, 2 cars and a motorhome. I kept one car and bought a Majesty moved into an apartment in town, and gave the last car to one of the kids. I severally downside based on need, and I am happy with the decision. The majesty went last year for a FJR, and I will add a small scoot for around town at some point. My kids will have no student loans , and I will have saved a lot of money to be able to do all this. If I need a car I can rent one or take a bus if need be. I had not idea how much I had wrapped up in vehicles , insurance and the like until I got rid of them. Dead money too as they depreciate. I look at it as they are getting their inheritance from their parents when they need it.

 

[niksfree]

Since buying my Majesty I have always got spare cash. my car is lasting me longer and in fact it owes me nothing as it is 11 years old and my mechanic says it should last another twenty with the use its getting. I save on parking in the city with my scooter as we can park on the footpaths. If I need to go into the city and the scooter is not practical I drive the car to the nearest railway station and catch a train in which is a twenty minute trip. I agree with the fact that we don't realise how much we waste on cars etc. until we get rid of them. I have come to realise that we have more important things to do besides accumulate possessions.
The ride on a scooter is the closest we can get to the creator while travelling.
Long live our Majesties.