Last month we asked our readers what sort of bike manufacturers should introduce to the U.S. market as an economical commuter. Here in their unedited form are some of the many responses we received. This is part one of a multi-part series.
- Scooters are looking better and better all the time. 250 to 400 cc is enough for traffic yet still gives good mileage. Storage is neccessary for riding gear and helmet. Heated grips should be available as well.
Sad to say; tip over protection should be designed in -easily replaced fairing extensions or trim pieces. Suzuki Burgman 400 looks really nice; doesn’t really have any competition from Honda, Yamaha or Kawasaki. With fewer people knowing how to drive a stick shift car, I think moving them to a scooter will be easier than a motorcycle with a clutch.
- The perfect commuter should be a bike with the ergonomics of a Suzuki Vstrom 650 plus:
1. Standard detatchable hard luggage
2. Considerably lower seat height
3. Hydraulic valve actuation
4. Shaft drive
5. Tubeless Tires
6. Automatic transmission
7. Linked brakes
8. 60 mpg highway
And PLEASE don’t mess up the package with ABS, GPS, traction control or anything else that adds weight and complexity.
A bike like this, advertised correctly, would go a long way toward drawing folks who otherwise wouldn’t consider riding. And we need those folks. The best thing that can happen to motorcycling is to significantly increase participation. Increasing awareness increases the chance that the voter/policeman/lawmaker understands the issues that face us and will support us when they can.
- Some are already close on this.
I use a 2005 Suzuki SV650S for a daily 100-mile round trip commute eight months out of the year here in Michigan. The payment on the bike, my gear, maintenance, insurance and fuel is less than the fuel cost alone for me to make the same trip in my Taurus.
There are the five key things needed in a pure commuter.
– Low CG w/neutral positoning. It must be useable and cofidence-inspiring for someone like my five-foot-nothing wife. Don’t take “low and easy” to mean “cruiser conversion.” A UJM-standard riding positon that is all-day comfortable and provides maximum response/control at city speeds is critical.
– Gearing and tuning for economy and smooth operation over outright performance. This should be looked at as mileage-per-liter of displacement. If a Civic with two liters of motor displacement can get 50 MPG, then a 650cc bike should get at least 75MPG, even with the loss to drag coefficient, while still keeping better acceleration/power-to-weight than the cars. We don’t need 120MPH…we need a safe 75MPH cruise with headroom and the ability to accelerate ahead of cagers…that’s all.
– A design that includes storage, with expansion expected. Scooters have storage, but are not always easy to add extra on to. When was the last time you saw a bike that really looked good with bags on and off the bike, or a bike that was designed with the expectation of removable hard side/top cases?
– Inexpensive accessorization. Something like no windscreen stock, but three sizes, plus leg protectors, available matched from factory, at less than $50 each. I’m sick of the smallest changes (outside of grips) being a minimum $100 entry fee.
– BIG electrical overproduction and access for expected support of communication/GPS/heated grips. You don’t know how tired I am of wiring sessions and a prayers that I haven’t surpassed my charging system.
Give me this under $7K U.S. (you eat our currency deflation) and I’d buy.
- How about a BMW GS – type motorcycle with a clean diesel and plenty of storage.
I want 100 mph and 100 mpg.
- I believe that if folks reviewed the products currently available, they would find several that just might hit the target.
Super-scooters or Maxi-scooters (depending upon who is speaking) offer features such as under-seat storage, automatic transmissions, fuel efficiency ranging in the mid 40s to mid 60s MPG and the ability easily keep up with traffic in cities and on the interstates.
Here’s a list of possible candidates for a commuting bike:
Aprilia
Atlantic 500
Scarabeo 250
Scarabeo 500
Scarabeo 500ie
Sportcity 250
Honda
Big Ruckus 250
Helix 250
Reflex 250
SilverWing 600
Kymco
Bet & Win 250
Grand Vista 250
People 250
Xciting 250
Xciting 500
Piaggio
BV 250
BV 500
MP3 250
MP3 400
MP3 500
X9 500
Suzuki
Burgman 400
Burgman 650
Vespa
GT 200
GTS/GTV 250
Yamaha
Majesty 400
Morphous 250
- I don’t understand why so many motorcyclists complain that there aren’t any, or enough, economical commuter bikes in the US market. Manufacturers already sell many economical commuters in the US market.
All you need for economical commuting on two wheels is dependability, good gas mileage and the ability to carry luggage (preferably hard luggage) and attach wind/weather protection, neither of which need be factory options, as long as they’re readily available from the aftermarket. ABS should be optional.
Accessories like heated grips and plugs for heated gear would be a plus.
Which bikes meet these criteria in the US market? The Suzuki V-Strom 650 and Kawasaki Versys spring immediately to mind. The Suzuki SV650 fits, as do the Yamaha FZ6, Kawasaki Ninja 650R, Suzuki GSX650F and GS500F, and of course, Kawasaki’s fuel-sipping Ninja 250.
Then you have a bunch of dual sports, like the Kawasaki KLR 650, Suzuki DR650SE and DR400S, Honda XR650 and Yamaha WR250R/X and XT250.
I’m sure there are a bunch I’ve forgotten, but you get the picture. Obviously there are a bunch of great bikes offerend in the European market that we can’t touch, but that doesn’t mean there is a shortage of great commuter bikes in the States.
What more could manufacturers do? Offer ABS on more bikes. Develop CVT, automatic and dual-clutch transmissions. Develop all-wheel-drive similar to Christini AWD or Yamaha’s hydraulic AWD. Those innovations would make motorcycles more useful to those who commute in urban congestion and bad weather.
Don’t let the wait for some pie in the ski technological innovation stop you from an innexpensive and entertaining commute. Buy a used, sub-800cc bike that is comfortable for you and has lots of aftermarket support, and farkle it to your own specifications. You won’t regret it.
- I would commute on anything; scooter, race bike, whatever, however here in Florida in the summer we get a one-two punch. Automatic or not, waiting in traffic without the benefit of land-splitting in 98-degree ambient heat (not to mention heat thrown from other vehicles) is terrible with your gear on. And lets not forget the rain, which is daily right around the evening commute and most of the time torrential. This is of course in contrast to the north with their snow and frozen tundra (not unlike Lambeau field) which would provide similar dilemmas regardless of heated grips.
Hence, the two-wheeler is a good concept for potentially saving time, gas, etc., however for most of us the elements win and a enclosed vehicle may have to supplement the stable.
- Sir, in response to your question about what we readers would like to see in a commuter bike, I would like to see nothing more than an EX500 Ninja, with quality long travel suspension (for these New England pot hole riddled roads), removable hard luggage, a sit up standard riding position and better fairing/windshield coverage. Oh yea, please keep it under $7000. That’s not asking too much is it??
Other than that, how about a gravitation towards smaller displacement twins or triples? a 350-400 CC bike with all of the above would suit me even better. For now, my DRZ400-S suits me just fine, but a bit more power and a smoother multi cylinder motor would be better.
- In response to your commuting question today, most of the time I ride my bicycle. But when I need to go faster or carry stuff I turn to my ’93 Honda Helix. It carries lots of gear, has great weather protection, gets
65 MPG, and is very comfortable. As for new bikes, if somebody made a lightweight single cylinder street bike like a SR500 I’d buy it. I’m too old for sport bikes anymore, but would love to have a light, fun motorcycle to ride. Tune it mildly for torque, make it able to run on regular gas, get 60 mpg at least, and it’d be a hit. Heck, they did that in the late 70’s/early 80’s – why can’t they do it now? (Kind of like my old 70’s Honda Civic cars – 55 mpg, fun to drive, easy to work on. Can’t build them today though, huh?)
- For an economical commuter, I think a 400-500 cc single would do. It should be very light an agile. Make mine air cooled. Something like a Borile B500CR would work.
- I thought Honda came close with the pacific coast in terms of function but we here in America are so image conscious that the coast was just too goofy for the motorcycle enthusiast. Plus it was too much like a motorcycle for the scooter enthusiast. The new technology that comes with the new DN-01 might make a bike like the coast more appealing again to those who want a more competent scooter. Also the Vincent type trunk made perfect sense.
- I think they’re coming close with some of the new 250cc dual sports.
I’d like to see a sport bike with a modern 450cc engine similar to what you described KTM is doing only in the $6K range along with more supermoto/dual sports with the same engines. The DRZ400 isn’t bad but the engine is just too weak.
I converted an XR650R with dual sport tires and ride that to work now. 55mpg when I’m not hammering it and 45mpg when I am.
- I would commute on just about anything with two wheels as long as the roads are dry. Cold weather is not a problem (Keeps me from having to store my bike in the winter).
Currently my 1995 VFR gets 45-mpg. My Ford Focus gets 30-mpg and my Chevy Suburban get 14-mpg. With my choices I drive the VFR whenever possible.
- I’d like to see manufacturers produce smaller capacity bikes in the traditional motorcycle form. 250 – 500cc 4 strokes in standard trim (naked). They would get excellent gas mileage and work great as beginner bikes too!
- Hyosung offers three fullsized 250cc motorcycles that will get up to 100mpg when fully broken in.
GT250 Standard, GT250R Sportbike and GV250 Cruiser. All three models have v-twin engines that have enough low end power to make city riding easy (unlike some other manufactuers bikes that must be wound very tight indeed to be effective) I work at a independent performance shop in the midwest that sells used motorcycles and became a Hyosung dealer last year. Come in and see for yourself
