Need a bit more information. What type of roads? Interstate? City streets? Also to get 100+mpg on anything with enough power to get out of its own way will be difficult. The lower powered motorcycles / scooters that get the higher mpg are typically too slow to be safe on higher speed roads.

 

State routes that ride through the country, but pass through a few smallish towns. Rare if ever need to be on interstate. 55-60mph

 

Had an overweight buddy who used a scooter, briefcase between his feet. LOTS of horns & bird waving, but it worked for him, 6 months.
No idea of brand. Paved 18 miles 1 way. He said rain was an issue.

 

Buying a bike now you're going to paying a premium. The bike I bought 5 years ago for $1700 now sells for $4000.
The biggest factor, as you're seeing, is gas prices, the other is season. People like to ride when it's warm as sunny so they tend to sell their bikes in late fall so it floods the market and drops the prices.

 

Here’s a link for ides of mpg on new motorcycles. There are older used versions of some of these brands. As for taller riders the adventure bikes are a good choice. The Suzuki VStrom 650 is a very good motorcycle. I have the VStrom 1,000. The VStrom 650 will do cross country trips or put around town. The VStrom 650 has a load of aftermarket accessories available. Bigger windshields, saddlebags, etc.

It really depends on what roads you’ll be commuting on to properly choose the bike best suited for your needs. Search cycle trader for whatever motorcycle you’re interested in to get an idea of pricing.

 

Big and tall means avoiding really tiny bikes like 125-175cc.
Suggest a 250-400cc bual sport, or a street legal XL.
I used to own a Suzuki 400 dr dual sport that would be perfect.

 

Big and tall means avoiding really tiny bikes like 125-175cc.
Suggest a 250-400cc bual sport, or a street legal XL.
I used to own a Suzuki 400 dr dual sport that would be perfect.

I agree. I had a 2005 DR-Z400s, but too many close calls with bad drivers and a deer that almost tossed me into oncoming traffic convinced me to sell it. Fun, reliable, nimble bike, was sorry to see it go.

 

A quick search on cycle trader just turned up a number of Suzuki VStrom 650s for $3 to $4 thousand range. As Black Dragon stated the used prices of motorcycles is way up. Likely driven up by demand with the higher fuel prices.

 

I quit riding on the street a long time ago - good way to get maimed or killed by jerk weed car drivers. 500 or more 4 stroke cc is enough to provide crack the throttle to get out of trouble because jamming on the brakes isn't always the best answer. I liked Yamaha. Get good riding gear too.

You all all ready to late to find bargains in fuel economy vehicles IMHO.

 

You all all ready to late to find bargains in fuel economy vehicles IMHO.

I am sure you are right, however

at the price gas is already, i will be able to pay for the bike in gas saved in about a year, even at inflated prices

 

Forget your 100+ requirement but a 250 Yamaha XT would get you up to 55 , however it's not good practice to ride all day at wide open throttle and mileage isn't bad , or any of the 250cc single piston on/off road bikes. You "may" get around 60ish depending on many things.
A few years old would be in the price range but not many I see for sale.
Keep in mind , your looking for gas savings and many bikes may not like the ethanol fuel and I run non ethanol unless I have to , for the simple reason when you're doing 60mph up a long grade with a cager on your six , if the motor cuts out for just a second , it doesn't inspire warm fuzzy feelings.

 

Some of the newer bikes are able to digest ethanol fuel a little better but yep being in a tight turn and having the engine cut out for a second can leave skidmarks on something other than the road.

 

What about a 20 yr old "rice burner"?
Honda, Toyota etc that gets decent mileage.

Probably sell it a year later for same as you paid,
AND stay dry on rainy days.

 

I have done a lot of commuting with 650cc bikes. Some things to look for are a more erect riding position, decent fenders, no hi-assed rear to lift your leg over and no plastic to force tucking in. I have not ridden a Royal Enfield but this Meteor (350cc) has the look of a comfortable commuter. A 350-450cc Honda, Yamaha or Suzuki with a similar look might fill the bill. I think the RE might deliver 70+ mpg.

I should mention that motorcycle commuting can be more expensive due to the additional maintenance required and the price of tires which wear out faster. I don't know whether (or not) harder rubber tires are available for commuting.

 

I rode a Honda Rebel on surface streets for a year. Went back to my bicycle.

Whatever you wind up with take a MC rider safety course. Here in Ak, you take the certificate down to the DMV and they endorse your license no questions asked.

Get trained, avoid becoming an organ doner.

 

Merlin,

As others have mentioned, 100mpg isn't realistic as we're talking about a decent sized bike for commuting. One thing I would highly recommend is that if you decide to do this, that you ride often and get to know your machine as quickly possible. Commutes are often fraught with people in a hurry who will not see you for a myriad of reasons, texting, on the phone, spilled coffee, etc. etc.

I've been riding on and off road for 50 years now... I have road bikes, but they rarely see use these days except for purposeful rides with other bikers. I still enduro ride to this day and fairly often in the Summer and Fall. I'm 6'3" & 200 lbs. I would recommend that you get at least a 650 - 750cc motorcycle. 500cc or less may not be sufficient to move your heft, luggage (commonly called panniers) and the bike quickly through or past a difficult situation.

Agree with many of the comments made up-thread. I hasten to add, that motorcycling is dangerous. period. On-road, especially so. As an example, another motorist cannot see you behind a pencil at 30 yards. Be very sure you want to attempt to do this and try it first - if you know someone who has a bike that may fit your use, and if they'll let you try it out, it will provide the experience without the capital outlay. There are rental places too, EagleRider.com is one. But you'll need a MC license first.

Hope this helps...

 

My 2 cents from 30 years of riding experience.

Forget 100 mpg. The right bike ridden sensibly will probably get you about half of that. Still 50 mpg is way better than a 25mpg car or a 15mpg truck. Riding a motorcycle in traffic and dealing with weather is a way different experience than just getting in a car and driving to work. Don't forget the investment in quality riding gear and a good New helmet. Don't buy a used helmet, you never know if it has had prior impacts that reduce effectiveness.
You'll have to run all the numbers and see if it still makes sense for you with the adjusted mpg's cut in half and other related expenses and hassles.

At your price range you are looking at used bikes at least 6 or 7 years old or older most likely. Maybe as much as 10 to 15 years old for larger cruisers or touring bikes. I don't want to get into a brand war, but Honda and Yamaha have always been the reliability leaders of the industry. They are all I will own at this point in my life. I've had a bunch of both and always good reliable bikes.

Yamaha FJR 1300 or a Honda ST1100 would be great commuting options. Comfortable and the ability to carry some cargo. You are probably lookin at at least 15 years old for these two though in your price range. Again nothing wrong with that, just be sure to find a bike that has been taken care of.

 

I don’t think you can actually save money using a motorcycle for transportation. Why? Tires and maintenance cost.

Motorcycle tires are $85 and up and they last what 6000 miles? Need a new chain and sprocket every 20k to 25k miles. Brake pads last 8k miles and are $100. You cars break pads last at least 50k miles and are cheaper.

An old cheap 4 cyl car can be purchased for $2000 and gets 35 mpg. A set of used tires is $100 and will get you 20k miles before needing replaced.

 

I don’t think you can actually save money using a motorcycle for transportation. Why? Tires and maintenance cost.

Motorcycle tires are $85 and up and they last what 6000 miles? Need a new chain and sprocket every 20k to 25k miles. Brake pads last 8k miles and are $100. You cars break pads last at least 50k miles and are cheaper.

And old cheap 4 cyl car can be purchased for $2000 and gets 35 mpg. A set of used tires is $100 and will get you 20k miles before needing replaced.

Well, minor maintenance costs aside, there is a good point here and that is waaay safer to get a small car that gets really good gas mileage. $4k is doable there as well.

 

Send @Bob3rd a message and ask him. As far as I know, he still rides and has for most of his life. He may be able to point you in the right direction. Sorry I couldn't be more help but my motorcycle adventures was strictly dirt bikes.

 

Riding a bike on a daily basis in all types of weather before you learn diddly is dangerous.
Be sure you have good insurance.
Even if you know diddly very well, other drivers don't care.
Your age is a factor too - reaction times, eyesight (thru rain-streaked/fogged face shields or goggles) and how long it will take to mend broken bones...

Not going to find a highway capable bike that gets 100 mpg, either under or over $4k. It's just Physics.
70 mpg is a more reasonable goal, at $5k and up. How far up depends on how new the bike is. Too old, and you'll have to worry about dependability and parts availablilty - how important is it to get where you're going on time everyday?

School is out for the summer - guess who buys the smaller bikes this time of year.

The fact that you can ride back roads is a plus, in most cases. Location is important. There's lots of difference between riding in rural sunny California vs. roads in the northeastern states, with the bad weather and potholes that can swallow a Harley.
Sold mine when I left California.

 

Much of my commuting was on a 57 650cc Triumph Thunderbird. It had a lot of pep for only 34HP. I think you can beat that HP today with less than 500cc.

 

I have a 2013 Yamaha XT250 . I purchased it for end of the world scenarios. It gets 73 mpg. It’s max speed is about 68 mph. It’s not for freeways AT ALL. It will do 55 mph all day long.

It’s fuel injected and will run ethanol or nonethanol fuel with no difference. I run non ethanol because I don’t drive the bike that much and it’s better for long term storage than ethanol fuel.

 

I live 11 miles out of a tiny town. 90 miles to book stores and guitar stores. 6'0, 260

nothing less than a 250 for commuting to tiny town. I would worry about the brakes and drive chain on anything less
350, 400: state highway yes, freeway for an hour: no. up a mountain to an even smaller town: no.
you will want something bigger very soon. if you want to take a trip of 75 miles or longer you want a 650 or more

 

Honda.lately has some small cheap bikes but I suspect.too small and too cheap. Still,.looks like they can't be kept in stock.
Little bikes also blow around on open road. Any size is pain in stop and go traffic.
Most likely to have accident in first 6 months when inexperienced.

 

thanks for the info guys. given the advice i'm hearing, the financial incentive just isn't as strong as i thought, and very possibly not worth the added headache and danger. appreciate you "steering me" in the right direction.

 

Don't give up just yet. Do you really expect gasoline to not go past $6 / gallon? How about $10 / gallon? Would that change your mind? Besides the fuel economy, consider the fun factor.

As far as learning to ride, it's being done every day. Just ride as if every car is out to get you and learn to use your front brake. Why do you suppose the manufacturers install such huge front brakes and such small rear ones on motorcycles? Because that's where all the braking power is. You don't stop by laying the damn thing down either. What's the coefficient of friction difference between a rubber tire and a steel motorcycle frame trailing sparks as it slides down the pavement?

 

A lot depends on why you ride/drive the 60 miles per day.
Things like do you need to be there on time, with dry clothes and not all sweaty and smelly.

Unlike what another poster said, you can't just take a car "when it rains". Lots of sunny morning rides turn into rainy evening commutes.

You're going to encounter rain you can't safely ride in and you'll sweat in the summer.
I used to ride the 101 a.k.a. Ventura freeway. Needed a shower to remove the road grime before interacting with normal people. Once the rainy season (Dec.) hit, that grime and oil turned so slick sometimes a bike would slide sideways while sitting still with both feet on the pavement.

Riding for fun on your own schedule is great. In much of the country, that means a bike is parked in the garage 6 or more months per year.

 

Riding for fun on your own schedule is great. In much of the country, that means a bike is parked in the garage 6 or more months per year.

Truer words were never spoken. Some hard core riders do ride most of the year. The guy across the street from me rides almost every day. I hear his damn motorcycle every morning. He has a big Harley with loud pipes. He left at 5:05am this morning. I heard him loud and clear. But even he doesn't doesn't ride if its wet or cold and his ride is less than 9 miles one way.

I am all for the OP getting a bike for a pleasure rider but his reasons for getting one probably aren't valid. Its one of those things you have to put pencil to paper to see if it works. I had over half a tank of gas in my truck but just topped it off. It was $4.67 a gallon and cost me $53.00 to fill up. But if I do it right that one tank will last me a month. One of the perks of being retired I guess.

 

Get yourself on that has a reserve tank, trust me, you'll thank me later. saved my buddie a couple of times, I know next to nothing but I know how to fix certain things, change to oil, ect. I mean it's almost a car.

 

I'll tell ya' what's cool Merlin, just look at the number of posts in such a short amount of time and the passion that bikers have!

@Lagnar - our history with riding is nearly identical - we started at exactly same time in our lives.

Gotta love it!

BTW - that is some pretty impressive mileage you're getting! - you know the throttle is on the right, right?

 

Another thought on this is , if you start to ride your 60 a day,
You may want to start riding more and a single piston off/on road bike will give you a capability your car/truck doesn't.
Only you know if that is worth something.

As for being dangerous, yea well what isn't.
Folks get killed every day behind the wheel.

Since I been here, I learned no one can or will shoot a pistol grip shotgun by aiming without hurting themself , 10 pounds is too heavy of a rifle and motorcycles are bad.
Well I still stand up to pee so maybe that's why all this is lost on me

 

Well I still stand up to pee so maybe that's why all this is lost on me

Ha! Just wait!