PROJECT: Curing the high gas price blues.

[IanS]

With all the hubbub lately over high fuel prices, I thought it time to jump on the bandwagon. For the last year, I have been comuting to work in my 86 harbody pickup. Now it may be a 4 cylinder, but the floataion series tires make for some pretty poor fuel mileage. I can anywhere from 12 to 20 mpg depending on how its driven, but its often the former. Im not going to sell the truck, because it is just too cheap to own/operate otherwise, so enter the new project.

At first I thought a B13 sentry would be cheap, or a maybe even a Geo, but where is the fun factor. Then it hit me. Motorcycle.

After a little hunting, I picked up this gem.



For the low low price of $200 I picked up a 1994 Suzuki DR125se. 1994, the last year of this model DR, it is a single cylinder 4 stroke dual purpose bike. Being an se, it is fully street legal, with signals and mirrors, and even electric start.

After getting it home, I ripped off the plastics, seat, and tank to give her a once over.



First things I notice. The battery is missing, the rear tire is flat, and gas tank is full of yucky. I drained the tank, refilled it, and hooked up some jumper cables. It fired up with a title choke, but died. It does this repeatedly. I also notice that the float bowl drain leaks fuel. Time for a cleaning.

With the Carb on the bench I disassembled it. Upon inspection, I discover that the floats are stuck down. I also found that both the idle and primary jets are plugged. Well with a bit of lubricant and some Carb spray I was able to bring everything back to tip top.






I also pulled the rear wheel off, and removed the tire. I had tried to fill it with no luck. The valve stem had been ripped clean off the tube. I will have to pick up a new one on Monday.

Hopefully I can get her running tonight, and riding tomorrow. As soon as it warms up a little more, I can start dairying her. More updates to come.

I thoroughly expect the bike to be gutless, but it should have enoughs oomph to get me around town. If I can get her running right, im hoping to eek out upwards of 100 mpg on the street. With a total investment that should not top $400, im pretty pumped. If I do decide more power is needed, I could swap to a 2,3, or even 450. I have also toyed with the idea of a blow through carb, and a small turbo setup, but hey, that's just dreaming.

[bundy26]

That is my plan also,I have a 1990 cbr1000f but it will give me better gas mileage than my car, hope it warms up soon.

[Oatmealman]

lol everyone is turning to bikes now.I just bought a 1978 honda cx500 from a buddy for 100 bucks.I'm getting rid of the dual carb setup and running a harley evolution 1340 carb,and doing a kinda of rat/chopper look and am trying to keep it under a 1000 bucks for the entire set-up.

going for this kinda look but in black and without those pipe.

[Jesda]

When gas hits $5 I hope to buy another Navigator for cheap.

[bundy26]

When gas hits $5 I hope to buy another Navigator for cheap.

And that CX looks awsome, different than all the other bikes.

[Jesda]

A carburetor is like Jesus-magic to me. No matter how many diagrams I look at, the thing is just mysterious.

[IanS]

A carburetor is like Jesus-magic to me. No matter how many diagrams I look at, the thing is just mysterious.

These old single barrel 4 stroke units are really simple, there is like 3 moving parts total. When you get into the bigger ones, or ones with oil injection, then they get a little complex.

[Kompresshun]

When gas hits $5 I hope to buy another Navigator for cheap.

I wish I would've waited a little longer to get the Commander now, we already got a steal on it, I could only imagine how cheap I could get one then.

I'm gonna keep my eye out for M45s, I'm hoping people will be dumping those cheap around then too.

[nissangirl74]

I'm gonna keep my eye out for M45s, I'm hoping people will be dumping those cheap around then too.

I like the way you think.

[S13xCrazy]

Last year I figured would be a great time to snag a bike - Picked up a Honda CBR F2 for a little over a grand. I get well over 45mpg, close to 55mpg when I'm "nice" to it. And trust me, I drive my vehicles :-P

[Jookmasta]

also looking into a bike but the rain scares me..............

[Bubba1]

also looking into a bike but the rain scares me..............

I'd love to get a bike again, but the wife said no. But there are other fun ways to save fuel including (just brainstorming):

- car pooling with strippers.
- shortening your commute by having your company open a satellite office near a modelling agency.

[Jookmasta]

But if I car pool with strippers, couldn't I catch the HERP????????????

[Kompresshun]

I'm gonna keep my eye out for M45s, I'm hoping people will be dumping those cheap around then too.

I like the way you think.

Just doing my part to combat high fuel prices, by taking the gas guzzlers off the hands of people rushing to buy a Prius

[IanS]

But if I car pool with strippers, couldn't I catch the HERP????????????

Darn straight, a hungry herpy can jump ten feet.

In other news, took the DR for a ride today. Its running a lot better with the carb cleaned out, and the airbox back on. Still a bit boggy though. Im going to replace the spark plug tomorrow.

Snapped a couple pictures before I put her away for the evening.

[bundy26]

Nice!!!

[Ajax]

Ian, how can I approve when I know you can't possibly bring tools to my place on that thing? Looks like a fun little mode of transport.

[fiznowler]

I want an m45 pretty dang bad. I plan to buy one this summer is I can locate one for a good price.

[IanS]

Ian, how can I approve when I know you can't possibly bring tools to my place on that thing? Looks like a fun little mode of transport.

That's what back packs and tank bags are for.

[zacmil]

Sounds like you got a pretty good deal. It bugs me that there doesn't seem to be such a thing as a cheap vehicle around here; on Cragslist people are trying to sale non-running dirt/dual purpose bikes from the mid-80s for like $1000+.

[alms24sebring]

Nice. Im ganna be honest I know nothing about bikes. I think Ive taken apart 2 carbs on old vehicles.. maybe. Not too complicated but has alot of small machanical parts moving. You could get to work Ferris Bueller style thru all the cuts, jumpin fences and ish.

I smell the turbo idea working. It would be worth it just to say you did it.

[PapaSmurf2k3]

You could get to work Ferris Bueller style thru all the cuts, jumpin fences and ish.

Gonna need some well placed trampolines!

[IanS]

Put a new plug in today.

I wanted to ride so bad that I took it for a 10 min spin. I got her up to 60 mph before wussing out and going home.

It was 40° f, and sleeting/raining. How nuts am I?

[alms24sebring]

haha. I hope the sleet felt like bullets.

So worth it

[Ajax]

Ian, how can I approve when I know you can't possibly bring tools to my place on that thing? Looks like a fun little mode of transport.

That's what back packs and tank bags are for.

That bike is so light, a back pack would flip you backward.

Hope you didn't go too long tin the sleet. I drove home @10pm and it was like driving through a slurpee.

[IanS]

Well, mother nature was intent on ruining my plans of lots riding. She thought it amusing to dump 6" of wet snow on the Twin Cities region.

Too bad im not so easily thwarted.

How much snow is too much for motorcycle?



Rode a little yesterday, and more today. I took her to the gas station today, filled the tank for the first time, and reset the trip meter. Time to find out for real what kind of mileage I can get. While at the gas station, the project almost came to a rapid hault. Halfway from the pump to the store, I heard sliding. I turned just in time to see a Malibu sliding on some ice right at my bike. The girl behind the wheel was white as a ghost. She stopped about 6 inches shy of plowing into it. Stupid teenagers.

[IanS]

Went to a local motorsports store this morning, and picked up my friends 2009 Husqvarna SM610 supermoto. Brought it home, did some riding.

His bike is a lot of fun. Its a lot faster than mine, but not quite my style. Needs more offload ability.



For a little fun, and to test my go-pro, I shot a video of a short ride. It was 35 degrees today, so we didn't stay out too long.

http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php ... ments&_rdr


Hopefully it will warm up enough for me to ride to work on Wednesday.

[IanS]

UPDATE:

Project = failed.

After riding for about a week, I am killing off project high mpg.

Why? It just wasn't capable of comfortably doing over 50 mph for any extended period of time. It would begin to overheat, and subsequently loose power on long rides. With the air temp still around 50 f here,that would be an issue come summer.

So I bought something new, something bigger, something a bit more highway oriented.

[Gold Digger]

I have a 50cc Honda Zoomer and I love it! I put it back together last summer after my vacation back to the U.S. I ride it to work on average 3 days a week. I can make a tank (about 5 litres or so) last two weeks, and fill up only costs me about $7 bucks (based on the exchange rate). And I usually ride it all out whenever I get the chance.

Now, I plan on getting a real bike once the GT-R is paid off and I can take the wife to Hawaii for a mommy/daddy vacation. Just can't decide if I am going to get the CBR900RR Fireblade or a Harley. Harley's have phenomenal resale over here and the most popular models are Sportsters. Go figure...

[Bubba1]

But if I car pool with strippers, couldn't I catch the HERP????????????

Possibly, but think of it this way, with strippers, you can "motorboat" without consuming gasoline....